NGS Africa Map: “Africa Today”

Mary Crampton (Eden PrairieSchools)

Bob Marcotte (MAGE)

Maureen Trepp (Field School in Minneapolis)

JoAnn Trygestad (Rosemount Middle School)

This stunning two-sided map was featured in the Sept. 2001 edition of National Geographic magazine. The precise detail, fine coloring, and up-to-date information can help the student understand the values and problems of Africa.

The questions below can be used with individual students examining the map, in small or large groups. The questions model basic and higher level thinking skills and many of them generate discussion and predictions. Review and choose the ones appropriate for your class. Using all of the questions would probably take two class periods and are prepared for the secondary school student (grade 6-12) Suggested answers to the questions are presented in italics.

Previewing the Map

• Look at both sides of the map. What kind of large maps are presented? Look at the Natural Realms Map. How is color used on this map? What stands out on the map? The animal montage makes the viewer believe that the animals are the most significant part of Africa.
• Check out the smaller maps. Read the titles: What do the thematic map titles suggest (by the use of adjectives) about a mental picture of Africa? If there is an adjective used, it often gives a negative impression (Wild, War, Plague, Thirsty, Fragile, Divides, etc.)

Date of the political map:

· What is the date of publication of this map? Sept., 2001

· What, on the title page, strikes you as interesting or inconsistent about with the title of the map?

The title is Africa Today and the art is an example of an “ancient” artifact.

Look at the photos which accompany the political map.

· What image of “Africa Today” is presented with these photos?

· What characteristics do they show about contemporary Africa?

Again there are images of ancient artifacts, along with photos inferring a dated view of Africa with primitive tools and conflict. Only one photo depicts urbanization in Africa.

Read the text box between the title and the photos. The text seems to present Africa as a conglomeration of colonial empires as opposed to emerging nations and /or sovereign states. It includes biased statements about “orderly boundaries”

· Do these “orderly boundaries inhibit stability?

· Are they a part of Africa’s “problems”?

· What is the model for “putting it back together”?

The text refers to colonization as the stability of Africa—this is a Euro-centric view. The text seems to imply that economic development, the amassing of or creation of wealth, as the goal. Few words in the text, with the exception of the nod to ancient artifacts, honors or acknowledges the varied cultures of Africa.

Africa in the World

When thinking about Africa, consider how we view other continents.

• Do we make generalizations about Asia or Europe in the same way that we do about Africa?
• Why is the conversation about Africa always focused on problems, e.g. AIDS, drought, warfare; rather than strengths and potential?

Where in the world is Africa?

· What is Africa’s absolute location? Describe the location in relation to the Equator, Prime meridian, and the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. If all maps had the intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian at the center of the map, Africa would be there!!

· What is Africa’s relative location? What surrounds it? What bodies of water? What land areas? How has this geographical location affected Africa’s history?

The Political Map

How well is the size of Africa conveyed on the map?

· Compare Africa in size to other known places. How many European size continents would fit in Africa? About four (Show the website from the Project Africa site (Insert URL here) which shows the map of Africa with the US, Europe and China, superimposed over the area of Africa.)

• Measure the distance from Minneapolis to New Orleans (about 1100 miles). Now measure that distance south from Cairo in Egypt. How far south on the African continent did you travel?
• Measure the distance from New York to San Francisco (about 2400 miles). Measure that distance from Dakar, Senegal, traveling east. How far across the Sahara did you travel?

· How is the labeling differentiated on the map? Italics are used for physical features and regular print for political features.

· What features are identified with red print? Political locations requiring additional information. How were these locations selected? Why these?

· Where are the large countries located? The smaller ones? Why? Which country is the largest in square miles? Which the smallest?

· Which has more miles of roads, Chad or Nigeria? Why?

· Which present day roads may have been trading routes? How do you know?

· Where do you see salt lakes or dry salt lakes? Why are they where they are?

· What lakes make up the lake region of the eastern Africa rift valley?

· Name 5 landlocked countries north of the equator, and 5 landlocked countries south of the equator.

· Which countries are surrounded by another country?

· Where are there borders that are geometric lines? Where do borders follow natural features? Give specific examples. Why do these differ?

· Describe the shape of Africa or give a description of a unique boundary feature.

Cultural Divides Map

· Do language boundaries match political boundaries? Why or why not?

· What reasons might explain why Africans speak 1600 different languages?

· Where is Christianity dominant or most prevalent? Where is Islam dominant or most prevalent?

· Why is Christianity always listed first, followed by Islam or Indigenous religions? Why are indigenous religions always listed second?

· What percentage of nations in Africa practice Christianity? Islam? Indigenous Religions?

· How could the map be misleading about the number of people practicing certain religions?

· What reasons might explain why Madagascar has a different language from the rest of Africa?

· Why does South Africa have an Indo-European language?

Foreign Borders Map

· Based on your knowledge from the Cultural Divides map, what might have happened in Africa when many of the European defined political boundaries were eliminated in the 1960’s?

· Why do colonial boundaries continue to exist? What do they represent?

· What are some of the consequences of continuing to use these boundaries?

Soaring Numbers Map

· Explain the distribution of the population of Africa. Where are the people and why are they there? Why are there empty spaces?

· How does the population of the continent of Africa compare to the countries of China? India? The United States? the continent of Europe?

Wealth of Nations Map

· How many countries have an income per capita of more that $2000 a year? What contributes to their relative wealth?

• Why might the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with resources of gold, copper, diamonds, and timber, have such a low PCI? What other factors contribute to a nation’s wealth?

War and it’s Victims Map

• Explain a possible connection between this map and the Wealth of Nations Map.
• Identify countries that have not had recent internal conflicts. How might this relate to their colonial history? (refer to Foreign Borders Map)
• Which countries have received the greatest numbers of refugees? What problems might this create for the receiving countries?
• From the text by the map, who seems to be to blame for the conflicts in Africa?

Creeping Plague Map

• How is AIDS spread?
• In Africa, specific groups are identified for the spread of HIV. Why are these particular groups identified?
• Is there any correlation between the Creeping Plague map and other maps---Soaring Population and Cultural Divides?
• Three countries appear to have a lower incidence of AIDS and are surrounded by countries with higher numbers of people with AIDS: Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Congo. Why? This could be related to population, economic development, religion or the cartographers’ discretion.

• How might this map look different if the AIDS population was represented as a percentage of the population, instead of raw numbers?
• How will the children in many countries of Africa be impacted by AIDS?
• HIV peeked in the 1990’s in Central Africa, and a larger epidemic grips southern Africa. What would you predict will be the future impact for the countries of Africa? What might cause the epidemic to move to the countries not currently heavily involved (Madagascar, Somalia, Djibouti, and other northern nations)?
• How can this epidemic of AIDS be reversed?
• Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho, are all countries labeled as having 20% or more of their adult population with HIV. Why are they shown in three different colors on the map? Why didn’t the cartographer show percentages for all the countries in Africa?

Africa’s Natural Realms

The title of this side of the map is Africa’s Natural Realms. What kind of thematic maps would you expect to find on this side? Discuss the use of the word “realms” in the title, as opposed to regions, or areas or zones. Does this suggest a bias?

Text

Africa’s wildlife represents biological riches of the past where large mammals roamed during the Pleistocene.

• Why is this wildlife being threatened? increasing population, change to industrial economies, invasion of industrial and technological economies/countries to access these riches
• How are conservation efforts contributing to the endurance and/or destruction of the environment? animals and habitat are protected, but created a “natural zoo”;

focus on protecting animals and habitat and neglected local use of land to detriment of local population; encourages poaching & results in penalties affecting neighboring families;

disrupts biological balance

Side Bar Art

The plants and animals identified in this artwork represent the varied natural regions from northern to southern Africa. Look at the entire animal artwork. Which animals stand out? Which plants stand out? Are these to scale? Why did the artist represent them this way?

• The Sahara/Sahel/Savanna region has a variety of plants and animals, with the Sahel bordering the forest and desert. How is the Sahel described? What animals and plants would be found in this region? wooded savanna in the south, grasses and acacia in the middle, and blends into the Sahara Desert in the north. All of the plants & animals named, depending on location in the Sahel, would be there.
• The Earth’s second largest contiguous tropical forest is in the Congo Basin. What animals are only found in this region? all of the plants and animals named
• How does the southern African woodlands have the capacity to regenerate new plants?

Growing after dry-season burns allows generation of new growth.

• What makes the Cape Floral Kingdom of southwest Africa unique?

This small, Portugal-size strip has more plant species than any comparable temperate area in the world; plants with unique lineages make this region recognized as one of the six floral kingdoms of the world.

Wild Kingdoms Map

The plant and animal kingdoms of Africa have been organized into 121 areas based on characteristics of plant and animal life, environmental conditions, and ecological dynamics.

• These 121 areas are threatened by people due to what?

bush animals are killed in large quantities to feed rising urban population

loggers cut roads providing access to interior areas

• How might the 121 areas be protected?

trust funds to finance parks

debt forgiveness for protecting lands

polluters in rich countries pay to save forests and slow global warming

• To balance the needs of humans and animals, conservation is suggested as the solution. How might conservation limit and promote Africa’s future growth and development?

Limit: Sacrifice local people’s welfare for sake of national development, interfere with natural selection

Promote: Provide jobs, source of income, share treasures with world, maintain biodiversity

• Using the map, what is the largest of the 121 areas and why might it be the largest?

Africa From Space Photo

The satellite image of Africa shows Africa’s vegetation patterns.

• How was this satellite image made easier to read?

coloration of forests to green, showing entire continent, using standard patterns

• Where are the forests and deserts located in relationship to latitude and why?

forests along Equator and deserts along Tropic of Cancer & Tropic of Capricorn

Equator has most moisture and Tropic of Cancer & Capricorn least moisture due to subtropical wind patterns

• The Great Rift Valley is partially covered by the Great Lakes of Africa. How can the Great Lakes be identified on the satellite image?

lakes are black and form a linear pattern through East Africa

• How did Africa’s elevation protect its ecosystems from change?

Africa has few mountainous areas to interrupt the ecosystems and is an isolated continent with narrow coastal plains and a large plateau that prevented invading peoples’ changes on the landscape

Teeming Waters Map

The map indicates freshwater bioregions defined by groupings of rivers and lakes.

• How is this map helpful to understanding the continent of Africa?
• What does this map tell you about the continent of Africa?
• What might be a better name for the map?

Thirsty Lands Map

The climates of Africa “mirror” one another north and south of the Equator. Explain this phenomena.

• The climates of Africa have changed and continue to change. Explain this situation.

The process of desertification is making regions near the deserts arid due to overgrazing and other agriculture. The Sahara Desert used to be a tropical wet area with permanent lakes.

The actions of global warming may create more dry areas.

• Mild climates provide for greater use of lands for agriculture, urbanization and economic development. What generalizations could be made about mild climates in Africa?

located in southern Africa and along northern coast in very small areas

tends to be areas with fertile soils & commercial farming & higher GNP per capita

Fragile Soils Map

• Most of Africa has poor soils and the regions of poor soils are growing. Why is this occurring?

dry areas lack sufficient water

rain forest areas have leached soil--downpours wash nutrients from cleared ground

soils enriched with ashes from slash and burn agriculture can only support one or two crops

land was left fallow & less-fertile land was used for herding, but population increases have forced farmers to shorten fallow times and plant on marginal lands

herders overgraze

forest turns to grassland & grassland to desert

• Describe the distribution of fertile soils in Africa, assuming that commercial agriculture occurs where the soil is richer.

coastal areas, river valleys, lake district