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. 

Chapter 19

Section 1
1. Only 2-30% of the land in the middle east is arable, or able to support farmland, and yet much of the economies of middle Eastern countries is dependent om agriculture. The steppe climate of Central Asia provide fertile land for raising livestock and growing crops. The Mediterranean climate of North Africa and Southwest Asia allow farmers to grow cereal grains, olives, grapes, dates and citrus fruits. Fishing industries are a big part of life in north Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, and fish are caught in man-made ponds, the Atlantic Ocean, inland seas, and rivers.

2. Changes and improvements in communication and transportation are bringing people closer together. Communications allow people in different regions to interact without the need to travel, and even so, new roads, airlines and railways are being built for when transportation is necessary.

creative writing: The communications in the united states and Canada are very high-tech, and are becoming sleeker and smaller (like smaller computers and cell phones), while telecommunications in the middle east are still being picked up. Most of the economy in the US and in Canada are either agriculture, industry, or technology based, and in the Middle East it is based on oil, natural gas and agriculture. Travel in the Canada and the United States is mostly done by car or airplane, and some railway. In Southwest Asia, North Africa and Central Asia, there are more roads, railways and airports being built, and all of the new ones are being used.



The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Section 2
1. Much of the freshwater sources in North Africa, and the Middle East are oases, rivers and aquifers. Countries with little of these and are bordered by salt water use desalination - the separation of salt from water - to provide fresh water. farmers also dig canals to irrigate their farms.

2. Three of the largest environmental problems in the area are the Aswan High dam, the impact of war, and the three troubled seas. The Aswan High Dam rests on the Nile River in Egypt. It has dammed up the Nile, disrupting its natural flow, and created the world's largest man-made lake - Lake Nasser. Now that the Nile doesn't flood because of the dam, it cannot deposit fertile salts and minerals to the farmland, and the ground is growing sterile.

War in the middle east and in north Africa caused the destruction of nearly 700 oil wells, which poured thousands of pounds of thick black smoke clouds into the atmosphere. Also, millions of gallons of oil was poured into the Persian Gulf and killed thousands of marine animals and birds.

The troubled seas, or the Caspian sea, the Aral Sea and the Dead Sea, all face extreme environmental challenges. Both air and water pollution soil the water in these three lakes, and overfishing has depleted their fish populations. Farmers have diverted feeding rivers to irrigate their farmlands, and this causes the lakes to lose water, and the drier land is kicked up in dust storms. The Dead sea has dropped, in the past 40-50 years, 262 feet, or 80 meters.


Salt formation in the Dead Sea



creative writing: I agree with the statement "It is necessary for all of the countries in North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia to cooperate to develop plans and technologies to bring more freshwater to the region." I agree because without water, no human can survive, and without water, no ecosystem can survive. Because most of this area is desert, the conservation of water is extremely important, and the conservation of the environment is equally important. If the countries in this region don't have enough water to support its people, then they need to work together to bring freshwater to cities and farms.

Chapter 17

Map of the Middle East and North Africa

Section 1
1. Mountains and deserts dominate the landscape of North Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The main water sources are lush river valleys that wind their way across the kums and to the seas.

2. Much of the world is economically dependent on this area because of its natural resources - oil and natural gas. This region contains some 60% of the world's oil preserves under its deserts.

creative writing: I believe that the supply of water in North Africa, southwest Asia, and Central Asia is more critical to the region's security than the supply of oil. This is how I see it: every one needs water to stay alive, but no one needs oil to stay alive.

Section 2
1. The climates in North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia are made up of desert and steppe climates with little to no rain. But in the northern middle east, that is around Turkey and Syria, a Mediterranean climate brings rainy, cool winters and hot summers.

2. People like nomadic herders keep their livestock in steppe climates and feed them on short grasses that grow in these areas. The people that grow cereals and grains live next to rivers and use irrigation to water their fields.


Size of sand grains in the Middle East


creative writing: The steppe climate areas of North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia, and the steppe climate in the Great Plains of the United States and Canada are similar. The farmers in both regions grow similar crops and livestock - grains, cereals, cattle, goats. But these areas and their farmers are different as well: most of the food produced in the great plains is widely commercial, while the food grown in Southwest & Central Asia, and North Africa is more locally use and eaten.