REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA

ANSWER THREE QUESTIONS FROM THIS PART

1a. Define the term landlocked country? 2marks

b. Outline five (5) problems associated with landlocked Countries in Africa? 10marks

c. describe the political divisions of Africa?. 8marks

2a. Define the term environmental degradation? 4marks

b. highlight any four (4) causes of environmental degradation. 8marks

c. Outline any four (4) efforts by the government to sustain the environment? 8marks

3a. what is vegetation? 2marks

b. Name five (5) types of vegetation in Africa? 5marks

c. Describe the tropical rainforest and give five (5) characteristics of tropical rainforest. 13marks

4a. Describe two methods of irrigation agriculture in the Niger valley? 4marks

b. Give four (4) reasons for the practice of irrigation agriculture in the Niger valley? 8marks

c. Outline four (4) problems associated with irrigation agriculture in the Niger valley? 8marks

5a.What is lumbering? 2marks

b. Name three areas noted for lumbering in Ghana and state four (4) factors favouring lumbering in
Africa. 10marks

c. State and explain four (4) problems facing lumbering industry in Africa? 8marks

ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS

ANSWERS TO OBJECTIVE:

1.A 2B 3B 4D 5B 6C 7B 8D 9D 10D 11C 12D 13C 14A 15B 16A 17A 18A 19A 20B 21A 22A
23C 24B 25B

Q1. Landlocked countries are countries which have no coast or outlet to the sea. 2marks

These countries are entirely closed by land. There are (17)countries, these includes; Burkina Faso, Mali,
Niger, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Central Africa Republic, South Sudan,
Botswana, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Swaziland and Lesotho.

PROBLEMS ASSOCITED WITH LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES

 No direct link to the sea

 Loss of custom duties
 High transportation cost
 High prices of imported goods
 Damage of goods in transit
 Attacks on goods in transit
 Currency problems
 Political instability.

POLITICAL DIVISION IN AFRICA

Africa as a second largest continent in the world is divided in 54 politically independent
countries. We have 48 mainland and 6 island. The largest country is Algeria with a total land of
238,1740 sq km while smallest is the Seychelles Island with the land area of about445 sq km.
The newest or youngest country in Africa is South Sudan with Juba as te capital city.

The 5 divisions are;

A- North African countries includes: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, South Sudan and
Tunisia.

B- South African countries includes: South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and
Zimbabwe.

C- Eastern African countries includes: Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Djibouti, Eritrea, Malawi,
Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda.

D- West African countries includes: Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sierra
Leone, Liberia, I’Voire cost, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger and Nigeria.
 E- Central Africa countries includes: Angola, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Dr
Congo, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe.

QUESTION 2 : Environmental Degradation is defined as the deterioration or decline of the

environment through depletion of resources such as vegetation, air,wter and soil. It simply a
decline in the quality of the environment.

CAUSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

 Deforestation
 Bad farming practices
 Overgrazing
 Bush burning/wildfire
 Mining activities
 Poor sanitation
 Increased in population growth.

EFFORTS BY GOVERNMENT (SOLUTION)

 Afforestation /Reforestation
 Improved methods of farming
 Controlled grazing
 Enforcement of environmental legislation/laws
 Proper disposal of waste

QUESTION 3 (A): Vegetation is an association or a group of plants growing together in a particular

environment.

(B) TYPES OF VEGETATION

 Tropical rainforest
 Tropical grassland/savanna vegetation
 Scrub and semi-desert
 Desert vegetation
 Mediterranean vegetation
 Warm Temperate
 Mangrove Swamp

(C) TROPICAL RAINFOREST VEGETATION/EQUATORIAL

Areas of tropical rainforest: are found along the coast of west Africa in Nigeria, Gabon, Ghana etc.

It stretches to Dr. Congo and around the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda. Its also found along the east
coast of Madagascar. The Congo Basin is the largest contiguous forest and the second largest tropical
rainforest in the world. Tropical rainforest is associated with the equatorial vegetation of Africa. There
are high temperatures and abundant rainfalls all over the year contribute to the growth of luxuriant
types of forest vegetation within the equatorial belt of Africa.

(C) VEGETATION CHARACTERISTICS OF TROPICAL RAINFOREST

 The trees have broad leaves and are evergreen

 The trees are tall and supported with buttress root
 The forest is not in pure stand but the species are scattered
 It has a little undergrowth due to the canopy nature of the trees
 The tree species in the forest include Wawa, Odum, Mahogany
 The forest is closed –up due to the parasitic plants, epiphytes, climbers and creepers
 The trees are in layers

QUESTION 4 (A) : Irrigation is the system of bringing water into a farm especially during the dry
seasons.

Methods of Irrigation
 Manual or Traditional irrigation(buckets/watering cans)
 Basin/flood
 Shadut/Shadouf
 Perennial/Dam
 Sprinker/Pumping
 Sakia/Squi
 Archimedes screw.

REASONS FOR THE PRACTICE IRRIGATION

 Unreliable rainfall
 High rate of evaporation
 The area is arid/dry
 Availability of water rivers
 Rich alluvial soils

PROBLEMS FACING IRRIGATION AGRICULTURE IN NIGER VALLEY

 Inadequate Capital
 High cost of irrigation equipment
 Low level of technology
 Inadequate supply of labour
 Flooding
 Fluctuation of water volumes
 Collapse of dams
 Silting of channels/canals/dams
 Growth of the water weeds
 Conflict over water sharing
 Diseases and pest
 Displacement

QUESTIONS 5
Lumbering or Timber logging is defined as the felling of economic trees in the forest for
human use. The establishment and tendering of the forest for timber is known as
silviculture.

Areas noted for lumbering in Ghana are:

 Bekwai forest area
 Manso Nkwanta forest area
 Dunkwa forest area
 Goaso forest area
 Enchi forest area
 Sameraboi forest area

FACTORS FAVOURING LUMBERING IN AFRICA

 The presence of the tropical rainforest
 Presence of many economic trees
 Favourable equatorial climate
 Availability of large labour
 Availability of transport facilities
 High demand/market for timber products
 Availability of power
 Government policy on afforestation

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF LUMBERING

 Provision of employment
 Source of income to lumber men/women
 Source of revenue to the government
 Foreign exchange earnings
 Source of fuel wood
 Infrastructural development

PROBLEMS FACING LUMBERING

 Incidence of disease and pest
 Trees are not in pure stand
 Presence of trees with buttress roots
 Illegal felling of lumbering/smuggling
 Depletion of forest by farmers
 Inadequate transportation network
 Inadequate capital
 Low level of technology
 Presence of rapids and waterfalls interrupts easy floating of logs
 Hard wood logs which are heavy cannot floats on rivers.