Democratic Republic of Congo

Physical Geography of Central Africa (Compare and Contrast Edition)

By Jennifer Snelling

SS Standard(s)

SS7G1 Locate selected features of Africa.

a. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map: Sahara, Sahel, savanna, tropical rain forest, Congo River, Niger River, Nile River, Lake Victoria, Great Rift Valley, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Atlas Mountains, and Kalahari Desert.

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b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the countries of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Sudan.

SS7G2b Explain the relationship between poor soil and deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa. ​

ELA Standard(s)

ELAGSE7RI5

Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.​

Central Africa Vocabulary Terms ​

• watershed: the land drained by a river and its system of tributaries

• estuary: an area where river currents and ocean tide meet

• slash-and-burn: a method of clearing farm​land by cutting down and burning trees and shrubs in order to make the soil more fertile

• biodiversity: va​riety of plants and animals living on the planet

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Central Africa Physical Feature(s) and Landform(s)

1. Congo River: the second longest river on the continent at nearly 3,000 miles long. It begins on the west coast of Africa and flows through to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

2. Savanna: an area of tropical grasslands with sparse trees which do not allow a closed canopy. It has a rainy season in the summer when it’s rainfall more than quadruples.

3. Tropical rainforest: an area of evergreen forests with dense canopies and heavy rainfall year round.

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Central Africa Country(ies)

• Democratic Republic of the Congo: a country located in central Africa. It is approximately a quarter the size of the United States. It is bordered by Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

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Compare and Contrast Practice: Which countries are different in size? What countries are alike in size? ​

Where in the World: Central Africa

Landforms and Waterways (p. 64)​

• Discussion Questions

  • Which country(ies) are landlocked? Which countries are not?

  • How is the Congo River different from the Nile River? How are they alike?

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Climate and Vegetation (p. 65)

• Discussion Questions​

  • Compare and contrast the following:

    • The climate of Central Africa along the Equator

    • The climate of Central Africa north of the equatorial zone

    • The climate of Central Africa south of the equatorial zone

  • Briefly compare and contrast deforestation and slash-and-burn agriculture.

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Natural Resources (p. 66)

• Discussion Questions​

  • Compare and contrast the natural resources of the following countries:

    • Democratic Republic of the Congo

    • Gabon

    • Equatorial Guinea

    • Cameroon

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Open Ended

Exit Ticket: Compare and contrast the hydroelectric power from the following countries:

- Democratic Republic of the Congo

- Cameroon