Chapter 20

Section 1
1. In South-Saharan Africa, tectonic activity has created the Great Rift Valley, Lake Tanganyika, and the Ruwenzor Mountains.


Map of Great Rift Valley



2. The basins that hold lakes and rivers in South-Saharan Africa are created by the uplifting of the earth's crust while escarpments, mountains and the rise of the land direct the water's flow.


creative writing: Mineral deposits are often found near rivers or in dry river beds. Because rivers in South-Saharan Africa are found in rift valleys, only countries with rift basins have access to mineral deposits. if a desert or dangerous stretch of land separates a country from a rift basin, then that country is deprived of that deposit as well.


Section 2
1. In addition to rain fall, ocean currents, wind patterns and elevation affect the climate in Africa south of the Sahara.



Climate of Africa south of the Sahara



2. There are many kinds of climates in Africa south of the Sahara: tropical wet with tropical rain forests; tropical dry with grassland and scattered trees; steppe with low-growing grasses and small shrubs and trees; desert with very little plant life; and midlatitude climates with lush farmland and grasses and shrubs.

creative writing: The Serengeti Plain is in Africa's tropical dry climate and sports tropical grassland and spread out trees and scrubs. This African terrain has temperatures of 70°F in the winter and 90°F in the summer. The Great Plains in North America are steppe and humid continental climates with temperate grassland and very little trees. This vast plain has temperatures of 50°F in the winter, and 70°F in the summer . Both of the plains have large expanses of grassland, and also have large, grazing mammals and smaller carnivorous mammals living on the plains.