The black continent is distinguished in world geography by the fact that natural areas Africa on the map are located almost correctly and symmetrically. This is due to the flat landscapes that are available almost everywhere on the mainland, as well as to the uniform position relative to the equator. Latitudinal zonality also depends on the amount of precipitation, which is uneven in these conditions.

However, in mountainous areas such a harmonious distribution is disturbed, the zones change with height. There are few such territories on the continent. Vegetation cover is also different in each zone, and this depends on the properties of the soil and climate conditions.

In the region of the equator, located in the center of Africa, there are equatorial forests (variably or permanently humid), the next natural zones extending north and south from the central area are savannahs, they are replaced by semi-deserts and deserts, but the mainland is framed by narrow strips of hard-leaved shrubs and forests (evergreen).

Map of natural areas of Africa

All the natural zones of Africa on the map are located in this order on the African mainland (from north to south):

Central equatorial characterized by numerous precipitation, there are also rich water resources - the Congo River, the Guinean coast. In addition, constant heat affected the formation of local vegetation.

Local soils have two shades - red and yellow, they are ferralitic, as the table of natural zones of Africa says, because due to chemical processes on the surface of the rocks, they have become enriched in aluminum and iron. Such soil is not fertile, because all the substances that appear in it quickly decompose, and then are washed out or absorbed by the flora.

The plants living here do an excellent job with the existing conditions:

• constant heat;
• high humidity;
• numerous rainfall.

For this they have:

• hard and dense leaves;
• supporting roots;
• several tiers.

The number of representatives of the flora is huge, many trees are distinguished by valuable wood, they also have edible fruits with good taste.

No less species and living beings:

• pigs;
• deer;
• okapi;
• gorillas;
• insects;
• invertebrates;
• microorganisms.

The following in the table of natural areas of Africa are variable wet forests, then comes the turn of the largest savannah, they are almost 40% of the entire mainland.

This zone is clearly different from the previous ones at first sight.

The amount of vegetation is related to rainfall and varies by region and season. When the rains are active, the grasses reach great heights, in places of drought the savannahs are covered with dead wood, bushes, there are rare trees (acacias most often).

It can almost be said for sure that it largely depends on this zone, because there are a huge number of national parks in the savannas, as a unique variety of wild animals live here, attracting travelers from everywhere.

Meet here:

• giraffes;
• zebras;
• rhinos;
• elephants;
• hippos.

Of particular interest to visitors are predators:

• lions;
• hyenas;
• cheetahs;
• crocodiles.

The rich world of fauna includes many birds:

• ostriches;
• flamingos;
• storks;
• marabou;
• ibis.

In the districts semi-deserts savannahs are overgrown with thorny vegetation - grasses and shrubs, there are tree-like plants, euphorbia.

Considerable territories are allocated for desert, especially in the northern sub-region where there is the majestic Sahara. These lands are by no means lifeless, here, although rare, they are found:

Animals are just as adaptable.

• turtles;
• lizards;
• snakes;
• beetles;
• scorpions.

In different deserts throughout the mainland, there are certain representatives of flora and fauna, depending on climatic and other conditions, each of them is unusual and multifaceted.

The most extreme natural zones of Africa on the map are characterized by the presence hard-leaved vegetation, they are in the very south or north, respectively. There are fertile brown soils that have formed under the following natural conditions mediterranean climate:

• hot summer, dry;
• warm winter, wet.

Natural areas of Africa, table

The main differences that characterize African natural areas:

• climate;
• soil;
• vegetation;
• animal world.

All these parameters are interconnected, because as a result of an established climate, certain soils are formed, on which only some plants grow. Vegetation becomes the basis of nutrition and habitat for representatives of the fauna. Based on the combination of all these indicators, the image of a particular zone is formed.

The table below of African natural zones gives a clear picture of all parts of the mainland.

It occupies the 2nd place in terms of area, and is also symmetrically located relative to the equator. The northern part is wider than the southern part. The location of natural areas looks very interesting. From north to south to: subtropics, savannas, variable-moist forests, moist evergreen equatorial forests. After the equator, they go in mirror image.

Variable rainforests

They are characterized by high humidity during the rainy season and severe drought. Vegetation is able to drop leaves during a drought. During the rainy season, they resemble equatorial forests with an abundance of vines. There are also much fewer species here than in moist and hard-leaved forests.

The tsetse fly lives in the forests and tropics of Africa - the most dangerous insect that can infect a person with a virus that causes unbearable pain and fever.

Variable rainforests are found adjacent to savannahs and are frequently intersected by animal species. There are also tropical birds, monkeys of various species, wild cats. Brown-yellow ferrolitic soils predominate, on which bananas, ficuses, and coffee grow well.

Savannah

The natural zone occupies up to 40% of the mainland. Dry seasons give way to periods of rain. A large area here is occupied by soils of red-brown color, on which mainly grasses grow, cereal crops, some shrubs and baobabs, but trees are extremely rare. The subequatorial climate prevails.

In the savannas, everything turns green during the rainy season, and brown-yellow during the dry season.

Despite the hot conditions, many unique birds live here, such as ostriches and pelicans. A huge number is also represented: rhinos, giraffes, hippos, antelopes, elephants, buffaloes. Here live such as lions, hyenas and leopards.

There are a huge number of insects in the savannas, the most annoying of which are mosquitoes and flies. There are also many species capable of long time survive without water, and dangerous snakes.

Deserts and semi-deserts of tropical type

Located at a distance from the equator, they occupy most of the north and south of the continent. Moreover, the farther the northern and southern points, the drier the air and less precipitation. Tropical deserts are gradually replaced by savannahs. The climate prevails here.

In the south of the mainland, the Namib Desert extends, but the largest and driest is located in the north - the Sahara. Precipitation per year here falls no more than 50-100 mm. But even in such hot conditions there are different types animals and insects.

But there are few plants here. Date palms grow in oases, acacias, succulents, xerophytes are found in places in the desert itself. Creatures such as scorpions, various lizards, chameleons and snakes can easily go without water for many days, so they survive in the harsh conditions of the Sahara. Sandy and stony, desert soils predominate in the desert belt.

Altitudinal zones of Africa

- These are the Ethiopian Highlands, Kilimanjaro, the Atlas Mountains, as well as the Dragon Mountains. At the foot of all these regions there are evergreen shrubs and thickets, as well as savannah zones. At an altitude of 1200 to 2000 m there are mixed pine-oak and cedar forests. Even higher, in the zone of 2600-2900 m, coniferous forests grow.

Above 3000 m, alpine meadows begin, and a gradual approach to 5000 m is associated with the complete disappearance of vegetation. Here begins the Nivalny belt, that is, a zone with eternal glaciers. One of the features of the altitudinal zonality of Africa can be considered a clear division of the belts: savannas, snow, forests and meadows distinctly replace each other.

Africa is a huge continent with a rich, unique flora and fauna. However, most of its expanses are covered with savannahs, life in which is associated with alternating felt drought and intense rains. Also there are many dangerous insects, whose bite can be fatal to humans.

Table "Natural zones of Africa"

Name of the natural area	Geographic location	Climate and precipitation	Soils	Flora and fauna
Hardwood forests and shrubs	Northern and southern margins of the continent	Mediterranean climate. Precipitation: 600 mm per year	brown soils	Animals: leopards, antelopes, zebras, hyenas, wild boars Plants: wild olives, pistachios, myrtle, arboreal heather, Lebanese cedars, oaks and arbutus, beech groves are also found
Equatorial rainforests	Located along the equator, closer to the eastern part of the center of the mainland	equatorial climate. Average annual temperatures - 24°C. Precipitation: more than 2000 mm per year	Red-yellow ferralitic soils	Animals: chimps, baboons, marmosets, bongos, okapis, wild boars, leopards, civet cats, wild cats, parrots, rodents and numerous insects Plants: ficuses, palm trees, ceiba, combrete trees, rubber plants, banana trees, coffee trees, selaginella, fern, club moss, creepers
Savannah	North and south of equatorial rainforests	Subequatorial climate. The average temperature of the hottest month is 30ºС and more, and the coldest - 18ºС. Precipitation: about 2000-2500 mm per year	Red-brown soils	Animals: African bush elephant, wild dogs, hyenas, black mamba, caracals, bear baboon, Egyptian mongoose, Grant's zebra, giraffes, buffaloes, leopards, cheetahs, lions, Nile crocodiles, ostriches Plants: acacia senegal, baobabs, bermuda grass, elephant grass, persimmon loquat, mongongo, red-leaved combretum, twisted acacia, sickle-blade acacia, spurge, aloe
Deserts and semi-deserts of tropical type	Located at a distance from the equator, occupy most of the north and south of the continent	Tropical climate. Daytime temperatures can exceed 50ºС, and nighttime temperatures can fall below 10ºС. Precipitation: in deserts - up to 100 mm per year, in semi-deserts - up to 300 mm per year	desert soils	Animals: rodents, Saharan hare, fennec fox, antelopes, gazelles, camels, scorpions, snakes, lizards, desert lark Plants: date palms, acacias, camel thorn, velvichia, wild olives, succulents, xerophytes

The distribution of natural areas in Africa is also almost symmetrical about the equator and depends mainly on the uneven distribution of precipitation.

Moist evergreen equatorial forests occupy the Congo basin and the coast of the Gulf of Guinea north of the equator. These forests are distinguished by a huge species diversity (more than 1000 plant species), height (up to 50 m) and multi-layered (tree crowns fill almost the entire space). Animals are also distributed in tiers. Hordes of microfauna, a variety of invertebrates, as well as shrews, lizards and snakes swarm in loose soil and forest litter. The ground layer is inhabited by small ungulates, forest pigs, forest elephants, and gorillas. The crowns of trees were chosen not only by birds, but also by monkeys, colobuses, chimpanzees and even rodents and insects, often reaching very large sizes. There, on large branches, a leopard rests and lies in wait for prey. Ants, termites and amphibians are common in almost all tiers, near water bodies - pygmy hippos, okapi (relatives of giraffes). Here, geochemical processes are actively taking place with the participation of microorganisms and soil fauna, accompanied by the formation of iron and aluminum oxides. Rocks acquire a special structure and color, the so-called weathering crusts are formed, on which red-yellow ferralitic soils (ferrum - iron, aluminum - aluminum) are formed. Many of the plants of the equatorial forests are used in the economy and introduced into cultivation: banana, coffee tree, oil palm, etc.

From the south and north, the zone of humid equatorial forests is bordered by zone of variable-humid deciduous forests, and further - a zone of light forests and savannahs, which is associated with the appearance of a dry period, which lengthens as you move away from the equator.

About 40% of Africa is occupied savannah, where small groups or single specimens of umbrella-shaped trees (baobabs, umbrella acacias, mimosas, palm trees) rise among tall grasses, sometimes thickets of shrubs. Their leaves are usually small, hard, pubescent, the trunks are covered with thick bark. Baobab is the tree of life of the savannas and one of the most famous trees in the world. Usually these "green fat men" are not very tall, but there are individual specimens that reach a hundred meters in height and several tens of meters in circumference. Moreover, there is a report that a completely gigantic baobab was found in the African savannas, 189 m tall and with a trunk diameter of 43.4 m - and this is already an absolute world record among trees. The ways in which these trees are used are amazing. Fruits, seeds, young shoots and leaves are eaten. Soap and oil are made from the ashes of the burnt fruits, and glue is made from flower pollen. But the trunks of these giants find the most original application. So, for example, it is known that in the hollow of one baobab they equipped a shelter with a door and a window, in the hollow of another - a bus station with a waiting room, and in the third - a bathhouse.

In dry savannahs, tree-like spurges and aloe with fleshy spiny leaves grow. In the rainy season, the savannah is an ocean of greenery; in the dry season, it turns yellow, brown, sometimes black from fires. Red ferralitic or red-brown soils of savannahs are more fertile than soils of moist equatorial forests, since humus accumulates during the dry period.

The African savanna is a country of large herbivores. These are giraffes, elephants, antelopes, zebras, buffaloes, rhinos. There are many predators: lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals and carrion-eating hyenas. Numerous birds nest along the banks of rivers and lakes, hippos, crocodiles live.

To preserve the nature of the savannas, well-known National parks Kivu, Virunga in Zaire, Katera in Rwanda, Serengeti in Tanzania. They are actively visited by tourists from all over the world, bring a huge income. They do a lot of research work.

Large areas north and south of the savannas are tropical semi-desert and desert zones. There are only irregular episodic rains, in some areas once every few years. The zone is characterized by extreme dryness of air, large diurnal temperature amplitudes, dust and sand storms. The surface of the deserts is covered with stony placers or sands, salt marshes in the place of dried salt lakes or clays where once there were seas.

The vegetation here is very sparse and specific. The leaves are either replaced by spines or are very small, the roots extend both in breadth and far into the depth of the soil. Some plants can live in saline soils, others have a short development cycle (live only after rains). In search of scarce food and water, desert animals can travel long distances (ungulates, such as antelopes) or go without water for a long time (some reptiles, camels), some of them are nocturnal. Soils are poor organic matter but rich in mineral salts. With irrigation, on the one hand, this allows growing many crops, but on the other hand, it creates the problem of secondary salinization of soils and groundwater. As a result, agricultural land turns into barren salt marshes.

In the extreme north and south of the mainland is zone of subtropical hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs with brown soils.

On the uplifts of the relief it appears altitudinal zonality. The highest peaks of the mainland (Kilimanjaro, Kenya), even in tropical and equatorial latitudes, are covered with eternal snow and glaciers.

natural area	Climate type	Climate features			Vegetation	The soil	Animal world
		TJan.	TJuly	Amount of precipitation
Hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs	Mediterranean western coasts				Holm oak, wild olive, jujube	Brown	Leopards, antelopes, zebras.
Semi-deserts and deserts	Tropical dry western coasts				Xerophytes, saltworts, spurges, thickets of thorny bushes, juzgun	Desert sandy and rocky	Scorpions, beetles, locusts, hedgehogs, snakes, jerboas
Deserted savannas and woodlands					Euphorbia, aloe, paspalidium, sporobolus, baobab	Red-brown	Giraffes, buffaloes, gazelles, antelopes, rhinos, zebras
	subequatorial continental				Baobabs, cereals, palms, oil palms	Red ferralitic
Variable rainforests	subequatorial continental				Ficus, pandanus, hymenocardia	Red ferralitic	Leopard, deer, secretary bird
Constantly wet	equatorial continental				Ficuses, palm, ceiba, bananas, coffee	Red-yellow ferralitic	Gorillas, chimpanzees, termites, parrots, okapi, elephant.

On the African continent climatic conditions are not the same everywhere. The natural zones of Africa are symmetrically located on the mainland on both sides of the equator. In addition to solar heat, the African climate is influenced by 2 oceans. The cool waters of the Atlantic greatly cool the western shores. The eastern ones are washed by the heated Indian Ocean, therefore, even at the same latitude, the climate in the west and east of the continent is different.

Main climatic zones

The main natural areas of Africa, having the same name on a map or in a table, can be very different from each other in terms of characteristics. For example, the savannah of southern Africa is completely different from the savannah in the central regions of the continent. Not only the climate and weather differ, but also the animal and plant world, the ways of economic activity of people.

The equatorial belt is located in close proximity to the equator. It includes the Gulf of Guinea and the valley of the Congo River. Here, the humidity is constantly high, which contributes to abundant precipitation - up to 2000 mm per year. The temperature does not reach the high values ​​characteristic of the dry tropics - all year round it stays at 28 degrees.

The subequatorial belt is located north and south of the equatorial belt. Seasonal climatic differences are expressed here. Summer is characterized by high humidity, the winter season is dry, but mild, without suffocating heat. The rains usually fall in two seasons.

The tropical belt occupies the largest area on the continent. To the north it includes the Sahara Desert. In the south - dry and hot regions of South Africa. However, due to northern winds The Sahara is considerably drier than southern Africa. Of course, there are deserts there, for example, the Namib. But their area is much smaller. There is much more precipitation here than in the Sahara, and therefore the vegetation is denser.

The coastal regions of northern and southern Africa are located in the subtropical zone, in which the Mediterranean type stands out. In areas adjacent to mediterranean sea, the climate is the same as in Southern Europe. The average annual temperature here is kept at around 21 degrees.

Wet greenhouses of the equator

From the point of view of the natural landscape description, a number of zones can be named on the territory of Africa:

• moist forests of the equatorial zone;
• savannas of various types;
• tropical African semi-deserts and deserts;
• evergreen forests.

The forests of the equatorial territories are located along the zero parallel - the equator. They occupy less than 10% of the area of ​​the black mainland. Abundant moisture and warmth create all the necessary conditions for the rapid growth of trees, grasses and shrubs. A large amount of green mass contributes to the diversity of the animal community. Herbivores are represented by the following species:

• hippos;
• antelopes;
• okapi.

Among predators there are crocodiles, pythons and leopards. You can list many types of monkeys, ranging from monkeys and mandrills to anthropoids. Birds of paradise and parrots are well known among birds.

A huge amount of vegetation - more than 13 thousand species is located in the equatorial waterlogged forests. However, powerful trees are predominant - it is easier for them to withstand competition in the literal sense for a place under the sun. There are also a lot of lianas and exotic flowers, especially orchids. Abundant rainfall - more than two meters of water per year, contribute to the swamping of territories.

It should also be borne in mind that the Congo River also provides an abundance of water resources, so the humidity here is very high all year round - 80%. This, of course, makes it difficult for a person to master these places - it is quite difficult to constantly live in the atmosphere of a steam bath. In addition, high humidity adversely affects the respiratory system.

From forests to steppes

The farther from the equator, the lower the humidity. Equatorial forests give way to African steppes - savannas, which occupy 40% of the continent's area. It rains much less here - up to 1200 mm per year, and in different places this figure varies greatly. In this regard, 3 types of savannas are distinguished:

• with tall grass;
• with low grass;
• transitional to deserts.

As the amount of precipitation decreases further, the savannahs are replaced by tropical semi-deserts and further by deserts. Precipitation here is rare and weak. So already in the semi-desert zone, the annual amount of precipitation decreases to 300 mm. A significant area of ​​the mainland is occupied by deserts. The flora is limited to shrubs and grasses that can survive in dry conditions. The main representatives of the fauna are reptiles, rodents, birds. From large animals - ungulates.

The Sahara, the largest desert in the world, is a unique natural and climatic complex. It occupies 10% of the mainland. At the same time, due to a decrease in the water balance, the Sahara continues to increase towards the equator. According to the amount of precipitation, the desert is divided into northern (annual amount of 200 mm), central and southern (about 20 mm per year). In addition, the Sahara is divided into 11 geographical regions. 4 types of landscapes prevail:

• flat,
• mountainous,
• hills;
• hollows.

Despite the fact that the desert is associated with sand dunes, most of the Sahara - about 70% of the area - is rocky. Of the remaining 30%, sands also occupy only a part - in addition to them, there are clay areas.

Throughout the Sahara, you can find oases - endorheic water basins, where there is enough moisture for the growth of trees and shrubs. Oases are, in the most direct sense, islands of life in the middle of the desert. They owe their appearance to the proximity of underground water areas to the earth's surface.

Thanks to artesian waters, there are always lakes or other reservoirs of water in oases. A wealth of plants - unusual for the desert. Such enclaves are scattered throughout the Sahara, it is in them that people live. Oases provide their inhabitants with the necessary conditions for existence even in the extreme conditions of the desert. The only river that crosses the desert is the Nile.

For a significant part of the year, the north trade wind prevails in the desert, reaching the central regions of the Sahara. These winds have a very strong effect on the temperature and cause quite frequent and prolonged sandstorms and tornadoes. The average daily temperature ranges from + 35 to +10. Vegetable world here it is poor, and a few animals lead a predominantly twilight lifestyle.

Transitional type from savannah to desert

For comparison with the Sahara, you can bring another African desert - the Kalahari. Just like the Sahara , the Kalahari is growing rapidly- over the past decades, its territory has moved northward. Interestingly, although the Kalahari is considered a desert, it is still a desert-type savannah. There is more precipitation here than in the Sahara - 500 mm per year. They mostly fall in the summer. The winter climate is mild and dry, but classic droughts are relatively rare here - about once every 5 years.

Kalahari is the most sun-warmed part of southern Africa, the highest temperature here reaches + 29, and the minimum is +12. In the central part of the desert, there is periodically an extreme temperature drop - from +45 during the day to +3 at night. The landscape is rather uneven. Part of the desert is covered with red sand dunes.

According to the main version of scientists, the strong winds that bring such soil from the Namib desert were able to paint the dunes in a reddish color. The Kalahari has large reserves The groundwater, but they are located at a great depth - about 300 meters. Of course, the roots of plants cannot penetrate so deeply, so the Kalahari is one of the poorest regions in Africa in terms of species diversity.

Hard-leaved evergreen subtropical forests are located in the coastal regions of the north and south of the continent. Despite the fact that the average temperature here is +28 degrees, the influence of northern winds, especially in the highlands, is very significant. In the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, there are frosts down to -15 degrees. This requires appropriate endurance from the plant world.

Biodiversity

Africa's water resources are great, but very unevenly spaced.. Large and full-flowing rivers flow here. The great African lakes also contribute to the water balance. Thus, about 9% of all fresh water reserves of the world are concentrated here.

The fauna of Africa is very diverse. The most famous inhabitant of the equatorial forests is the gorilla. These great apes live in families of up to 15 members. The weight of an adult individual can reach 300 kg. The peculiarity of these forests is a small number of predators. Of the large ones, only the leopard is found here. But large herbivores are well represented here: hippos, giraffes, antelopes. The world of reptiles and amphibians is diverse, among which the goliath frog is the most famous.

In the tropical waters of the African coast there are unique coral colonies, about 3,000 species of fish live here.

A real expanse here for insects - there are more than 100 thousand species. Among them there are species that are characteristic only for Africa: this is the tsetse fly, different kinds termites, endemic locusts and many others.

In any natural area you can find a wide variety of reptiles: snakes, turtles, lizards, crocodiles. In general, Africa is considered the continent where the species of living things are most fully represented - 1/5 of the world's fauna is concentrated here. There are more than a thousand and one hundred varieties of mammals alone. At the same time, Africa also holds the record for the number of large animals weighing more than 45 kg.

Lives in Africa the largest number species of primates - 45, including 2 species great apes. In addition, on the island of Madagascar, where there are no monkeys, there is a unique population of "semi-primates" - lemurs, which includes more than a hundred species.

Impact of economic activity

Over the past decades in Africa, there has been a change in the boundaries of natural zones, associated with economic activity person. This leads to a serious ecological situation. For example, only half of the inhabitants of the continent today have permanent access to fresh water. With a shortage drinking water associated with a high mortality rate among children. Meanwhile, the situation is worsening due to droughts, due to which the area of ​​African deserts is constantly increasing.

On the territory of Africa, three main natural zones can be distinguished, which are very different from each other. This forests (equatorial and variable humid), savannas And tropical desert. If we consider the mainland from north to south (vertically), then in in general terms we can say that the equatorial forests are located in the central part, on both sides of them there are savannahs, then also on both sides - deserts and semi-deserts (although in the southern part of the mainland the desert area is much smaller than in the north).

In addition to the equatorial forests, savannahs and tropical deserts in Africa, there are areas with altitudinal zonality , in addition, in the very north of the mainland there are areas with mediterranean natural area(hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs), there is also a small area in the north with steppes.

For zone equatorial forests characterized by an abundance of heat and a large amount of precipitation. It rains all year round, but most of them fall in spring and autumn. Most of this natural area is located in the basin of the river network of the Congo River, which feeds the forests. Congo is the most abundant river in Africa (and the second after the Amazon in the world).

Equatorial forests are evergreen, ancient, they have many tiers, dense vegetation. A huge number of plant species - about 25 thousand (this is also the second place after the forests of the Amazon). In forests, trees can be divided into upper, middle and lower tiers. Shrubs and ferns grow under the canopy of trees. There are few grasses in the equatorial forests, because there is not enough light under the numerous trees. However, there are creepers. Common types of trees: red, ebony, sandalwood, cinnamon, oil palm, etc.

The equatorial forests are home to many species of monkeys, birds, insects, and reptiles. At the same time, from predatory mammals only the leopard is found.

The main activities of the indigenous inhabitants of the equatorial forests are the collection of fruits, hunting, the collection of honey, the cultivation of oil palm, coffee, rubber trees.

Equatorial forests on their northern and southern borders are replaced variable-moist forests. In such forests there is already a change of wet and dry periods of the year, trees can be deciduous and shed their leaves during the dry period.

Moving from the equator to the north and south, after the variable-moist forests, the zone savannas and woodlands. Also, this natural zone runs through the eastern part of Africa in the equatorial belt. Most of the savannas are located in the subequatorial zone. It is characterized by a change of equatorial and tropical air masses. When the equatorials come air masses, the rainy season begins, when the tropical - a period of drought. However, throughout the year the temperature in the savannas is quite high.

Since rainy and dry periods alternate in the savannas, it is characterized by a vivid manifestation of seasonal phenomena in wildlife. During a drought (in winter, that is, in December-February in the northern hemisphere and June-July in the southern hemisphere), lakes and rivers are almost halved. At this time, numerous animals of the savannas concentrate near water bodies. Thus, during this period, they are characterized by a nomadic lifestyle. Antelopes, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, elephants, hippos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, etc. predominate in the savannahs. Many cereal grasses grow in the savannahs, occasionally there are trees - baobabs and acacias. During the drought period, the grass dries up, and the shrubs shed their leaves. Fires are common in savannahs.

The soils of the savannas are quite fertile, but unstable. They are difficult to use for a long time agriculture. The peoples living in the shroud are engaged in nomadic and semi-nomadic cattle breeding and agriculture. Millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, rice, etc. are grown here.

tropical desert characterized by a very small amount of precipitation throughout the year, large annual and daily temperature differences. Sandstorms often occur in deserts. Tropical deserts arise under the influence of dry continental tropical air brought by the trade winds. In the part of Africa that lies in the Northern Hemisphere, tropical deserts occupy the entire tropical belt of the mainland. In the part of Africa lying in southern hemisphere, deserts are located in the west-south part, closer to the subtropical zone. Here they are not as extensive as in northern Africa.

IN tropical deserts almost no permanent rivers. They all dry up. However, the Nile in the Sahara is an exception to this rule. This is the most long river in the world.
There are few plants and animals in the desert. Plants are mainly represented by xerophytic (drought-adapted) shrubs (barberry, saxaul) and grasses with strong root systems. Desert animals are representatives of rodents, reptiles, birds, antelopes, etc.

In the desert, people live in oases (here groundwater comes to the surface), in the Nile Valley. People are often engaged in nomadic pastoralism (breeding camels).