Africa has a variety of climates and vegetation zones depending on elevation and rainfall. The equator runs through the center of Africa, creating hot temperatures throughout most of the continent. Climate is mildest at the northern and southern tips. As elevation increases, temperatures decrease, with some mountain peaks maintaining snow. Rainfall is unevenly distributed, from 1 inch per year in Cairo to 38 inches in Nairobi. Droughts occur when there is little rainfall, while rainforests receive rain daily and savannas have seasonal rain. Rainforests lie along the equator with high heat and rainfall supporting complex ecosystems. Savannas have grasslands and scattered trees, while the Sahel is a semiarid transition zone between

1. AfricaAfrica
ClimateClimate
andand
VegetationVegetation

2. ClimateClimate
 equator runs straight through theequator runs straight through the
middle of Africa, high temperaturesmiddle of Africa, high temperatures
 both Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn –both Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn –
the Tropics—hot and wet or hot andthe Tropics—hot and wet or hot and
drydry
 climate is mild the farthest from theclimate is mild the farthest from the
equator—N and S tipsequator—N and S tips

4. ElevationElevation
 as elevation increases, temperaturesas elevation increases, temperatures
decreasedecrease
 some mountain peaks with snow never meltsome mountain peaks with snow never melt
even though on the equatoreven though on the equator

5. RainfallRainfall
 Africa as whole gets plenty—it is justAfrica as whole gets plenty—it is just
unevenly distributedunevenly distributed
 Cairo=1 inch a yearCairo=1 inch a year
 Nairobi, Kenya=38 inches a yearNairobi, Kenya=38 inches a year
 rain comes and goes, seasons, hugerain comes and goes, seasons, huge
uncertaintyuncertainty

6.  drought—drought—
period ofperiod of
time withtime with
little or nolittle or no
rainfallrainfall
 rainforest—rainforest—
rain everyrain every
dayday
 savanna—savanna—
rain israin is
seasonalseasonal

7. RainforestRainforest
 along equator, high tempsalong equator, high temps
and tons of rainand tons of rain
 complex ecosystem, plantscomplex ecosystem, plants
living on plants, manyliving on plants, many
levels,levels, canopycanopy at topat top

8.  soil is not fertile –too much rain washessoil is not fertile –too much rain washes
away nutrients—away nutrients—leachingleaching
 main areas are western and central Africamain areas are western and central Africa
 rainforests are threatened because ofrainforests are threatened because of
farming, logging, roads and miningfarming, logging, roads and mining

9. SavannaSavanna
 large open areas of grassland with fewlarge open areas of grassland with few
trees and bushtrees and bush
 largest areas south of Saharalargest areas south of Sahara
 warm temps and rainfall in the summerwarm temps and rainfall in the summer

10.  baobab treesbaobab trees—tall and spindly—tall and spindly
branches,branches, acacia trees-acacia trees--umbrellas-umbrellas
 great deal of wildlife, large animalsgreat deal of wildlife, large animals

11. SahelSahel
 semiarid land just south of Sahara, drysemiarid land just south of Sahara, dry
grasslandsgrasslands
 a transition zone between Savanna anda transition zone between Savanna and
Desert,Desert, desertificationdesertification—fires, erosion,—fires, erosion,
animalsanimals
 hot temps, a little rain that is seasonal andhot temps, a little rain that is seasonal and
sometimes not at allsometimes not at all

12. DesertsDeserts
 -north and south of the equator-north and south of the equator
 SaharaSahara in the north,in the north, Namib andNamib and
KalahariKalahari in the southin the south
 all incredibly hot and dry, containall incredibly hot and dry, contain
mountainsmountains

13.  Sahara=largest in world, sand, rock,Sahara=largest in world, sand, rock,
gravelgravel
 equal to the continental US, allequal to the continental US, all
elevationselevations