Savannas encompass almost 50 percent or about 5 million square miles of land in Africa. Also known as tropical grasslands, savannas receive between 20 and 50 inches of rainfall on average annually, all of which falls in a six- to eight-month period. Some savannas receive as little as 6 inches of precipitation annually. The wet period is followed by a period of drought. Some plants that survive in the savanna use the rainy season to grow while relying on special adaptations to survive the dry season.
