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?

   • South, toward the bottom of the map
   • East, to the Indian Ocean
   • Straight east into the mountains
   • 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
   • East, to the Indian Ocean
   • North, into the desert
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?

   • East, to the Indian Ocean
   • North, to the Mediterranean
   • West, to the Atlantic
   • South, toward the bottom of the map
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 cold and snowy in winter
   • It is hot and rainy all year
   • It is high above the clouds
   • It is dry all year, like a desert
6. 5.

   The Serengeti in Tanzania is a wide grassland with scattered trees, with a wet season and a dry season. Which biome is it, Milo asks?

   • Rainforest
   • Savanna
   • Tundra
   • Taiga
7. 6.

   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?

   • Rainforest
   • Desert
   • Tundra
   • Savanna
8. 7.

   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?

   • Places near the equator stay warm
   • Ice blows there from the Sahara
   • Its top is very high, where the air is cold
   • It is south of the equator, so it is cold
9. 8.

   The Ethiopian Highlands are a high plateau near the equator, with mild weather good for farming. Why are they mild, not hot, Ren asks?

   • They are far from the equator
   • Their height keeps the air cooler
   • They are a desert
   • They are covered by the sea
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?

    • It makes the river flow uphill
    • Boats can't pass, but visitors come to see it
    • 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