Sub-Saharan African Geography

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Sub-Saharan African Geography

• West, Central, East, South Africa (not North
  Africa which has a Mediterranean Culture and
  influence)

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How big is Africa?
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African Geography - Vegetation
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North Africa
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West Africa - Geography
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West Africa Important geographic features

• Sahel savannas (grasslands) with diverse
  animal population
• Niger River river that at parts is
  non-navigable, will be home to main Western
  African classical cities like Timbuktu, mouth of
  the river is a delta where today much oil is
  produced
• Forests - by the coasts
• Climate tropical
• Natural Resources Salt, Gold, Oil
• Few geographic barriers allow for large
  empires to develop

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East Africa Geography
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East Africa Important geographic features

• Ethiopian Highlands and Ahmar Mountains
  isolates coastline from inland, independent city
  states develop instead of unified large empires,
  difficult planting unfertile soil, cause Nile
  River to exist
• Indian Ocean and Red Sea coastal trade and
  cultural diffusion comes from the east and other
  Indian Ocean cultures, postclassical trade occurs
  with Arabian Peninsula directly and indirectly
  with India, Southeast Asia and even China,
  city-states are rich because of this trading
• White Nile and Blue Nile Rivers - connects
  Interior East Africa (Nubia, Sudan, etc.) with
  Egypt and North Africa
• Climate Tropical - Monsoons affect
  directional trading because of winds,
  Postclassical East Africa could trade with
  Arabian Peninsula up to city-state Kilwa (and
  later the island of Zanzibar as technology
  increased) in 1 monsoon season, On highlands
  weather is cooler

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Central Africa
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Central Africa - Vegetation
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Central Africa Important geographic features

• Jungle (Congo) few people live in jungle and
  those who do are not exposed to much cultural
  diffusion, it is a cultural barrier between East
  and West Africa, and West and Southern Africa
• Congo River non-navigable river
• Climate tropical

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Southern Africa
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Southern Africa stronger connection with East
Africa than West Africa

• Rivers Zambeizi, Limpopo, Orange populations
  can be supported with food, too far away for 1
  monsoon season of trade with Arabian Peninsula
  and India
• Kalahari Desert, Victorian Falls, Cape of Good
  Hope (Connects Atlantic and Indian Oceans),
  Drakensberg Mountains barriers make unifying to
  large empires difficult so small kingdoms and
  city-states emerge
• Climate Mediterranean
• Natural Resources Gold, Diamonds

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Africa Climate issues today