Name: ___________________________ Date: ______________ Class: ____________________
World Studies for Georgia Students-Grade 7
Chapter 8: Geography and History of Africa Section 1: The Geography
of Africa
Guided Reading
Instructions: Read the section and complete each item with words from
the passages in this section.
1. Your journey in Africa will focus on a few countries: ________________,
Kenya, _________________, South Africa, Sudan, and the Democratic
Republic of the __________________.
2. The __________________ River flows the length of Egypt before emptying
into the Mediterranean Sea near the city of Alexandria.
3. Most of Egypt is a __________________, which means that most people live
along the Nile River so they can have access to fresh water.
4. Political and ethnic problems in recent years have made __________________
one of the most unstable countries in Africa.
5. The country of ___________________ is located along the eastern coast of
Africa bordering the Indian Ocean.
6. ___________________ is a beautiful country known around the world for its
amazing animal parks and rich savanna grasslands.
7. The Democratic Republic of the __________________ is located in central
Africa and has a very small coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.
8. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to the ________________
River, which is surrounded by the Congo _______________ ______________.
9. The __________________ River flows through Nigeria, bringing much-needed
fresh water to people, as well as providing a transportation route.
10. The Nigerian coast is very rich in _________________; however, oil has not
brought wealth to average Nigerians.
Name: ___________________________ Date: ______________ Class: ____________________
World Studies for Georgia Students-Grade 7
Chapter 8: Geography and History of Africa Section 1: The Geography
of Africa
Guided Reading
11. This is where the country of ________________ _________________ is
located with coasts on both the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean.
12. Because of its harsh climate, very few people live in the __________________.
13. Move your finger south of the Sahara, and you will cross into a region called
the ___________________, which is a dry and semiarid region that acts as a
_____________________ zone between the desert sands of the Sahara and the
lush savannas.
14. Many of the African iconic animals, such as elephants, lions, giraffes, and many
others, live in the _____________________ region.
15. These _________________ _________________ are located in the center of
Africa, along the Atlantic coast.
16. The longest river in the world is the _________________.
17. The ___________________ Nile, which begins in Lake Victoria, is the longest
tributary of the Nile.
18. Another important waterway in Africa is the _________________ River, the
second-longest river in Africa.
19. The ___________________ regions receive plentiful rainfall and have a mild
climate as a result of the Mediterranean Sea. However, the ________________
Mountains act as a barrier that keeps the moisture from reaching the interior of
Africa.
20. The tallest mountain in Africa is Mount ____________________.
21. The _______________ _________________ Valley formed thousands of years
ago as a result of plate tectonics.
Name: ___________________________ Date: ______________ Class: ____________________
World Studies for Georgia Students-Grade 7
Chapter 8: Geography and History of Africa Section 1: The Geography
of Africa
Guided Reading
22. One of the most important environmental issues in Africa is water
_________________ and unequal access to water.
23. Not only is access to water a problem in Africa, but the limited amount of fresh
water is also becoming _________________.
24. People who do not have access to clean water are at risk for many
___________________.
25. ____________________ is a problem affecting the soil in the Sahel and in
other regions of Africa.
26. Another significant problem in Africa, especially in the Sahel, is
______________________.
27. The ___________________ is the largest non-polar desert on Earth.
28. The hot and arid climate of the _________________ has a large impact on the
people who live there.
29. Africa has the largest ___________________ (grassland region) in the world.
Name: ___________________________ Date: ______________ Class: ____________________
World Studies for Georgia Students-Grade 7
Chapter 8: Geography and History of Africa Section 2: The People of
Africa
Guided Reading
Instructions: Read the section and complete each item with words from
the passages in this section.
1. The two largest religions in African are _______________ and
_________________.
2. Today, North Africa and parts of East Africa are mainly __________________.
3. Europeans brought ___________________ with them when they explored and
colonized Africa during the 1800s.
4. In Africa, there are thousands of different _________________ groups. Three
examples are the Arabs, _________________, and ___________________.
5. The __________________ arrived in North Africa in the 5th century when the
first Muslim armies reached Egypt.
6. Wherever the Arabs went, they brought ___________________ and the
_________________ language with them.
7. The ________________-speaking people of Africa have had a large impact on
many different ethnic groups across central and southern Africa.
8. The _________________ migration was one of the largest movements of
people in Africa’s history.
9. Today, over 60 million people in central and southern Africa speak a Bantu-
based language and share some of the ________________ culture.
10. The ___________________ ethnic group is found along the coast of East
Africa. Their culture began as a result of contact between _________________
and Persian traders and marriage with the local ________________ population.
Name: ___________________________ Date: ______________ Class: ____________________
World Studies for Georgia Students-Grade 7
Chapter 8: Geography and History of Africa Section 2: The People of
Africa
Guided Reading
11. While __________________ is considered a Bantu language, there are many
___________________ words and phrases as well.
12. Because of contact with _________________ traders, most Swahili today are
___________________.
Name: ___________________________ Date: ______________ Class: ____________________
World Studies for Georgia Students-Grade 7
Chapter 8: Geography and History of Africa Section 3: An Overview of
African History
Guided Reading
Instructions: Read the section and complete each item with words from
the passages in this section.
1. The first ____________________ who landed on Africa’s shores were
explorers trying to find a route around Africa to India and the rest of Asia.
2. This led to the creation of the trans-Atlantic ________________
________________, which lasted from the 1500s until the middle of the 1800s.
3. During the years of the slave trade, Europeans stayed close to the
________________.
4. Eventually, competition for _________________ among the Europeans forced
them to move further into the interior of Africa in the 1800s as they looked for
raw materials and began to create _________________.
5. The __________________ groups in Africa tried to fight against the
Europeans.
6. However, the Europeans had more advanced _________________ and
________________, so they were able to defeat the Africans.
7. During the 1800s, Europeans saw the number of ________________ they had
as a measure of national power, which was a key part of
_______________________.
8. The competition between European countries to gain __________________
and colonies in Africa is called the Scramble for Africa.
9. The major outcome of the __________________ Conference was agreement on
which European country controlled which parts of Africa. Unfortunately, no
__________________ leaders were invited to this conference.
Name: ___________________________ Date: ______________ Class: ____________________
World Studies for Georgia Students-Grade 7
Chapter 8: Geography and History of Africa Section 3: An Overview of
African History
Guided Reading
10. The __________________ period in Africa began in the 1800s and lasted until
the mid-1900s.
11. Though they worked to keep order in their African colonies, most European
powers did not do anything to _________________ the lives of the Africans
themselves, unless doing so would increase profits.
12. As a result, the Europeans began to slowly give ______________________ to
their African colonies.
13. When the Europeans were creating their colonies and establishing borders, they
paid little attention to traditional __________________ and _______________
groups of the people living in Africa.
14. As a result, ________________ groups were divided among colonies, while
rival ethnic groups were sometimes put into the same colonies.
15. This led to _________________ in many of the newly created African
countries.
16. The ___________-_________________ movement began as a reaction to the
terrible experiences of colonial rule. Its _______________ was for people of
African descent around the world to think of Africa as a homeland.
Name: ___________________________ Date: ______________ Class: ____________________
World Studies for Georgia Students-Grade 7
Chapter 8: Geography and History of Africa Section 4: Government
Instability in Africa
Guided Reading
Instructions: Read the section and complete each item with words from
the passages in this section.
1. One of the most significant legacies of the European colonial period in Africa is
the presence of ___________________ governments throughout Africa.
2. To many African people, the reality of __________-__________________ was
new, and they were not prepared to develop a new government.
3. As a result, _______________ ______________ broke out in several countries,
like Nigeria.
4. In other countries, like Zimbabwe, ___________________ who were supported
by the military seized power.
5. Government __________________ (a tendency toward unpredictable or erratic
behavior) has led to many problems within African countries.
6. Government stability has a significant effect on ______________________ for
children.
7. Another area where government instability has caused problems is in the
control and treatment of ___________________.
8. Government instability can also lead to ____________________.
9. ____________________ in Africa today are caused by climate change, political
conflictwhich can disrupt farminglow prices for African goods on the
world market, and poorly organized or corrupt ______________________.