(a) Draw a sketch map of Africa and on it, show and name (i) the Fouta Mallon Highlands and the Cameroun Highlands (ii) one important river that takes its s...

(a) Sketch map of Africa

The sketch map below shows the two highlands, one important river rising from each, one inland drainage basin, one artificial lake and one lagoon coast, each clearly named.

Reading the map:

• (i) The Fouta Djallon (Fouta Mallon) Highlands lie in Guinea, in the far west of Africa, and the Cameroon Highlands lie along the Nigeria–Cameroon border, at the inner corner of the Gulf of Guinea.
• (ii) The River Niger takes its source from the Fouta Djallon Highlands, and the River Benue takes its source from the Adamawa/Cameroon Highlands (the two join before entering the sea through the Niger Delta).
• (iii) The Chad Basin (drained inward to Lake Chad) is the important inland drainage basin.
• (iv) Lake Volta in Ghana is the artificial lake.
• (v) The Gulf of Guinea coast (from Côte d'Ivoire through Ghana, Togo and Benin to Nigeria) is the lagoon coast.

(b) Three ways river basins are important to the economy of Africa

1. Agriculture and irrigation: the fertile alluvial soils and reliable water of river basins (e.g. the Nile and Niger basins) support irrigation and intensive crop farming, which feeds the population and provides export earnings.
2. Settlement, water supply and fishing: river basins provide good sites for settlement and towns, supply water for domestic and industrial use, and support inland fisheries that give food and income.
3. Transport and hydro-electric power: navigable stretches serve as cheap communication and trade routes, while the rivers provide dam sites that generate hydro-electric power for homes and industry (e.g. Akosombo on the Volta and Kainji on the Niger).

(c) Three major characteristics of the coastline of Africa

1. It is smooth and regular with few indentations, so it has relatively few deep bays or natural harbours and few good natural ports.
2. It has several estuaries and delta coasts, for example the estuary sections near Togo and the great deltas of the Nile and the Niger.
3. Long stretches, especially along the Gulf of Guinea, are lagoon coasts fringed by sand bars, spits and mangrove swamps, while parts of the East African coast are bordered by coral reefs.