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ICSE Class 7 Geography Question 7 of 15

Africa — Location, Political Divisions and Physical Features — Question 7

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Question

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.

ICSE Class VII Geography — Chapter 4: Study of Continents: Africa

Bright Tutorials | ICSE Class VII | Geography | Chapter 4

Africa — The Second Largest Continent

Africa covers about 30.37 million sq km and is the second largest continent. It is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea (north), Red Sea and Indian Ocean (east), Atlantic Ocean (west), and Southern Ocean (south). The equator passes through the middle, making Africa the hottest continent with symmetrical climate zones. Africa has 54 countries — the most of any continent.

Physical Features — Mountains, Rivers, and Deserts

Africa is called the "Plateau Continent" because most of its surface consists of plateaus. Key mountains include Mt. Kilimanjaro (5,895 m, highest in Africa, dormant volcano with snow on the equator), Atlas Mountains (NW), and Drakensberg (SE). The Great Rift Valley stretches 6,400 km from Syria to Mozambique. Major rivers include the Nile (longest in the world, flows northward), Congo, Niger, and Zambezi (with Victoria Falls). The Sahara (9.2 million sq km) is the world's largest hot desert.

Climate, Vegetation, and Wildlife

Africa's climate zones form symmetrical bands around the equator: equatorial (hot, wet, rainforests), tropical/savanna (wet-dry seasons, grasslands), desert (hot, dry), and Mediterranean (at tips). The savanna is home to Africa's famous wildlife including the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, Cape buffalo) and the spectacular Great Wildebeest Migration across the Serengeti.

Key Takeaways for ICSE Class VII Students

  • The Nile flows NORTHWARD — this is unusual and frequently asked
  • Mt. Kilimanjaro has snow despite being on the equator — due to extreme altitude
  • Sahara is the largest HOT desert (Antarctica is the largest overall desert)
  • Practice marking at least 15 features on the Africa outline map
  • Lake Victoria = largest lake, Lake Tanganyika = deepest lake in Africa