What is desertification?
Loss of vegetation and desert overtaking land
What are the causes of desertification?
Climate change, drought, deforestation, wind erosion, overgrazing
How would desertification affect the people and economies hit by it?
- It would destroy farmers and herders livelihoods
- You would have food shortages
- It could lead to a depopulation of the countryside and increase urbanization
- Lack of skills for urban life
- Loss of culture
What are 4 regions of Africa?
- North Africa (Least diverse, world’s largest desert)
- West Africa (most populated, therefore most diverse)
- East Africa (mountainous)
- Central and South Africa (rich in natural resources)
Major Landforms of Africa (name 4, yours might be different from mine)
Sahara Desert, Nile River, Namib and Kalahari Desert, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Congo Basin, Atlas Mountains, Ethiopian Highlands, Serengeti Plain, Sahel Desert
What factors influence climate?
Proximity to major landforms, proximity to bodies of water, Elevation, Distance from the equator, Deforestation, desertification, global warming, seasons, wind direction, ocean currents
How is subsistence farming different from cash crop farming?
The plot of land is smaller, land is of poor quality, they don’t often own the land, fewer workers, grow a larger variety of crops, have less money for equipment, less affected by world markets, any surplus is sold locally
What are some of the dangers to raising cash crops?
Affected by world markets, all eggs in one basket, sensitive to weather, affected by insects or disease, less land to grow foodstuffs, same crop growing may deplete the soil, harms the environment, workers may go on strike
How are African countries working to diversify their economies?
By growing a variety of crops and many different minerals
