(a) Draw an outline map of Africa. On it show and name the following: (i) the Equatorial rain forest; (ii) the Tropical grassland; (iii) one town in each of...

(a) Outline map of Africa

Key: dark green represents the Equatorial rain forest; light yellow represents Tropical grassland (savanna). Kisangani is a town in the equatorial rain-forest belt, while Kano is a town in the tropical grassland belt.

(b) Characteristics of the Equatorial rainforest vegetation

1. It has a distinct layered or storeyed structure: very tall emergent trees rise above a nearly continuous canopy, with smaller trees, shrubs and herbs below.
2. The trees are tall, broad-leaved and evergreen. They shed their leaves at different times of the year, so the forest remains green throughout the year.
3. The vegetation is very dense and contains many mixed species rather than pure stands. Trees commonly have long straight trunks and large buttress roots; lianas and epiphytes are also abundant.

(c) Economic importance of tropical rainforest vegetation

1. It provides valuable hardwood timber, such as mahogany, iroko and obeche, for building, furniture, plywood and railway sleepers. Timber exports earn foreign exchange.
2. It supplies forest products and industrial raw materials, including medicinal leaves, roots and bark, rubber, cane or rattan, fruits, seeds, dyes and tanning materials.
3. It provides employment and income through lumbering, sawmilling, furniture making, hunting, collection of forest products and forest administration. Government also earns revenue from licences and timber royalties.