Physical features in the environment.

 

Physical features in the environment.

These are natural made features that can be easily seen in the environment.

We have mainly two types of physical features in the environment.

These include; Relief and drainage features.

Drainage features;

These are features which contain water in them.

Examples of drainage features in the environment include; lakes, rivers, swamps and valleys amogest others.

They are mainly large water bodies in the environment.

They cover the largest part of the environment on the Earth's surface.

They include; Oceans and Seas.

Oceans

These are large water bodies in the environment mainly on the Earth's surface.

They cover a wide area on the Earth's surface.

Examples of oceans

Indian ocean;

This is the world's biggest oceans on planet earth.

It is mainly located in the Eat parts of the world.

It connects Africa in the East to Europe in it's south.

Atlantic ocean

This is found in the West of Africa.

Seas

They also cover a wide range of the Earth's surface.

They also surround the world in the planet earth.

Examples of Seas

Red Sea

This is in the north of Africa and connects Africa to Europe.

Mediterranean sea

This is found in the North of Africa.

Importance of drainage features.

The act as transport materials especially lakes and rivers.

They are fishing grounds where fish is caught from.

They act as natural boundaries.

They provide defence naturally.

Problems faced by the people who live near water bodies

Floods

Attacks by acquatic animals

Diseases like malaria

Poor transport 

Relief features in the environment;

These are features which do not contain water in themselves

Relief features in the environment include;

Mountains,hills , plateau and plains amogest others.

Explaining Relief features

Ahill;

Hill is raised piece of land .

It is always found in areas with no good transport systems .

This is because of its neck over the

 environment.

Escarpment

This is this steep side of arift valley and it is formed as a result of vulcanicity.

Mountain peak

This is the highest point of the mountain.

I can also be defined as the highest point in the environment.

Mountain slope

This is the steep side of the mountain.

It is always in the same way as escarpment.They only have a slight difference.

Mountain ranges

These are series of mountains or hills.

They can be in the line or circle.

Mountains

These are large pieces of land higher than the surrounding areas.

They are found all over the world in the environment.

Examples of mountains in the environment

Mountain Rwenzori

Mountain Kilimanjaro

Mountain Moroto

The above mountains are found in East Africa.

They are mainly formed by vulcanicity activity.

Mountain Rwenzori

This is the highest peak in Eat Africa.It  located in the greater Uganda.

It was formed by the process of faulting on the Earth's surface.

There for,it is a block mountain and the only one in Uganda.

It is a snow capped mountain because it goes beyond the level of 1500 above the sea level.

Mountains and their peaks

Mountain Elgon

The highest peak of mountain Elgon is Wagagai.

It is one of the best mountains in the region.

Mountain Moroto

The highest peak of mountain Moroto is Sokex.It is also found in East Africa.

Mountain Mufumbiro

The highest peak of mountain Mufumbiro is Muhavura.

It is also known as Mufumbiro ranges.

Other mountains include;Atlas ranges and Kenya high lands .

Importance of the mountain in the environment.

They attract tourists who bring in foreign exchange

They are very good for crop growing

They are homes for wild animals

They act as natural boundaries

They are source of minerals like Gold and copper.

 Problems faced by people who live near mountains.

Land slides

Soil erosion

Poor transport systems

They are hiding places for Rebels

They erupt and cause danger to the environment.

They are habitats for wild animals 

Physical features in Africa

Physical features in Africa are like other features that were made by God.

So these are features which exist on their own in Africa.

Physical features are natural landforms found on the surface of the earth.

They include;

Mountainsshs,Highlands,Ranges,Hills,plains,Seas, Plateaus,Oceans,Depressions, Valleys and lakes among others.

 

Physical features can be divided into two major groups namely:

Relief features:

These include mountains, hills, highlands, basins, valleys and plains.

Drainage features

Include: rivers, streams, lakes, swamps, dams, oceans and seas.

In Africa, it stretches from the Red sea, South West across Ethiopia and South into Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi to Beira in Mozambique.

The Great Rift Valley ranges in elevation from 400m below sea level to 1900m above sea level in Southern Kenya. 

Mountains

Mountains in Africa are classified according to how they were formed. Mountains are grouped into four main types namely:

Volcanic mountains

Block or horst mountains

Residual mountains

Fold mountains

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa.

Plateau

This is a high area that has an almost flat or level surface with steep slopes. It is sometimes called a tableland.

Plains

These are flat, low-lying and gentle sloping regions.

Basins and Depressions

These are lowland areas separated by plateaus and mountains. Some have lakes in the lowest parts.

They include;

the Kalahari Basin

This is found in South Africa.

the Congo basin

This is found in greater Congo.

the Lake Victoria Basin

Found in Uganda the pearl of Africa.

the Chad Basin

Found in Chad.

the Sudan Basin

It is found in South Sudan

A river is a stream of moving water flowing in a channel.

A point where a river begins is its source. This may be a lake, spring, melt water from ice or a highland region receiving high rainfall.

Smaller streams joining the main river are called tributaries. A point where two tributaries come together is called a confluence.

A river, together with its tributaries, form a river system. Each river system drains through a drainage basin. A highland area that divides two or more river systems is known as a watershed.

 

A point at which the river ends is its mouth. A river mouth may be in form of a single narrow stream called an estuary, or it may split into smaller streams called distributaries to form a delta.

Examples of rivers that end in estuaries in Africa are Rivers;

Congo

Orange

Limpopo

Cunene

Ruvuma

Sabaki

Those that end in deltas include Rivers;

Nile

Niger

Tana

Rivers in Africa drain into the following water bodies;

The Atlantic Ocean

The Indian Ocean

The Mediteranean Sea

Inland Lakes

Swamps

Lakes

Lakes are depressions on the surface of the earth which are filled with water. Some lakes have fresh water while others have salty water. Some lakes are big while others are small. Below is an image of Lake Turkana, a large salt lake.

Fresh water lakes

Fresh water lakes usually have inlets as well as outlets.

Water is brought into the lake by rivers or from underground drainage.

Water flows out of the lakes as rivers.

As a result, the amount of salt in the water is reduced.

Examples of fresh water lakes in Africa are;

 Lakes Victoria, Kyoga, Tanganyika, Turkana, Baringo, Albert, Edward, Malawi, Naivasha and Tana.

Salt water bodies in Africa 

Salty-water lakes do not have outlets. Water comes into the lake but very little goes out.

Instead, water is mainly lost through evaporation. This leaves behind a lot of salt in the water.

Salty-water lakes are important sources of salt and soda ash.

Examples of salt water lakes in Africa include;

Lake Magadi, Elementaita, Nakuru, Bogoria, Amboseli, Bangweulu, Chad, Eyasi and Natron.

Rift valley lakes in Africa 

Some lakes are found outside the Rift Valley while others are found within the Rift Valley.

Lakes found outside the rift valley 

Victoria

Kyoga

George

Chala

Jipe

Tana

Lakes and the Rift Valley

Lakes found within the Rift Valley include:

Kenya

Turkana Nakuru Logopi Baringo Elementaita Naivasha Magadi

Tanzania:

Natron Manyara Eyasi Makati Kivu Tanganyika Rukwa

Uganda:

Albert Edward Bunyoni        

 

 

Swamps

Swamps are found in areas that are generally fl at, making it easy for water to flow into them.

 It is diffi cult for water to drain away. Such areas have clay soils, which do not allow water to seep through them easily.

 

Swampy areas are usually found along the coast or around lakes.

They are covered with swamp vegetation like reeds and papyrus if the water is not salty.