Grade 10th Geography - OCR Past Paper PDF

Welcome to Grade 10 th Geography  Introduction In the previous grade, you have studied many important features of our country – Ethiopia. Here in grade ten, you will primarily study about our wonderful continent – Africa. Under Geography of Africa, you will study a...

Welcome to Grade 10 th Geography  Introduction In the previous grade, you have studied many important features of our country – Ethiopia. Here in grade ten, you will primarily study about our wonderful continent – Africa. Under Geography of Africa, you will study about – the nature of Africa’s landforms, climate, natural resource bases, population, economic and cultural activities. – The Human environment interactions in Africa – The geographic issues and public concerns in Africa ,and – The geospatial information and data processing and other important issues and skills Therefore, successful completion of the subject at this grade level helps you to develop an understanding and acquire knowledge of basic geographic concepts, principles, and theories – focusing on Africa.  UNIT ONE 1. LANDFORMS OF AFRICA  Under this unit you are going to learn 1.1. Overview of the World’s Major Landforms = 2p 1.2. Location and Related Features of Africa = 1p 1.3. Major Landforms of Africa = 3p Objectives / Learning Outcomes: By the end of this unit, you will be able to: – develop general idea on the major landforms of the world; – identify the major landforms and their spatial distribution in Africa; – describe the major landscape features of Africa; and – recognize the spatial variations in the distribution of the major landforms in Africa  1.1 OVERVIEW OF THE WORLD’S MAJOR LANDFORMS At the end of this section, you will be able to: explain the formations of major landforms of the world; locate the major landforms of Africa; and explain the spatial variations in the distribution of the major landforms in Africa  Start up questions What are landforms? What are the two types of landforms? What are the three major landforms of the world? How do major and minor landforms occur or formed? List down the landforms you can identify in the surrounding. How many continents and ocean are there in the world? List them dawn What important landform features can you indicate from Figure 1.1 on page 3?  What are landforms? Landforms are physical features on the Earth’s surface that form terrain of an area. Landforms can be categorized in to two types These are major landforms and minor landforms Major landforms are include Mountains, plateaus, and plains. They are widely distributed on the surface Minor landforms are include hills, gorges,  How do landforms occur? Major types of landforms are formed by Tectonic plate movement and volcanic activities (internal processes) in the Earth’s interior by pushing up mountains and hills. Minor landforms are formed by Erosion through water and wind (external processes)- can erode land and create minor landforms like gullies, river valleys ,and gorges. Both processes happen over a long period , sometimes millions of years. For example, it took a very long period to cut the deep Abbay Gorge between the towns of Goha Tsiyon in North Shewa, Oromia, and Dejen in East Gojam, Amhara National Regional State. – The Abbay Gorge thus cuts down about 1000 m deep between the two towns mentioned above. What important (specific) landform features can you indicate from Figure 1.1 below? Answer saddle; hill; ridge; and river bank deposition  … The 2nd period Landforms and water body The surface of the Earth is covered by landforms and water bodies The landforms make up continents and the water forms oceans. a. Continents They are the largest landmasses in the world. There are seven continents in the world. These are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Oceania (Australia) from largest to smallest ( see fig 1.2) They all together cover 29% of the earth  Oceans They are large areas of salt water between the continents Although all the oceans are connected, making them one big ocean, they are divided into five smaller oceans These are – the Pacific Ocean – the Atlantic Ocean – the Indian Ocean – the Southern Ocean and – The Arctic Ocean from the largest to smallest. See fig 1.2 The Pacific Ocean is both the largest and the deepest ocean, which covers one-third of the Earth’s surface They all together cover 71% of the Earth (huge areas of the Earth) Figure 1.2: Map of the World  …. Oceans are important factors for creating or forming coastal land features such as islands peninsulas, isthmuses etc a. Island It is a piece of ground that is completely surrounded by water. It can be big or small in any part of the world. The largest island in the world is Greenland. Australia is bigger than Greenland but it is so big that it is called a continent instead of an island.  b, peninsula It is a piece of land that has water on three sides but it is connected to the mainland on the fourth side. It is a large landmass projecting in to a water body The two well-known peninsulas are Italy and Florida. c. Isthmus It is a narrow strip of land with water on both sides connecting two larger pieces of land area. A well-known example is the Isthmus of Panama that connects North America and South America.  Why is it important to study about the landforms? Answer The importance of studying landforms: Studying landforms helps people To understand their economic potentials and values hence to determine the economic potentials of an area (for example, agriculture, pastoralism, etc.). To understand the occurrences of disasters, its causes, and mechanisms to withstand damages and to take precautions in case of a possible disaster. To understand the weather patterns of the landforms. Major types of Landforms of the World Mountains Plateaus Plains  I. Mountains They are the largest elevated and most recognizable landforms on the Earth’s surface. They have steep sides, and high peaks, that stand out from the surrounding land. Around mountains, we may find smaller, less steep landforms called hills. Mountains are usually formed when rock layers are pushed together from opposite sides. Thus, the pressure exerted from the movement forces the land in the middle to rise. The low areas between mountains are called valleys. Mountains may also be formed by volcanic activity when lava and other materials build up on the surface, but mountains are not the only landforms that can be made by volcanoes.  Mt. Everest It is The highest landform on Earth It is a peak in the Himalaya’s Mountain range. It is located between Nepal and Tibet. It measures 8,849 meters above sea level. It is part of the Himalaya Mountain range that runs across several countries in South and Southeast Asia such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Afghanistan. The mountain range extends 320 to 400 kms in width and 1500 kms in length. The Himalayas were formed about 40 to 50 million years ago when the Indian tectonic plates collided with the Eurasian plate. Indian tectonic plate and the Eurasian plates are continental crust and have the same density. Therefore, when the two plates collide, pushing upwards at their edges formed the Himalayan Mountains. Figure 1.3: Landforms of the World – Mountains  … Landforms can also exist under oceans in the form of mountain ranges and basins. The Mariana Trench, the deepest landform on Earth, is in the South Pacific Ocean.  II. Plateaus They are large areas of flat topped raised land They may be formed by volcanic activity beneath the earth’s surface. Sometimes the pressure of the magma beneath is not strong enough to break through the crust and create a volcano, hence, instead, the land is pushed upwards, plateaus may stand all by themselves in otherwise flat land or may sometimes be close to other plateaus.  III. Plains Another major type of landform is plain. Plains are large areas of flat low land with no hills or mountains in them. The Great Plains in the mid United States is a good example of a large plain. Plains are very important areas for crop cultivation and animal husbandry (ranch).  The importance of studying land forms Understanding landforms is very important because as part of a landscape, landforms greatly affect human perception and interactions with the environment. Landforms provide a physical context for describing the landscape, topography, and ecological units within the environment. Understanding the physical and historical context of the landscape is necessary in order to understand the temporal and spatial scales of ecosystems.  Landforms are ecologically important elements because ecosystems (which consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact) develop within landform regions, and material and energy flows occur within the landform system. Landforms also affect, modify, and influence climate, both at large areas as macroclimate and small areas as microclimate.  In addition it helps people To determine the economic potentials of an area (for example, agriculture, pastoralism, etc.). To understand the occurrences of disasters, its causes, and mechanisms to withstand damages and to take precautions in case of a possible disaster. To understand the weather patterns of the landforms. Effects of landforms on ecosystem and processes a. Landform attributes (elevation, steepness of slope, and aspect) produce many different patterns which determine the ecological potential of an area. b. Landform regions affect the flow of organisms, energy ,and material. c. Landform regions affect the spatial pattern of non-geomorphic disturbance by fire and wind. d. Landforms may resist changes that geomorphic processes create; hence they protect biotic features and processes. Stabilization Review the main ideas and concepts of the lesson Landforms are physical features on the Earth’s surface that form terrain of an area Landforms are formed by internal and external processes. The surface of the Earth is covered by land and water. These features make up continents and oceans respectively. Evaluation What are the three common major landforms of the world? How many percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans? Assignment: list Sovereign island countries of the world within their respective continents.  1.2 LOCATION AND RELATED FEATURES OF AFRICA At the end of this section, you will be able to: identify the location and size of Africa in relation to the other continents and major water bodies  Startup questions: Where is Africa located? Both relative and absolute location List continents and other major water bodies bordering Africa. What is the size and shape of Africa? How many countries are there in Africa?  1.2.1. Location of Africa Relative location of Africa It is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in north the Red Sea in NE the Gulf of Aden in East the Indian Ocean –in SE the Atlantic Ocean- in West It is divided into half by the Equator. Equator divides Africa into almost two equal parts, this makes the climatic and physical conditions in the north repeat themselves in the south For example, the Kalahari Desert is exactly similar to the Sahara in the southern part of Africa; the Karoo in southern part of the continent matches the Maghreb, and the conditions in the Cape area are almost identical to those of the Mediterranean region in the north Africa's Relative Position in the world  Absolute/ Astronomical location of Africa Absolute location is the exact location of a place that is expressed by using latitudes and longitudes Astronomically, Africa lies between – 37o 21'N and 34o 52'S latitudes – it extends for about 37o to the north and 35o to south of the equator and – 17o 33'W and 51o 28'E longitudes it extends for about 17o to the west and 51o to east of the Greenwich Meridian. From this absolute location, we can understand that the continent has four extreme points: these are 1. Extreme North - Cape Bon (Tunisia) -37o 21'N 2. Extreme South - Cape Agulhas (Rep. South Africa) - 34o 52'S 3. Extreme East - Cape Guardafui (Somalia) - 51o 28'E 4. Extreme West - Cape Verde (Senegal) - 17o 33'W The four extreme points of Africa  1.2.2. Size of Africa Africa has a total area of 30.37million km2 With this area, the continent is 2nd largest continent in the world 20% of the Earth’s total surface area and 2/3rd of Asia and 3.4 times larger than Europe. Africa has relatively compact shape. This is due to almost balanced east-west and north-south extent – The north-south extension is– approximately 8000km – The east-west extension is – approximately 7,600km The absence of smooth coastlines and more or less equal north-south and east- west distance 1.2.3. Population size of Africa Its total population size was estimated to be 1.3 billion people in 2020. By this Africa accounts for about 16% of the world’s population. the second most populous continent on earth after Asia Africa is home to 54 recognized sovereign states 54 countries of Africa  Stabilization- to Review the main ideas and concepts of the lesson. The continent of Africa is bounded by the – Mediterranean Sea - South of Europe and SW of Asia – Red Sea in north east in NE – Indian Ocean in South East – in SE – Atlantic Ocean in west Africa is Astronomically located between – 37o21’ N and 34o52’ S latitude and – 17o33’ W and 51o28’ E longitude. Africa ‘has areal size of 30.37 million Km2. Africa covers 20% of the Earth’s total surface area Africa is the second largest continents on earth after Asia Africa has estimated total population of 1.3 billion people in 2020. the second most populous continent on earth after Asia  Evaluation What is the areal size of Africa? 30.37msq.km How many sovereign states are there in Africa? What is the significance of the Equator in dividing Africa into different parts? List five big countries and five small countries in Africa;  1.3 MAJOR LANDFORMS OF AFRICA Content- The major Landform regions of Africa At the end of this section, you will be able to: Explain the spatial variations and the distribution of the major landforms in Africa Identify how landforms are formed and Identify major landform regions of Africa. Describe the major physical regions  Start up questions How many landform regions are found in Africa? What are they? list 8 physical regions of the landforms of Africa and identify to which it belongs to the landform regions of Africa. Where are Atlas mountains and Sahara Desert found in Africa? Describe the main features of the Sahara desert Major landform regions of Africa There are four major landform regions in Africa, they contains eight major physical regions: 1. African Alpine System - contains one physical region. i.e. the Atlas Mountains Range region 2. African massif- contains 4 major physical regions the Sahara desert region the Sahel region the savanna region and the rainforest region 3. East African Highlands and rift system - contains 2 physical regions The Rift Valley and African Great Lakes region The Ethiopian and Eritrean Highlands region 4. Southern Africa Platform - contains 1 physical region i.e. the mountains and desert systems of South Africa.  a, The Atlas Mountain range region of Africa It belongs to the African Alpine System landform of Afr. it forms a series of mountain chains in north Africa, that includes the Anti-Atlas, High Atlas, Middle Atlas, Rif Mountains, Tell Atlas, and Sahara Atlas  It makes up the Maghrib (meaning …. ‘west’ in Arabic) region (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) in north Africa It extends from the SW, from Moroccan port of Agadir to the Tunisian capital, Tunis, in the NE, for more than 2,000 kilometers , of which the largest proportion covers in Morocco, and followed by Algeria and Tunisia. It forms a high divide between the Mediterranean Sea in the north and the Sahara Desert in the south  b, The Sahara Desert region of Africa Sahara is the largest hot desert with its total area of 9.2 million square kilometers in the world, found on the African continent. It extends from the Atlantic coast in the west to the Red Sea in the east in the entire region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlas Mountains in the north and Sudan and the Sahel region in the south. It encompasses whole or large parts six North African countries and three west African countries and one Middle African country. These countries are Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad Figure 1.7: The Sahara  The main features of Sahara Desert The Sahara landscape is covered with sand that makes up a great sand sea called erg (a large mass of sand dunes) It has enormous quantities of reddish sand dune that is weathered from sandstone. Figure 1. 6: Sahara Desert Landscape. Figure 1. 8: Erg The san dunes are fixed to a certain place, even though winds often sweep over its surface  Elsewhere in the Sahara, you find a desert. pavement of pebbles on top of vast flat- surfaced sheets of sand. This type of surface is called a reg. The Reg is a stony and rocky desert surface. It forms large, seemingly endless plains that look like a lunar landscape. Figure 1.9: Reg  c, The Sahel region It belongs to the African Massif landform region It is a vast semiarid region of North Africa, to the south of the Sahara desert It is the eco climatic and biogeographic region forms a transitional zone in Africa between the Sahara to the north and the Savanna to the south Sahel is an Arabic word (sahil) meaning “shore”. It is the shore or edge of the Sahara Desert. It stretches across the south part of Northern Africa between the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Red Sea in the east. It spreads from Mauritania and Senegal to Somalia and Eritrea for about 5000kms. There are 9 Countries in the Sahel region. They are : Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Sudan and Eritrea.  … Figure 1.10: The Sahel region  The Sahel lands are covered with …. – semiarid grasslands and scrubland to the north, – Savannah and alternating trees, mainly acacias in the south. The semiarid grassland of the Sahel has natural pasture land covered with low-growing grass and tall herbaceous perennials. Hence, there is plenty of forage for the livestock (camel, pack ox, and grazing cattle and sheep) - it is suitable for grazing animals. The landscape of the Sahel is similar to the savanna type. However, due to its semi-arid climatic condition, being a transition zone, human activities and climate change, it is very vulnerable to desertification/it tends to merge into a desert  Stabilization In Africa there are four significant land form regions. They are: 1. The African Alpine System 2. The African Massif 3. East African Highlands and rift system 4. The Southern African platforms These landform regions of Africa contain eight major physical regions. They are: 1. The Atlas Mountain Ranges – belongs to the 1st group 2. The Sahara desert – belongs to the 2nd group 3. The Sahel region – belongs to the 2nd group 4. The Savanna region – belongs to the 2nd group 5. The Tropical Rainforest region – belongs to the 2nd group 6. The Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands – belongs to the 3rd group 7. The Rift valley and African Great lakes region- belongs to the 3rd group 8. The mountains and desert systems of South Africa the 4th group  Atlas mountains- form a series. of mountain chains in north Africa – more specifically Megrim region It belongs to the African Alpine System, which covers a small area compared to the African massif which covers a very large area of the continent. Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, found on the African continent. It encompasses whole or large parts 10 African countries. These countries are Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad Sahel region is the eco climatic and biogeographic region of Africa that forms a transitional zone between the Sahara desert to the north and the Savanna to the south. It covers 9 Countries of Africa. They are : Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Sudan and Eritrea due to its semi-arid climatic condition, being a transition zone, human activities and climate change, it is very vulnerable to desertification/it tends to merge into a desert  Evaluation How many major landform regions are found in Africa? What are they? How many physical regions are found in Africa? What are they? in which part of Africa is – the Atlas Mountains found? Which countries of Africa it covers? – The Sahara located? Which countries of Africa it covers? what are some basic features of the Sahara Desert? Which countries are found in the Sahel region of Africa? what are some basic features of the Sahel region of Africa?  2nd period d, The Tropical Savanna region Start up questions Where savanna is found in Africa and to which African landform regions it belongs? What are some basic features of the Savanna region of Africa? Why do we find many parks in Savanna region Africa? What is the effect of climate change and desertification on the Savanna region? what are some basic features of the Tropical Rainforest region? why do plants in the Tropical Rainforest region grow tall and faster?  Presentation The Tropical Savanna region: It belongs to the African Massif landform region It is a transitional zone between rainforest and the Sahel region. it is a tropical grassland with few trees and shrubs (a shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree and has a very short stem with branches near the ground). The trees and shrubs are drought resistant- They have an adaptation process to the all year- round hot temperature of the region. They usually shed their leaves during the dry season to reduce water loss from their body through transpiration Figure 1.11: The Savanna Region  Parts of Tropical Savanna region Based on vegetation types, the Tropical Savanna region of Africa has two important parts i. The Tropical Savanna Woodland and ii. The Thorn tree tall grass Savanna. i. The Tropical Savanna woodland, here – the trees are widely spaced because there is not enough soil moisture during the dry season to support a full tree cover – It has an open, park-like appearance. Figure 1.12: The Savanna Woodland  ii, The Thorn tree with tall grass Savanna The trees are medium in height. Tree crowns are flattened or umbrella- shaped, and the trunks have thick, rough bark. Some tree species are – Xerophytic forms – plants with small leaves and thorn adapted to the dry environment and high temp. – broad-leaved deciduous species- shed their leaves in the dry season. Fire occurs frequently during the dry season, but the tree species are mostly fire resistant Figure 1.13: Thorn Tree Tall Grass Savanna  Why do we find many parks in the Savanna region in Africa? The savanna region is characterized by grasses with dispersed trees that do not form a closed canopy, allowing sunlight to reach the ground. Hence, there is abundant growth of grasses on which many game animals depend. The game animals in turn become prey for other carnivores animals. Therefore, the wide diversities of the animals found in the Savanna  e. The Tropical Rainforest region of Africa It belongs to the African massif It occurs both to the north and south of the Equator. It is known as the equatorial rainforest- near the equator It has very diverse and large number of plant and animal species. Figure 1.16: The Tropical Rainforest  …Flora is highly diverse in the equatorial rainforests where 1km2 may contain as many as 100 different tree species as compared to 3 or 4 in the temperate zone. Six African countries makeup the Congo Basin of the Tropical Rainforest. These are – 1. Cameroon 2. Central African Republic - CAR 3. Republic of the Congo, - RC 4. Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC 5. Gabon, and 6. Equatorial Guinea Other areas, where the rainforest is found in Africa include; – Ghana – Ivory Coast and – Madagascar  Trees of the tropical rain forests Closely spaced together- tightly packed grow rapidly to great heights (25 to 35m) tall This is because they are all competing for sunlight. The taller the tree, the more the lights it will receive. form a thick continuous canopy, Sometimes the canopy is interrupted by the presence of very tall trees (up to 40 meters) have wide buttressed bases for support. Broadleaf evergreen trees dominate the region. Evergreen with large, dark green, leathery leaves. Epiphytic and herbaceous plants as well as vines (lianas) and ferns are very typical of the tropical rainforest  The Climate of the tropical rain forest It is wet all the year or it has a short dry season. Its annual rainfall very high, it exceeds 2000 to 2250mm and evenly distributed throughout the year. Its temperature and humidity are relatively high throughout the year. Decomposition is rapid here because of high temperature and high moisture. The soil of the tropical rain forest are subject to extreme chemical weathering and leaching- due to the frequent and heavy rainfall in the area Acidic and nutrient poor - due to these environmental conditions  Stabilization It occurs both to the north and south of the Equator by encircling the tropical rainforest Savannah is a transitional zone between rainforest to the south and the Sahel region to the north The savanna has a wide diversities of the wild animals, which helped governments to establish many national parks in the region Tropical rainforest occurs both to the north and south of the Equator It has very diverse and large number of plant and animal species. It is wet and hot all year round Its soil is acidic and poor in nutrient Evaluation What are some basic features of the Savanna region of Africa? Where do we find many parks in physical regions Africa? Why? What is the effect of climate change and desertification on the Savanna region?  III, The East African Highlands and Rift system Start up questions What important landform feature divides Ethiopia into different physiographic regions? how was the Rift Valley formed? how can you describe the Ethiopian and Eritrean Highlands? how can you describe the mountains and Desert Systems of Southern Africa?  presentation f, The Rift Valley and African Great Lakes They belong to the East African Highlands and Rift System of landform region of Africa i, The Rift Valley of East Africa (GEARV) – It was formed by normal faulting. – It was formed as the land stretched by forces moving in opposite direction creating rupture and splitting apart the land in between. This creates an area called graben. – It is an elongated block of the earth’s crust lying between two faults and displaced downward relative to the blocks on either side in a rift valley. – It is part of the world’s Great Rift Valley system, which stretches from Syria, in the Middle East, to Mozambique, over a distance of about 7,200 km, by touching 15 countries in Africa Figure 1.17: Formation of Graben or Rift  It is a unique feature of.. Africa’s physiography. It begins from the Red Sea and extends through the Ethiopian landmass to the Lake Victoria, where it subdivides into an east and west segments. The eastern branch runs from Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, crossing Tanzania to the east of Lake Victoria. The Western Branch runs from Uganda in north, southwards through the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi and then the Western and Eastern Branches converge at Malawi, and continue southward to port Biera in Mozambique. Its total length is estimated to be 5,600 km. Its average width ranges between 32 km and 80 km.  Question What is the role of the Rift Valley in the classification of Ethiopia into different physiographic regions? – The Rift Valley divides Ethiopia into two big parts – Western and Eastern parts. Then – it helps to create three physiographic regions; 1. the Western Highlands and Associated Lowlands, 2. the Southeastern Highlands and Associated Lowlands, and  ii, the African Great lakes The Rift Valley lakes - series of lakes in the East African Rift valley that runs through eastern Africa from Ethiopia in the north to Malawi in the south, and includes the African Great Lakes in the south (Lake Malawi, Rukuwa and Chilwa) Edward, Kivu, Albert and Tanganyika – in the west and lake Turkana in the east Many of them have freshwater with great biodiversity, while others have alkaline or salty water Figure 1.18: The Rift Valley and African Great Lakes  The Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes They are the northernmost of the African Rift Valley lakes. They are found In central RV part of Ethiopia or the Main Ethiopian Rift valley, also known as the Great Rift Valley, splits the Ethiopian highlands into northwestern and southeastern halves, and They occupy the floor of the rift valley between the two highlands. They are: Abe, Zway, langano, Abijata,  Lake Victoria Africa's largest lake with total area of 68,800 km2 It trapped between the western and eastern branches of the Rift Valley. It lies at an elevation of 1,134 meters a.s.l Covers a total area of 68,800 square kilometers It is non rift valley lake, but instead occupies a depression between the eastern and western rifts formed by  g, The Ethiopian and Eritrean Highlands They belong to East African Highlands Ethiopia has some of the most spectacular scenery in Africa. Much of the country is set on a high plateau, with a massive central highland divided by the deep Great Rift Valley and a series of lowlands along the periphery (edges) The wide diversity of terrain produces regional variations in climate, natural vegetation, soil composition, and settlement patterns. Figure 1.19: Ethiopian and Eritrean Highlands. The northwestern highlands of Ethiopia extend up to Eritrea northwards and SW parts of Ethiopia to the south, reaching elevations of more than 2,000 meters above sea level. Eritrea shares the northeast section of the northwestern high lands, which in appearance looks more like a set of rugged uneven mountains. The Northwestern Highlands rise on the western scarp of the Great Rift Valley and project northward from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to the Red Sea coastline in Eritrea. It descends to the Red Sea coast in a series of hills. h, Mountains and Desert System region of Southern Africa It belongs to Southern Africa Platform or landforms of southern Africa It is found south of the Congo and Tanzania It has a very diverse landscapes such as escarpment, grassland, desert and mountain landscapes. The Tropic of Capricorn runs straight through the middle of the region, indicating that the southern portion of the region is outside the Figure 1.20: Landforms of Southern Africa  The Escarpment of the region The Great escarpment of Ukhahlamba (Drakensberg) – It is the most familiar landscape in the region with average altitude of almost 3,000 m asl – It forms the boundary between KwaZulu-Coastal plain and Lesotho in southeastern portion – It separates the Highveld grassland from KwaZulu-coastal plain by it its southward continuation The Highveld grasslands – – It is the portion of the South African inland plateau. – It slopes gently downwards – It is bounded by the Great Karoo to the south, the Southern Africa Bush veld to the north, the Kalahari Desert to the west and Great escarpment to the east – It is home to some of the most important commercial farming areas of South Africa and – it is area of the largest concentration of metropolitan centers, especially the Gauteng conurbation, which accommodates one-third of South Africa’s population size.  Deserts of the region The two important deserts in southern Africa i.e. The Kalahari Desert and Namib Deserts a, The Kalahari Desert It is mainly found in Botswana. It is widespread desert with an arid mixture of sand and grasslands, the grasslands provide excellent grazing for wildlife, when there is adequate rainfall. It is home to game reserves and national parks. b, Namib Desert It is found along the west coast of Namibia. It is affected by the cold ocean current of Benguela that borders the area. Hence, it was formed partly because of the cold ocean current nearby.  Stabilization The major landforms of the world create very unique areas where people around the world want to know, explore and visit. Hence, landforms generally divide continents and countries into different physiographic regions or divisions. Landforms are the results of volcanic and tectonic processes or internal and external processes that make up landforms. These processes form major landforms of the world. i.e Mountains, plateaus and plains Understanding landforms is very important because as part of a landscape, landforms greatly affect human perception and interactions with the environment.. Landforms are ecologically important elements because ecosystems (which consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact) develop within landform regions, and material and energy flows occur within the landform system. Landforms also affect, modify, and influence climate. The effect can be recognized on both large area as macroclimate or small area as microclimate.  … Africa has several recognizable major landforms. The landforms of our continent can broadly be categorized into four major regions African Alpine System, African massif, East African Highlands and rift system and Southern Africa Platform. Each of this region contains eight major physical regions Each of the regions has a unique landform feature that distinguishes it from the other. The regions also vary in terms of the area they cover. Hence, the African Alpine System covers a small area compared to the African massif which covers a very large area of the continent.  Home work REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What are the major landforms of the world? 2. Why is it important to study about landforms? 3. In which of the major landforms of Africa are many of the national parks found?why 4. What important landform feature divides Ethiopia into different physiographic regions?