Africa - Groundwater, Aquifers, Oases

Africa

Table of Contents

Introduction
Geologic history
- General considerations
- Rock types and structural evolution
  - The Precambrian
  - The Paleozoic Era
  - The Mesozoic Era
    - Marine formations
    - Continental formations
  - The Cenozoic Era
    - Marine formations
    - Continental formations
    - Tectonic movements
    - Formation of the Red Sea
    - Volcanism and rifting
    - Pleistocene and Holocene developments
Land
- Relief
- Drainage
  - Nile basin
  - Niger basin
  - Congo basin
  - Zambezi basin
  - Orange basin
  - Chad basin
- Soils
  - Soil types
    - Desert soils
    - Chestnut-brown soils
    - Chernozem-like and black soils
    - Red tropical soils and laterites
    - Mediterranean soils
  - Soil problems
- Climate
  - Factors influencing the African climate
  - Climatic regions
- Plant life
  - Ecological relationships
  - Vegetational zones
    - Lowland rainforest
    - Eastern African forest and bush
    - Mangrove swamp
    - Broad-leaved woodland and grassland
    - Thorn woodland, grassland, and semidesert vegetation
    - Afromontane vegetation
    - Desert vegetation
    - Karoo-Namib shrubland
    - Highveld grassland
    - Mediterranean vegetation
    - Cape shrub, bush, and thicket
    - Madagascar
    - Sudd
  - Long-term changes in vegetation
    - Geologic influences
    - Climatic influences
    - Human influences
    - Conserving the vegetation
- Animal life
  - Genera and distribution
    - Mammals
    - Birds
    - Reptiles and amphibians
    - Arthropods
    - Aquatic life
    - Origin and adaption of African fauna
  - The effects of humans
  - Ecology
    - Animal life of particular interest
    - Conservation
    - Animals affecting land usage
People
- Culture areas
  - Northern Africa
  - Western Africa
  - West-central Africa
  - Eastern Africa
  - Central and Southern Africa
  - Madagascar
- Cultural patterns
  - Languages
  - Religions
  - Domestic groupings
- Demographic patterns
  - Population distribution
  - Settlement patterns
  - Migrations
Economy
- Resources
  - Mineral resources
    - Metallic deposits
    - Nonmetallic deposits
  - Water resources
    - Surface water
    - Groundwater
    - Availability for human use
  - Biological resources
    - Botanical resources
    - Animal resources
- Agriculture
  - Principal crops
    - Cereals and grains
    - Legumes and fodder
    - Tubers and root crops
    - Fruits and vegetables
    - Beverage crops
    - Fibres
    - Other cash crops
  - Livestock and fishing
- Industry
- Power
- Trade
  - Internal trade
  - External trade
    - Exports
    - Imports
- Transportation
  - Animal transport
  - Motor transport
  - Rail transport
  - Air transport
  - Navigation

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The conditions under which groundwater is found and the quantity and quality of groundwater reserves are closely related to geologic structure. Large inland depressions in Africa’s basement rock, having been filled with sedimentary layers of continental origin, sometimes form important groundwater reservoirs, notably those in the Taoudeni–Niger region, in the central Sahara between the Atlas and Ahaggar mountains; in the Libyan Desert; and in Chad, the Congo basin, the Karoo area of South Africa, and the Kalahari. The East African plateaus usually contain little or no quantities of groundwater, and aquifers (geologic formations containing water)—generally of local importance—are found only ...(100 of 32999 words)

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