Environmental Conservation in Africa

As the world's population soars toward 7 billion, there are few places in the world left untouched by humans. Many people across the world are becoming increasingly concerned with the environment.

One of the greatest sources of concern for many people is Africa. Because the continent has such an incredibly high amount of biological diversity, it has become a focal point for environmentalists and scientists.

In order to examine some environmental issues in Africa, each of you will be assigned a country to look at with a partner.

You will complete all work in an e-mail to me (one per group). In the subject line, put your period and the name of the country you were assigned. For example, if you are in period one and your country is Zambia, you would write, "Period 1: Zambia". Make sure you include the names of both group members in the e-mail.

Part 1: First, use either CultureGrams or the CIA World Factbook to find some basic information about your country:

1. Name your country
2. Describe its relative location
3. Describe the physical geography, including any important landforms
4. Name the capital and any other major cities
5. Give the population
6. Give the percentage of people who live in urban environments
7. Describe the country's economy, including any major resources and/or industries
8. Describe any international issues/concerns held by your country

This section of the assignment is worth 10 points.

Part 2: Then, we will take a look at the country's environment, specifically by examining the work of one conservation agency, The Wildlife Conservation Society. Complete the following in the same e-mail:

1. Examine the WCS "About" page. What is the WCS? What is its mission? Where are they based out of? Why is this important for us to know?
2. Go to the WCS "Africa" page. Find your country. Summarize the information the WCS gives about your country's environment.
3. Give three environmental facts about your country.
4. What threats or challenges does your country's environment face? Be specific.
5. Does the WCS offer a plan or response for the issues faced by your country? Describe their response, giving specific information about actions planned or taken.
6. Name and describe any projects funded by the WCS currently ongoing in your country. You may have to click on an additional link to find this information.

This section of the assignment is worth 10 points.

The assignment is worth 20 points total, and is due in my inbox by 5:00 p.m. today.