Africa
Some Places to Go:
by: Neil Trytten
Africa has 4 climates, tropical, dessert, grasslands,and Mediterranean climate zones. The tropical reagions of africa are hot and humid, so expect lots of rainfall and hot sticky weather. When going to these reigons wear short clothes and carry rain gear. The landscape will have a lot of plant growth and will likely have very dangerous animals. As seen in this picture the heavy plant growth of African rainforests
The dessert regions of Africa are hot and dry, expect weather over 100 degrees. Wear shorts (or cover skin completely if standing out in the sun for long) and plenty of sun block on exposed skin. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids and wear sun glasses. The landscape is dry and will have little foliage. Don't stay in the hot African sun too long and stay hydrated. This picture displays the barren harsh landscape of the Sahara dessert (one of Africa's major deserts).
The grassland regions of Africa are kind of like the rain forests but receive a period of drought when they usually burn up in grass fires creating fertile soil for next year. Expect during the summer desert like conditions and watch out for fires. During the other 8 months expect tropical like conditions and watch out form heavy rain. The grasslands are mostly dominated by grasses but you will see some trees. This picture shows the open roaming plains of Africa's grasslands.
The Mediterranean or dry summer subtropical climate is is wet in the winter and dry in the summer. This type of weather is very similar to some of California's climates like in San Francisco. Summers will be dry and somewhat hot. Winters will be filled with rainfall so be prepared. The vegetation in an area such as this suffers greatly in the summer months but is well adapted. This picture illustrates the type of drought tolerant plants and landscape of Africa's Mediterranean regions.
Now that you have heard enough about the African landscape and climate regions it's time to talk about places to visit. The first place you should visit in Africa is the famous Great Pyramid of Giza. The Great Pyramid of Giza is a large mass of limestone believed to be a monument of the ancient Egyptians. It borders El Giza, Egypt and stands 455 ft. tall(when it was built it was estimated to be 481 ft. tall) and has an estimated mass of 5.9 million tons. It is one of the 7 natural wonders of this world and is estimated to have been finished in 2540 BC.
The next place you should reserve some of your time for is a market square called Djemaa el Fna located in Morocco. By day this square fills with Orange juice vendors and snake charmers (a good place to take a picture). As the evening presses on the snake charmers and orange juice vendors pack up and (more on the entertainment side) dancers, magicians and story tellers show up. As the afternoon turns into night, a ton of food stalls open up and the smell of food fills the air.
The last and final place I recommend is the Nyiragongo volcano in Virunga national park, Eastern Congo. Nyiragongo is a two mile high volcano towering over the eastern ridge of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Nyiragongo is one of the most active yet least studied volcano in the world. At the foot of this hot active mammoth lies the small town of Goma. In 1977, a lava spill killed hundreds of people. One of Nyiragongo's lava lakes.
Panos London/ video commentary
By:sanaz Ghaed
Here is a link to a video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOp5O5fape0&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL8A9F10FA433C6FA4
Panos London is an expert in media and communication with people all over Africa. Panos helps the media to know about his communication projects with him having discussions with people that are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. People say Panos helped change everything, they gave him good reviews and said he was the “highlighting in the rapid spread of HIV in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world when few were paying attention.” Panos has been working for about 26 years of field media and communication and came to an end in 2013. People were inspired with Panos’s voice to the local media. He changed people’s perspective about Africa, and helped people join in about the tragedy that has accrued.
Adventurous places to go
by:Nicole Kerrigan
Victoria Falls- One of the most beautiful and well-known places to visit in Africa is Victoria Falls. On the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, Victoria falls is the largest curtain of water in the world. Many of the local people call it "Mosi-oa-Tunya," which means "smoke that thunders." There are various activities at Victoria Falls, such as rafting on the rapids, kayaking, horseback riding, and fishing. It is best to visit Victoria Falls is between September and January, because that is the time when the crest is the widest.
Source- http://www.places.co.za/html/victoria-falls.html
Safari in Eastern Africa- Easter Africa, mainly Kenya and Tanzania, are famous for their safaris with a wide range of wildlife. If you are planning to visit in November to March, be sure not to miss out on the great migration in Tanzania where thousands of wildebeests and zebras head towards Kenya's Masai Mara. There are many different options for safari in these two places, such as horse backing along zebras in Kenya, and going with a group to view flamingos and other such animals. Safari s a great choice for those who enjoy animals and a little adventure.
Source- http://www.go2africa.com/africa-travel-blog/11684
Source- http://www.go2africa.com/africa-travel-blog/11684
Mount Mulanje- For the extreme mountain climber looking for a challenge, Mount Mulanje, located in Malawi, is the place to go. It is a very difficult climb and definitely for experienced climbers. On the way up, there are several huts for a person to stay in and enjoy the beauty of Africa from up on the mountain. For the other people who aren't extreme climbers, they can also hike and watch the wildlife around them. Birdwatching is also popular around this area. Mount Mulanje is a beautiful place to visit with options for advanced climbers and people who just want to enjoy the beauty of the world around them.
Source- http://www.malawitourism.com/pages/attractions/the_attraction.asp?AttractionsID=27
Source- http://www.malawitourism.com/pages/attractions/the_attraction.asp?AttractionsID=27
HIV/AIDS HEALTH ISSUE IN AFRICA
By: sanaz ghaed
Innocent lives in Africa have been more and more affected of HIV/AIDS over the last decade. More than 24 million Africans are infected with this virus. Helping 6,000 citizens in counting isn’t easy, considering Africa’s poor government. Not having the best medical care is one of the main issues, knowing that children are born with this deadly disease. Each day in Africa over 6,000 people die and 11,000 get infected. Rumors say that HIV/AIDS was started from a type of chimpanzee in Western Africa. They said that when men would go hunt for chimpanzees for meat their blood would contact with the humans and get infected. With this arrival the virus entered the sexual environment and spread Immensely. Although the spreading of this virus is getting worse day by day, some scientist have made some success to helping out. In 2005 Thailand had a 100 percent condom program, this product helped decrease the amount of HIV. Another attempt that scientist made was that in the late 1980’s they began making anti-retrovial drug, during this drug you have to take a therapy. Even though theirs several types of treatments to cure HIV/AIDS theirs not one that actually achieve the proceeder of curing it 100%. AIDS/HIV currently doesn’t have a cure, the treatments can slow the course of the disease, so people can live longer. AIDS/HIV is currently still spreading and people are getting infected and killed from it each second. Hopefully one day their would be a permeant cure to kill this virus.
Sources:
http://www.theaidsinstitute.org/node/259
http://www.globalissues.org/article/90/aids-in-africa
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11782/
Sources:
http://www.theaidsinstitute.org/node/259
http://www.globalissues.org/article/90/aids-in-africa
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11782/
key leaders: Nelson mandela
By: Nicole Kerrigan
Nelson Mandela was born July 18th, 1918. He is well known for his efforts to end apartheid, which is the belief that races should be segregated, in Africa. Mandela's original birth name
was Rolihlahla, but he was given the name Nelson when he was seven years old by
his teacher. He married three times, and has had a total of six children. Nelson
attended University of Fort Hare, but he didn't finish his degree there since he
was expelled and arrested in a student protest. Mandela had spent a total of 27
years in prison, but while in prison he earned his bachelor's degree and became
politically active. He also joined the African National Congress in 1944, when
he started the youth league. Once he was released in 1990 and he rose through
the ranks, he started to lead peaceful and armed protests. Then, later in 1994,
he became the first black president of South Africa, and creating a multicultural government to help symbolize the end of apartheid. He later
retired in 1999, and still fights for peace today. Nelson Mandela has earned one Nobel Peace Prize, Time's Person of the Year, and countless other awards for his effort to end apartheid in South Africa.
Sources: http://www.history.com/topics/nelson-mandela
http://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography
Food in Africa:
Africa is not only known for its history, culture, and civilization, but
for the outstanding foods they also have. All throughout Africa one can
find a variety of choices to choose from. According to the article, http://www.hillmanwonders.com/cuisines/south_africa_top_10_spec.htm
two very popular dishes in Africa that are great to have would be; Sosaties
and Bredie. Sosaties are marinated, cubed meat (usually lamb) and is skewered
and barbecued shish-kebab style. Bredie is a heavily spiced stew incorporating
meat (typically meat) and vegetables. Tomato Bredie is the best-known version of
this speciality, introduced by the Cape Malays. To make Sosaties here are the
ingredients:
recipe:
Africa is not only known for its history, culture, and civilization, but
for the outstanding foods they also have. All throughout Africa one can
find a variety of choices to choose from. According to the article, http://www.hillmanwonders.com/cuisines/south_africa_top_10_spec.htm
two very popular dishes in Africa that are great to have would be; Sosaties
and Bredie. Sosaties are marinated, cubed meat (usually lamb) and is skewered
and barbecued shish-kebab style. Bredie is a heavily spiced stew incorporating
meat (typically meat) and vegetables. Tomato Bredie is the best-known version of
this speciality, introduced by the Cape Malays. To make Sosaties here are the
ingredients:
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large onion
- 1 cup cubed lamb stew meat
- 12 ounces dried apricots
recipe:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 1/2 pounds lamb or mutton breast chops, chopped into portions
- 2 tablespoons cake flour
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 1/4 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 whole white peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cube beef bouillon cube
- 2 medium potatoes, quartered (optional)
These meals are enjoyed all over Africa and have also become the favorite meals of those who live somewhere else in the world.
conflicts
By: Alex
Africa, like many other countries, has a series of problems that the government and people have to deal with. On Saturday, December 14th, in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, at least five people were killed in a grenade attack on a minibus. The attack took place in the Somali neighborhood, and many witnesses state that the grenade attack was so bad it ripped the bus apart . This has been the deadliest attack since the mall event where 67 were killed. Africa has a chaotic, and non-reinforced army or protection such as policemen or guards that it is tough to keep a country like this in order. With Africa having a shortage in housing, clean resources, money, food, etc. it becomes difficult to keep a country like this together.
geo of africa
By: Alex
Africa is a continent comprising 62 landforms. Separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea and from much of Asia by the Red Sea, Africa is confronted to Asia at its northeast side. The overall estimation for the elevation is 600 m above sea level. Besides the elevation Africa can be divided by its geographic zones; The coastal Plains and The Atlas Range. The coastal Plains are known for being swampy and the The Atlas Range is known as the dry desert area. Depending on what area you are in the temperatures can vary. If caught in the lower plains you will experience great heat. In the Sahara, the temperature occasionally will go down to freezing point. Farther towars the north and south the temperature is warm. In temperatures like these one could wear shorts or pants and a short sleeved shirt. As an accesory one could wear a hat to protect the skin from the sun. This can all be found on the article on http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/teachers/curriculum/m16/activity1.php