Theory question 108
Geography of Africa(a) Draw an outline map of Africa. On the map, show and name (i) one area that receives rainfall in winter; (ii) the dominant air masses over Africa in July; (iii) the position of the ITCZ in July (b) Explain the effects of altitude on the climate of Africa.
Show the model answer
(a) Winter rainfall: north-west Africa (Mediterranean coast of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) or the south-west Cape; July air masses: tropical maritime (south-west monsoon) over West Africa from the Atlantic, tropical continental over the Sahara, south-east trades over southern Africa; ITCZ in July at about 20°N across the Sahara/Sahel.
(b) Temperature falls with height (about 6°C per 1,000 m), so highlands like the East African plateau, Jos Plateau and Ethiopia are cooler than lowlands at the same latitude; highlands receive more orographic rain on windward slopes, with rain shadows on leeward sides; mountain tops (Kilimanjaro, Kenya) have snow; lower pressure and thinner air; highland climates support temperate crops and European settlement.
Show the ITCZ well north of the equator in July.