Sub - Saharan Africa

Leading countries of the area  GDP  South Africa  Gabon  Botswana

Leading countries of the area cont.  Land size  Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire)  Sudan  Chad  Mozambique  Madagascar

Leading countries of the area cont.  Population  Nigeria  Ethiopia  Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire)  Tanzania  Kenya

Physical characteristics  Continent composed of a huge plateau and escarpment  River transportation is impeded by waterfalls and rapids  Smooth coastline provides few natural harbors

 Plateau--raised area of land with a generally level surface. At least one side of the plateau rises steeply above the surrounding area  escarpment--a steep cliff that separates two level areas of differing elevations

 The location of the equator in the middle of the region provides similar climate patterns on both the North and South sides of the equator  Climate zones  1. Rainforest  2. Tropical Wet and Dry  3. Semi Arid  4. Arid

 The region has a large number of landlocked countries  landlocked--a country which is completely cut off from a sea and surrounded by land or other countries

Large Number of Landlocked States  Landlocked states can cause conflict and other ethnic controversies

 The area does have substantial mineral wealth.  EX: diamonds, gold, alloys  The region is a major exporter of raw materials, but this leads to a high trade deficit.

 The area is a storehouse of minerals  The land of the rainforest has limited fertility in the soil because the rainforest leaches the nutrients out  Two main deserts-- Kalahari and the Namib

Substantial Mineral Wealth

 The region has many preserves and national parks

Economic Charateristics  Large percentage of the population is engaged in agriculture (primary activity.  Mainly subsistence agriculture and nomadic herding  They use slash and burn agriculture

 Subsistence agriculture – farming for own support

Question: What is the primary activity for African nomads?  Cattle Herding!!!

Slash and burn agriculture  This takes place in the Congo River Basin

 Slash and burn agriculture--cutting down trees and vegetation to clear a field for planting. The field is only good for a few years before you have to do it again. The land you leave is useless because you have depleted it of nutrients

 There is some plantation agriculture where cash crops and food crops are raised.  Cash crops—coffee, tea, sugar, peanuts, cocoa  Food crops—millet, sorghum, wheat, corn

Plantation Agriculture  Africa has many cash crops (cotton) and food crops

 Oil Pipeline- oil leaks, explosions, bandits draining fuel to resell. In two years over 2,000 killed by explosions.

Poorly developed infrastructure  Rough roads, hardly any public transit  Infrastructure: basic urban needs

 There is a wide range of per capita income in the region.  Production of products lags behind the growing population of the area and many goods have to be imported.

 The area is suffering from desertification.  Desertification--the process of destroying the grassland and other vegetation regions and having them turn into desert

 Rainforest- slash and burn farming is destroying the rainforest. Hot and moist air causes decomposition to accelerate. Madagascar’s rainforest nearly gone.  Sahel-”shore of desert”-desertification: causes: over grazing, livestock trampling the soil; farming causes erosion and drilling for water causing more salt in the soil. Tree planting to help stop or slow this process.  Niger Delta- petroleum- 80 to 90% of Niger’s income. Borrowing, mismanagement and corruption.

 Demographics are typical of a developing nation  low per capita GDP  low life expectancy  High population growth rates  High infant mortality  large percentage of the population under the age of 15  low literacy rates

Pandemic Pandemic  AIDS-10-20% population decrease in Africa’s worst hit countries.

Cultural Characteristics  Uneven population distribution  large numbers of refugees due to constant conflict in many countries  Many conflicts are caused by the many ethnic groups with different languages and customs

 There are very few cities with populations over one million  There knowledge of their history is based on an oral tradition  Many of the country names today are based on historical empires such as Mali, Ghana & Zimbabwe

 The diversity of Africans are reflected in their cultural heritage  maskssculpture  dancemusic  colorful dress  jewelry

 Centers of Culture and Trade  Lagos, Nigeria  Dakar, Senegal  Johannesburg, South Africa

 Markets  churches  mosques, and minarets  villages  modern city cores

WAR WAR WAR and Refugees

With Europeans

WAR with Each Other   Hutus vs. Tutsis in Burundi and Rwanda   Genocide in Uganda   Terrorists in Kenya, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe ) and in South Africa.

Waterfalls (Blue Nile Falls, Ethiopia)

African escarpment

African masks

African clothing

Village

Masks

African Mask

Catholic Church in Mali

Market Scene, Selling dry fish

Market Scene

Statue in Burkina Faso

Crops being transported for the market

Grande Mosque in Mali

Mud Brick Village in Mali

Market in Ghana

Market in Mali, notice clothing

Namibia Village—thatched roof

Shantytown outside S. Africa