Chapters 17 and 20

1. Chapters 17 and 20 Physical Geography of Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia

2. Land: North Africa, SW Asia and Central Asia • Earthquakes • African, Arabian, Anatolian and Eurasian plates come together in these areas. • As they move they build mountains, shift landmasses, and cause earthquakes. • 7.4 earthquake happened along the Arabian and Eurasian plates in Turkey in 1999 • Mountains • Atlas Mountains- longest. • Hejaz and Asir- SW Asia. Arabian Peninsula. Asir get more rain than the Hejaz. Better for farming. • Pontic and Taurus in Turkey. Between is Anatolian Plateau. East of Pontic is Mount Ararat (17,000ft). • Caucus- north of Mount Ararat between Black and Caspian Seas. • Turan Lowlands- west of Tian Shan range. To south there are kums. • Kara Kum- black sand desert. Turkmenistan. • Kyzyl Kum- red sand desert. Uzbekistan.

3. Land: North Africa, SW Asia and Central Asia • Coastal Plains, Seas and Peninsulas • Agricultural base is rooted along fertile plains along Mediterranean Sea, Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf. • Mediterranean separates Europe and Africa • Red Sea and Gulf of Aden separate the Arabian Peninsula from Africa. • Gulf of Suez and Aqaba flank the Sinai Peninsula • Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara and Bosporus connect the Aegean and Black Seas and separate Europe and Asia. • East of Caspian Sea is the Aral Sea. Used to be the fourth largest inland sea.

4. Land: North Africa, SW Asia and Central Asia • Major Rivers: Cradles of Civilization • Nile river is longest in world. 4,160 miles. Nile Delta and fertile land along banks gave birth to earliest civilizations. 90% of people live there. • Aswan High Dam control river’s flow, reducing floods and deposits of alluvial soil. Provides water for agriculture and hydroelectric power. • Tigris and Euphrates rivers bring life to Mesopotamia. Start 50 miles from each other and join in southern Iraq to form the Shatt al Arab. Euphrates is longest at 2,335 miles. Tigris is only 1,180 miles.

5. Land: North Africa, SW Asia and Central Asia • Oil and Natural Gas • 60% of world’s known oil reserves are in this region. 50% of natural gas reserves as well. • Rely heavily on petroleum but that is dangerous when prices fall their economies are devastated. • Minerals • Turkmenistan has largest deposits of sulfate. • Morocco largest producer of phosphate. • 10% of world’s iron reserves.

6. Climate and Vegetation: North Africa, SW Asia and Central Asia • Desert Climate • Only averages 10 inches of rain a year. 50% of this region falls under that definition. • Sahara- largest desert. 3.5 million square miles. • Deserts in northern Sahara, Arabian desert and Central Asia have freezing winters. Southern Sahara and Arabian desert are milder. Summers are long and hot. • 10% of Sahara is sand. Rest is desert pavement, mountains, and barren rock. • Rub’ al’Khali- Empty Quarter. 250,000 square mile. Largest area of sand. Arabian Peninsula. • Do support vegetation like cacti and shrubs. • Nomadic herds of sheep, goats, and camels found in Kara-Kum in Central Asia. • Steppe Climate • Second largest climate. Borders Sahara to north and south. Rainfall averages 14 inches. Short grasses. Goats, sheep, camels. Pastoralism is a way of life here.

7. Climate and Vegetation: North Africa, SW Asia and Central Asia • Mediterranean climates have cool, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. Common in Tigris Euphrates river valley, highland areas, and coastal plains. • Rainfall • Most rain happens in the coastal and highland areas near mountain ranges. • North African coast near Atlas Mountains averages 30 inches a year. • Elburz Mountains receives 60 inches a year. Northern Iran. • Batumi- Georgia. Gets over 100 inches a year.

8. Land: South of the Sahara • 9.5 million square miles. • Great Rift Valley • Stretches from Syria to Mozambique. • Large depression left from tectonic plates shifting. • Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes help shape its landscape. • Forms two branches. Main volcanic cones including Kilimanjaro are in the east. Lake Tanganyika- deepest and longest freshwater lake is in the west. • Lake Malawi- 2,300ft deep.

9. Land: South of the Sahara • Mountains and Plateaus • Series of plateaus ranging from 500 to 8,000 ft high. Outcroppings of solid rock. Edges are escarpments. Most 20 miles from coast. • Most mountains in the east. Eastern Highlands from Ethiopia to Cape of Good Hope. • Ruwenzori Mts. Divide Uganda and Dem. Rep. of Congo. • Drakensberg Range- South Africa and Lesotho. 11,000 ft. high. Form part of escarpment along southern edge of continent. • Land of Lakes • Most of lakes by the Great Rift Valley. Lake Victoria- largest in Africa. Second largest freshwater lake. Source of White Nile. Shallow. 270 feet. • Lake Chad- landlocked and shrinking. Because of climate most water evaporates. Global warming, irrigation and desertification. • Human Made Lake • Lake Volta- west Africa. Largest human made lakes. Flooded more than 700 villages. 70,000 people had to find new homes. • Irrigation for farming, hydroelectric power, fishing.

10. Land: South of the Sahara • River Basins • Niger River- 2,600 miles. Main artery for western Africa. Forms a great arc. Major means of transportation and agriculture. • Niger Delta- 150 miles north to south and 200 miles along the Gulf of Guinea. • Zambezi River- 2,200 miles. Delta that is 37 miles wide. Interrupted by waterfalls. Victoria Falls- 355 ft. Zambia and Zimbabwe. • Congo river- reaches the sea through an estuary. 7 miles wide and ships can navigate it. 2,700 miles long. Navigable tributaries. • Natural Resources • Mineral resources abundant. Some oil reserves. 4% of world’s oil reserves south of the Sahara. • Metals- copper, iron ore, manganese, and zinc. 1/2 the world’s gold. Also uranium and diamonds. • Water is abundant. Irregular and unpredictable so hard to use for practical reasons.

11. Climate and Vegetation: South of the Sahara • Tropical Wet • Warm temps. More than 60 inches of rain. No truly dry season. Dense forests. • Shrubs, ferns and mosses on lowest level- from 6-10ft. Layer of trees and palms reach 60 ft atop the undergrowth. Canopy with a maximum height of 150ft. • Soils are not fertile because heavy rains leach nutrients from soil. Bananas, cocoa, pineapple, tea, coffee and cotton. • Tropical Dry • Savanna cover half of Africa. Rainfall is seasonal. Wet and dry seasons. Wettest areas get 35-45 inches. • Harmattan- northwest trade wind. Bring in hot, dry air. • Serengeti Plain- largest savanna plain. Not fertile for farming. Lots of wild animals.

12. Climate and Vegetation: South of the Sahara • Steppe • Separates dry savanna from the desert. Transition zone. Extends to southern tip of Africa. Northern steppe is called Sahel. Senegal to Sudan. 4-8 inches of rain a year. Mostly in June, July and August. • Desertification • 50 years this has affected the Sahel. Climate change that brings long periods of water shortages and dryness. • Human land use and animal activities also contribute. Strip trees for firewood. Livestock overgraze on grasses. Land is deplete, top soil eroded, reducing land productivity and ability to rebound from a drought.

13. Climate and Vegetation: South of the Sahara • Desert • Isolated parts of southern Africa affected. In the east hot, dry weather prevails. Atlantic coast of Namibia Desert- rocks and dunes. • Kalahari Desert- very dry. Little rain fall. Average temps very high. Daily temps range from 120-50. winter it is even colder. • Mid-latitude • Marine and humid subtropical climates. Cape Town as Mediterranean climate. • Highland areas of East Africa have moderate climates with good temps and rainfall. • Vertical zones exist.