What kind of climates does africa have

Mangrove Swamps. This vegetation is found at the inter-tidal flats of the coastlines within the tropics. The margin of the Savannah coincides with the rain forest belt where dry conditions begin.

In such areas, there is often a mosaic of forest savanna. Further away from the forest, as the dry season becomes more pronounced and more prolonged, the Savannah woodland thins out, and trees that are more drought resistant are found.

Generally, the prevailing vegetation cover is grass interspersed with trees except in areas around streams and moist hollows. In the zone of lower rainfall the huge baobab tree illustrates storage of water while 'umbrella' trees show adaptation to dry wind. Acacias, some producing gum, are a feature of the drier Sudan savanna.

The Savanna extends with similar differences in character over the Lake plateau across the Zambezi to the Drakensberg and dries towards the Kalahari in the thorny scrubs of the Bushveld. Major crops produced in the Savanna: millet, sorghum, peanuts, and cotton. Temperate Grassland or Veld. This is found in the veld areas of South Africa.

Characterized by short grass and plants adapted to a brief growing season but there are considerable differences due to altitude. It is by no means adapted everywhere to cultivation, but maize, tobacco and temperate cereals are grown. Semi-desert and desert. Areas further north, the Savanna degenerate into semi-arid and then desert. This is the environment of the Sahel ranging from thorn, wooded grassland to tussocky grasses with large bare patches of bare earth between.

Human and animals overpopulate the semi arid areas and both take their toll on the environment. As pasture is destroyed through overgrazing and cultivation, the desert advances southward further restricting populations and increasing densities in a vicious circle of desertification. Fig 2. The best soils are alluvial deposits found in the major river valleys. With a few exceptions, most of the soils are difficult to cultivate although improvements can be made to increase natural fertility.

Soils in the humid tropics can be quite rich due to the forest cover and the rapid decomposition of organic matter. However, intense rainfall leaches out most of the plant nutrients. Between the wet tropics are well-formed soils rich in plant nutrients. But the high iron-oxide content turn and the alternate wet and dry climates turn it into a hard pan - luvisols.

Towards the deserts, the soils are sandy and deep but low in humus and quite infertile arenosols. These give way to xeros ols that are quite low in humus. Examine the advantages and impediments that Africa's location and physiography places on the development of its people. Discussion - Advantages:. Centrally located among continents hence the opportunity to develop early trade and embark upon the conquest of surrounding countries.

The central location also allows external powers to converge on the continent and to scramble for its people and resources. It seems however that Ancient Africans were content with what they had and had no incentive to leave the continent. Most tropical of all continents means warm weather occur throughout the continent. Very few natural disasters such as devastating earthquakes, floods, volcanoes etc occur on mainland Africa.

Several long and wide rivers cut across the continent in both north-south and east-west directions that could provide transportation and hydroelectric power. Relatively flat land with very few mountains - ideal for transportation development.

Very old crystalline rocks rich in valuable minerals such as gold, diamond and bauxite. Maritime versus Continental Climates Large water bodies such as the Ocean and huge lakes modify climates in adjacent lands.

Altitude Since energy from the sun is transformed into heat on the surface of the earth, air temperature decreases with altitude at an average rate of 3. Humid Equatorial Climates Af 2. Semi-arid cimates Bsh 3. Desert Climate BWh 4. Mountain climates H 5. Humid Temperate climates C a. Cool summers b. The Following types of vegetation types identified: 1. Tropical Rain forest: This vegetation develops in low land areas with year-round precipitation. Temperate Forest: This vegetation is poorly represented in Africa.

It is only found on the lower slopes of the Ethiopian highlands and elsewhere on the highlands of considerable elevation and rainfall 3. Mediterranean Woodland These are evergreen trees and shrubs adapted to the hot dry season and mild wet season. The vegetation in the Southwest corner is similar 4. Mangrove Swamps This vegetation is found at the inter-tidal flats of the coastlines within the tropics. Savanna or Tropical Grassland The margin of the Savannah coincides with the rain forest belt where dry conditions begin.

It is by no means adapted everywhere to cultivation, but maize, tobacco and temperate cereals are grown 7.

Semi-desert and desert Areas further north, the Savanna degenerate into semi-arid and then desert. Drought is a recurring phenomenon in semiarid West Africa, where average rainfall conditions seldom prevail, and rainfall is skewed to dryness, i. From the late s through the s, the Sahel zone experienced droughts of unprecedented spatial extent and duration Hulme, These droughts followed a period of more favorable rainfall in the s and early s, which had encouraged government planners and farmers to expand agriculture northward Glantz, The great Sahelian droughts forced the abandonment of agriculture at the arid margin, triggered a famine crisis that killed thousands of people and their livestock, and has been blamed for widespread environmental degradation in the region.

Average annual rainfall has recovered some from the low point of the early s, however it has not been enough to erase the long-term drying trend since — the earliest available rainfall records Nicholson, Moreover, for agro-pastoralists not only annual rainfall totals are important, but also the frequency and distribution of rainfall events throughout the wet season.

Too much rain at once can damage crops or change pasture composition in unfavorable ways. Heavy rainstorms also cause severe soil erosion, particularly on cleared cultivated land.

The great Sahelian droughts provide the most dramatic worldwide example of multi-decadal climate variability that has been directly measured. However, for lack of an observational rainfall record before the 20th century, or sufficient proxy indicators, it remains unclear how unique these droughts have been at time scales of centuries and millennia Hulme, Are they part of the normal variability of this semiarid climate, or harbingers of human-induced climate change?

Understanding the climatological processes behind the droughts is a prerequisite for attributing them to natural or human causes and to eventually predicting the impacts of future climate change on rainfall in the region. The current understanding is that variations in sea surface temperatures in the global oceans play the largest role in Sahelian rainfall variability, amplified by land cover Giannini, Kenya also experiences two rainy seasons: The longest typically lasts from April through June, and there is a second rainy season that occurs from November through December.

December through March what most people think of winter is the hottest period in the country, whereas July through October is the coolest. Rwanda's high elevation creates a chilly climate for this equatorial country. Because of this, Rwanda experiences very little difference between seasons. The country's rain seasons span March through May and again October through November. The driest season is June through September, making this a prime time for gorilla trekking or other outdoor activities in the country.

Namibia's climate is that of a hot desert: Not surprisingly, it's dry, sunny, and warm almost year-round. The country sees very little rainfall overall, but when it does rain, it takes place during the summer December through March. Winter June through August sees cooler temperatures and less precipitation.

Morocco, given its location in the Northern Hemisphere, has a seasonal pattern that is similar to other Northern Hemisphere countries. Winter, not surprisingly, is the coldest and wettest season and lasts from November through January. Summer is hot, therefore travel during the shoulder seasons of fall and spring is recommended.

Temperatures during summer can often exceed degrees Fahrenheit 40 degrees Celsius. South Africa. South Africa is large and has a diverse climate, making it hard to classify. Unlike Africa's equatorial countries, South Africa does experience four distinct seasons, albeit reversed from what most Americans might be used to: Summer lasts from November through January, while winter spans June through August.

Rain is usually abundant during the summer, except for Cape Town. Summer temperatures typically average around 82 degrees Fahrenheit 28 degrees Celsius , while winter temperatures hover around 64 degrees Fahrenheit 18 degrees Celsius , with some variation depending on the city.

Uganda's climate is tropical and consistently warm, except for the mountains, which can get surprisingly cold. Daily high temperatures rarely exceed 84 degrees Fahrenheit 29 degrees Celsius , and rainy seasons span March to May and October through November. The rainy season is often better for birding enthusiasts and keen photographers—especially in West Africa, where dust-laden winds reduce visibility during the dry season. Many countries in Africa experience two rainy seasons: a major rainy season which takes place roughly from April through June, and a shorter rainy season from October through December.

The rainy period of April through June is wet and humid, making coastal areas unpleasant. If you're hoping to save money on a safari, however, rainy season isn't a bad idea. Travel costs are cheaper, and there are fewer crowds. What to Pack: Rainy season in Africa isn't as intense as rainy season in southeast Asia, but it's still wise to pack accordingly.