ORIGINS OF DISPARITIES – ON A CONTINENTAL SCALE

AFRICA 6% Earth’s total surface area. 20% land mass. 1.1 billion popn. 15% world popn. 40% urban popn. HIV – 4.7% females, 3% males.

What does this show?

Cause 1: Colonialism “Scramble for Africa” Slave trade Raw materials Belgian Colonial Secretary “During the War, the Congo was able to finance expenditure of the Belgian Government-in-exile in London, including the diplomatic service as well as the cost of armed forces in Europe and America. The Belgian gold reserve could be left intact”. Kwame Nkrumah (Ex-President Ghana) “If Africa's resources were used in her own development they would place Africa among the most modernised continents of the world. But Africa's wealth is used for the development of overseas interests”.

Cause 2: Reliance on Commodity Export Colonialism geared African nations towards primary industry (raw materials) for their own benefit. Market value of secondary goods now far outweighs primary.

Cause 3: Population Growth

Cause 4: Lack of $ = lack of technology United Nations: “The ability to create, acquire and adapt new technologies is a critical requirement for competing successfully in the global marketplace. Various international forums and agreements on technology access and technological capacity building have recognized the importance of the transfer of technology, especially to developing countries. It is also a well-documented fact that the African continent has not kept pace with technological advancement”.

African nations that have visited MRPhillipsIBGeog

Cause 5: AIDS / HIV

Cause 6: Political Instability ZIMBABWE Impacts of Mugabe’s Intense Land- Reform Phase post 2000.

Cause 7: Climatic Disasters

Cause 8: Aid and Debt Debt largely as a result of oil- spike in 1970’s. African nations borrowed heavily from Western Organisations. While a proportion of borrowed funds went towards infrastructure and economic development financed by central governments, a proportion was lost to corruption and about one-fifth was spent on arms. Impacts of tied bilateral aid.