Sudanian savanna

A wide band of land runs across Africa. It has many trees and tall grass. This land goes from the ocean to high hills. Big animals live here. You might see a lion or a tall giraffe. Elephants and buffalo also live in the grass. Some people live here too. They grow food like corn and grain. They also keep cows and goats. It is a very busy and special place.

A wide band of land runs across Africa. This is the Sudanian savanna. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Ethiopian Highlands in the east. This land is mostly a plateau. A plateau is a large area of flat land. It also has river valleys. These valleys belong to the White Nile, Chad, and Niger rivers.

The weather here changes with the seasons. In the summer, a monsoon brings rain. In the winter, a wind called the Harmattan brings hot, dry air. This wind comes from the Sahara Desert.

Many plants and animals live here. You will see tall grasses and many trees. Some trees, like the baobab, are very useful. Big animals live in the grass too. You might see an African bush elephant or a giraffe. Lions, leopards, and cheetahs also live here.

People use this land in different ways. Some people are farmers. They grow crops like sorghum and millet. Other people are pastoralists. They move around with animals like cattle, sheep, and goats. These crops and animals help people live in this warm land.

The Sudanian savanna is a wide band of land in Africa. It runs from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Ethiopian Highlands in the east. This area is a tropical savanna. It sits between the dry Sahel grasslands to the north and the wet forests to the south. This land is mostly a large, flat plateau. It also contains important river valleys. These belong to the Niger, Chad, and White Nile rivers. The region is divided into two main parts. The East Sudanian savanna is in East and Central Africa. The West Sudanian savanna runs from Nigeria to The Gambia.

Weather in this region changes with the seasons. In the summer, a monsoon brings rain from the equator. This rain helps the plants grow. In the winter, a wind called the Harmattan blows from the Sahara Desert. This wind brings hot and dry air. Temperatures stay warm all year. The coldest months stay above 20 degrees Celsius. The hottest months stay above 27 degrees Celsius. Daily temperatures can change by as much as 10 degrees. This cycle of rain and dry air shapes the whole land.

Many different plants and animals live here. The land has a mix of tall grasses and trees. Some trees are very useful to people. These include the baobab, shea, and locust-bean trees. Many large animals call this place home. You might see an African bush elephant or a northern giraffe. Other animals include lions, leopards, and cheetahs. There are also giant elands and African buffalo. Today, many of these large animals have smaller ranges than before. They must find enough space to live.

People have used this land for a very long time. Some people are farmers who grow crops. They plant sorghum and millet because these grow well with little rain. Other people are pastoralists who raise animals. They mostly keep cattle, but some keep sheep and goats. In some areas, people create parklands. They protect useful trees while growing crops underneath them. Since the 1970s, droughts have made life harder. This has caused some farmers and herders to move into the same areas.

This region has a very deep history. Some historians say western Sudan saw early growth in farming and trade. It was also a place where African Islam first took root. Long ago, many powerful kingdoms existed here. These included the Kanem–Bornu Empire and the Songhay Empire. During colonial times, new borders were made by Europe. This created places like French Sudan and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. These areas eventually became the modern nations of Mali, Sudan, and South Sudan.

The Sudanian savanna is a massive tropical savanna biome. It forms a wide belt across the African continent. This belt runs from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Ethiopian Highlands in the east. It sits in the center of the Afrotropical realm. The name "Sudan" refers to the lands located south of the Sahel. The Sahel is a drier grassland to the north. To the south, the land transitions into humid forest-savanna mosaics. These forests are closer to the equator. This region is a vital part of Africa's natural landscape.

Geographically, the region is mostly a large plateau. It is shaped by several major river valleys. These include the White Nile, the Chad, and the Niger rivers. The area is divided into three distinct physiographic sections. These sections are the Niger Basin, the Lake Chad Basin, and the Middle Nile Basin. The World Wide Fund for Nature splits the bioregion into two ecoregions. These are separated by the Mandara Plateau. The East Sudanian savanna covers East and Central Africa. The West Sudanian savanna runs from eastern Nigeria to The Gambia.

The climate is defined by seasonal shifts in weather. Temperatures remain warm throughout the entire year. In the coldest months, average temperatures stay above 20 degrees Celsius. During the hottest months, they rise above 27 degrees Celsius. Daily temperatures can fluctuate by as much as 10 degrees. Rain arrives during the summer via the monsoon from the equator. Annual rainfall varies from 600 mm in the north to 1,200 mm in the south. In the dry winter, the Harmattan wind blows from the Sahara. This northeasterly wind brings very hot and dry air.

Plants in this region grow in a specific pattern. The savanna is characterized by the coexistence of trees and grasses. Many trees belong to the Combretaceae and Caesalpinioideae families. Some Acacia species are also very important to the landscape. The dominant grasses often belong to the Andropogoneae group. These include the genera Andropogon and Hyparrhenia. On shallower soils, you might find Loudetia and Aristida. Many people create "parklands" here. They protect useful trees like the baobab, shea, and locust-bean tree. They then grow crops like sorghum, maize, or millet underneath them.

A wide variety of large mammals live in the Sudanian savanna. You can find the African bush elephant and the northern giraffe. Other animals include the giant eland and the roan antelope. The African buffalo also lives in these grasslands. Large predators like lions, leopards, cheetahs, and African wild dogs are native here. However, most of these large mammals now have limited ranges. Their numbers have also decreased significantly. This change affects the balance of the entire ecosystem.

Humans have used this land for many different purposes. Many people are pastoralists who raise livestock. They mostly keep cattle, but some also keep sheep and goats. Other people are farmers who grow crops. They choose sorghum and millet because these plants handle low rainfall well. Since the 1970s, the region has faced increasing levels of drought. This has forced many pastoralists to move south to find grazing land. This movement has sometimes caused conflicts with settled farmers.

The history of this region is very complex and deep. Historians note that western Sudan saw early development in agriculture and trade. It was also the first region south of the Sahara where African Islam flourished. Many great empires once ruled here, such as the Kanem–Bornu Empire and the Songhay Empire. During the colonial era, European powers created new territories. They formed French Sudan and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. These territories eventually became the modern nations of Mali, Sudan, and South Sudan. The history of the slave trade also deeply shaped the region's institutions.