Background Information
Africa is the second largest continent on Earth, covering 4,600 miles east-to-west and 5,000 miles north-to-south. The Prime Meridian and the Equator both cross through Africa. Africa doesn't have huge mountains. They have alternating dry and rainy seasons. Narrow coastlines border a central plateau. Africa has three big river systems: the Nile, the Congo, and the Niger. Waterfalls and rapids form when rivers drop from the plateau to the coast. Africa doesn't have many safe harbors; most harbors in Africa are dangerous because ocean currents will push you into rocks lined along the coastline.
Inhabitable vs. Suitable
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Africa's geography has both inhabitable and suitable environments to live in.
Two very big deserts there are the Sahara and the Kalahari. The Sahara stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, covering an area nearly the size of the United States. Little of the Sahara has sand dunes. Most of it is actually a flat, gray wasteland covered with scattered rocks and gravel. The Sahara is a very dry and hot place, which is not suitable for human life. Every year the Sahara grows bigger and bigger, taking more and more land from the Sahel, the land at the southern edge of the Sahara. The Sahel matters because the climate there is more suitable than in the Sahara. Africa also has rainforests. Their rainforests consist of mahogany and teak trees that are 150 feet tall and a dense canopy.
However, the rainforests also have a deadly insect called the tsetse fly. The tsetse fly prevents anybody from coming near the forests.
As well as harsh environments, there are good environments as well. The northern coast and southern tip have a Mediterranean-like climate and fertile soil; farmers and herders live here. Most people live on the savannas (grassy plains). The savannas create abundant agricultural production. Savannas cover 40% of Africa.
Two very big deserts there are the Sahara and the Kalahari. The Sahara stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, covering an area nearly the size of the United States. Little of the Sahara has sand dunes. Most of it is actually a flat, gray wasteland covered with scattered rocks and gravel. The Sahara is a very dry and hot place, which is not suitable for human life. Every year the Sahara grows bigger and bigger, taking more and more land from the Sahel, the land at the southern edge of the Sahara. The Sahel matters because the climate there is more suitable than in the Sahara. Africa also has rainforests. Their rainforests consist of mahogany and teak trees that are 150 feet tall and a dense canopy.
However, the rainforests also have a deadly insect called the tsetse fly. The tsetse fly prevents anybody from coming near the forests.
As well as harsh environments, there are good environments as well. The northern coast and southern tip have a Mediterranean-like climate and fertile soil; farmers and herders live here. Most people live on the savannas (grassy plains). The savannas create abundant agricultural production. Savannas cover 40% of Africa.
Different Regions have Different Environments
Different parts of Africa have different environments. Central Africa has the Congo rainforest. East Africa has Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. North Africa is mostly covered by the Sahara. South Africa is the world's most abundant region of gold, platinum, and diamonds. West Africa is less than 1,000 feet above sea level and stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Sahara.