Sub-Saharan Africa�Common Assessment Study Guide

A Tool to help you study for the big test.

What is the most common vegetation in Africa?

• This answer comes from the Mapping Lab Activities. Remember that much of Africa is covered with TROPICAL GRASSLANDS or Savannas.

What one physical feature separates Northern Africa from Sub-Saharan Africa?

• This answer should be fairly obvious. There is a major desert called the SAHARA DESERT that separates Northern Africa from Sub-Saharan Africa.

What is the Sahel?

• The Sahel is the semiarid grassland located south of the Sahara Desert that separates the Sahara Desert in the north from the tropical grasslands, or savannas, in the south.

What is the relative location of the Democratic Republic of Congo? List 3 Countries.

• Any three of the following countries: South Sudan, Central African Republic, Congo (which is NOT the Democratic Republic of Congo), Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Name one example of a river in Africa:

• Rivers: (several examples exist, but these are the best examples)
• Nile
• Congo
• Niger
• Zambezi

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Name one example of a desert in Africa:

• Deserts: (again, lots of examples exist, but these are the biggest deserts in the region)
• Sahara Desert
• Kalahari Desert

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Name one example of a major body of water in Africa:

• Lakes: (numerous examples but these are some of the best)
• Lake Victoria
• Lake Tanganyika

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• Seas or Oceans:
• Atlantic Ocean
• Indian Ocean
• Mediterranean Sea
• Red Sea

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Please NOTE!!!

• It makes more sense to answer Study Guide question #7 before answering Question #6. So skip Question #6 for a minute or two and answer Question #7 first!

What is apartheid?

• Apartheid was a system of legalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa between 1948 and 1991, when it was finally abolished, or stopped.
• Apartheid means “separateness”
• View the Apartheid Video List

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How did the government of South Africa change in the early 1990s?

• South Africa since 1994 changed from the system of apartheid to one of majority rule. In other words, they changed from a system of racial segregation to a system of democracy.
• Since 1994, South Africa has experienced lots of government stability and success. It has even hosted the 2010 Soccer World Cup!

Compare South Africa to Sudan:

• Does the government have a small or large amount of control?
• South Africa: Has a limited amount of control due to using three branches of government (just like the USA).
• Sudan: Has a single party in charge of the government and that party exercises unlimited power.

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• Are the governments stable or unstable?
• South Africa: STABLE—same type of government for more than 20 years.
• Sudan: UNSTABLE—lots of conflict and military fighting within the last 20 years.

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What are three causes or sources for unstable African governments?

• Racial differences: European settlers used to rule over descendants of African tribes.
• Religious differences: Islam, Christianity, and many, many local religions are practiced in Africa.
• Ethnic differences: Cultural differences such as multiple (75+!) languages spoken in the same country. Different African tribes are different from other African tribes.

The Human Development Index, or HDI, numbers: What are they and what is a developed country?

• Again, let’s answer Question #11 before answering Question #10.
• The Human Development Index, or HDI, score for a country is based on three things:
• Health (Life Expectancy of people in the country)
• Education (How many years of schooling does the average person receive in the country)
• Standard of living (could be connected to the number of years one is available to go to school)
• HDI numbers range from 0.000 to 1.000 and any country that scores HIGHER than .900 is considered to be a fully developed country.

What is modernization? And 3 examples of it?

• Modernization is the development of policies and actions designed to bring a country up to world standards in technology and other areas.
• Three examples of how a country like Kenya might modernize itself:
• Provide a free public education to all elementary students.
• Growing the tourist industry by protecting national parks (reserves) and the wildlife that lives there.
• Improve trade and industry by creating new trade alliances.

What is land set aside to protect the wildlife of Africa called?

• Land set aside to protect the habitat and home of wildlife animals of Africa are called “Reserves” or “Game Reserves.” These “reserves” (like national parks here in the U.S.) act as a huge source of tourism income from people wanting to see the animals on a safari.

Just a reminder!

• Remember: the following are NOT ACCEPTABLE either on your chart or common assessment:
• Saying just “Public” or “Private” Education (or both)
• Listing generic foods like milk, meat, and eggs
• Using the same example for both countries
• Using anything that could be considered a generic guess!
• In other words: BE SPECIFIC with your answers!

Facts about Life in Egypt:�(Not on the chart, but know it!)

• School: Taught in English; Uniforms required; also required for ages 6-12; no school on Fridays (Holy Day of the week) but there is school on Saturdays. And yes, both public and private
• Family Life: Lives with extended family including parents, grandparents, lots of siblings (brothers and sisters),and lots of animals.
• Food: Falafels (grainy vegetarian meatballs), Sun Bread, Sugarcane, Milk, Cake, Sweet Bread, Tea. Beans, Peas, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Onions, Turkey, Ducks, Rabbit, and Soda

Facts about Life in Ghana:

• School: Students wear uniforms, say the pledge of allegiance, and march to class. Girls get to go to school. Taught in English, but they have 75 languages in their country.
• Family Life: Large extended family with a father who has more than one wife.
• Food: Fufu made from cassava and plantains (plantains are a type of banana), palm nut soup, cocoa beans, tonic water, fish, lots of farm crops, potatoes, milk, meat, cereal, yams dipped in soup, palm wine, eggs, tomatoes, and onions.

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Facts about Life in Kenya:

• School: Need to walk LONG distances to get to school; students attend class six days a week (Sundays off), most schools are crowded.
• Family Life: Lives with the “nuclear” family (mom, dad, siblings, but NOT extended family members such as grandparents or aunts/uncles).
• Food: Ugali (a type of bread made from cornmeal), vegetable stew, meat, beef stew, fruit salad, cereal, fish, sugarcane, bottled water, milk and sugar

Just a second reminder!

• The actual Common Assessment may, well will, include more questions that what your study guide covers.
• Remember that the additional questions are “skills-based” questions.
• Some of those additional questions will ask you to use a chart to find answers to test questions.
• Some questions may ask you to read and use a map to get answers to test questions.
• A few questions may ask you to read a passage and make sense out of the reading to get the correct answers.
• Do not be surprised by questions that may not match up to something on the study guide. Take your time, use the chart, map, or reading, and DO YOUR BEST!
• Remember: ANSWER EVERYTHING to the best of your ability! You will do great!