Geography of Southern Africa

Today Is…

Monday
9/30/2024

Do Now:

Define the vocabulary words

Agenda

• Physical
geography of
the southern

region of Africa

Last Class:
Geography of
Central Africa

Next Class:

Bantu Migration

Goal:

I can describe how southern Africa’s physical features

and resources shape the land and its economy

Economy - A society’s system of producing, buying and selling things.

Development - The process of growth

Mining - The extraction of material from the earth

Landlocked - Land with no access to the ocean

Physical Geography of Southern Africa

The Big Idea

Southern Africa’s physical geography includes a
high, mostly dry plateau, grassy plains and rivers,

and valuable mineral resources.

Main Ideas

•Southern Africa’s main physical feature is a large plateau with
plains, rivers, and mountains.

•The climate and vegetation of Southern Africa is mostly savanna
and desert.

•Southern Africa has valuable mineral resources.

Main Idea 1:

Southern Africa’s main physical feature is a large

plateau with plains, rivers, and mountains.

•Grassy plains run along the coast and cover the plateau.

•The plains are home to lions, leopards, elephants,
baboons, and antelope.

Plateaus and

Mountains

•Most of Southern Africa lies on a large plateau.

–An escarpment, the steep face at the edge of a plateau, runs along
this plateau.

•In the east, part of the escarpment is made up of the Drakensberg
Mountains.

•Other mountains can be found in the northeast and the southwest.

Plains

Rivers of Southern Africa

The Okavango River flows out of Angola to form a swampy delta in Botswana that is home to many animals.

The Orange River in South Africa flows over many
waterfalls before it reaches the Atlantic.

The Limpopo River flows to the Indian Ocean.
Waterfalls and other obstacles prevent ships from
sailing up the river.

Southern Africa has valuable mineral resources

Rich in natural resources:

•Madagascar has timber.

•Rivers provide hydroelectricity.

•Farmers grow a variety of crops.

•South Africa produces most of the
world’s gold.

•South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia produce diamonds.

•Other minerals include coal, platinum, copper, uranium, and iron ore.

Mining is very important to the economy, but it can be very damaging to the environment.

Southern Africa Text + Notes

Go to google classroom and click the Cornell notes document

You will notice that the headings have all been filled in for you

●Read and work in table group to fill each point

●Decide together what the most important information is