Chapter 25—North Africa

• Del Sahel: The region in Africa just s. of the Sahara

• Colonialism: The system by which countries set up colonies to secure sources of raw materials and
markets for their products
• Plateau: An area of high, flat land
• Escarpment: A steep cliff that separates 2 level areas of differing elevations
• Savanna: A tropical grassland with scattered trees, located in the warm lands near the Equator
• oral history: History passed down by word of mouth
• nomadic herding: The practice of moving flocks to different pasture throughout the year
• leaching: The dissolving and washing away of nutrients in the soil
• land degradation: Reduction in the productive potential of the land

1. What were the ancient civilizations of Africa, and what impact did they have on the continent?
• Egyptian civilization—influenced Carthaginians + Romans who controlled N. Africa + civilizations such
as Kush + Aksum in modern Sudan + Ethiopia
• Bantu peoples—dev. agri., learned to make iron tools
• Empires of Ghana Mali—dev. from a growing trade in slat + gold after A.D. 1000 in the Sahel
• Yoruba culture of Nigeria
• Great Zimbabwe
• Muslim civilizations—spread across N. Africa + down coast of E. Africa
2. Describe the slave trade.
• After 1500—Europeans began trading guns + goods along African coast for gold + ivorysought
slaves for colonies in the Americas
• Coastal kingdoms used European guns to round up Africans in the interior + sell as slaves to
Europeanssend mil.s of enslaved Africans to the Americas
3. Why did the Europeans set up colonies in Africa?
• To secure sources of raw materials and markets for European products—colonialism
4. What impact did colonialism have on the African continent?
• Subjected African peoples to foreign rule
• European countries divided continent w/out regard to political + cultural divisions
• Highways, railroads, educational opportunities, + medical advances
5. How have African countries addressed challenges brought from independence?
• Colonialism left Africa in povertyTook on massive loans to finance projects
• Nations maintained borders imposed by Europeansethnic turmoil + military conflict
• 1960s + 1970s—military rulers seized power
• 1990s—S. Africa held first free elect + democracy returned to Ghana + Tanzania
6. Why is Africa a continent of plateaus?
• Most of continent consists of plateaus—S. Africa forms high plateau, while Sahara in n. covers low
plateau dotted w/ mountain ranges
7. Describe the rift valleys in Africa.
• Great Rift Valley—stretches n.ward from Mozambique to Ethiopia—marked by volcanoes, lakes, + hot
springs + has steep sides reached about 6,562 ft
• Movements w/in crust cause cracks to appear on surface—blocks of land slip down between faults
created by cracks
8. How do rivers impact the geographic theme of movement?
• Many African rivers are navigable in inland areas, but waterfalls + cataracts often make reaching the
coast difficult
9. What are the two most common climates in Africa?
• Arid
 • Tropical wet and dry
10. What is the most common ecosystem in Africa?
• Tropical grassland
11. Which physical features and climates support the highest and lowest population densities?
• Highest—Nile Valley, Nigeria, Eastern African highlands, + coastal areaswater
• Lowest—Saharadry, no water
12. What two European powers controlled the most land in Africa?
• France + Britain
13. How many African countries were independent during colonialism?
• 2
14. What is cultural diversity like south of the Sahara?
• Rich varieties of cultural traditions + people speak a total of 800+ lang.
15. What is the most common economic activity in Africa?
• Subsistence farming, followed by nomadic herding
16. What country has the largest population in Africa?
• Nigeria
17. Compare Mozambique & South Africa’s population statistics.
• Mazambique
o 18,641,469
o Pop. growing quickly
o Low pop. density
o 2/3 is rural
o Civil wars limited pop. growth
o AIDS epidemic has begun to slow growth
o UN says AIDS will keep pop. from growing quickly
• South Africa
o 42,834,520
o Most economically dev. + urbanizedbirthrate + pop. growth rate are lower
o UN says AIDS makes pop. rise slowly