Geographic features of Africa. Natural objects of the earth

Detailed decision paragraph § 27 on geography for students of grade 7, authors Korinskaya VA, Dushina IV, Schenev VA 2017

Questions and Tasks

1. What are the most significant geographical features of South Africa.

Zambezi, Kalahari Semi-desert, Dragon and Cape Mountains.

2. Using the integrated map, highlight the main types of economic activity in the countries of South Africa.

Agriculture and mining.

3. What are the main features of the nature and economy of South Africa.

South Africa is a country of diverse natural complexes and vast natural wealth. Most of the country is a flat plateau, which gradually rises in steps to the south and east, giving way to mountains. Savannahs prevail in the country. Natural conditions, as throughout South Africa, vary not only from north to south, but also from east to west.

South Africa with its inherent large variety of landscapes has a very rich fauna. In many areas, hunting and fishing is still the main occupation of the local population. But with the advent of Europeans, the number of wild animals decreased markedly and many of their species almost disappeared. The number of herbivores — antelopes, zebras, giraffes, elephants, large black buffalos, and rhinos — was especially reduced. Lions and leopards almost completely disappeared.

In order to preserve wild animals from complete extermination, as well as in general natural complexes, reserves and national parks have been created in South Africa. In the largest of them - the Kruger National Park - all species of animals found on the mainland are collected.

Territories with fertile lands in the country belong to white farmers - owners of private agricultural enterprises. Farms widely use machinery and fertilizers and therefore get high yields. They grow corn, wheat, legumes, sugarcane, citrus fruits, cotton and other crops. On elevated plateaus with good pastures, sheep and cattle farms are located. Livestock raising occupies the most important place in agriculture.

The bowels of South Africa are rich in a variety of minerals. A geological miracle is called this country. South Africa is one of the first places in the world for reserves and production of diamonds, gold, platinum, uranium and iron ores. The economy of the country is dependent on the British and American monopolists, who lead the development of mineral resources and receive huge profits.

There are many factories and plants in the country, industry is developing rapidly.

4. Compare the nature, population, and economic activities of North and South Africa. What are the similarities and differences? Explain the reasons for the differences.

North Africa is part of the Middle East and is sometimes even included in it. North Africa is an undoubted and inseparable part of the Muslim Arab world, mainly desert territories and it is inhabited mainly by Arabs, Berbers and other Semitic-Hamitic tribes along with the traditional African population of Africa. South Africa is a classic Africa, except that it is more developed, along with the same North Africa, compared to other parts of Africa because of the greater presence of a white population there due to its mineral-rich lands.

TOPIC OF KNOWLEDGE OF KNOWLEDGE

1. What are the main features of the surface structure of Africa. What are they explaining?

By type of relief, Africa can be divided into two parts: low is in the north and west, high in the east and south. The mainland relief is dominated by plains and plateaus with a height of 200 to 1000 m, the largest territory of which is occupied by the East African and South African plateaus. The elevated areas of the mainland alternate with hollows, the largest of which are the Congo Basin and the Kalahari Basin. The highest parts of the mainland are the Ethiopian Highlands (up to 4500 m) and the Drakensberg Mountains (over 3000 m). Such features of the relief of Africa can be explained by the fact that most of the mainland was formed on the ancient Arabian-African platform, within the platforms the relief is represented by plains. The Atlas, Cape and Dragon Mountains are confined to folded belts of different ages. In eastern Africa, there is a large rift of the earth's crust - a continental rift. In the rift zone, heat fluxes and matter rise from the mantle, the formed basins are occupied by lakes, along which the cones of volcanoes rise. It is here that the highest peak in Africa is located - Kilimanjaro volcano (5895 m).

The well-known statement “Africa is the hottest continent” can be explained by the fact that the mainland is located in the warmest climatic zones of the Earth (equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical). Africa is located on both sides of the equator, within latitudes that receive significant amounts of solar radiation from 160 kcal / cm² to 200 kcal / cm². The temperature on the mainland throughout the year is above + 20⁰С. The greatest amount of precipitation falls at the equator, since a belt of low atmospheric pressure is formed here, in which ascending air currents form clouds saturated with moisture. The least rainfall occurs in the tropical zone, where on the contrary, in the zone of high atmospheric pressure, cloud formation does not occur. The climate of the coasts of the continent is influenced by warm and cold currents.

2. What are the features of the climate of Africa? What do they depend on?

The climate characteristics of Africa were formed as a result of the action of a system of various factors. Most of the mainland is located between the tropics, and therefore the climate of Africa is characterized by high values \u200b\u200bof total solar radiation. Accordingly, a significant part of the mainland has high temperatures, and therefore Africa is considered the hottest continent. There are areas where the air temperature sometimes exceeds 50 ° C.

In the latitudes of Africa over the ocean, constant winds dominate - the Passat, which significantly affect the distribution of precipitation. Southeast Passat blows from the Indian Ocean, so it brings moist air masses. Northeast Passat is from Eurasia and causes dry weather. The southwestern ones detain the Cape Mountains, which affect the redistribution of precipitation: coastal areas receive a large amount of them, and there is little rainfall beyond the mountains.

Sea currents play a significant role in shaping the climate of the African coast. Therefore, low humidity is characteristic of the north-west coast (due to the cold Canary current), south-west, east (Somalia). On the contrary, the western and southeastern shores are well moistened due to warm currents (Guinean and Mozambique respectively).

In the central part of the mainland, the air is uniformly heated throughout the year. Temperature fluctuations are clearly manifested only in tropical and especially in subtropical latitudes. The climate differs mainly in the amount and mode of precipitation. The greatest number of them falls on the Equatorial areas: the Congo river basin (Zaire) and the coast of the Gulf of Guinea - 2000–3000 mm per year, and on the slopes of the mountains - up to 9000 mm. North of 20 ° Mon w. and south of 18 ° S. w. Africa's climate is tropical, in the Northern Hemisphere is deserted, very dry. In the Sahara, rainfall decreases to 100 mm or less per year; Eastern Sahara is the driest region in Africa (10–20 mm of precipitation per year).

Africa lies within seven climatic zones. Due to the fact that the equator crosses the mainland in half, the climatic conditions are mirrored from the equator to the edges of the mainland. In Africa, Equatorial, two subequatorial and two tropical zones stand out. The extreme southern and northern parts of the continent are located in subtropical zones.

The equatorial belt extends in a narrow strip along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea and further inland to the east coast of Lake Victoria. In this belt, constantly moist and evenly hot equatorial air reigns all year round. The air temperature here is high during the year: 26 ° С - + 28 ° С. The total annual rainfall is more than 2000 mm, which are distributed evenly throughout the year.

3. List the main features of the rivers of Africa. Which of them depend on the topography, which on the climate?

The longest river in the world is the Nile (6671 km). It begins on the East African Plateau and flows through Lake Victoria. In the upper reaches, the river, rushing down the gorges, forms rapids and waterfalls. Going out onto the plain, it flows slowly and calmly and is called the White Nile. Near the city of Khartoum, the river merges with the waters of the largest tributary - the Blue Nile, flowing down from the Ethiopian Highlands. After the confluence of the White and Blue Nile, the river becomes twice as wide and gets the name Nile. In the middle reaches, the Nile cuts through a plateau composed of hard rocks, so there were rapids that interfered with shipping. Now, thanks to the dam built at Aswan, the shipping conditions have been improved. Downstream, the river flows calmly. When it flows into the Mediterranean Sea, it forms a large delta, on the site of which a few tens of thousands of years ago was the gulf of the Mediterranean Sea. The deepest and second longest river in Africa is the Congo (Zaire) (4320 km). In terms of water availability and the area of \u200b\u200bthe basin, it is second only to the Amazon. The river crosses the equator in two places and is full of water all year round. Congo (Zaire) flows along the ledges of the plateaus, so there are many rapids and waterfalls. Shipping is possible only in certain areas. The river, in contrast to the Nile, does not form a delta, its murky fresh waters with a wide stream go far into the Atlantic Ocean. The third largest river in Africa is the Niger. In the middle reaches it is a flat river, and in its upper and lower reaches there are many rapids and waterfalls. A significant part of the river crosses drylands, therefore it is of great importance for irrigation, for this purpose dams and irrigation canals are built on the river. Zambezi is the largest of the rivers of Africa flowing into the Indian Ocean. Here is one of the largest waterfalls in the world - Victoria. The river flows in a wide stream (1800 m) from a ledge 120 m high in a narrow gorge that crosses its channel.

The source of the river is located in the region of black marshes in northwestern Zambia, among the forested hills at an altitude of about 1,500 meters above sea level. To the east of the source is a belt of hills with rather steep northern and southern slopes, lying between 11 and 12 degrees south latitude. The watershed between the basins of the Congo and Zambezi rivers runs along this belt. It clearly separates the basin of the Luapala River (the main tributary of the upper Congo) from the Zambezi. In the vicinity of the source, the watershed is implicit, but these two river systems are not connected. Zambezi is a powerful river. Although the Zambezi is only the fourth largest in Africa, it is second only in terms of annual runoff and second only to the Congo River. Zambezi's food is mainly received from heavy summer rains (in these latitudes, summer lasts from November to March). At other times of the year, the river is much less full. The river regime is characterized by a rapid decrease in water level in March and a subsequent rise in November. In order to prove the relationship existing between inland waters and the relief, it is necessary to trace the nature of the flow of rivers and the shape of lakes. Mountain rivers differ from the plains by their fast currents, high banks, rapids and waterfalls. Lake Tanganyika, located along the line of the Great African Fault, has an elongated shape in the meridional direction. The length of the lake is almost 10 times its width. The fullness of rivers and lakes, the regime of their filling with water, depends on the nature of the climate. One of the main sources of nutrition for rivers and lakes is precipitation. Therefore, we can safely say that the rivers and lakes located in the equatorial climate are more full-flowing in comparison with the rivers and lakes located within the tropical desert climate. The shallow lake Chad, located within the subequatorial climate zone, periodically changes its shape, increasing and decreasing by half. Such a transformation is associated with the frequency of incoming water from rivers flowing into the lake. Thus, we see a clear relationship that exists between topography, climate and inland waters.

Full-year full-flow (Congo), or dependence on downstream rains and high spills (Nile).

4. What natural areas prevail in Africa? What are their features and how are they explained? The nature of which zones is most favorable for agriculture?

Africa is predominantly flat continent. Mountain systems occupy only the northwestern (Atlas mountains) and southern (Cape mountains) outskirts of the mainland. The eastern part of Africa (High Africa) is occupied by the strongly elevated and fragmented shifts of the earth's crust by the East African plateau. Here are the highest peaks of the mainland - giant extinct and active volcanoes Kilimanjaro, Kenya, etc. Features of the development of Africa have identified the main features of the structure of its surface. Most of the continent is characterized by a flat relief with a wide development of leveling surfaces from Permian-Carboniferous and Triassic to Neogene and even Quaternary with separate blocking and volcanic mountains. Due to its geographical location (mostly in the hot belt of illumination), Africa is the hottest continent of the Earth. Due to its geographical location (mostly in the hot belt of illumination), Africa is the hottest continent of the Earth. It receives more solar heat and light than any other mainland. This is the only continent that extends from the equator approximately the same distance into the northern and southern hemisphere. The sun throughout the year between the tropics stands high above the horizon, and twice a year at any point is at its zenith. The main climate features are determined primarily by the position of the main part of the continent in tropical and equatorial latitudes. Against the background of constantly high air temperatures, the main differences in the climate of individual regions are determined by the amount of precipitation and the duration of the rainy season. In tropical latitudes, there are huge deserts, closer to the equator - areas of summer rain, in the equatorial zone, rainfall occurs throughout the year. Vast spaces experience an acute lack of moisture. The continental climate is particularly pronounced in northern Africa due to its large size and the close proximity of Eurasia. The western coast of the continent in tropical latitudes is washed by cold currents - the Canary and Bengel, cooling the air lying above them so much that its lower layers to a height of about 500 m become noticeably colder than the overlying ones. This eliminates the possibility of upward currents and precipitation. Therefore, along the western coast in tropical latitudes lie oceanic deserts. The southeastern coast, in contrast, is washed by the warm Mozambique current, which increases the instability of air masses and contributes to precipitation on the mountain slopes of East and South Africa. Most of Africa is affected by the trade winds of both hemispheres. The trade winds of the northern hemisphere coming from land carry continental air with low relative humidity. The trade winds of the southern hemisphere, coming from the Indian Ocean, carry to the eastern edge of the continent masses of moist and unstable air. The distribution of the river network and runoff over the territory of the continent is extremely uneven, which depends mainly on the difference in climatic conditions, topography and nature of the rocks of certain regions. Along with areas with a dense hydrographic network and large lakes, the vast expanses of Africa are almost or completely devoid of the local river network. Many rivers do not reach the ocean and end in inland continental cavities. Almost all the rivers of the continent have rain feed. Only in deserts and semi-deserts is their ground food, and on the high peaks of the Atlas and East Africa mountains, the sources of rivers also feed on meltwater of snows and glaciers. In the far north and south there are zones of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs, followed by zones of semi-deserts and deserts, savannahs, variable and constantly moist forests. Latitudinal zoning is violated only on the territory of mountains and uplands, but there are few of them on the mainland.

The nature of the savannah is most favorable for agriculture. A distinctive feature of the savannah is the alternation of dry and wet seasons, which take about six months, replacing each other.

5. What are some of the most prominent natural sites in Africa.

Sahara, Kilimanjaro Volcano, Victoria Falls, Nile River.

6. What natural resources does Africa have?

Crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, copper, diamonds, gold. chrome ore, tungsten, mica, silver, hydropower resources, fish, salt.

7. Give examples of changes in the nature of Africa by man. What would you suggest to stop the desert on the savannah.

Back in the XIX century. Africa was represented as the mainland of pristine nature. However, even then the nature of Africa was significantly changed by man. The area of \u200b\u200bforests has been reduced, which for centuries has been uprooted and burned to arable land and pasture. Especially great damage to the nature of Africa was caused by European colonialists. Hunting, conducted for the sake of profit, and often - of sports interest, led to the mass extermination of animals. Many animals are completely destroyed (for example, some species of antelopes, zebras), and the number of others (elephants, rhinos, gorillas, etc.) has been greatly reduced. Europeans exported expensive timber to their countries. Therefore, in a number of states (in Nigeria and others), the danger of the complete disappearance of forests arose. Territories on the site of reduced forests were occupied by plantations of cocoa, oil palm, peanuts, etc. Thus, savannas formed on the site of equatorial and variable-humid forests (Fig. 59). Significantly changed the nature and primary savannah. There are huge areas of plowed land and pastures. Due to improper farming (burning, overgrazing, as well as felling of trees and shrubs), savannahs have given way to deserts for many centuries. Over the past half century alone, the Sahara has advanced significantly south and increased its area by 650 thousand km2. The loss of agricultural land leads to the death of livestock and crops, to starvation of people.

Stop cutting down forests, planting vegetation, watering deserts, streamline economic activity.

8. What do you think will happen to the borders of natural zones if measures are not taken to protect the nature of Africa?

The area of \u200b\u200bsavannahs and equatorial forests will decrease, and deserts, including the Sahara, will expand.

9. What maps will you use to describe the nature of Madagascar? What data can be obtained from each card?

Physical (relief), climatic (precipitation, average January and July temperatures, currents), map of natural zones (vegetation, animals).

10. What nations inhabit Africa and how are they distributed on the mainland?

Africa is populated by diverse nations. For the long history, other peoples have been added to the indigenous peoples whose roots are not related to this continent. Colonization of Africa contributed to the resettlement of peoples living in countries of Asia, Europe, America. Arab peoples populate the north of the mainland. The central and southern regions populate the peoples of the Negroid race. Descendants of Europeans live in the north and south of the mainland: French, British, Dutch.

11. What changes have occurred on the political map of Africa over the past 40-50 years? What do these changes indicate?

Many of the countries gained sovereignty. This indicates that the peoples got a chance to build their own states.

12. What are the known states of Africa and their capitals.

Algeria, the capital of Algeria. Ghana, the capital of Accra. Nigeria, the capital of Abuja. Ethiopia, the capital of Addis Ababa. Republic of South Africa, the capital of Pretoria. Egypt, the capital of Cairo, Tunisia, the capital of Tunisia.

13. Highlight among the countries of Africa those that are located on the plains and those that lie in the mountains.

On the plains are located: Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, Algeria. In the mountains are located: Namibia, Botswana, South Africa.

14. What parts of Africa would you like to travel to? Why?

I would like to travel all over continent Africa to see for myself all the features, similarities and differences.

Mainland Africa is the second largest on the planet after Eurasia. It occupies more than twenty percent of all land and is located almost entirely in the hemisphere in the south.

The mainland is washed by several oceans: Atlantic and Indian. The territory is divided between fifty-five countries.

African countries and their capitals

African countries are usually divided into five groups. The list is as follows:

From the point of view of economic indicators, the most developed and richest is located in the south of the mainland of South Africa. At the same time, residents of many countries, in particular the central part of the mainland, are below the poverty line, in particular the Central African Republic, DRC, Burundi - the poorest countries in Africa.

The largest state in territory is Algeria, and the smallest is Mayotte. The most numerous is Nigeria, and the lowest population on the islands is Seychelles.

African states gained their sovereignty in the mid-twentieth century. Most modern names appeared at the same time.

For example, until 1985, Côte d’Ivoire was called the Ivory Coast, and Djibouti until 1977 had an official status and name in the form of the French Territory of Afars and Issa. Similar changes affected almost half of the territorial units of the mainland.

Africa characteristic

The area is twenty-nine million square meters. km The prevalence from the north down is eight thousand kilometers, and from the west to the left - seven and a half.

Physical map of Africa (click to enlarge)

There are several options for the origin of the name. The most common ones are:

1. Afri - people who lived near Carthage, later the Romans began to call the whole region, and then the continent of Africa.
2. From Latin aprica - sunny.
3. From the Greek afkrn - no cold.

Note:  Africa is considered to be the ancestral home of Homo sapiens, it was there that the remains of ancient ancestors, in particular hominids and sahelanthropes, were discovered.

The continent has long attracted Europeans, as the history of the discovery showed, an active study began in the fifteenth century, when Vasco da Gama traveled around Africa on the way to India.

From the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, the mainland was divided among the great powers:

• the north is part of the Ottoman Empire;
• south - Spain, Portugal and other colonizers.

After the Second World War, the map changed as a wave of independence began. Today, there are several territories on the African continent that are under the control of Europeans, in particular the Canary Islands, Madeira, the Chagos Archipelago.

Extreme points of Africa

The following image tells well about which point is the northernmost, southernmost, which is the easternmost, and where the westernmost is located:

Population

More than one billion people live on the mainland today.  Along with this, the largest increase in the number and life expectancy is observed. Demographic estimates predict a double population over the next thirty years.

There are two main races in Africa:

• negroid - in the center;
• caucasoid - mainly in the north and in the South African Republic.

The most common people are Arabs. Population density is low compared to Europe and Asia. Interethnic conflicts continue today.

Its useful to note:  the level of urbanization in countries is low, but its pace is the highest in the world.

As for religion, the leading world religions are mostly widespread, but all other religious movements are represented. In the central part, traditional beliefs are still prevalent.

Climatic zones

Africa is considered the warmest continent, here is also the warmest place - Dallol. The whole territory is distributed in warm climatic zones.

The main ones and their characteristics:

1. Equatorial - heavy rains and in fact there is no change of season, there is constant summer.
2. Subequatorial - two main seasons, rainy summers, winter characterized by dry trade winds.
3. Tropical - almost no rainfall, deserts are widespread.

Minerals

Africa is rich in minerals that have a high price.

In particular, the main ones include:

• gold;
• oil.

The northern coast is also rich in manganese, iron ores and phosphorites.

Flora and fauna

Africa’s organic world is extremely diverse.

In tropical areas there are a variety of large animals, in particular, rhinos, elephants, lions, zebras, monkeys and others.

Large birds live on the continent, as flamingos, ibises.

Lizards and snakes predominate in the north, which adapted to the Sahara climate. The business card of the south of the mainland is the "Big Five": buffalo, lion, leopard, elephant and rhino.

The climatic conditions of northern Africa contributed to the adaptation of many plant species.  In the south, there are over two and a half thousand flowering plants - almost ten percent of the world's wealth.

Geographical features

Atlas Mountains

The main objects of geography in Africa include:

• Atlas Mountains;
• Basins of Congo (lowest point) and Nile;
• Rift valley;
• Ethiopian and Akhaggar Highlands;
• deserts - Kalahari, Namib and Sahara.

In addition to the oceans, the mainland is washed by one sea - the Red and Suez Canal.

Rivers and seas

One of the longest rivers in the world is located in Africa.

The length of the Nile is almost seven thousand kilometers.

Other major rivers include:

• Niger;
• Congo
• Zambezi, Limpopo and Orange.

Africa is also rich in large lakes: Victoria, Nyasa, Tanganyika and Chad.  The latter is the largest salt pond that is located inside the mainland.

The plains

The plains in Africa are represented by plateaus (East African) and pits (Chad, Congo, Kalahari).

The highlands are high plains, along with them the pits are low.

Mountains of africa

Mostly Africa is a continent on the plains, there are enough mountains on it:

• Atalas - in the north;
• Ahagar and Tibest - in the Sahara desert;
• Effiop Highlands - in the east;
• Caps and Draconian - in the south.

The highest point is Kilimanjaro volcano, its height is five thousand nine hundred meters.

In conclusion, I want to focus on the concepts of “mainland” and “continent”. There are only six continents on Earth, all of them are well known. But there are only four continents.

"Continent" in translation from Latin means "continuous". Since Eurasia and Africa are connected together by the Suez Canal, they are not separated from each other, therefore they are not continents individually.

Africa is a unique continent that combines the diversity of flora and fauna. Most of the states are at the stage of economically developing countries, partly due to the long colonization of the region.

Geography of africa
Click to Enlarge

In the south, Africa is washed by the Mediterranean Sea, in the northeast the Sinai Peninsula is washed by the waters of the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, in the east and southeast the continent is washed by the Indian Ocean, and in the west by the Atlantic Ocean.

Geographic features of Africa

Atlas

The Atlas Mountains system extends from the southwestern part of Morocco along the Mediterranean Sea to the eastern border of Tunisia. It includes several smaller mountain ranges, namely: the High Atlas, the Middle Atlas, and the Primorsky Atlas. The highest point is Mount Tubkal, located in the western part of Morocco, with a height of 4,167 meters.

Congo River Basin

The Congo River Basin, located in central Africa, is located in most of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as in the neighboring Republic of Congo. In addition, it extends to the territory of Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Zambia. The area of \u200b\u200bthis fertile basin is approximately 3 600 000 sq. Km, and about 20% of all tropical forests of the world grow on its territory. The Congo River is the second largest river in Africa, and the network of its tributaries and streams performs a transport function for the population of the African countries.

Great Rift Valley

A sharp deepening of the Earth’s surface, approximately 6,400 km long., Extending from the Red Sea, close to the border with Jordan in the Middle East, south to Mozambique. In essence, this valley is the result of a series of geological faults caused by large volcanic eruptions many centuries ago. The result of these faults were numerous sheer cliffs, mountain ranges, rocky valleys, and very deep lakes located throughout the considerable length of this valley. In the immediate vicinity of the valley are many of Africa's highest mountains, including Kilimanjaro, Kenya, and Stanley.

Akhaggar Highlands

Ahaggar is an alpine region in central Sahara, 1,500 km in southern Algeria. south of the capital, and west of the city of Tamanrasset. The region is, for the most part, a rocky desert with an average height of over 900 m. Above sea level. The highest point is Mount Tahat (3,003 m.).

Kalahari Desert

The desert area is about 259,000 square kilometers, it covers most of Botswana, southwestern part of South Africa, and the entire western part of Namibia. There are many estuaries of dry rivers on this desert plateau, and dense shrubs grow in abundance on it. There are several small mountain ranges in this area, including Karas and Hans. In the Kalahari-Gemsbok National Park, located in South Africa, on the border with Namibia, large herds of wildlife live.

Namib desert

Namib is a coastal desert in the southern African continent, stretching over 2,000 km along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The desert begins on the territory of Angola, passes through the whole of Namibia, and ends at the Olifants River in the Western Cape in South Africa. To the east of the Atlantic coast, the desert is gradually gaining height, up to 200 km. at the foot of the mountains of Big Escape.

Annual precipitation is from 2 mm. in the driest areas of the desert up to 200 mm. on the hills, which is why Namib can be considered the only real desert in southern Africa. Namib is also the oldest desert in the world, geologically it consists of dune (sand) seas in coastal areas, in the interior areas gravel plains and rocks predominate.

Sand dunes of the desert, some of which reach 300 m in height and 32 km. in length, are the second largest in the world, second only to the dunes of Badyn-Jaran in China.

Sahara Desert

Covering nearly one third of the entire African continent, the Sahara is the largest desert in the world, with an approximate total area of \u200b\u200b9,065,000 sq km. Topographically, the desert includes rock-strewn flat areas, moving sand dunes, and numerous dune (sand) seas.

The height of the desert varies from 30 m. Below sea level to 3,350 m. Above sea level (mountain peaks in Akhaggar and Tibesti). At the regional level, the Libyan Desert, the Nubian Desert, and the Western Desert in Egypt, west of the Nile, are isolated from the Sahara.

Precipitation in the Sahara is practically absent, however, several underwater rivers flowing on its territory, originating in the Atlas Mountains, which help irrigate isolated oases. In the east, the Nile waters help fertilize small areas of the desert.

Sahel

The Sahel is a broad strip of land that extends across the entire width of the northern part of central Africa, on the southern edge of the ever-expanding Sahara desert. This border region is a transition zone between the dry regions of the north and the tropical regions of the south. Very little rainfall (15 - 20 cm per year) falls on this territory, and the vegetation here is represented mainly by sparse grass cover and shrubs.

Nile River System