Africa — Location, Political Divisions and Physical Features

Tick the correct option

Question 1(a)

River Nile originates in

1. Rudolf
2. Tanganyika
3. Victoria
4. Albert

Answer

Victoria

Question 1(b)

The northern part of Africa is a

1. A mountain
2. A plateau
3. Lowland
4. Desert

Answer

Desert

Question 1(c)

Mount Rwenzori is a

1. Fold mountain
2. Block mountain
3. Volcanic mountain
4. Residual mountain

Answer

Block mountain

Question 1(d)

The most prominent physical feature of Africa is

1. Lake Victoria
2. Rift Valley
3. Lake Chad
4. Lake Rukwa

Answer

Rift Valley

Question 1(e)

The longest river in the world is

1. River Orange
2. River Nile
3. River Zaire
4. River Niger

Answer

River Nile

Question 1(f)

The southernmost point of South Africa

1. Cape Agulhas
2. Cape Seal
3. Cape St. Francis
4. Cape of Good Hope

Answer

Cape Agulhas

Question 1(g)

Africa is separated from Europe by

1. Strait of Gibraltar
2. Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb
3. Strait of Malacca
4. Bering strait

Answer

Strait of Gibraltar

Question 1(h)

A narrow stretch of land connecting two land masses and separating two water bodies.

1. Island
2. Peninsula
3. Cape
4. Isthmus

Answer

Isthmus

Question 1(i)

Africa is also known as

1. Mountain Continent
2. River Continent
3. Plateau continent
4. Plane continent

Answer

Plateau continent

Question 1(j)

One-third of Africa is covered by this desert

1. Namib
2. Kalahari
3. Sahara
4. Karoo

Answer

Sahara

Question 1(k)

Best example of which type of mountains are the Atlas Mountains?

1. Fold mountains
2. Block mountains
3. Young fold mountains
4. Volcanic mountains

Answer

Young fold mountains

Question 1(l)

The highest mountain in Africa is

1. Mount Kilimanjaro
2. Mount Cameroon
3. Mount Elgon
4. Mount Kenya

Answer

Mount Kilimanjaro.

Question 1(m)

The most prominent physical feature of Africa, a long and narrow valley with steep sides

1. Rift Valley
2. Steep valley
3. Narrow valley
4. Long Valley

Answer

Rift Valley.

Question 1(n)

Which lake does not lie in the arc of the Rift Valley chain.

1. Lake Victoria
2. Lake Rukwa
3. Lake Malawi
4. Lake Tanganyika

Answer

Lake Victoria

Question 1(o)

Name the river whose tributaries are Ubangi and Kasai

1. Zaire
2. Niger
3. Zambezi
4. Nile

Answer

Zaire

Exercise

Question 2

Answer in one word:

(a) A narrow strip of land separating two seas.

(b) A sudden fall of water from a certain height.

(c) A narrow stretch of water connecting two seas.

(d) A region of tall and coarse grass in tropical Africa.

(e) Temperate grassland of South Africa.

(f) A narrow steep sided valley formed between two parallel faults.

Answer

(a) Isthmus

(b) Waterfall

(c) Strait

(d) Savanna

(e) Veld

(f) Rift Valley

Question 3

Match the following:

Answer

Question 4

Fill in the blanks:

(a) The ............... Nile is a tributary of river Nile.

(b) River Nile is ............... km long.

(c) The Nile Delta is ............... km wide.

(d) Fold mountains are remnant of ............... old fold mountains.

(e) Africa is called 'Dark Continent' because it could not be ............... by the Europeans.

(f) ............... is the highest mountain in Africa.

Answer

(a) The white Nile is a tributary of river Nile.

(b) River Nile is 6670 km long.

(c) The Nile Delta is 250 km wide.

(d) Fold mountains are remnant of ancient old fold mountains.

(e) Africa is called 'Dark Continent' because it could not be explored by the Europeans.

(f) Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa.

Question 5

Explain the following:

(i) Isthmus

(ii) Strait

(iii) Block mountains

(iv) Rift Valley

Answer

(i) Isthmus — An Isthmus is a narrow strip of land with water on each side, connecting 2 masses of land, e.g., the Isthmus of Suez.

(ii) Strait — A Strait is a narrow stretch of water connecting two seas, e.g., The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean.

(iii) Block Mountains — Block mountains represent the upstanding parts of the ground between two faults or on either side of a Rift Valley.

(iv) Rift Valley — A Rift Valley is a long and narrow valley with steep sides. When the land between two faults sinks, it forms Rift Valley.

Question 6(a)

Name the three important parallels of latitudes which pass through Africa.

Answer

The 3 important parallels of latitudes which pass through Africa are:

1. Tropic of Cancer
2. Tropic of Capricorn
3. Equator.

Question 6(b)

State the latitudinal and longitudinal extent of Africa.

Answer

Africa extends from 37°N to 35°S latitude and 17°W to 51°E longitudes.

Question 6(c)

Name the water bodies surrounding the continent of Africa.

Answer

The water bodies surrounding the continent of Africa are:

1. The Mediterranean Sea in the North.
2. The Red Sea in the Northeast.
3. The Indian Ocean in the East.
4. The Atlantic Ocean in the West.

Question 6(d)

Why is Africa called the dark continent? State any two reasons.

Answer

Two reasons why Africa is called the dark continent are:

1. It has dense forests, marshes, swamps and vast deserts.
2. The large interior of Africa is densely forested forming a canopy so that even sun rays cannot penetrate.

Question 6(e)

State the four physiographic divisions of Africa.

Answer

The physical divisions of Africa are:

1. Desert Regions — Sahara and Kalahari Desert.
2. African Plateaus.
3. Lowlands and Basins — Congo Basin, Orange Basin and Chad Basin.
4. Mountains — Fold mountains, Block mountains, Volcanic mountains.

Question 6(f)

Name any three basins of Africa.

Answer

Three basins of Africa are:

1. Congo Basin
2. Niger basin
3. Chad Basin.

Question 6(g)

What is the extent of the Great rift valley of Africa? Name any two lakes situated within the area of Rift Valley.

Answer

The Great Rift Valley of Africa is about 6440 kilometre long and extends from Red Sea to river Zambezi in the South.

Two lakes situated within the area of Rift Valley are:

1. Lake Rukwa.
2. Lake Malawi.

Question 6(h)

Why is Egypt known as the gift of Nile?

Answer

The country Egypt is called the Gift of the Nile as it is Egypt’s lifeline. Without the Nile, Egypt would have been a desert. The Nile gave Egypt fertile, fine silt soil and alluvial deposition. This soil is good for growing crops.

Question 6(i)

Why is river Zaire not fit for navigation? Name its tributaries.

Answer

River Zaire has many falls and rapids hence, it is not fit for navigation.
Ubangi and Kasai are its main tributaries.

Question 6(j)

From where does river Nile originate? Name its main tributaries.

Answer

River Nile originates from Lake Victoria. White Nile and Blue Nile are the main tributaries of River Nile.