Grade 8 MSCS: Africa's Land and Resources

Land and Resources of Africa

• The Sahel is a grassland savannah that borders the desert area of the Sahara in Northern Africa.
• The Rift Valley is known for diamonds and gold that are mined and is the earliest sign of human habitation.
• The Blue Nile and White Nile are two tributaries of the Nile River that join at Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan.
• Dakar is the capital city of Senegal.
• Lagos is the biggest city of Nigeria.

The Rift Valley

• The Rift Valley is a geographical region in East Africa that runs north to south along the eastern side of the African continent.
• The Rift Valley includes parts of Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan.
• It runs from the Red Sea in the north to Zambia in the south.

Land and Resources

• Africa has the largest reserves of cobalt, diamonds, platinum, and uranium in the world.
• The continent holds 65% of the world's arable land and 10% of the planet's internal renewable fresh water source.
• In most African countries, natural capital accounts for between 30% and 50% of total wealth.

African Civilization

• African civilizations refer to the various pre-colonial African kingdoms.
• Examples include Egypt, Carthage, Axum, Numidia, Nubia, and others: the Empire of Ashanti, Kingdom of Kongo, Empire of Mali, Kingdom of Zimbabwe, Songhai Empire, the Empire of Ghana, Bono state, and Kingdom of Benin.

Traditional African Art

• Traditional African art is a rich and diverse cultural heritage that encompasses a wide range of artistic expressions.
• It includes textiles, jewelry, pottery, and metalwork.
• Performance and assemblage are primary components of traditional African art.
• Music, dance, dress, and bodily ornamentation, as well as sculpture and masks, are frequently what imparts both significance and dynamism to individual art objects.

Colonization of Africa

• In ancient times, people from Southern Europe and Western Asia colonized North Africa, while people from Southeast Asia colonized Madagascar.
• In the Middle Ages, North and East Africa were further colonized by people from Western Asia.
• In the Modern Era, Western Europeans colonized all parts of the continent, culminating in the Scramble for Africa in the late 19th century.

African Geography

• The Orange River is a significant river in Africa.
• The Nile River is another important river that flows through the continent.
• The Zambezi River, Congo River, and Niger River are also notable rivers in Africa.
• The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in Africa.
• The Great Rift Valley is a geographical region in East Africa.
• The Kalahari Desert is another significant desert in Africa.
• Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa.
• The Cape of Good Hope is a prominent geographical feature in Africa.

Ancient African Civilization

• Ancient African civilizations made significant contributions to human history.
• These contributions include the development of agriculture, ironworking, mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and writing systems.
• The Kingdom of Aksum was a major empire of the ancient world that rose in Ethiopia during the first century C.E.
• Ancient Harar Jugol was a powerful kingdom from Ancient Abyssinia that connected merchants from the Ethiopian coast to other parts.
• Ancient Zimbabwe was referred to as "Great Zimbabwe" due to its significant contributions to human history.