Africa contains many diverse landscapes and ecosystems that are home to a wide variety of plant and animal species. Some of the most notable and important natural places in Africa include the Sahara Desert, the largest hot desert in the world; the Nile River, the longest river in the world; and Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake. Other significant landscapes are Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa; the Congo Rainforest, the second largest rainforest in the world; and the Serengeti savannah, home to over 2 million large mammals. Madagascar is also notable for its high level of biodiversity, with 90% of plants and animals found nowhere else. The Great Rift Valley

1. The Physical Landscape of Africa
Important Natural Places

2. Physical Map of Africa

3. Key Term!
• Biodiversity = the variety of life
– Plants and Animal Species
– Environments, Ecosystems and Habitats
“There are few things as beautiful and
inspiring as the diversity of life
that exists on Earth.”

4. Sahara Desert, North Africa
The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world. With
a total area of more than 9,400,000 km², it is almost
as large as the United States or the continent of
Europe. The Sahara is increasing due to global
warming, a process known as desertification.

5. Nile River, Egypt
The Nile is the longest river in the world, stretching
north for approximately 4,000 miles from East Africa
to the Mediterranean.

6. Lake Victoria, Uganda
Lake Victoria is the world’s second-largest
freshwater body. It is close to the source of the Nile
River. It was named after the British Queen
Victoria, as Uganda was a colony of Britain.

7. Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
The largest mountain in Africa. The mountain’s snow
caps are diminishing, having lost more than 80
percent of their mass since 1912. In fact, they may be
completely ice free within the next 20 years,
according to scientists.

8. The Congo Rainforest, Democratic Republic of Congo
The second-largest rainforest in the world after the
Amazon. Ivory, diamonds, timber, and gold are some
of the natural resources found in the jungle and the
river basin.

9. The Serengeti Savannah, Kenya
The Serengeti Plains are a grass savanna that has very
dry but nutrient-rich volcanic sand. Around 2 million
large plant-eating mammals live in the savanna. There
are 45 species of mammals, almost 500 species of
birds, and 55 species of acacia tree in the biome.

10. The Kalahari Desert, Botswana
Not your typical sandy desert. The Kalahari experiences
lots of rainfall but what makes it a desert is that the
rainfall is sporadic and it never settles on the surface
making vegetation and the survival of the tribes of the
Kalahari and animals a grave challenge.

11. Madagascar Island
The fourth largest island in the world. An ecological
hotspot and an unique area for biodiversity! 90% of
the plants and animals found here exist nowhere else
on earth.

12. The Great Rift Valley, Tanzania
Approximately 3,700 miles in length, it runs from
northern Syria in Southwest Africa to central
Mozambique in East Africa. It contains some of the
deepest lakes in the world, including Lake Tanganyika
& Lake Victoria (Africa’s Great Lakes).