ANSWER KEY

Geography of Africa
Study Guide

PART I: PHYSICAL AND POLITICAL FEATURES

Label the countries on the political map of Africa below.

A. D.R. Congo B. Egypt

C. Kenya D. Nigeria
E. South Africa F. Sudan

Label the physical features on the map of Africa below.

G. Great Rift H. Sahara

Valley
I. Sahel J. Savanna

K. Tropical rain L. Kalahari

forest Desert
M. Atlas N. Mt.
Mountains Kilimanjaro

© Brain Wrinkles
Label the bodies of water on the physical map of Africa below.

O. Congo River P. Niger River

Q. Nile River R. Lake Victoria

Match the physical features to the correct descriptions.

1. Congo River  Tallest mountain in
Africa
 Huge dip in the earth’s
2. Niger River
surface; surrounded by
highlands and contains 3
3. Nile River lakes
 Range located along the
coast of North Africa
4. Lake Victoria
 Main river of central
Africa; runs through the
5. Great Rift Valley rainforest
 World’s longest river;
empties into
6. Mt. Kilimanjaro
Mediterranean Sea
 Hot, dry feature that
7. Atlas Mountains dominates northern
Africa
8. Kalahari Desert  Africa’s largest lake
 Principal river of western
Africa
9. Sahara Desert  Dry, sandy region
located in southern
Africa

© Brain Wrinkles
PART II: LOCATION, CLIMATE, & RESOURCES
Complete the chart below with information about how the physical characteristics of
Africa’s regions impact trade and where people live.
Description
10. Sahara Climate is arid and very hot; little rainfall; very few people live here; trade is
hard; can’t farm—nomads only

11. Sahel Dry, semi-arid region that is slowly becoming desert; little rainfall; Overgrazing &
desertification have made it hard to farm so people are moving away to the
cities/savanna region; subsistence farmers, livestock herders, miners;

12. Savanna Hot, dry grasslands with rainy seasons; Most is rural with low-medium
populations, but large cities along bodies of water; farming, mining, raising
livestock
13. Tropical rain Hot, humid climate with over 90 inches of rain annually; most people live near
forest Lake Tanganyika; agriculture, logging, hunting

14. What large geographic feature dominates much of northern Africa?

Sahara Desert
15. Why is the population of the Sahara and the Sahel so low?
Water is scarce
16. What are many of the largest cities in Africa located on or near?
Rivers, lakes, coastline (water sources)
17. In which region are some of Africa’s most populated cities located?
Savanna

PART III: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Write T for True or F for False. Correct any false statements to make them true.
18. The two biggest causes of water scarcity in T
Africa are water pollution and unequal access to
water.
19. The absence of rainfall is called F - drought
desertification.
20. Many African countries have an abundant F – very limited supply of fresh water
supply of fresh water.
21. Industrial waste, logging, and agricultural F – logging should be human sewage/waste
runoff all contribute to Africa’s water pollution
problems.
22. Long period without rain cause famine and T
death in dry regions of Africa.

23. Many African women and children walk T

many miles from their homes to gather water.

24. What agricultural condition threatens the land in Sudan, Ethiopia, Chad, and other countries in
the Sahel region?
Desertification
© Brain Wrinkles
25. What agricultural condition threatens the rainforests in west and central Africa?
Deforestation

Complete the chart by identifying the causes and effects of deforestation and
desertification.
26. Causes: main cause of Deforestation 28. Effects: Increased carbon dioxide,
deforestation in Africa’s is commercial fewer medicines available, extinction of
logging; also clearing land for houses plants and animals, soil erosion,
desertification

27. Causes: poor farming practices,
overgrazing, cutting down too many
trees, draining surface & underground
water for industrial use
Desertification 29. Effects: Less and less farmland
available; People are facing starvation
and poverty; Many move to urban areas
to find work, but are faced with more
poverty

PART IV: ETHNIC & RELIGIOUS GROUPS

30. What is the difference between an ethnic and religious group?
Ethnic groups share common culture, language, traditions, etc. Religious groups share same religious
beliefs.
31. Islam is the dominant religion in northern Africa, while Christianity is the dominant religion in sub-
Saharan Africa.
32. What is a common belief in many traditional African religions?
Power of the ancestors

Complete the chart with information about each ethnic group.

Live Language Religion
33. Arabs Northeastern Africa Arabic Most all are Muslim
and the Middle East
34. Ashanti Ghana Ashanti Akan religion; plants
and animals have souls
and should be
respected
35. Bantu Southern Africa Bantu Superstitions & believe
in magic
36. Swahili Southeastern Africa Swahili Most all are Muslim
“Swahililand”
(Tanzania, Kenya,
Uganda, Mozambique)

© Brain Wrinkles