Africa Geography Vocabulary

Front

What is the term for when humans remove or thin forests for lumber or to use the land where the trees stood for crops, grazing, extraction (mining, oil, or gas), or development as the population increases and people migrate?

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deforestation

Front

The process by which vegetation in drylands, such as grasslands or shrublands, decreases and eventually disappears turning the land to desert.

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desertification

Front

A period of unusually persistent dry weather that lasts long enough to cause serious problems such as crop damage and/or water supply shortages.

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drought

Front

An extreme crisis of access to adequate food. People may experience widespread malnutrition and loss of life due to starvation and infectious diseases.

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famine

Front

The watering of land to make it ready for agriculture.

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irrigation

Front

This ethnic group lives in Northern Africa and most follow the religion of Islam.

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Arabs

Front

This ethnic group lives in Central and Southern Africa. People in this ethnic group may follow one of the following religions: Christianity, Islam, or Traditional Beliefs.

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Bantu

Front

Share many common characteristics, such as language, physical features, customs, and traditions

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ethnic group

Front

A group that shares a common belief system.

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religious group

Front

A belief system that may include worship of ancestors, spirits, gods, animals, land, inanimate objects, and/or natural phenomena.

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Traditional Beliefs