WAEC Geography 2003 Theory question 107

Theory question 107

Geography of Africa

(a) Draw an outline map of Africa. On the map, locate and name: (i) the canary and the Madagascar Islands (ii) Drakensberg mountain (iii) Latitudes 37°N and 23½°S. (b) Describe the position and size of Africa in relation to other continents.

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Model answer

(a) Canary Islands off the north-west coast near Morocco; Madagascar off south-east Africa across the Mozambique Channel; Drakensberg along the south-east of South Africa/Lesotho; 37°N near the northern tip (Tunisia, Cape Bon); 23½°S (Tropic of Capricorn) across Namibia, Botswana, South Africa/Mozambique and Madagascar.
(b) Position: lies between about 37°N and 35°S, and 17°W and 51°E; almost bisected by the equator; crossed by both tropics; bounded by the Mediterranean (north), Red Sea (north-east), Indian Ocean (east) and Atlantic (west); joined to Asia by the Isthmus of Suez; close to Europe across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Size: second largest continent after Asia, about 30 million km² (one-fifth of the world's land); about 8,000 km from north to south and 7,400 km east to west.

Explanation

Give latitudes, longitudes and the seas round Africa for position.