Africa Test Flashcards
What three factors affect Africa’s climate?
Distance from the equator
Relative location to the bodies of water
Elevation
Five regions of Africa
North South East West Central
Areas closer to the equator are typically _______.
Warmer
How does a country with a dry climate grow crops?
Irrigation- artificial watering
Rainforests
Rainy and moist weather
Location: most of central Africa
Reducing in size
Tropical
Deserts
Dry, sandy, hot, barren
3 main: Sahara, Namib, Kalahari
The Sahel is hot and dry: when the Sahara desert meets a new savanna region
Savannas
A region of tall grasses Located n and s of rainforests Two seasons: wet and dry Wet season- great for farming Dry season- almost impossible to farm
Where is the Sahara desert located?
North
Why is the Sahara desert significant?
Largest desert in Africa
What are nomads?
Move a lot to make a living by trade
Which region in Africa has the highest population
West
Which region in Africa is home to the Namib and Kalahari Deserts?
South
Why is the Namib desert considered “unique”?
It’s on the coast
What is a plateau
High elevation
Flat land near sea coast
Some end at escarpments (steep cliffs)
What is a coastal plain?
A flat land near the sea or coast
How are escarpments and coastal plains related?
A coastal plain can end in an escarpment?
The four major rivers of Africa
Nile
Congo
Niger
Zambezi
Nile river
Longest river in the world NE When it floods, it makes fertile soil which is good for farming 4,000+ mi Flows N
Congo river
Central
Fed by tributaries
Upper 2,000s
Niger River
Flows north then south
Mid 2,000s
Zambezi
Low 2,000s
Fast current makes electricity
Creates Victoria Falls
What is the Great Rift Valley?
4,000 mile deep trench
Includes major landforms like rivers, lakes, waterfalls, mountains
Where is the Great Rift Valley located?
East
What is the tallest mountain in Africa?
Mount Kilimanjaro
Where is Mount Kilimanjaro located?
The border of Tanzania
One of the most famous waterfalls in Africa is ________.
Victoria Falls
What is the name locals give Victoria Falls?
Smoke that thunders
What is the difference between subsistence farming and farming for cash crops?
Subsistence- raising crops for themselves and their family
Cash- raising crops to sell to other people
What are some crops that are grown throughout Africa?
Dates Barley Wheat Grains Coffee Cacao Tea
What are some natural resources harvested in Africa?
Petroleum Oil Copper Gold Silver Uranium Diamonds
What does it mean to have a specialized economy?
An economy that specializes in one industry
What are the pros and cons of having a specialized economy?
Pros
You have a lot of the thing
You create the supply and demand there could be excess for yourself
Cons
Something could happen to it and there would be no backup
What does it mean to diversify the economy?
To specialize in more than one thing
How are Africans diversifying their economy?
They are starting to mine more, creating more industries
The three forms of government found in Pre-Colonial Africa
Kingdoms and Empires- large, King/chief, advisors, known for trading, growing technology and strong farming. Ex: ancient Egypt
City states- small kingdoms, urban (city like) ex: Mombasa
Stateless Political Societies- no government system, not much known about them
What does it mean to colonize?
To settle into an area and…
Take over government in existence
Create a government for that area
What happened when Europeans first colonized Africa?
Changed institution Of slavery
Took land an controlled it through various methods
Built industries around natural resources found in Africa
What is nationalism?
A love for your country/pride for your nation
How does it play a role in Africa’s independence movement?
Political parties began to form, supporting rights for Africans in different regions of the continent
What is the slogan for the pan African movement
Africa for Africans
What does the slogan mean?
Africans should be in control of Africa
Which war led to several European countries independence for African countries
World war ll
What does “some African countries are young” mean?
Some African countries got their independence fairly recently
What is music used for in Africa?
Entertainment Storytelling Rituals/ceremonies Work Language
What are some common sounds/instruments?
Clapping
Drums
What does call and response mean?
Call- solo
Response- chorus
What is dance used for in Africa?
Rituals
Ceremonies
Entertainment
What are the dance moves inspired by?
War
Nature
Everyday life
How many languages are spoken in Africa?
1,000+
What are the most popular languages in Africa?
English
French
Portuguese
What language is spoken in North Africa?
Arabic
What language is spoken in east Africa?
Swahili
Why were folk tales used as a form of education for many years?
Not much paper- word of mouth- oral history
What three topics can a folklore cover?
Life lessons/moral
Explain the unexplained
Retelling history
What element is typically included in African folklore?
Nature
North Africa’s diet and common food:
Influenced by traders
Cinnamon, nutmeg, saffron
West Africa’s diet and common food:
Lots of carbs- grains and starches
Spicy
Central Africa’s diet and common food:
Traditional
Plantains
Bushmeat
Stews
South/East Africa’s diet and common food:
Grains, beans, veggies
Citrus
Some similarities with the north
