AFRICA: CLIMATE AND VEGETATION

Climate is the atmospheric condition of a place over a long period of time.

Factors affecting the climate of Africa are:

1. Latitude
2. Altitude
3. Distance from the sea or ocean
4. Ocean currents
5. Planetary winds and pressure belts
6. Slope and aspect
7. Cloud cover
8. Vegetation

 

TYPES OF CLIMATE IN AFRICA

1. The Equatorial Hot Climate: This is found in the Zaire Basin of Central Africa and in the coast of West Africa (except Ghana).
2. The Tropical Continental (Sudan) Climate: It is found in West Africa and curves southwards into East Africa and Southern Africa.
3. The Mediterranean Climate: It is found in the horns or tips of Africa in South Western part of South Africa(Cape Town) and in the North Western part of Africa(Morroco, Algeria and Tunisia).
4. The Hot Desert Climate
5. The Warm Temperate Eastern Margin
6. The Temperate Continental (Steppe) Climate

 

EVALUATION

1. Define climate.
2. State the elements of climate.
3. Mention the types of climate in Africa.

 

VEGETATION OF AFRICA

The vegetation of Africa include the following

1. Tropical rain forest
2. Tropical savanna(grassland)
3. The mediterranean vegetation
4. Desert vegetation
5. Temperate grassland
6. Montane vegetation

 

GENERAL EVALUATION

1. What is climate?
2. Mention four elements of climate.
3. Mention the vegetation types in Africa.
4. State the features of tropical rain forest.
5. Mention three features of grassland vegetation.

 

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

1. Lines joining places with equal degree of cloudiness is (a) isotherm (b) isohel (c) isoneph

(d) isoyet

2. Trees in savanna region develop the following adaptations to enable them survive the long dry season except (a) shallow roots (b) long taproots (c) thick barks (d) thin leaves
3. Isotherm is to temperature as ______ is to pressure (a) isohaline (b) isohel (c) isobar

(d) isoneph

4. The Sahel savanna vegetation is predominantly found in (a) Cote d’ivoire (b) Mauritania

(c) Morocco (d) Sierra Leone

5. Xerophytic plants are usually associated with (a) regions of heavy rainfall (b) water logging (c) areas of low rainfall (d) windward part of a highland

 

THEORY

On the map of Africa, locate the different climatic types.

 

See also

AFRICA: RELIEF AND DRAINAGE

AFRICA: LOCATION, POSITION, SIZE AND POLITICAL DIVISION

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)

GEO-POLITICAL ISSUES: LAND RECLAMATION

SETTLEMENT INTERACTIONS