Lab 6 Sub-Saharan Africa



This week we learned about Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa is the second largest continent after Asia and the only continent crossed by both the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The Sahara stretches across most of Northen Africa and creates a barrier between the Muslim and Arab North Africa and the traditional African cultures to the South.  Africa was the center of the supercontinent Pangea. Still today, the movement of tectonic plates is changing the geography of Africa.  The Great Rift Valley is slowly splitting away at a rate of about 1/4 inch per year.  We discussed the Nile River and its basin. How it is regarded as the longest river in the world and has been key to transportation in the area.  Its floodplain allows for farming in a very arid area. Sub-Saharan Africa also includes the Congo and its basin.  The Congo is Africa's largest river by discharge and the deepest river in the world.  This area is a biodiversity hotspot, but there are concerns about deforestation. 

During our lab we discussed what a suitability analysis is in GIS and how this lab is an example of one.  They can show us where the needs for infrastructure or services based on population and need for treatment.  It can help identify the best location for a new malaria clinic based on infrastructure and rate of illness. We also discussed the geographic approach to human help and who this can be used to address threats of malaria. We can use geography to identify areas that are more prone or susceptible to disease or illness allow us to identify the need to facilities in those areas to treat people.  We discussed the relationship among population size, malaria incidence, and region. Malaria is less prevalent in more populated areas, and more prevalent in less populated areas. More cases of malaria to the North and Southwest, lest cased to the Southwest. Finally, we ranked the clinic location that would server the most people, placed in areas of highest rates of infection and be accessible by road or port.  

1.Accra West: Closest to most ports of entry, good road access, access from areas of higher infection.                                                           

2. Bibiani: Close access to high amounts of cases of malaria, good roads, close to higher populations.                                                                    

3.Agogo: Close to good infrastructure, high population areas.                  

4. Upper North: less infrastructure and ability to travel to the clinic. Area of infection is too broad for one clinic to be effective. 

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