SS3 First term- Geography

  • IRRIGATION (I)
  • LUMBERING
  • BUSH FALLOWING
  • FRUIT FARMING IN MEDITERRANEAN REGION
  • MINERAL EXPLOITATION IN AFRICA (PETROLEUM, GOLD AND COPPER)
  • MAJOR HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER PROJECTS AFRICA
  • INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION OF WEST AFRICA

Irrigation (I)

Geography, SS 3, Week 1

Topic: Irrigation

Content:

  1. Definition of Irrigation
  2. Reasons for irrigation
  3. Factors affecting  irrigation
  4. Areas covered by irrigation
  5. Importance of irrigation
  6. Similarities between the Nile and Niger Irrigation practices

Definition of Irrigation Agriculture

Irrigation agriculture is the type of agriculture which involves the artificial application of water to soil or land for farming purposes. Irrigation is mainly practiced in areas where there is insufficient rainfall which makes the use of water from river Nile and in Mali, northern Nigeria (Niger basin)

Reasons for Irrigation  

  1. Rainfall is low and unreliable
  2. High rate of evaporation creates water deficit in the soil
  3. Some areas where irrigation takes place are dry and arid

Factors affecting irrigation in agriculture

  1. Presence of rivers like River Nile in Egypt and Sudan and Niger in west Africa
  2. Presence of fertile alluvial soil (or plains)
  3. Incidence of low rainfall or unreliable rainfall
  4. The need of agriculture for raw materials
  5. The need o control flooding

Importance of irrigation

  1. It makes the farmers to be less dependent on rainfall
  2. Irrigation makes early planting possible
  3. It increases yield of crops
  4. Irrigation enables farmers to cultivate one crop twice or thrice on the same piece of land in a year

Areas covered by irrigation

(a)          In the Nile Basin are:

(i) The Nile Delta (ii) The Nile Valley

(iii) The Geriza plain (iv) The lake shores

(v) Aswan (Egypt) (vi) Kenena (Sudan)

(b)          In the Niger Basin

(i) Inland Niger Delta (ii) Th Niger Valley

(iii) The Lake shores

Similarities between the Nile and Niger irrigation Practices

  1. Both Nile and Niger irrigation practices depends on large dams
  2. Both practice perennial irrigation
  3. Both use canals to channel water to the farm
  4. Manual method is used in both areas
  5. Both have small and large farms

ASSESSMENT

  1. Define Irrigation
  2. What are some of the reasons for irrigation?
  3. List 5 factors affecting irrigation in agriculture.
  4. List 4 importance of irrigation

Lumbering

 Geography, SS 3, Week 3

Topic: Lumbering

Content:

  1. Definition of Lumbering
  2. Favourable factors for lumbering
  3. Methods of lumbering
  4. Economic Importance of lumbering
  5. Problems and solution of lumbering

Definition of Lumbering: It is  defined as the felling of economic trees in the forest, which can be used in domestic, industrial or commerce purpose.

Favourable factors for Lumbering

  1. The presence of dense tropical forest provides ready sources of valuable timber
  2. Presence of many economic trees
  3. Presence of wide market for timber products within the country
  4. High demand for hardwood in foreign counties
  5. High demand of timber as fuel
  6. Efficient saw mill industries to process the raw timber

Economic Importance of Lumbering

  1. Lumbering provides foreign exchange through the export of timber to overseas countries
  2. Lumbering provides employment for people who are involved in lumbering and related activities
  3. Lumbering provides raw materials like timber for timber processing industries
  4. Timber is used for the construction of canoe and boats
  5. Timber serves as a source of income to government by licenses and permits given to the timber construction
  6. Trees in the forest helps to control soil erosion as well as serving as wind breaks

Problems of Lumbering

  1. Exploitation of timber causes soil erosion
  2. It leads to the depletion of natural forests product
  3. It results in the high cost of transporting forest products
  4. It results in the leaching of soil
  5. Deforestation can cause flooding
  6. There is problem in high cost of foreign goods
  7. It also leads to the disappearance of wild life

Solutions to Lumbering

  1. Roads should be constructed round lumbering areas for easy transportation of logs
  2. Bush fallowing should be discouraged
  3. Bush burning should be discouraged
  4. Forest guards should be employed to check illegal felling and ensure planting of new trees
  5. Afforestation that is the policy of planting of two trees in an area where one tree is cut should be encouraged
  6. Re – Afforestation; that is the practice of clearing the bush of bad tree and planning valuable ones to replace them should also be encouraged

ASSESSMENT 

  1. Define Lumbering
  2. List 5 favourable factors for lumbering
  3. List 5 economic importance of lumbering
  4. List 5 problems facing lumbering
  5. List 5 solutions for lumbering

Bush Fallowing

Geography, SS 3, Week 4

Topic: Bush Fallowing

Content

  1. Definition
  2. Favourable conditions necessary for bush fallowing
  3. Features of bush fallowing
  4. Types of crops grown
  5. Advantages and disadvantage of bush fallowing
  6. Trends in bush fallowing

Definition of Bush Fallowing

Bush fallowing is a system of farming cultivation of one piece of land for some years and leaving it for some years with the aim of restoring the fertility to the soil naturally but during this fallow period, the farmer cultivates another piece of land

Favourable conditions for bush fallowing

  1. Abundance of large area in farm lands
  2. Low population in the area
  3. Low level of education for farmers
  4. Use of crude tools and implements
  5. Low level of technology

Features of bush fallowing

  1. Farming is done on subsistence level
  2. It involves the use of crude implements like cutlass and hoe
  3. It is common in rural areas with abundant farmlands
  4. It involves small holding of farmlands
  5. Food crops like yam, maize, cassava etc are grown
  6. Farmlands are left to fallow after one or two years of cultivation
  7. It uses slash or burn method for land preparation
  8. It uses family labour
  9. Bush fallowing is practiced where population is very low
  10. Pests and disease are not controlled

Types of crops grown

(a)          Root and Tuber crops e.g yam, cassava, cocoyam etc

(b)          Cereals (grain) crop eg rice, millet, maize, sorghum etc

(c)           Berry e.g tomato

(d)          Cash crops e.g cotton, groundnut etc

Advantages of bush fallowing

  1. It aids the natural restoration of soil nutrients during the fallow period
  2. It helps to control plant and diseases and pests
  3. It uses cheap family labour
  4. It requires low farm input like cutlass and hoe
  5. It ensure continuous sustenance during periods of crop failure
  6. It check soil erosion, leaching and weed growth
  7. It is easy to practice as low technology as required

Disadvantages of bush fallowing

  1. It leads to wastage of land which could have been used by allowing it to lie fallow
  2. It leads to soil erosion when soil is exhausted
  3. It destroys valuable forest resources like timber
  4. It leas to land fragmentation due to increase in population
  5. It does not leads to mechanization of farms

 Currents trends in Bush Fallowing

  1. The population is fast increasing, hence a reduction in the size of farmlands
  2. The land is also becoming scarce due to increase in population
  3. The practiced of mechanized agriculture now discourages bush fallowing
  4. There is no increase in the use of technology
  5. There is no intensive use of fertilizers and manures

ASSESSMENT

  1. Define Bush fallowing
  2. List 5 favorable conditions for bush fallowing
  3. List 8 features of bush fallowing
  4. list 5 advantages and disadvantages of bush fallowing

Fruit Farming in Mediterranean region

Geography, SS 3, Week 5

Topic: Fruit farming in Mediterranean region

Content

  1. Definition of fruit farming
  2. Major areas in fruit farming
  3. Factors favourable for fruit farming
  4. Types of fruit produced
  5. Importance of fruit farming
  6. Problems of fruit farming

Definition of Fruit Farming

Fruit farming is defined as the type of farming which farmers cultivate mainly fruit crops either for domestic, industrial or commercial purposes. It is also regard to as orchad farming

Major Areas of Fruit Farming

(a) In North West Africa: the areas include Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Morocco

(b) In South West: the areas are mainly around Cape Town, Natal and Orange free

Factors favourable to fruit farming

  1. The presence of Mediterranean climate favours fruit farming in the regions
  2. Presence of a bright, sunny weather with hot, sunny weather with hot, dry summers and wet winters
  3. Presence of a dry warm summer temperature of 21oC – 27oC
  4. Abundance of rainfall in winter of 25 – 75cm per annum
  5. Availability of local and foreign markets consumed the products
  6. The use of irrigation system to supplement insufficient rainfall
  7. The use of advanced methods of cultivation e.g terracing

Types of fruit produced

(a) In South Africa, popular fruits grown or produced include vine, grapes, apples, pears, oranges, pineapple, peaches and apricots

(b) North West Africa: important fruit produced include oranges, apricots, figs, grapes, olive, lemon, limes and tangerine

Importance of fruit farming

  1. Fruit farming provides foreign exchange through the export on wine produced from fruits
  2. It provides employment to many people
  3. It provides raw materials for fruit canning and processing industries e.g for wine industries
  4. It provides special wine consumed locally or exported to other countries
  5. Fruits produced provide minerals and vitamins which are consumed locally
  6. Vita culture, which is the cultivation of grape fruits, promotes specialisation by some people

Problems of Fruit Farming

  1. Rainfall is unreliable as this affects the growth and production of fruits
  2. Improper storage and processing can lead to poor quality of fruit products
  3. There is the problem competition in quality with other wines produced in other countries
  4. Soil erosion during the summer season affects the production of fruits
  5. Inadequate trained personnel on fruit processing

ASSESSMENT

  1. Define Fruit farming
  2. List 5 factors favourable to fruit farming
  3. List 5 importance of fruit farming
  4. List 5 problems facing fruit farming

Mineral exploitation in Africa (petroleum, gold and copper)

Geography, SS 3, Week 6

Topic: Mineral exploitation in Africa (petroleum, gold and copper)

Content

  1. Mining of gold

  2. Methods of mining
  3. Transportation and marketing
  4. Economic importance
  5. Problems of mining of Gold, Petroleum and copper

Mining of gold

Africa leads whole world in the production of gold. South Africa is the largest producer of gold in Africa, followed by Ghana, Zimbabwe and Zaire. Gold is a valuable metallic mineral.

Methods of Mining Gold

The method of mining gold is the underground or shaft method. In this vertical method, vertical shafts or holes are dug to reach the ore bearing rocks from where holes are drilled. Explosives are used to fill the holes to shatter the rocks by blasting. The broken rocks are then taken to the surface from where they are taken to the concentrator that filters out the gold which is later sent to the smelters for further refining

Transportation and Marketing

In South Africa: Gold is mainly transported to rail and road to processing factory or to Port Elizabeth or East London for export. Major market for gold includes America, Britain and Japan.

Economic importance of Gold

  1. The mining of this mineral provides jobs for many people
  2. Taxes paid by mining companies including export and import duties on the minerals are sources of revenue to the government
  3. Essential goods or products are derived from mineral e.g necklace, wristwatch, medals etc
  4. Gold provides raw materials for industries
  5. Money earned from gold is used to provide social and basic amenities which improve the standard of living of the people
  6. The presence of extraction of this mineral enable people to acquire different skills

Problems of mining gold

  1. Poor transport network
  2. Environmental pollution
  3. Inadequate capital to exploit the minerals
  4. Poor management
  5. Fluctuation in world prices of minerals

Petroleum or crude oil is an important fuel mineral produced in Libya, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt and Gabon

Methods of mining petroleum

The method used in mining petroleum is the drilling method. In this method, the underground rock are sampled and tested for traces of oil. When the oil is discovered, a well is sunk to reach it with the aid of drilling rig. The oil is the pumped out mechanically or naturally if the pressure within the oil zone in the soil is high

In the soil, three layers within the oil zone exist (i) natural gas is found on top (ii) petroleum or crude oil is in the middle (iii) water at the bottom

Transportation and Marketing

Crude oil is transported mainly by pipelines either to the refineries for refining or processing or t he ports or exports. Major markets include America, Japan, Germany etc

Importance of Petroleum

  1. The mining of these minerals provides employment
  2. Essential goods or products are derived
  3. The export of petroleum serves as foreign exchange for the country
  4. Raw materials like petroleum are used in the refinery industries
  5. Towns like Port Harcourt and Warri are grown due to the presence of petroleum
  6. Essential goods or products are derived e.g petroleum provides kerosene, petrol etc

Problems of mining petroleum

  1. Poor transport network
  2. Poor management
  3. Inadequate capitals to exploit minerals
  4. Environmental pollution
  5. Outdated topographical methods are used

Copper is another metallic minerals produced by Zambia, South Africa, Zaire and Zimbabwe.

  Methods of mining copper: 

Two methods are used in the mining of copper depending on the depths of mineral

(i)     Open cast method: in this method explosives are used to remove the over size rock.

  •    A powerful machine called a dragline is then used to pile the copper washed into heap
  •    A monitor is then used to direct a strong jet of water towards the heap
  •    The water washes the soil through a series of sluice boxes
  •    The copper ore sink to the bottom of the sluice boxes while the water carries the dirt away
  •    The copper concentrate now formed, is later sent to the factory for smelting.

(ii)    The underground method: in this method vertical shafts or holes are dug to reach the ore bearing rocks from where holes are drilled. Explosives are used to fill the holes to shatter the rocks by blasting. The broken rocks are taken to the concentration that filters out the copper. The copper is which is later sent to the smelters for further refining.

Transportation and Marketing

Copper is transported by rail to the port of Beira in Mozambique through Zimbabwe because Zambia is a land locked country

Roads are also used for the transport of copper to the port of Dar –es- Salaam in Tanzania for export. Major markets for copper includes European countries like Japan and America.

Importance of Copper

  1. Copper is used in electrical equipment because it is good conductor of electricity
  2. It can be used in the production of good alloys
  3. The export of copper serves as foreign exchange
  4. The presence of extraction of copper enables people to acquire different skills
  5. It helps in the production of cobalts

Problems of copper mining

  1. Inadequate capital to exploit minerals
  2. Poor management
  3. Fluctuations in world prices of minerals
  4. Poor transport
  5. Environmental pollution e.g air pollution

ASSESSMENT

  1. Which country is the largest producing country of gold in Africa?
  2. List 5 economic importance of Gold
  3. List 5 importance of copper
  4. List some of the problems of copper mining
  5. What are the two methods of mining copper?

Major Hydro Electric Power projects Africa

Geography, SS 3, Week 7

Topic: Major Hydro Electric Power projects Africa

Content

  1. Definition of Hydro Electric Power
  2. Factors which favours the development of hydro electric power (H.E.P)
  3. Effects of climate on dam
  4. Economic importance or advantages of Dam
  5. Problems or disadvantages of Dam

Definition of Hydro Electric Power (H.E.P)

It is defined as the generation of electric power (electricity) from water. This is achieved through the damming of rivers and the use of river water to turn device turbines leading to the generation of electricity.

A dam is an extensive area occupied by water trapped on a river course

Factors favourable for the developments of Hydro electric Power (H.E.P) projects in Africa

  1. Presence of waterfalls ensures the development of H.E.P
  2. Abundance rainfall in Africa also helps to supply water to river regularly
  3. There is high volume of water in rivers which is necessary for H.E.P development , that is presence of big rivers
  4. Presence of adequate capital to construct ad maintain dams
  5. There is adequate high temperature against freezing water in rivers
  6. There is also a firm, narrow rock base for the dam site

Effects of climate on dam

  1. Inadequate rainfall reduces the volume of water in the rivers or dams
  2. Excessive rainfall on the other hand leads to over flow of water from the dams
  3. High intensity of rainfall leads to sedimentation of silts in dams
  4. Intensive heat also leads to high evaporation of water from dams
  5. The nature of bed rocks provide good site for H.E.P construction and prevents easy percolation of water into the soil
  6. Intensity heat also leads to high evaporation of water from dams
  7. High intensity of rainfall leads to sedimentation of silts in dams

Economic important of H.E.P (dams)

  1. It promotes irrigation through the water trapped in the dams
  2. It helps to generate electricity (H.E.P) for domestic and industrial uses
  3. It also supplies water both for domestic and industrial uses
  4. It provides food for man e.g crayfish, prawns etc which grows in the dam
  5. It provides employment for the people
  6. It also helps to improve inland water transportation
  7. It provides lakes and water used for fishing
  8. It generate revenue for government

Problems or Disadvantages of Dams

  1. There is low level of technology
  2. Inadequate capital to construct and maintain H.E.P
  3. Problems created by growth of aquatic weed
  4. Occurrence of sand spits and bars
  5. Seasonal fluctuation in the volume of the rivers
  6. Inadequate capital to construct and maintain H.E.P

ASSESSMENT

  1. Define Hydro Electric Power
  2. What are the factors favourable for developing H.E.P in africa
  3. What are the economic importance of H.E.P?
  4. What are some of the problems facing H.E.P?

International Economic Cooperation of West Africa

Geography,SS 3, Week 8

Topic: International Economic Cooperation of West Africa

Content

  1. Foundation of ECOWAS
  2. Aims and Objectives of ECOWAS
  3. Achievement and benefits of ECOWAS
  4. Problems of ECOWAS
  5. Solutions to the problem

Foundation of Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS)

The treaty called Lagos treaty formally establishing ECOWAS was signed by in May 28th, 1975 in Lagos by fifteen West Africa Heads of state. Guinea Bissau later joined to make up 16 countries. However, the idea of establishing ECOWAS was conceived by the heads of State of Nigeria and Togo in 1973

Aims and Objectives of ECOWAS

  1. To promote economic co-operation among member state
  2. To promote trade among member of states
  3. To promote free movement of people within the sub-region, without visa
  4. To ensure cultural cooperation eg in sports, education, arts etc
  5. To develop foreign establishment
  6. To eventually establish common currency
  7. To enlarge natural resources base of member nation

Achievements or benefits of ECOWAS

  1. The ECOWAS has led to the development of common market for goods produces within the sub-region
  2. It has also promoted free movement of people, thereby abolishing the use of visa
  3. It has led to cultural integration through free movement of people
  4. The free movement of people has led to educational interaction within the sub- region
  5. These have promoted cooperation among the member states
  6. Unity has been promote within member states
  7. Citizens of member states have the right to settle anywhere to the sub region
  8. ECOWAS has also helped to link members within the sub – region in promotion of sports

Problems of ECOWAS

  1. Similarity of products economy limits the volume of trade among member states
  2. There are also differences in political ideology among member states
  3. Some members do not pay heir dues regularly leading to shortage of funds
  4. There is also the problem of transportation and communication within the economic sub-region
  5. Differences in currency limit te level of the level of trade among member states
  6. There is problem of debt burden and existence of artificial barriers to trade
  7. There is the problem of political instability in some member states

Solutions to the problem

  1. There should be need for the diversification of production economy so that different countries produce different goods
  2. There should be trade liberalization among member states
  3. Members should be committed in all their activities
  4. Member countries should ensure political stability by good governance
  5. Members should detach themselves from their colonial masters
  6. Common currency should be adopted to facilitate trade within the region
  7. There should be free movement of people within sub-region through joint construction of international roads and railway lines

ASSESSMENT

  1. On what date was the treaty establishing ECOWAS formed?
  2. What are the aims and objectives of ECOWAS?
  3. List 6 achievements of ECOWAS
  4. List 5 problems facing ECOWAS and their solution.
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