Africa is the second largest continent, with diverse climate regions including rainforests, savannas, and deserts. Geographic features such as deserts, rainforests, and cataracts restricted movement, while the Great Rift Valley, Mediterranean Sea, and Red Sea facilitated easier movement. Resources in Africa include minerals like salt, gold, and iron. Camels enabled trading across deserts. The Sahara Desert was once habitable but climate change caused desertification. People migrated away from the drying Sahara. Nubia traded with and was controlled by Egypt at times. Phoenician traders founded Carthage on the North African coast, which grew into an empire controlling Mediterranean trade before being conquered by Rome. Islam

1. Geography A. Africa is 2nd largest continent B. Different climate regions 1. Rain forests 2. Savannas (where most people live) 3. Deserts

3. C. Geographic features influenced movement of people, goods, ideas. 1. Deserts, rain forests, cataracts restricted movement. 2. Great Rift Valley, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea made moving easier.

4. Great Rift Valley The red line on this map shows the eastern and western faults of the Great Rift Valley, which travels 4,500 miles from southern Africa, under the Red Sea, and into Syria in southwestern Asia. Low and flat, it was an important passageway for early migrating people

5. Great Rift Valley

6. ResourcesA. Africa is rich in minerals. 1. Salt, gold, iron, copper. B. Camels made trading farther possible. 1. Camels could cross deserts much easier.

7. Sahara Desert

8. Sahara Desert A. World’s largest desert (non-polar regions). B. Once full of forests and rivers. C. Climate change dried out Sahara. 1. Desertification forced people to migrate.

9. Nubia A. Located below Egypt, trade rivals with Egypt.

10. B. Under Egyptian control for about 500 years. 1. Nubians adopted many Egyptian practices. C. Nubians eventually conquered Egypt.

11. D. Assyrians invade Nubia and move capital to Moroe. 1. Moroe became a center of trade because of its location. 2. Moroe known for its iron industry. E. Nubians created their own alphabet that is yet to be deciphered.

12. Mediterranean Influences A. Phoenician traders founded Carthage on North African coast. 1. Carthage controlled trade in western Mediterranean. 2. Carthage grew into an empire.

13. Carthaginian Empire

14. B. Rome conquers Carthage and controls North Africa. 1. Used North Africa’s farmlands for grain. 2. North African territory provided soldiers. 3. Christianity spread to North Africa.

15. Red Sea Influences A. Muslim Arabs move into North Africa. 1. Islam replaced Christianity as dominant religion. 2. Arabic replaced Latin as dominant language. 3. Muslim traders from brought Islam into West Africa.