Chapter 18 Section 2

Climate and Vegetation

I) A Warm Continent
 
 a. The Deserts

1. Two deserts, the Kalahari and Namib, can be found in southern Africa
2. Africa is the home to the world's largest dessert, the Sahara.
3. Aquifers are huge stores of underground water.
4. An Oasis is when the water has come to the surface.

 b. The Tropics

1. Africa has a large tropic area, the largest of any continent.
2. In humid regions of the tropics, variance in temperature between winter and summer are slight.

III) Sunshine and Rainfall

  a. Rainfall Patterns

1. The rain forest in Central Africa receives the most precipitation, as rain falls throughout the year.
2. The closer an area is to the desert, the longer the dry season will be.
3. The region around Monrovia, Liberia, experiences an average annual rainfall of more than 120 inches.
4. Children living in this area might not even see rain until they're five or six years old.

IV) A Grassy Continent

 a. Tropical Grassland

1.Tropical grassland cover most of the continent.
2. An example of a grassland is, the Serengeti Plain in Northern Tanzania.

V) Africa's Extreme

  a. Rain Forest

1.The major rain forests of Africa sit on the equator in the area of the Congo Basin.
2. More than 600 species of trees are found in the Congo basin rain forest.
3. Plants and other vegetation quickly decompose, or decay.

  b. Varieties of Plantlife

1. All of Africa's regions contain a variety of vegetation.
2. The Mangrove tree roots are breeding grounds for fish.