Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

LOCATION, POSITION, AND SIZE OF AFRICA

LOCATION
Africa is located between Lat. 35°N and 37°S of the equator and
17°W and 51°E of the Greenwich meridian.

Long. 0°which is the Greenwich meridian passes near Accra, Ghana.

POSITION
 Africa is the 2nd Largest continent in the world after Asia
 Africa is bound in the north by the Mediterranean Sea which
separates Africa from Europe
 Africa is bound in the south by the Atlantic Ocean
 Africa is bound in the east by the Indian Ocean

 Africa is bound in the north east by the Suez-Canal, the Red

Sea and the Gulf of Aden
 Africa is the most tropical continent(almost bisected by the
equator)

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

 There are 54 countries in Africa(48 mainland countries & 6

island countries
 The Largest Island in Africa is Malagasy(Madagascar)

1) All the following countries lie on the Equator except.

a) Kenya. b) Ghana. c) Somalia. d) Gabon. [WAEC 2010].

Solution: Looking at the Africa Map, Somalia doesn't lie at the

equator.

POLITICAL
DIVISION OF AFRICA

LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

Landlocked countries are countries that don't have access

or boundary with the coast or oceans.

Examples: Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Rwanda,

Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Burundi, Chad, etc.

PROBLEMS OF THESE COUNTRIES

1) They experience high freight cost

2) They depend economically on other countries

3) They depend politically on other countries

4) Insecurity of Goods

5) Political Instability.

Note: Examples of Islands: Zanzibar, Comoro, Mauritius,

Cape Verde, Canary, Equitorial Ghana.

The above examples are important as some WAEC

questions may ask you to locate these places

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

2) Draw an outlined map of Africa. On the map, locate and

name:

i) The Canary and Madagascar Islands

ii) Latitudes 37°N, 23½°S

b) Describe the position and size of africa im relation to

other continents. [WAEC GEOGRAPHY]

a) Use the map above including previous maps

b) Size: ⅔ the size of Asia, 2nd Largest Continent,

31,000km². Position and Location are explained in the
notes

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

DRAINAGE
AND RELIEF
OF AFRICA

Relief Regions

 East Africa:(Mountains): Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya, Ethiopian

mountain, Cameroon mountain

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

 West Africa Highlands: Fouta Djallon, Guinea, Adamawa

highland, Jos plat.
 South Africa Plateux: Drakensberg mountains.
 North Africa Ranges: Ahagar, Tasilli, Atlas mountains

Importance of Mountains
 Source of Minerals: Tin, Gold, Diamond, etc
 Formation of Rainfall(Orographic/Relief):
windward side of the mountains
 Construction of hydro electric power(Steep
slopes)
 They are used as wind breakers.
 They aid transhumance: livestock move from
the valley during the rainy season to highlands
where they feed on pasture till the end of the
season.
 Most especially they are sources of tourist
attraction.
Disadvantages of mountains
 Barriers to communication in terms of
transportation (roads, railway, airways)
 Prevents human habitation (cold weather)
 They occupy good land
 Soils of mountaineous regions are poor in
nutrients neccessary for agriculture.
Importance of Lowlands(Plains)
 They allow for human habitation
 They are sources of minerals: (Petroleum, Coal)

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

 Soils are rich in nutrients and such promote

intensive agriculture.(Depositional
Plains/Alluvial Plains)
 They favour communication in terms of
transportation
 Rivers in plains provide water, jobs(fishing)
Disadvantages of Plains
 Flooding especially in delta areas reduces
human activities and leads to the construction
of flyovers.
DRAINAGE IN AFRICA
Rivers: River Nile(The longest in Africa), River
Niger(From Guinea Higlands; River Zambezi,
Orange and Limpopo in the south of Africa. Others:
Volta, Gambia
Note: Kariba lake found on the zambezi is one of
the largest manmade lakes in the world
CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICAN RIVERS
 Volume changes with season: Dry and Rainy
Seasons
 Presence of Rapids and Cataracts which
impede inland navigation
 Presence of Debris.
 Colour of rivers changes with season
 Shallowness due to evaporation.
 They flow in seasons and have short courses.

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

IMPORTANCE OF THE RIVERS

 Medium of Transportation
 Provision of Employment(Fishing, builders of
canoes)
 Source of food(fishes, crabs, crayfish)
 Tourist Centres/ Attractions.
 Irrigation and Generation of H.E.P
 Fertile Alluvia plains are formed from them
which is a good place for agricultural
activities , Port Construction
Factors Limiting Their Use
 Presence of Rapids and Cataracts
 River volume is not consistent
 Presence of Debris as well as short nature of
rivers
 They flow through areas of sparse population
limiting their use for transportation rivers
 There is little or no coperation among nations
through which the river flows.
QUESTION
2) On an outlined map of Africa, locate and name.
[WAEC]
i) Long. 0°and 20°E and latitude 4°N, 35°S
ii) Rivers Zambezi and Volta
iii) Mount. Ruwenzori and Atlas Mountains.
iv) Yaounde and Entebbe

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

v) One man made lake along River Nile

vi) Namib desert.
vii) In what 4 ways are African rivers important
Solution :

b) Refer to Notes

East African Rift Valley

Formed due to block faulting(subsidence of faults) . Stretches from

the red sea to zambezi , ethopia down to malawi. It contains some
lakes such as "Lake Turkana, Tanganyika, Mweru, Tana Lakez.

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

Importance: Salt Mining,

Tourism, Fishing,
Agriculture.

3) Which of the following

lakes is not found in the
east african rift valley

a) Lake Turkana. b)
Lake Tanganyika. c)
Lake Mweru. d) Lake
Mobutu

[WAEC 1995: D]

DAMS IN AFRICA(Refer
to pg 27)

 Kainji Dam (At

River Niger)
 Aswan Dam(Near River Nile)
 Akasombo Dam(At River Volta).
 Kabora Bassa Dam(At River Zambezi)

4) Which of these countries is located in North Africa?

a) Zaire. b) Rwanda. c) Namibia. d) Algeria. [WAEC 2000: D]

5) Transhumance involves the movement of _________

a) people from rural to urban areas

b) migrant labour from source to recieving regions

c) settlers from highlands to lowlands for farming

d) cattles up and down mountains for pasture [WAEC 2001: D]

6) Which of these mountains is not in africa:

a) Tibesti. b) Atlas. c) Andes. d) Ruwenzori. [WAEC 2007: C]

7) The largest off shore island in Africa is the _______

a) Island of Madagascar. b) Canary Higland. c) St. Helena Highland

d) Cape Verde Island . [WAEC 2007: A]

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

8) Draw an outline map of Africa. On the map, name and show:

i) Kainji Dam

ii) Aswan Dam

iii) Drakensberg Mountain

iv) At las Mountains. [WAEC 2011: Refer to pg 5]

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

WAEC 2012/48

4) The town marked B is _________

a) Bloemfontein. b) Capetown. c) Durban. d) Maputo [Ans: B]

5) The river marked O is the _______

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

a) Limpopo. b) Zambezi c) Orange. d) Congo. [Ans: D]

6) The area shaded and marked X is the _______

a) Red Sea. b) Mediterranean sea. c) Isthmus of Suez. d) Black

sea. [Ans: A]

7) Ths letter Y on the map represents _____

a) Durban. b) Queenstown. c) Johannesburg. d) Bloemfontein.

[Ans: A]

VEGETATION AND CLIMATE IN AFRICA

Factors Affecting Climate Of Africa

 Latitude: At high altitude of the sun on the latitude are hotter

than tropical latitudes where the sun's altitude is low.
 Altitude: The temperature decreases by 6.5°C for every 1000m
ascent(lapse) rate. High altitudes experience low temperature.
 Cloud cover: Reduces incident solar radiation
 Ocean Currents
 Natural Vegetation: Light soils reflect more heat than darker
soils which are better absorvers of heat.

TYPES OF CLIMATE IN AFRICA

Equatorial Hot Climate: Central(Zaire basin) and West Africa(coast

except Ghana)

 High annual rainfall(over 200cm) throughout

 High humidity through out with double maxima rainfall
 No winter, high temperatures up to 26°C
 Experience mainly convectional rainfall
 Temperature Range: 2°C - 3°C

Tropical Continental(Sudan) or Tropical Climate: West Africa, curves

southwards into east Africa and southern Africa

 Seasons are wet and dry only

 Temperature Range: 21°C – 32°C
 Convectional Rainfall (60 - 150cm)

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

 Hot rainy season and cool dry season

 High humidity in the wet season and low humidity in the dry
season

Explain How the Vegetation of the Tropical Climate has adapted to

Climatic Conditions of the Region? [WAEC 2008]

 Seasonal Vegetation: Green(Rainy), Brown(Dry)

 Plants possess bulbous stems to store water (Dry season).
 Plants possess tap roots which can get to underground water
 Presence of thick barks, narrow and thorny leaves to reduce
transpiration
 Trees shed their leaves in the dry season to reduce
transpiration

3) Mediterranean Climate: Located in South Africa(Cape Town),

North West(Morroco, Algeria, Tunisia).

 Summer(dry): 21 - 27°C
 Rainfall: (600 - 800)mm
 Local Winds(Mediterranean sea) - Sirocco and Mistral
 Bright, Sunny weather, summer.

4) Hot Desert Climate: Found in Sahara desert. It is caused by the

cold canary currents in North West and Kalahari and Namib desert
caused by cold benguella currents in Southern Afica.

 High Temperatures: 30°C - 60°C

 Aridity(Dryness - Desertness)
 Annual Temperature: 250mm
 High rate of Evaporation and are associated with cold currents
 Relative humidity is very low

5) Warm Temperate Eastern Margin: South Eastern Margin of south

Africa

 Warm wet summer and cool dry wibter

 Rainfall: 600 - 1500mm
 Temperature: 4°C - 26°C, Range = 25°C

6) Temperate Continental/Temperate Grasslands(Steppe).

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

 Hot Summer(over 20°C)

 Cold Winter(below 0°C)
 Rainfall type: Convectional
 Height of Rainfall: 510mm.

Vegetation Characters

 It is called Steppe vegetation(Savanna cover)

 Grasses are short
 Trees are scarce in this grasslands
 Grasses are succulent/fleshy/drought resistant/sap filled/store
water

Economic Importance

 Nomadic Herding is carried out

 Pastoral Farming due to abundance of grasses
 Serve as Tourist Centres
 Game Reserves
 Mechanized agriculture and Irrigation.

8) Draw an outline map of Africa, mark and name:

i) Tropical Climatic Region

ii) Hot Desert Climatic Region

iii) Warm Temperate Eastern Margin Climatic Region

[WAEC 2008]

Solution: Next Page

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

VEGETATION - FACTORS AFFECTING VEGETATION

1) Climatic Factors: High temperature with low rainfall - Sparse
vegetation

Higher rainfall - Denser Vegetation

High Temperature and Rainfall - Luxuriant vegetation

Sunshine - Photosynthesis for luxuriant growth.

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

2) Topography and Geomorphical factors

Steep slopes - low vegetation(Due to run off during rainfall)

Flat lands(gentle slopes) have dense vegetation

3) Edaphic or Soil Factors.

Sandy soil(loose and porous) - Sparse Vegetation

Clayey soil(don't allow percolation) - More Vegetation than sandy

soil

Loamy soil - Luxuriant Vegetation

Most Importantly, the type of soil determines what plant grows

there

4) Human or Biotic Factor:

Activities that reduce vegetation: Bush burning, Deforestation,

Mining and Excavation, Cultivation and Animal Grazing

Favorable factors: Afforestation, Irrigation.

TYPES OF VEGETATION IN AFRICA

Tropical Rainforest: it is associated with equatorial climate(Zaire

Central) and ciasts of west Africa.

 Rainfall: Over 2000mm

 Abundant sunshine and fertile soils
 Temperature: 26°C
 Double maxima rainfall
 Layered vegetation cover, Climbers(Epiphytes) and lianas
present
 Trees have broad leaves.
 Numerous species of plants(Iroko, Mahogany, Obeche - Hard
woods) providing timber
 Trees form canopy in upper layer and have buttress roots
 Trees have thick barks and are ever green.
 Trees have few branches.
 Importance(Economic)

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

 Foreign Exchange(Exportation of timber and others)

 Revenue to government and income to lumber men
 Tourism centres
 Wood for fuel, food from fruits
 Leaves, barks and roots for medicinal purposes
 Raw materials for furniture making
 Trees produce materials for building and construction.

2) Tropical Savanna(Grassland): They are associated with the sudan

climate. West, East and Southern Africa.

 Tall fibrous grasses

 Short trees(scattered)
 Trees are decidous(shed their leaves in the dry season) to
reduce transpiration.
 Mainly grasses and lanos. Popular trees are acacia, shea
butter, baobab
 Livestock farming(Low tse-tse fly infestation), Centre of
tourism, Nomadic Herding, Game reserves, Arable crop
production(Rice, Maize, Millet).

3) Mediterranean Vegetation: N.W and South Africa.

 Trees are evergreen

 Drought resistant crops: Tough, leathery, hairy to guard
excessive. transpiration, thick barks(oak).
 Long roots
 Presence of evergreen coniferous trees(soft wood): pines, firs,
cedar
 Bushes and shrubs such as acacia, laurel, rosemary, macquis.
 Woody plants(evergreen): Oak, wild olive, cypress, red wood.

4) Montane Vegetation: Found in Ethiopia, mountains of east Africa

and Mt. Cameroun. Thick forest is found on the wind ward side while
light vegetation is found on the leeward side.

5) Desert Vegetation: Kalahari, Namib and Sahara deserts.

 Sparse/Scanty Vegetation(Temperature range: 9°- 20°C) -

Highest diurnal range
 Grass, Shrubs, Herbs present
 Most plants are XEROPHYTES(drought resistant plants) e.g
bulbous cacti, wiring grasses, date palm and acacia

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

 Some plants are halophytes(salt tolerant plants).

 Cotton, rice, sugarcane, and millet production with the aid of
irrigation
 Nomadic Herding and pastoral farming.

6) Temperate Grassland: South Africa(Savanna or Parkland).

Characteristics(Vegetation): Same as tropical grassland(pg. 18)

9) The tropical rainforest is characterized by the following except

a) Distinct layered arrangement

b) Multiple plant species

c) Evergreen trees

d) Little undergrowth

e) trees with thorny leaves [WAEC 1995: E]

10) Which of the following is not a characteristic of tropical desert

climate

a) Low humidity. b) Cloudless skies. c) Dust haze. d) High diurnal

range of temperature. e) Very low annual range of temperature.
[WAEC 1995: E].

11) All the following statements are true of the savanna vegetation
in Nigeria except.

a) Trees are deciduous. b) Trees have thick water storing trunks. c)

Trees have long tap root systems. d) grasses are tall and luxuriant
in the wet seasons. e) Trees occur in pure strands. [WAEC 1996:
Ans E]

12) The climate is characterized by an alternate hot rainy season

and cool, dry season. The vegetation consists mostly of tall grasses
and short trees which are mostly deciduous ". The climate being
described is the _____

a) Savanna. b) Cool temperate(British). c) Warm temperate(China

type).

d) Tropical Moonsoon. e) Desert. [WAEC 1997: A]

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

13) Long, very cold winters, low annual rainfall with 24 hours of
darkness in the middle of winter. The climate is _______ a) Montane
type. b) Cool temperate, west margin, type. c) cool temperature,
interior type. d) warm temperature, western margin type. e)
Tundra. [WAEC 1997: E]

14) The savanna lands of East Africa are best known for their ______

a) wild life. b) rich minerals. c) wars. d) industries. [WAEC 1997: A]

15) In Southern Africa, the Mediterranean Vegetation can be found

in the areas around. a) Durban. b) Natal. c) Cape town. d)
Pretoria. e) Johannesburg

[WAEC 1997: Ans C] .

16) The vegetation belt associated with valuable hard wood is the
_______

a) Sahel savanna. b) Tropical Rainforest. c) Coniferous forest. d)

Montane forests. e) Mediterranean forest. [WAEC 1998: B]

17) Temperate grasslands are generally important for _______

a) Mining. b) floating of logs. c) grazing. d) processing of meat and

cheese. e)burning of grass for fuel. [WAEC 1998: C]

18) The bulk of Nigeria's timber is exploited from the ________

a) Mountain vegetation. b) Rain forest. c) Guinea savanna. d)

Fresh water swamp forest. [WAEC 1999: Ans B]

19) Which of the following best explains the presence of the Namib
desert in south wesr africa?

a) The area is too far from the sea

b) The coast is washed by westerlies.

c) The area is far from Kalahari desert

d) The coast is washed by the cool benguela current. [WAEC 2000:

D].

20) Which of these is not an element of climate?

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

a) Altitude. b) Air pressure. c) Temperature. d) precipitation.

[WAEC 2000:A]

21) A plant adapted to living in a region where little moisture is

available is called

a) halophyte. b) hygrophyte. c) xerophyte. d) hydrophyte. [Waec

2001: C]

22) The vegetation type which is found only in the Northern

hemisphere is

a) Mediterranean woodland. b) Tundra vegetation. c) Tropical

Rainforest. d) Coniferous forest

23) Temperatures are high throughout the year in equatorial areas

mainly because...

a) Insolation is constantly high.

b) of permanent cloud cover

c) Equatorial areas are influenced by currents

d) They are few highlands to reduce temperature

[WAEC 2002: A]

24) Which of the following is not a characteristic of the rain forest?

a) Great varieties of trees. b) Many of the trees have large

buttresses.

c) They are many climbing plants. d) Absence of epiphytes

[WAEC 2002: D]

25) The major difference between the tropical rainforest and the
savanna is that the savanna vegetation __________

a) and the rain forest never occur in the same continent

b) is natural while the rain forest is derived

c) grows in layers while the rain forest does not

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

d) has less species of plants while rain forest has diverse species of
plants

[WAEC 2002: D]

26) The vegetation type characterized by short grasses and stunted

trees is the....

a) warm temperate grassland. b) Sudan savanna. c) Guinea

savanna. d)cool temperate grassland.

27) "It is made up ofa great variety of evergreen trees, with a

distinct layer arrangement ". This refers to the _________

a) Equatorial forest. b) Tropical grassland. c) Temperate

grasslands. d) Coniferous forest. [ WAEC 2002: A]

28) "The trees are tall and evergreen, leaves are small, thick,
leathery and needle shaped" . This is a description of the ________

a) Equatorial forest. b) Coniferous forest. c) Mediterranean wood

land. d) Savanna woodland. [WAEC 2004: B]

29) Xerophytic plants are usually associated with ______

a) Regions of heavy rainfall. b) Waterlogging. c) Areas of low

rainfall. d) Windward part of the highland. [WAEC
2006: Ans C]

30) Convectional Rainfall is most common in ______

a) Equatorial and Tropical Moonsoon climates

b) Polar regions and Mediterranean climates

c) Temperate regions

d) Temperate and Mediterranean climates. [WAEC 2007: A]

31) The largest man made lake in africa is _______

a) Volta. b) Tana. c) Malawi. d) Kainji. [WAEC 2007: D]

32) Which of the following mountains is not in Africa

a) Tibesti. b) Atlas. c) Andes. d) Ruwenzori. [WAEC 2007: C]

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

33) Which of the following countries is a landlocked country

a) Chad. b) Zambia. c) Burundi. d) Morocco. [WAEC 2007: C]

34) Trees in the savanna region develop the following adaptations

to enable them to survive the long dry season except

a) Shallow roots. b) Long taproots. c) Thick barks. d) Thin leaves

[WAEC 2008: A]

35) "The trees are evergreen, forming a canopy with buttress roots,
climbers and creepers". This vegetation depicts

a) Savanna. b) Equatorial. c) Tropical Desert. d) Mediterranean.

[WAEC 2009:B

36) The longest river in Africa is river ______

a) Congo. b) Zambezi. c) Senegal. d) Nile. [WAEC 2009: D]

37) "The forest is both dense and luxuriant and contains a wide
variety of plants with broad leaved trees". The statement describes

a) Savanna. b) Tropical Rainforest. c) Mediterranean woodland. d)

Warm temperate forest. [WAEC 2010: B]

38)" It has humidity of over 90%, with rainfall in all months. ". The
statement bdescribes _______ a) Equatorial climate. b) Desert
Climate. c) Warm temperate climate. d) Mediterranean climate.
[WAEC 2010: A]

39) The acacia tree is mainly found in ______

a) Coniferous forest. b) Mediterranean lands. c)Savanna lands. d)

Mangrove forest. [WAEC 2011: C]

40)The dry winds that blow out of the Sahara desert towards the
Southern parts of West Africa is known as _____ a) Fohn. b) Sirrocco.
c) Mistral. d) Harmattan.

[WAEC 2011: D]

41) Trees are deciduous when they ______ [WAEC 2012]

a) Have thorny barks and fleshy leaves

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

b) Are in pure strand having just 1 type of species.

c) Generally shed their leaves during 1 season of the year

d) Do not shed their leaves at any season of the year. [Ans: C]

42) The Mediterranean Vegetation is described as Xerophytic

vegetation because it is _______ a) Heat resistant. b) Fire Resistant.
c) Wind Resistant d) Drought Resistant. [WAEC 2012: D]

43) Which of th following vegetation belts in Africa is the most

extensive

a) Mediterranean forest. b) Temperate grassland. c) Savanna. d)

Temperate forest. [WAEC 2013; C]

44) Which of the following climatic belts have the highest diurnal
temperature range? a) Desert. b) Mediterranean. c) Tropical
Continental. d) Tropical Hinterland. [WAEC 2016: A]

45) The type of rain mostly experienced within the tropics is ______

a) Fog. b) Relief c) Frontal. d) Convectional. [WAEC 2018: D]

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

MINERAL AND POWER(H.E.P) OF AFRICA

Gold, Petroleum and Copper.

Gold

 Largest producer: South Africa.

 Mining Areas: Johannesburg, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Zaire
 Method of mining: Shaft method: vertical holes are dug and
drilled. Explosives are used to fill the holes to shatter the rocks
by blasting. The broken rocks move up to the surface and then
filtered using the "concentrator" and then sent to smelters for
refining.
 Transportation System: Road or Railway
 Problems of mining: Poor transportation network and
management, Lack of capital, Environmental pollution, Lack of
qualified personnels for mining, Outdated topographical maps
are used
 Importance: Employment, Revenue generation, Foreign
exchange earnings, Improvement of standard of living, Raw
materials for industries.

Petroleum

 Major producer: Libya

 Others: Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Gabon, Botswana
 Mining Areas: Port Harcourt and Warri(Nigeria), Mersha and
Bregha in Libya and Kahala in Algeria.
 Mining Method: Drilling (After test for traces, well is sunk
using a drilling rig or derrick. The oil is then pumped out
mechanically or naturally if the pressure in the oilzone of the
soil is high.
 Layers of the oil zone: Natural gas on top, crude oil in the
middle, water at the bottom.
 Transportation Method: Pipeline.
 Importance: Employment, Foreign exchange, same as previous
 Problems of Mining: Same as previous

COPPER

 Major producer: Zambia

 Zaire, South Africa, Zimbabwe also mine copper

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

 Methods of Mining
 Open cast method: use of explosives to remove rocks, use of
dragline to pile up copper washed into the heap.
 A monitor is used to direct water towards the heap
 Water washes all dirt and copper ore remains.
 The concentrate is sent out for smelting.
 The Underground or Shaft Method: Same as gold pattern of
extraction(pg. 25)
 Importance: Manufacture of electrical equipment, alloys,
cobalt(by-product), employment,etc

COPPER

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

PETROLEUM MINING

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

HYDROELECTRIC POWER(H.E.P): Generation of electricity from water

by damming.

Dam: Extensive area occupied by water trapped in a river course.

Factors that favour HEP development

 Water fall presence

 Abundant Rainfall
 Demands (Industrial and Domestic)
 Adequate Capital to construct and maintain dams
 Nature of bedrock: prevents easy percolation of water into the
soil.
 Climate effect on dam
 Inadequate rainfall eeduces water volume.
 Excess rainfall leads to water overflow
 Intensive temperature leads to evaporation.

DAMS OF AFRICA

 Kainji Dam in River Niger (Nigeria)

 Aswan Dam on River Nile(Egypt)
 Akosombo dam on River Volta(Ghana)
 Kariba Dam on River Zambezi(Zambia)
 Konkoure dam on River Koukoure(Guinea)
 Cabora Bassa Dam(Zambezi) Zambia
 Owen Falls Dam(River Nile) Uganda
 Vaal dam on River Orange, South Africa
 Ing Dam om River Congo
 Kossou Dam on River Bandama, Cote d'Ivoire

IMPORTANCE OF H.E.P(DAMS)

 Promotes Irrigation Agriculture e.g Aswan Dam

 It helps to Generate Electricity e.g Kainji
 Domestic and Industrial uses
 Employment opportunities
 Centres of tourist attractions
 Source of food for man(Prawns and Crayfish)
 Revenue for government: Extension of electricity to other
countries for foreign exchange
 Improves Inland water transportation.

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

PROBLEMS OF DAMS

 Inadequate Capital for construction

 Inadequate Manpower for Management
 Flooding
 Loss of water by evaporation
 Culturable and Pasturable land are often submerged
 Low level of technology

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

Diamond: Zaire - Leading producers

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

WAEC QUESTIONS ON THE CONCEPT

1) Which of the following countries is a major producer of copper

a) Chad. b) Zambia. c) Burundi. d) Morocco. [WAEC 2007: B]

2) The largest producer of gold in west Africa is ________

a) Gambia. b) Nigeria. c) Sierra Leone. d)Ghana. [WAEC 2001: D]

3) The leading producer of diamond is _______

a) Zaire. b) Nigeria. c) Tanzania. d) Gambia

4) In which order is copper produced?

a) Blasting --> Grinding ---> Crushing ---> Floting -----> Smelting

b) Blasting .---> Crushing ----> F loting ----> Grinding ----> Smelting

c) Blasting ------> Crushing -----> Grinding -----> Floting ----->

Smelting

d) Crushing ----- > Blasting -----> Grinding ------> Smelting ---->

Floting

[WAEC 2002: C]

5) Which of the following countries is the leading producer of

petroleum

a) Algeria. b) Libya. c) Egypt. d) Gabon. [WAEC 2003: B]

6) The major hindrance to HEP production in Nigeria is _______

a) Inadequate Capital. b) Unavailability of good sites. c) Absence of

a domestic market. d) Sufficient volume of water. [WAEC 2005: A]

7) Which of the following African countries does not export

petroleum

a) Nigeria. b) Libya. c) Kenya. d) Botswana. [WAEC 2006: C]

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 Africa (WAEC NOTES) + Q&A (By Chukwujekwu Marvelous) part I

8) Which of the following countries is a major producer of copper

s) Chad. b) Zambia. c) Burundi. d) Morocco. [WAEC 2006: B]

9) What method of mining is used for extracting petroleum in Africa

a) Crushing. b) Drilling. c) Adit. d) Open cast. [WAEC 2013:B]

REVISION MAP AFRICA

10) Draw a sketch map of Africa.(2 mks).

On it, show and name

i) Cameroon Highlands (1 mk)

ii) Fouta Djallon (1 mk)

iii) One important river that takes it source from any of the highland
named in a(i) and ii above

iv) Highlight 4 ways in which rivers are important to the economy of

Africa

v) Outline 3 Problems limiting the use of African rivers

11) Outline 3 characteristics of the Equatorial rainforest vegetation

b) In what 3 ways is the Tropical Rainforest of economic importance

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