Chapter 8 Africa
Key Terms from book
Answer the following questions.
a) Why was Africa known as the Dark Continent?
Ans a. Africa was known as the Dark Continent because of
• Inaccessibility due to the presence of the vast Sahara Desert to the north,
• Dense forests and swamps in the central equatorial margins,
• The prevalence of deadly tropical diseases and
• Lack of good harbours that discouraged people from approaching the continent.
b) Name the legendary explorers who explored the African continent.
Ans b. The name of the legendary explorers who explored the African continent are - David
Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley, two great explorers of the 19th century.
c) State the approximate latitudinal and longitudinal extent of Africa.
Ans c. Africa extends almost equally to the north (37°N) and south (35°S) of the Equator and
stretches from approximately 17°W to 51°E longitude.
d) Which are the three important latitudes that pass-through Africa?
Ans d. The three important latitudes that pass-through Africa are - the Equator, the Tropic of Cancer
and the Tropic of Capricorn.
e) Why is the Suez Canal highly significant with respect to trade and commerce?
Ans e. The Suez Canal is a sea-level waterway that separates the African continent from Asia. It was
built to provide the shortest maritime route between Europe and the countries around the Indian and
Western Pacific Oceans. It is one of the world's most heavily used shipping lanes.
f) Why is the Chad basin an area of inland drainage?
Ans f. The Chad Basin forms the largest area of inland drainage in Africa because several small
rivers drain into oceans and seas.
g) State the extent of the Great Rift Valley. Name some of the lakes that are part of the African
Rift Valley system.
Ans g. The Great Rift Valley extents from Lake Malawi in the south and covers a total distance of
more than 6,000 kilometres. The Rift Valley extends through the Red Sea to the Dead Sea in
southwest Asia.
Some of the lakes that are part of the African Rift Valley system are - Lake Malawi, Lake
Tanganyika, Lake Kivu and Lake Albert.
h) Name the two countries that are naturally separated by Victoria Falls.
Ans h. The two countries that are naturally separated by Victoria Falls are Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Give one reason to explain each of the following.
a) Several European nations tried to colonise the countries of Africa.
It was the discovery of diamonds in the continent of Africa in the 19th century that attracted
European nations to colonise the countries of Africa.
b) Africa is not an island in spite of being surrounded by oceans and seas on most sides.
Africa is a continent. If a continent is surrounded by water, it is not an island. If a country or smaller
land is surrounded by water then it is called an island. So, Africa is not an island.
c) Coastal plains are generally absent in the continent of Africa.
Coastal plains are generally absent in the continent of Africa because the plateau rise steeply from
the coast. Narrow coastal plain occurs along some parts of the east and west coasts.
d) Despite flowing a long distance through the Sahara, the Nile has water throughout the year.
Even though the Sahara Desert, the Nile remains a perennial river as it originates from the rainy
equatorial region.
Answer the following questions on the cocoa cultivation of Ghana.
a. What do you understand by the 'cocoa triangle'?
Ans a. The 'cocoa triangle' is the greatest concentration of cocoa cultivation formed by the towns of
Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi.
b. Explain how cocoa powder is obtained from the cocoa beans.
The following steps are involved in the processing of cocoa:
1. The cocoa pods are split open.
2. Beans, embedded in the pulp, are scooped out.
3. Thereafter, the beans are allowed to ferment in heaps covered by banana leaves.
4. The pulp gets softer and is easily removed. The fermented beans are then washed, cleaned and
roasted.
5. Once they are thoroughly dry, they are packed and transported.
6. Cocoa powder is derived after crushing the beans.
c. How can the problems of cocoa production be tackled?
Ans c.
• To deal with the problems, the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) was set up in 1938.
• The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) was established in 1947 which helped the cocoa
industry to progress by leaps and bounds.
• New hybrid varieties of trees were replanted to achieve greater productivity.
• Application of fertilisers, disease and pest control and scientific research has boosted the
production of cocoa in Ghana.
