| A | B |
|---|
| zonal | running in east-west bands of latitude, or zones, often used to describe climate patterns |
| pastoralism | an agricultural way of life that involves raising livestock and usually includes some farming |
| millet | a small-seeded grain crop that is resistant to drought |
| sorghum | a grain crop from grasses that is resistant to drought |
| staple | a main food crop in an area |
| cassava | a crop whose fleshy roots are nutritious |
| lingua franca | a common language spoken and understood by the majority of people in an area, although other languages many be spoken at home |
| What do geographers call the pattern of West Africa's climate and vegetation regions? why? | Zonal; the climate pattern runs in bands, or zones, from east to west. |
| Why do more people live in the forest zone than in the dryland zone? | The dryland zone is subject to drought and desertification. The wet climate of the forest zone is better suited to human settlement. |
| What challenges do the pastoral nomads face in the Sahel? | The threat of drought and the loss of labor due to migration to the cities. |
| What happens when a poor country focuses on growing cash crops for export? | The country has to import food, and there is less money to invest in education and in infrastructure. |
| How did the drought of the 1970s and the 1980s affect the Sahel countries? | Herd animals died; people were forced to move to other countries and to cities; Lake Chad shrank. |
| To which countries is the Niger River an important resource? | Mali and Niger |
| What are the major cash crops in the Atlantic coast countries? | peanuts, cotton, maize, oil-palm products, rubber. |
| Where are the major manufacturing centers? | Dakar, senegal, north east of Conakry |
| What is unusual about Liberia and Sierra Leone? | Both countries began as settlements for freed slaves. |
| Why is Nigeria such an important country in the region? | It is the most populous country in West Africa and is rich in natural resources. |
| What economic activity is important to every Guinea coast country? | Agriculture |
