Theory question 208
Climate(a) Highlight characteristic features of the Tropical Continental Climate. (b) Describe the vegetation of the Savanna region.
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(a) Distinct wet season (summer) and dry season (winter); rainfall 500-1,500 mm decreasing away from the equator; high temperatures (21-32°C) with a larger annual range (5-10°C) than equatorial areas; hottest just before the rains; dry harmattan winds in the dry season; low humidity in the dry season; e.g. Kano, Khartoum.
(b) Tall grasses (elephant grass up to 3 m in the Guinea savanna, shorter in the Sudan and Sahel); scattered deciduous trees (baobab, shea butter, acacia, locust bean); trees with thick bark, long roots and small leaves; grasses dry up and are burnt in the dry season and sprout with rain; gallery forests along rivers; vegetation thins northward.
Describe rainfall, temperature, seasons and winds for the climate.