the plateau continent

The Plateau Continent

1. A vast Plateau
a. Africa’s Plateau
i. A huge plateau cover the most of Africa
ii. Except for Mozambique and Somalia, most of the continent is at about 1,000 feet above sea-level
iii. Most geographers call Africa, the plateau continent
b. Basins and rivers
i. Basins: Depressions in the earth
ii. Each basin spreads about 625 miles across and more than 5,000 feet deep.
iii. Water collects in the Chad basin, and rivers flow through the Congo, Sudan, and Djouf basins
iv. The Nile River: the world’s longest river at 4,000+ miles
v. It flows through Uganda and Sudan  and into Egypt.
vi. More than 95% of Egyptian s relied on the Nile to survive
vii. Today, more than 3,320 people per square mile live on the Nile
viii. Afric contains many waterfalls, rapids, and gorges
ix. These make boat travel very dangerous, and nearly impossible
2. Distintive African Landforms
a. Rift Valley and lakes
i. Rift valleys: Land sank down to form long thin valleys
ii. These valleys stretch 4,000 miles from Southwest asia to Mozambique
iii. The lakes at the ends of these are long and deep
iv. Lake victoria is the world’s 2nd largest lake, but it is only 270 feet deep
b. Mountains
i. Mount Kilimanjaro: Africa’s highest mountain and also a volcano
ii. Esccarpment: a steep slope with a near flat plateau on top
Summary
1. This section went over the geography of the continent of Africa. It talked about the various mountains, gorges, and waterfalls of the plateau continent. It also taught about the rift valleys and basins