Southern Africa

By: Ahmed Hussein

 Countries of Southern Africa
Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique,
Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius,
Seychelles, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe,
South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland
Physical Geography of Southern Africa

Landforms
• Southern Africa consists of ten mainland
countries and four island countries.
• Most of Southern Africa sits at a high altitude,
or height above sea level.
• The Great Escarpment, a long cliff that
separates two different altitudes, forms a nearly
unbroken U-shape, starting from the west coast
and curving northeast.
• The land inside the Great Escarpment is mostly
hills and plateaus.
Physical Geography of Southern Africa

Climate, Biomes, and Resources

• The coastal areas of Southern Africa have
marine climates that are greatly affected by the
open ocean.
• The Cape of Good Hope and surrounding areas
have a Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry
summers and cool, rainy winters.
• The northern and eastern regions are covered by
the savanna, vast grasslands dotted with small
trees, which is home to the Big Five: lions,
leopards, elephants, Cape buffalo, and
rhinoceroses.
Human Geography of Southern Africa

Society and Culture Today

• The effects of European colonialism still
permeate life in Southern Africa, including the
main languages used for communication.
• Christianity is the most common religion as a
result of Christian missionaries in the subregion.
• Poverty is prevalent and affects all aspects of
life, even shortening life spans and sometimes
inciting riots.
• Traditional laws often prohibit women from
owning or inheriting property.
Human Geography of Southern Africa

Economic Activities
• The majority of people are farmers, with most
participating in subsistence farming, or small-
scale agriculture that provides for the needs of a
family but little more.
• Commercial farming, or growing large
quantities of crops in order to sell them, has
gained importance with the increased influence
of global markets.
• Mining is also important, with minerals and
diamonds being major exports.