1. Why does the study of the features of the mainland begin with determining its geographical position?
The study of geographic location should begin with the definition of geographic location. It is the geographical location that determines many characteristics of the mainland: the amount of heat and the set of climatic zones, the prevailing winds, the amount of precipitation, coastal currents.
2. What is the main feature of Africa is determined by its geographical position?
Thanks to his geographic location Africa is the hottest continent.
3. Fill in the gaps in the sentences using textbook text and a map of Africa.
The area of mainland Africa is 30.3 million km2. The population of the mainland is more than 900 million people. Africa is the hottest continent on earth. Africa is located in subtropical, tropical, subequatorial and equatorial climatic zones. The shores of the mainland are poorly dissected. The largest island - Madagascar - is of continental origin, it is located about 400 km east of Africa.
5. Remember from the geography course of grades 5-6 what types of plains are distinguished by height. Via physical map draw a diagram "Views of the plains of Africa." Give examples of each type of plain.
In terms of height, the plains are low (up to 200 m), elevated (200-500 m), highlands (above 500 m).
6. Determine what types of plains are shown on the African relief profile in Figure 66 in the textbook.
The profile shows elevated plains and plateaus.
9. Here are four climate charts. Determine which climate zone they characterize.
1 - tropical;
2 - subtropical;
3 - equatorial;
4 - subequatorial.
10. About what natural zone and about what geographical feature in the next passage?
Desert natural zone, Sahara.
13. Apply to contour map and sign the warm and cold currents off the coast of Africa.
Cold - Canary, Benguela, Samal current.
Warm - Guinea, Angolan, for Cape Agulhas, Mozambique for.
14. Using the map of climatic zones in the atlas, determine in which main and transitional climatic zones Africa is located.
The main belts are equatorial and tropical.
Transitional belts - subequatorial, subtropical.
15. Determine on the map which basins of the oceans the rivers belong to:
Nile - Atlantic Ocean;
Congo - Atlantic Ocean;
Zambezi - Indian Ocean;
Niger - Atlantic Ocean;
Limpopo - Indian Ocean;
Senegal - Atlantic Ocean.
18. How would you dress if you were at the mouth of the Congo River? Justify the answer.
The mouth of the Congo River is located in the subequatorial zone in the natural zone of variable-humid forests. In conditions of high temperature and humidity, wear light is better clothes from natural materials. However, for security, it needs to be closed.
19. Imagine that the island of Madagascar is shifted south by 300. How will the climate change and natural areas on the island?
If the island moves 300 south, it will be within the temperate and subantarctic climatic zones. Temperatures will be much lower. Tropical forests will be replaced by mixed and coniferous, in the extreme south - by tundra.
20. One of the major problems on the African continent is deforestation. Continue the chain of changes in natural complex that will occur as a result of the destruction of forests in order to harvest valuable tree species for export.
Determine which part of Africa is experiencing the most intensive deforestation. What can you suggest to solve the problem?
Intensive deforestation is taking place in the Congo Basin. Considering that forests are climatic and hydrological regulators, deforestation in the equatorial regions of the Earth can lead to radical climate change. In this regard, there is a need to protect not just some forest areas or typical forests, but the entire forest fund of the planet, all logging must certainly be accompanied by reforestation.
21. What letter on the map (Fig. 5) indicates Cape Agulhas?
A); V); WITH); D)
22. What letter on the map (Fig. 6) indicates the Atlas Mountains?
A); V); WITH); D)
23. Almost the entire continent experiences the action of winds:
1) monsoons;
2) trade winds;
3) Western
2) trade winds
24. in figure 7, the numbers indicate:
1) the Congo River;
2) Atlas mountains;
3) the Nile River;
4) Dragon mountains;
5) Lake Victoria;
6) Ethiopian highlands;
7) Lake Tanganyika
8) Lake Chad.
25. Dry riverbeds in Africa are called:
3) meanders
26. Specify the excess:
3) Victoria;
4) Orange
3) Victoria.
27. The Zambezi River is full-flowing:
3) autumn;
28. The population of Africa is:
1) 900 million people;
2) 500 million people;
3) 1.5 billion people
1) 900 million people
1) in the Nile Delta;
2) in the Sahara;
3) on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea
1) in the Nile Delta
30. What letter on the map (Fig. 8) indicates Angola?
A); V); WITH); D)
31. What letter on the map (Fig. 9) is Nigeria?
A); V); WITH); D)
32. Match:
Peoples Where they live
1) pygmies; A) South Africa
2) drills; B) the Congo basin;
3) Berbers; B) Kalahari
4) Bushmen; D) Sugar
1-B; 2-A; 3-G; 4-B.
33. Most of Africa is occupied by a natural zone:
1) savannas and light forests;
2) deserts and semi-deserts;
3) humid equatorial forests;
4) forest-steppes and steppes
1) savannas and woodlands
34. What letter on the map (Fig. 10) indicates the zone of savannas and light forests?
A); V); WITH); D)
35. Choose the only false statement:
1. 40% of the area of Africa is occupied by savannahs.
2. The Benguela Current contributed most to the formation of the Namib Desert.
4. There is no temperate climate zone in Africa.
3. The extreme northern point of Africa is Cape Piai.
36. Which of the statements is correct?
A) Baobab is a characteristic tree of the African savannas.
b) The Strait of Gibraltar separates Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.
1) only A is true;
2) only B is true;
3) both are true;
4) both are wrong
Africa is dominated by plains (Fig. 53). Large mountain ranges cover only a fifth of the territory of the mainland. This is due to the fact that the mainland is based on the ancient African-Arabian platform. It has been established that the thickness of its sedimentary cover in separate places is 7000 m. The folded structures collapsed under the influence of external forces, forming high plains. They stretch for hundreds of kilometers. This is the uplands Tibesti.
In the north and west of the mainland, individual blocks of the platform sank more often, forming huge depressions. They were repeatedly flooded by the sea. Now heights up to 1000 m prevail here, and therefore this whole part of the mainland is called Low Africa.
The southern and eastern part of the mainland, where the average heights exceed 1000 m, is called High Africa. Here the platform rose and fell, as a result of which, over time, Ethiopian highlands and East African plateau. At the same time, individual blocks of the platform in East Africa were sinking, thanks to "the theme arose a whole system of deep faults in the earth's crust, which formed Great African Rift (Fig. 54). Here magma erupted and volcanoes erupted. Some of them have already faded away, such as highest peak Africa - mountain kilimanjaro, the height of which is 5895 m (Fig. 55).
In High Africa, there are both single peaks and large mountain ranges at the edges of the platform. For a significant height, they are called mountains. These are, for example, dragon mountains(Fig. 56). The slopes of the mountains resemble giant steps descending to the hinterland of the mainland. To the coast indian ocean mountains are often cut off by steep slopes. Also steep slopes have old cape mountains, extending along the southern edge of Africa. (Use the atlas map to determine their age.)
Africa is "spreading". This can be explained by the continental drift hypothesis. After the split of Gondwana, Africa, unlike other continents, moved relatively little, since it was more influenced by tensile forces, rather than compressive forces. And the cracks in the earth's crust are proof of these stretching forces. The Red Sea is also a consequence of these faults. Scientists believe that East Africa may someday separate from the rest of the mainland, as the Arabian Peninsula did earlier, and before it, the island of Madagascar.
Under the influence of wind and flowing waters, numerous small forms of the earth's surface were formed in Africa. On a large territory of Africa, the wind is in charge, forming the so-called eolian landforms. These are sandy hills, dunes, dunes, many of which occupy huge areas and reach the height of skyscrapers (Fig. 57).
- At the heart of the mainland lies an ancient platform, which determined the predominance of the flat relief of Africa.
- Volcanism contributed to the formation of high uplands and individual volcanic peaks.
On this page, material on the topics:
The relief and geological structure of Africa briefly
Briefly about the relief of Africa
What are the main landforms of Africa that cross the Greenwich meridian
Gdz compendium on the geography of the relief of Africa
Geological development of Africa
Questions about this item:
There are several tectonic zones that differ in character rocks and violation of their occurrence:
I. Ciscaucasia with slightly hilly and flat relief. From the lower reaches of the Kuban to the lower reaches of the Terek passes the border between Ciscaucasia and the Greater Caucasus. This is a trough of a synclinal structure; in the western part it was called the Indolo-Kubansky, in the eastern part - the Terek-Caspian.
II. The Greater Caucasus is a meganticlinorium. The structure alternates between anticlinoria and synclinoria. There is an axial belt, a belt of the northern slope, a belt of the southern slope.
III. The Transcaucasian gently folded zone covers the Rionskaya and Kura depressions - gently folded structures with domes. Slightly hilly terrain.
IV. The anticlinorium of the Lesser Caucasus is mountainous folded structures bordering the Armenian Highlands from the north and east.
V. Armenian folded zone - anticlinal and synclinal structures of sublatitudinal strike.
Within Ciscaucasia, the Kuban-Priazovsky lowland stands out, the mountains of the Mineralnye Vody group (up to 1400 m.) - in the center, and the Tersko-Kuma lowland in the east.
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Block #1 AFRICA
PRACTICAL WORK №1 "OROGRAPHIC OBJECTS OF AFIKA"
Run a contour map (Grade 7) "Orographic objects of Africa" - designate the main landforms, according to the given nomenclature. According to the atlas of the 7th class, apply a scale of heights and paint over the contour map in accordance with the indicated relief forms.
Peninsulas, capes
1. Ras Engela (El Abyad). The most north point mainland (37021′ N, 9045′ E).
2. Green Cape (Almadi). The westernmost point of Africa (14045′ N, 17032′ W).
3. Good Hope Cape . In 1488, the Portuguese navigator V. Dias reached this cape on his way to India and named it Cape of Storms: storms from the Atlantic and Indian oceans met here. But the king of Portugal did not approve this harsh and true name, fearing a disadvantageous impression that would harm the colonial enterprises, and gave the name Cape of Good Hope hope to reach India. Located in the extreme south of Africa.
4. Igolny, cape. It was named by Portuguese navigators who noticed a magnetic anomaly near it - the deviation of the compass needle (needle). The most south point mainland (34052′ S, 19059′ E).
5. Somalia, peninsula. "Dark, black" according to the skin color of the population.
6. Ras Hafun, cape. The most eastern point Africa (10026′ N, 51023′ E).
Mountain systems, highlands, uplands
Atlas Mountains:
1. High Atlas .
2. Toubkal (4165 m). The highest point of the Atlas Mountains.
Highlands, uplands:
What landforms dominate the African continent? Why?
Ahaggar. Highlands in the Sahara (highest point 2918 m).
2. Tibesti. Highlands in the Sahara.
3. Emi-Kushi (Emi-Usi) (3415 m). The highest point of the Tibesti highlands.
4. Cameroon, volcano (4070 m). It is located near the coast of the Gulf of Guinea.
5. South Guinean plateau . Located in the west of the Congo Basin.
6. Ethiopian (Abyssinian) highlands.
7. Ras Dashen (4620 m). The highest point of the Ethiopian highlands.
8. East African Highlands .
9. Kilimanjaro (5895 m), volcano . The highest peak in Africa.
10. Kenya (5199 m). located in East Africa.
11. Karishimbi (4507 m) . One of the volcanoes of the Virunga massif.
12. dragon mountains . located in South Africa, heights up to 3482 m.
13. cape mountains . Mountains in southern Africa, heights 2325 m.
Lowlands, plains, plateaus
1. high plateaus . Plateau between the Middle Atlas and Saharan Atlas and Anti-Atlas ranges.
2. Algiers-Tunisian lowland .
3. Libyan lowlands .
4. Kattara (-133 m), depression. The lowest point in Africa, is located within the Libyan lowland.
5. Senegal-Mauritanian lowland .
6. Guinean lowland .
7. mozambican lowland .
8. Somali lowlands.
9. Darfur, plateau . It is located to the east of the basin of Lake Chad. Altitudes up to 3088 m (Marra).
10. Sahel. Plateau in the western Sahara.
11. Chad, plain . In its central part is Lake Chad.
12. Bodele, basin . The lowest part of the plain of Chad.
13. Kalahari, plain . Located in South Africa.
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The relief of Africa is dominated by plains. This is due to the platform, which is the basis of almost the entire mainland.
What forms of relief prevail on the mainland of the West Siberian Plain Urgently!!!
A feature of the African plains is that high plains dominate among them - hills, plateaus, plateaus. On those parts of the platform, in the geological past they rose, high plateaus lie, On those that fell - depressions. It is interesting that even those parts of the platform sank (for example, the territory of the Sahara Desert) and where lowlands initially formed, now there are high plains exceeding 200 m. This is due to the general uplift of the entire territory of Africa in the Cenozoic. The lowlands stretched only in narrow strips along the sea coasts. Also, the mountains in Africa do not occupy at all large areas. In total, according to the height above sea level, the mainland is divided into two parts: Low Africa and High Africa.
The relief of Low Africa, covering the northern and western parts of the mainland, has heights of up to 1000 m. Large plains are located in this part. Their surface is very heterogeneous: uplands alternate with lowlands and plateaus. In those places where the crystalline rocks of the foundation (shields) come to the surface, among the sands of the Sahara, the highlands of Ahaggari Tibesti rise with heights of 3,000 m or more. Among the high plateaus up to 1000 m high lies the relatively low marshy depression of the Congo, which has a concave surface. In the northwest of the mainland rise the Atlas gpash, which formed at the junction of two lithospheric plates where the earth's crust was crumpled into folds.
The heights of High Africa, Covering the eastern and southern parts of the mainland, exceed 1000 m. The East African Plateau has the highest elevations - a huge, elevated plain. There are extinct volcanoes Kenya (5199 m) Kilimanjaro (5895 m). These volcanic mountains are confined to the East African Rift Zone. The Ethiopian Highlands is also a highly elevated (2,000 - 3,000 m) large plain dotted with extinct volcanoes. It ends abruptly in the east and descends in a staircase in the west. The Kalahari depression is surrounded on all sides by plateaus and plateaus. Mountains rise in the south of the mainland. The Cape Mountains are low and flat-topped. The Dragon Mountains are higher, from the coast by giant stairs they descend to the hinterland of the mainland.
Briefly all the landforms of Africa
Plains (height from 200 to 1000 m);
Lowlands;
Plateaus (East African Plateau);
Hollows (Chad, Kalahari);
The largest fault on land earth's crust;
Mountains (Atlas, Cape Mountains, Dragon Mountains);
Highlands (Ethiopian Highlands);
Volcanoes (Kilimanjaro, 5895 m. highest point).
Africa is located on one African plate. The African plate is moving to the northeast, colliding with the Eurasian plate. The consequence of this collision is the formation of the young Atlas Mountains in northern Africa. Further collision of plates will lead in the future, most likely, to the disappearance of the Mediterranean Sea and the transformation of Africa and Eurasia into a single continent. At the same time, in the area of the Red Sea, the processes of its expansion and the formation of a new oceanic crust are observed. In the future, the Red Sea will become a new ocean. However, the African plate itself is not completely stable. On its surface, the processes of breaking into two parts are clearly visible - in the area of the Great African Rifts in the southeast of the continent. A large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are now recorded on the territory of the faults. Within 10 million years, a fault comparable to the Red Sea will form in the Ethiopian highlands.
Landforms of Africa
Part of the tectonic faults is now filled with water - first of all, these are lakes Nyasa and Tanganyika, as well as many other lakes in the region.
Africa is located on a single African platform, formed in the Archean period. In the south of the mainland, the old Cape and Dragon Mountains are located, significantly destroyed, in contrast to the Atlas continuing its formation. In general, two main regions can be distinguished in Africa: the North-Western plains and the South-Eastern - mountainous. The average height of the mainland is 750 meters. The plateaus occupy very large areas, while the lowlands are very few. The lowest point of the mainland is Lake Assal, the height of its depression is 157 meters above sea level. The highest point is Mount Kilimanjaro at 5895 meters.
Volcanoes and earthquakes are fairly common phenomena in Africa. In addition to Kilimanjaro, there are volcanoes such as Karisimbi (4507 m) and Cameroon (4100 m) (pictured). Earthquakes occur both in the north of Africa, where the border with the Euro-Asian lithospheric plate passes, and in the east of the mainland - in the area of tectonic faults and the Red Sea.
Africa is known for its richest deposits of diamonds (South Africa, Zimbabwe) and gold (South Africa, Ghana, Mali, Republic of the Congo). There are oil fields in Algeria, Libya, on the shelf of the Gulf of Guinea - in Nigeria. bauxite is mined in Guinea and Ghana. The resources of phosphorites, as well as manganese, iron and lead-zinc ores are concentrated in the zone of the northern coast of Africa. Large reserves of copper ores are concentrated in Zambia.
Features of the relief of Africa wikipedia
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Dragon Mountains in southeast Africa, mainly in South Africa, part of the Great Escarpment. . It is almost a monolithic basalt wall almost 250 km long. The height of some peaks in this chain exceeds 3300 m above sea level. In particular, the highest point - Mount Tkabana-Ntlenyana reaches a height of 3482 m. The mountains got their fabulous name because of the haze that hides the tops of the mountains. It is very similar to the puffs of smoke emitted from the dragon's nostrils. The beauty of these wonderful mountains is also truly fabulous. In winter, they are covered with snow, despite the proximity of the ever-warm Indian Ocean! And in summer, surrounded by greenery (slopes dragon mountains covered with boundless forests, consisting of rare tree species), they conquer with their monumentality.
The mythical magic of the Dragon Mountains amazes everyone with the abundance of charming landscapes and dedicates to the hidden secrets of a rich history. Travelers will see beautiful landscapes with waterfalls and canyons, cliffs and valleys, evoking a touch of untouched nature. Especially beautiful is the Drakensberg mountain range called Amphitheatre, because of its flat top. ancient name Dragon Mountains "Ukutlamba", which means "palisade of spears".
What landforms prevail on the mainland Mount Atlas
According to Zulu legends, a mysterious monster lives here. There are no authentic facts about this, but who really lives in these magical mountains is antelopes, baboons, many small predators, as well as a variety of rare birds. Pure mountain lakes literally teeming with fish - the most delicious of which is trout.
However, a purely natural attraction - the Drakensberg - is also considered to be a real historical complex. People (Bushmen) have inhabited these highlands since time immemorial, as evidenced by numerous drawings left on the rocky slopes of the Drakensberg. Especially a lot of them in the reserve "Giants Castle", listed in the book "World Heritage".
That is why mountain-building processes on the mainland are very poorly developed - young mountains grow only in the north of the continent.
Highlands and plateaus of Africa
More than 4/5 of Africa is occupied by plateaus. Lowlands on the mainland are virtually absent.
What landforms are predominant in Africa? Why?
Not only the mainland is located on the African-Arabian platform, but also Madagascar, the Seychelles and the Arabian Peninsula.
The African Highlands are located in the southeastern part of the mainland. The average heights here exceed 1000 m above sea level. In this region, the African-Arabian platform rises somewhat.
The Ethiopian highlands are located in southeastern Africa. This part of the mainland is called High Africa, it is here that the highest peak of the continent, Mount Kilimanjaro, is located.
These areas are characterized by frequent earthquakes, which provoke the eruptions of the Karisimbi and Cameroon volcanoes. Highlands are also found in the Sahara desert, the highest of them being the Tibesti and Ahaggar highlands.
Mountains of Africa
On the coast of the Indian Ocean are the Cape and Dragon Mountains - their height decreases towards the center of the mainland. The Cape Mountains formed during the Upper Paleozoic.
The region of the Cape Mountains is characterized by a Mediterranean type of climate. The Cape Mountains are a vivid example of the revived mountains that were formed on the ancient destroyed mountain systems and inherited from them the folded structure that can be traced in the modern relief.
the highest peak cape mountains is Mount Kompasberg, whose height reaches 2500 m. In the north of the mainland, as a result of the displacement of the spirit of the lithospheric plates, young Atlas Mountains were formed.
These mountains are a continuation of the young mountains of Europe, which are located in the Gibraltar region. The length of the mountain ranges of the Atlas Mountains is 2500 km: they originate in the north of Morocco and stretch to Tunisia.
The highest peak of the Atlas Mountains is Mount Toubkal (4100m). Due to tectonic faults, earthquakes often occur in the Atlas Mountains region.
Lowlands of Africa
The lowlands of Africa occupy only 9% of its territory. The lowest point of the continent is the salt lake Assal, which is located on the territory of the state of Djibouti (Red Sea coast). Lowlands are also common in some countries of Central Africa.
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The topic of the relief of Africa in geography is studied in the 7th grade. The relief of Africa is quite complex, although there are no high mountain ranges and lowlands. Basically, the mainland is dominated by plains, the average height of which is from 200 to 1000 meters (above sea level).
Relief types
The African plains were formed in different ways. Some were formed due to the destruction of the mountains that existed here in the Precambrian era. Others were formed due to the rise of the African platform.
The African-Arabian platform, on which Africa stands, is also a relief-forming for the Arabian Peninsula, Seychelles and Madagascar.
In addition to the plains in Africa, there are also:
- plateaus ;
- hollows (the largest are located in the states of Chad and Congo);
- faults (It is on this continent that the largest fault in the earth's crust is located - East Africa, from the Red Sea to the mouth of the Zambezi River, through the Ethiopian Highlands).
Fig 1. Map of the relief of Africa
Relief characteristics by regions of Africa
Judging by the height map, all of Africa can be divided into two parts: South and North Africa and Eastern and West Africa. There is one more conditional division: High and Low Africa.
The lower part is wider. It occupies up to 60% of the entire territory of the continent and is geographically located in the north, west and in the central part of the mainland. Peaks up to 1000 meters prevail here.
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High Africa is the south and east of the mainland. The average heights here are 1000 - 1500 meters. Here are the highest point, Kilimanjaro (5895) and slightly inferior to her Rwenzori and Kenya. 
Figure 2. Mount Kilimanjaro
If we talk about the characteristics of the reliefs, then they can be briefly represented as follows.
|
Region |
Dominant relief |
|
North Africa |
Here is the Atlas mountain range (the longest on the mainland - more than 6 thousand km), quite young, formed at the junction of two lithospheric plates (the highest point is Mount Toubkal, Morocco, 4165 meters). This region also contains part of the Ethiopian highlands with maximum peaks of 4 m (the most seismically region, which is sometimes called the "roof of Africa"). |
|
East Africa |
Most of this region is occupied by the East African Plateau (or the East African Rift Valley). Here are the most high mountains and extinct volcanoes (Kilimanjaro), as well as the deepest lakes of the continent. |
|
South Africa |
In this region, the relief is quite diverse. There are mountains (Cape, Draconian), basins and the South African Plateau. |
|
West Africa |
The region is also dominated by mountains (Atlas) and plateaus. |
In terms of average height, 750 meters above sea level, Africa ranks third in the world after Antarctica and Eurasia. So, Africa can rightly be considered one of the "highest" continents on the planet.
Relief and minerals of Africa
The minerals of Africa, due to its tectonic structure, are diverse. In addition, the deposits of some of them are the largest in the world.
Since serious tectonic activity took place in Africa at the dawn of its formation, there are a lot of igneous rocks that led to the formation of various ore minerals. These deposits are not deep, especially in South and East Africa, where the crystalline rocks lie close to the surface, so that they are mined in an open way.
The largest deposits are located in South Africa:
- gold;
- uranium;
- tin;
- tungsten;
- lead;
- zinc;
- copper.
North and West Africa is also rich in:
- coal;
- salts ( various types and properties);
- manganese;
- oil (the coast of the Gulf of Guinea; Algeria, Libya, Nigeria);
- natural gas;
- phosphorites;
- chromites;
- bosquitoes.
Deposits of cobalt, tin, antimony, lithium, asbestos, gold, platinum and platinoids were discovered here.
The richest country in Africa is South Africa. Almost all types of natural resources are mined here, with the exception of oil, natural gas and bauxites. There is especially a lot of coal in South Africa, and its deposits here are as superficial as possible, so the extraction of this natural resource causes no difficulty.
Fig 3. Map of mineral resources of Africa
What minerals is Africa rich in yet? Naturally, diamonds, which are used not only for the manufacture of diamonds, but also in industry due to their exceptional hardness.
What have we learned?
The African relief is complex. Basically, it consists of plains, plateaus and highlands. There are very few lowlands, although there are faults and depressions.
Due to the fact that Africa once experienced the strongest tectonic activity, there are a large number of deposits of a wide variety of natural resources on the mainland.
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Everyone remembers that Africa is the hottest continent on the planet. But few people know that Africa is also the "highest" of the continents, since it has the highest average height above sea level. The relief of Africa is very diverse and complex: there are mountain systems, plateaus, large plains active and extinct volcanoes.
The relief of any region, as is known, is closely connected with the tectonic and geological structure territory. The relief of Africa and the minerals of this continent are also associated with the tectonics of the mainland. Let's consider this question in more detail.
Plan for describing the relief of the territory of Africa
The relief of any continent is characterized according to a specific plan. The relief of Africa is described according to the following algorithm:
- characteristics of the mainland.
- Analysis of the history of the development of the earth's crust.
- Characterization of external and internal (exogenous and endogenous) factors of relief formation.
- Description common features relief of the continent.
- Highlighting the maximum and minimum height.
- Minerals and their distribution on the territory of the mainland.
Low and High Africa
The description of the relief of Africa should begin with the fact that the mainland, from an orographic point of view, is divided into two parts: High and Low Africa.
Low Africa occupies more than 60% of the entire area of the continent (geographically, these are the northern, western and central parts of Africa). Heights up to 1000 meters prevail here. High Africa covers the southern and eastern parts of the mainland, where the average heights are 1000-1500 meters above sea level. Here are the highest points - Kilimanjaro (5895 meters), Rwenzori and Kenya.
General characteristics of the African relief
Now consider the main features of the relief of Africa.
The main feature is that the relief of the mainland is mostly flat. Mountain ranges border the mainland only in the south and northwest. In East Africa, the relief is predominantly flat.
Such landforms of Africa predominate: plateaus, plains, highlands, plateaus, remnant peaks and volcanic massifs. At the same time, they are located on the territory of the mainland very unevenly: inside it there are mostly leveled surfaces - plains and plateaus, and along the edges - hills and mountain ranges. This feature is associated with the tectonic structure of Africa, most of which lies on the ancient platform of the Precambrian age, and along its edges there are areas of folding.
Of all the mountain systems in Africa, only the Atlas is young. In the east of the mainland, the huge East African Rift Valley stretches for more than 6,000 kilometers in length. Grandiose volcanoes formed in the places of its faults, and very deep lakes formed in the depressions.
It is worth listing the largest landforms in Africa. These include the Atlas, Draconian and Ethiopian highlands, the Tibesti and Ahaggar highlands, the East African plateau.
atlas mountains
The mountainous landforms of Africa are, as already mentioned, only in the south and northwest of the mainland. One of the African mountain systems is the Atlas.
The Atlas Mountains arose 300 million years ago as a result of the collision of the Eurasian and African plates. Later, they were raised to considerable heights due to neotectonic movements that took place at the end of the Paleogene. It is worth noting that earthquakes occur in this area even now.
The Atlas is composed mainly of marls, limestones, and also ancient volcanic rocks. The bowels are rich in metal ores, as well as phosphorites and oil.
This is the largest mountain system in Africa, which includes several almost parallel mountain ranges:
- High Atlas.
- Rif.
- Tel Atlas.
- Middle Atlas.
- Sahara Atlas.
- Antiatlas.
The total length of the mountain range is about 2400 kilometers. Maximum Heights located on the territory of the state of Morocco (Mount Toubkal, 4165 meters). The average heights of the ridges range from 2000-2500 meters.
dragon mountains
This mountain system in the south of the mainland is located on the territory of three states - Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland. The highest point of the Dragon Mountains is Mount Thabana-Ntlenyana with a height of 3482 meters. The mountains formed 360 million years ago, during the Hercynian era. They got such a formidable name due to their inaccessibility and wild appearance.
The territory is rich in minerals: platinum, gold, tin and coal. Unique and organic world Dragon Mountains, which has several endemic species. The main part of the mountain range (Drakensberg Park) is a UNESCO site.
The Drakensberg Mountains are the watershed boundary between the Indian Ocean basin and the upper reaches of the Orange River. They have a unique shape: their tops are flat, table-like, separated by erosion processes into separate plateaus.
Ethiopian highlands
The relief of Africa is strikingly diverse. Here you can find high mountain ranges of the Alpine type, hilly plateaus, vast plains and deep depressions. One of the most famous mainland is the Ethiopian Highlands, within which not only Ethiopia is located, but also 6 other African states.
This is a real mountain system with average heights of 2-3 kilometers and the highest point of 4550 meters (Mount Ras Dashen). Because of specific features relief of the highlands, it is often called the "roof of Africa". In addition, this "roof" often shakes, seismicity remains high here.
The highlands formed only 75 million years ago. It consists of crystalline schists and gneisses overlain from above by volcanic rocks. Quite picturesque are the western slopes of the Ethiopian Highlands, indented by the canyons of the Blue Nile River.
Within the highlands there are rich deposits of gold, sulfur, platinum, copper and in addition, it is also an important agricultural region. It is considered the birthplace of coffee, as well as some varieties of wheat.
Mount Kilimanjaro
This volcano is not only the highest point of the mainland (5895 meters), but also a kind of symbol of all of Africa. The volcano is located on the border of two states - Kenya and Tanzania. From the Swahili language, the name of the volcano is translated as "sparkling mountain".
Kilimanjaro rises above the Masai plateau at a height of 900 meters, so visually it seems that the volcano is unrealistically high. Scientists do not predict the activity of the volcano in the near future (other than possible gas emissions), although it was recently found that the lava is located 400 meters from the Kibo crater.
According to local legends, the volcano erupted about two centuries ago. Although there is no documentary evidence for this. The highest point of Kilimanjaro - Uhuru Peak - was first conquered in 1889 by Hans Meyer. Today, the speedy conquest of Kilimanjaro is practiced. In 2010, the Spaniard Kilian Burgada set a kind of world record by climbing to the top of the volcano in 5 hours and 23 minutes.
Relief of Africa and minerals
Africa is a continent with a huge economic potential, which is characterized by huge reserves of various minerals. In addition, a more or less even, slightly dissected topography of the territory contributes to the development of industry and the construction of roads and other means of communication.
Africa is rich in minerals, on the basis of which metallurgy and petrochemistry can develop. Thus, the continent holds the absolute leadership in the world in terms of total reserves of phosphorites, chromites and tantalum. In Africa there are also large deposits manganese, copper and uranium ore, bauxite, gold and even diamonds. On the mainland, they even distinguish the so-called "copper belt" - a belt of high mineral and raw material potential, stretching from Katanga to (DRC). In addition to copper itself, gold, cobalt, tin, uranium and oil are also mined here.
In addition, such regions of Africa as North Africa and West Africa (its Guinean part) are also considered very rich in the presence of minerals.
So you got acquainted with the features of the relief of the hottest continent on Earth. The relief of Africa is unique and diverse, here you can find all its forms - mountain ranges, plateaus and plateaus, highlands, hills and depressions.