1. West Africa Landfall and The Four
Climates.
• Sahara – Northern part.
• Sahel – Dry grassland.
Little rain. Over grazing
by animals. Cutting down
trees. Wind blow away
fertile soil. Sahara
expands southward.
• Savanna – South. Good
farming. Tsetes fly.
• Coast and forest –
plentiful rain. Rain forest.

2. Niger River.
 2,600 miles long.
Ends, Gulf of Guinea.
Forms inland delta in
Sahel.
 Half of Nigeria's
coastline delta.

3. West Africa’s Resources.
 Gold.
 Iron.
 Diamonds.
 Oil. (95% of
Nigeria’s export.)

4. History W. Africa. Slave Trade.
• 1400’s Portuguese trade
for gold in the Gold
Coast.
• 1600’s demand for labor
in Americas – slavery.
• 1800’s European
countries control W.
Africa.
• After W.W.II countries
begin to fight for freedom.

5. Challenges in W Africa for new
nations.
 Borders.
 Education to run
government.
 Dictators, civil
wars, military rule.
 High birthrate. Small
amount of fertile land.

6. Sahel Countries. Mauritania
 100% Muslim.
 Speak Arabic.
 Expanding Sahara has
forced many into
cities.
 People very poor.

7. Sahel Countries. Mali and Niger
 Landlocked.
 80% fish or farm along the river.
 Cotton main export.
 Malaria – kills children.
 Niger – 3% of land can be farmed.
 Expanding Sahara.

8. Sahel Countries. Chad and Burkina
Faso
 World’s poorest.
 Lake Chad shrinking.
Now 1/3 size.
 Civil War.
 Burkina Faso – Has
nothing.

9. The Coastal Countries.
Nigeria – largest. 113
million. (Africa’s
largest.)
Oil off coast. 95%
export.
High birth rate.
Bad government.

10. Senegal and Gambia.
• Senegal – (French.)
• Gambia – (British.)
• Odd boarder.
• Dakar – capital.
• Important seaport
and manufacturing
center.
• Important crop.
Peanuts

11. Liberia.
 Monrovia. (President
Monroe.
 Freed American slaves
sent there. Clash with
Africans living there.
 1980’s civil war.
Economy still wrecked.
 Rubber and iron.
 Sierra Leone – Civil war.
 Sierra Leone exports
Diamonds.