Landforms, rivers and resources of Africa south of the Sahara

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Map of central Africa with the Congo River drawn without arrows, curving through the basin to the Atlantic in the west.

2. 1.

   The Congo River starts in highlands in the southeast of the Congo Basin and ends at the Atlantic. On Esme's map, which way does it flow?

   • Straight east into the mountains
   • East, to the Indian Ocean
   • South, toward the bottom of the map
   • North, then west to the Atlantic
3. 2.

   The Orange River starts in the mountains of Lesotho and ends at the Atlantic on Africa's west coast. Which way does it flow on Jun's map?

   • West, to the Atlantic
   • South, toward the bottom of the map
   • North, into the desert
   • East, to the Indian Ocean
4. 3.

   The Zambezi starts in northwestern Zambia and ends at the Indian Ocean in Mozambique. Which way does it mainly flow on Kira's map?

   • North, to the Mediterranean
   • South, toward the bottom of the map
   • West, to the Atlantic
   • East, to the Indian Ocean
5. 4.

   Map of Africa's climate bands, with the rainforest band shaded along the equator. The Congo Basin, on the equator, is covered by the second-largest tropical rainforest in the world. Why is it a rainforest, Luz asks?

   • It is dry all year, like a desert
   • It is hot and rainy all year
   • It is high above the clouds
   • It is cold and snowy in winter
6. 5.

   The Namib, along Namibia's Atlantic coast, gets almost no rain, though fog often rolls in from the sea. Which biome is it, Noah asks?

   • Desert
   • Savanna
   • Tundra
   • Rainforest
7. 6.

   Side view of Kilimanjaro with ice at the top and the equator marked on a small map. Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, is Africa's highest mountain at 5,895 m, just south of the equator. Why is it icy at the top, Pia asks?

   • Its top is very high, where the air is cold
   • It is south of the equator, so it is cold
   • Ice blows there from the Sahara
   • Places near the equator stay warm
8. 7.

   Side view of Kenya with Nairobi marked at about 1,800 m. Nairobi, Kenya, lies only about 1° south of the equator but about 1,800 m high. Why are its days mild, not steamy, Tala asks?

   • Its height keeps the air mild
   • It is next to the Arctic Ocean
   • Places near the equator stay cool
   • It is under a glacier
9. 8.

   Map of northern Botswana with the river fanning into a delta that ends in dry land. The Okavango River in Botswana spreads into a huge inland delta and never reaches the sea. Where does its water go, Zee asks?

   • It flows into the Atlantic
   • It turns into a glacier
   • It flows north to the Mediterranean
   • It soaks in and evaporates in dry land
10. 9.

    Victoria Falls, on the Zambezi between Zambia and Zimbabwe, drops about 108 m. How does it affect boats on the river, Ari asks?

    • Boats can't pass, but visitors come to see it
    • It makes the river flow uphill
    • Boats ride down it easily
    • It dries up the river below
11. 10.

    Lake Volta in Ghana, one of the world's largest human-made lakes, formed behind the Akosombo Dam in 1965. What does the dam mainly make, Bo asks?

    • A natural lake that formed long ago
    • Electricity from the river's water
    • Salt for the coast
    • Oil from under the lake