Get your book and binder Work on any of the notes that you have not finished Physical Geography West Africa Vocabulary

Economic Development

Historically: Very little manufacturing Raw materials Oil, minerals, agricultural products Exploitation, slavery, and harsh working conditions Environmental disregard Political instability = deficient economy

Today: Worse today than the 1960s + half are in World Bank’s lowest income category = -$975 GNI per person 2007 = 2.5 % GNP and 1.5 % total dollar value of exports These are small for population and resources Inadequate roads, airports, railroads, ports Few computers and high level technology

After colonialism = limited infrastructure and $$ Countries borrow = 227 billion dollars by 1997 Western countries urge forgiveness of debt Regional cooperation – ECOWAS and SADC Exporting raw materials “one-commodity” countries Unstable economies because prices vary daily Diversifying is crucial Manufacturing

Education and skilled workers 76 % = lowest of any world region civil war has destroyed some (Angola and Somalia) Algeria – 96 % and Mauritius – 84% Slowing the movement of professionals to foreign countries

PROBLEMS SOLUTIONS Colonial powers left no $$$ Debt Limited infrastructure One-commodity countries Lacking education Professionals leaving

East Africa Government: traditional republics, tribal economy: Trade, cash crops, and tourism Art: Masai clothing, beadwork and jewelry Lifestyles: herders, currently a variety of jobs Ethnicities: Masai and Kikuyu Empires: Aksum Language: Varies greatly, native African and Asian influence, Swahili Religion: mainly Islam, some Christianity Resources: soil, coffee, tea, sugar Education: affected by civil wars, few children attend school because it is not a priority

North Africa Government: democracies and dictators economy: Agriculture and oil Art: Rai music, souk markets Lifestyles: patriarchal (changing) Ethnicities: Arabic and traditional African Empires: Egypt, Carthage Language: Varies, Arabic is common, Berber Religion: Islam Resources: petroleum, coal, iron, others Education: priority on primary education, growing enrollment and literacy rates

West Africa Government: stateless societies to democratic economy: Trade, reliance on European industrialization Art: Ashanti weaving, Benin bronzes, Music Lifestyles: traditional to each group Ethnicities: mainly indigenous populations, Ashanti Empires: Ghana, Mali, Songhay Language: indigenous African languages, Congo, Igbo Religion: Islam, Christianity Resources: salt, gold, diamonds, magnesium, bauxite, phosphates Education: affected by civil wars, few children attend school because it is not a priority, 35% lit rate, unskilled workers

Central Africa Government: democracies, republics, traditional economy: weak infrastructure and economy, selling natural resources to other countries Art: Fang sculpture, wooden masks, don’t want western influence Lifestyles: traditional Ethnicities: indigenous populations (100s), Bantu Empires: no major ancient empires Language: French and Bantu languages (more than 700 languages) Religion: Christianity Resources: slave trade, rubber, gold, copper Education: improving but most youth over age 12 do not attend school, 2 new universities

Southern Africa Government: republics and constitutional, apartheid – separated races economy: trade, advanced but struggling with unequal distribution, good incomes, farming Art: gule de mkulu, vimbuza, and benji dances Lifestyles: some modern, but many are still poor Ethnicities: British (whites), indigenous Africans Empires: Mutapa, Shona, Zulu Language: Bantu, South Africa = 11 official lang. Religion: Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism Resources: gold, minerals, diamonds, meat production Education: uneducated young people but better than most other areas of Africa