Africa's Environmental Issues Quiz

Equal access to water harms trade in Africa.

Equal access to water boosts trade in Africa.

Unequal access to water harms trade in Africa.

Unequal access to water boosts trade in Africa.

Waste from factories is destroying rivers and lakes, but industries must have water for industrial growth to occur.

Water pollution limits the availability of clean water, needed for basic health and good sanitation.

Overpopulated cities require more water, which results in polluted rivers and less irrigation for farmers.

Countries along the coastline benefit from the availability of water, but the pollution produced by these countries impacts fishing and farming.

Some African economies have moved from agriculturally-based to service-based economies.   

The economies of African nations with water access have developed faster than nations without water access.   

Economies across Africa have not been able to take full advantage of their natural resources because their populations are gathered in coastal cities.   

African governments have created manufacturing-based command economies so they can trade more effectively with their water-rich neighbors.   

Poor Soil

Less air pollution

Increased precipitation

Overpopulation of wild life

Poor soil quality leads to large numbers of trees dying each year.

Poor soil quality leads farmers to practice slash and burn agriculture.

Good soil quality leads more people to convert land to agricultural use.

Good soil quality leads to the overgrowth of crops, which overtake nearby forested land.

The topsoil becomes too soggy to use when the trees which would have absorbed runoff are removed.

The tree stumps are left in the ground and add harmful chemicals to the soil as they rot.

The soil loses nutrients and becomes less fertile when the plants growing in it are removed.

The removal of the trees allows other plants to grow too much and exhausts the soil.

They have to walk several miles to collect water, often without running water or plumbing at home.

They have easy access to clean water in their homes.

They receive water delivered daily by government services.

They only need to collect water once a week.

They do not receive much rain per year.

They consist of rolling grasslands with some trees.

They have an abundance of arable land for growing crops.

They contain a variety of plant life and species of animals.

Characteristics of the Sahara

Characteristics of the Sahel

Characteristics of the Savanna

Characteristics of the Tropical Rain Forest