Getting to know Africa

The forgotten continent

African History

European exploration

Slave trade

ColonizationScramble for Africa

DecolonizationCurrent issues

Place of Africa on Global Scene

Political stability Indicator

USA (blue)

compared to Africa (orange)

Territory

Population

Nominal GDP GDP per capita

Number of patents per capita

Percentage of people with high education

Total exports

African Regions1. North Africa: Algeria, Egypt,

Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara.

2. East Africa: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.

3. Central Africa: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda.

4. West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

5. Southern Africa: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

Geography

• 2nd largest continent (after Asia)

• 53 countries (biggest Sudan, Nigeria largest population)

• Mt. Kilimanjaro (no mountain chains)

• Lakes: Victoria, Tanganyika, Nyasa & Chad

• Rivers: Nile, Congo, Niger & Zambezi

• Deserts: Sahara & Kalahari• Biggest island Madagascar

Languages & Religion

More than 1000 different

languages

Colonial European languages - official,

government

Indigenous – most used

Namibia: English, Afrikaans, German, Oshivambo, Herero,

Nama

Nigeria: nearly 400 native languages

Religions

North Africa – Islam

South from Sahara: mixture of Islam,

Christianity & indigenous beliefs

(natural spirits)

Population

Rapidly growing population of around 800 million

75% of continent sparsely inhabited

• Mostly rural (slow urbanization)

Highest birth rate (average 6 children) & infant mortality rate (1-2 stage)

Low life expectancy (40-49 years, Sierra Leone – 34, Zambia – 37)• No infrastructure• Unsatisfied basic needs

African Political Systems

• Only 20% of African states are multiparty democracies

• In transition to democracy.

• Many countries have authoritarian regimes or limited freedom

Wars• Causes:

– Borders– Religion– Tribal disputes– Resources

• Some examples of ongoing wars in Africa (since 1991 to the present date):– Namibia & Niger – civil war– Nigeria – ethnic, religious and political

conflict– Rwanda – ethnic conflict– Senegal – separatist conflict– Sierra Leone – civil war– Somalia – civil war– South Africa – civilian uprising, political

violence– Sudan – civil war– Togo – war of independence– Tunisia – war of independence– Uganda – brutal dictatorship, civil war,

rebel/ethnic violence– Western Sahara – unresolved war of

independence– Zambia – ethnic and political conflict– Zimbabwe – political and ethnic

violence

Wealth• Slow urbanization• No developed industry• The poorest region of the world• Rich in natural resources• Dependent on export of

agricultural products or raw materials (coffee, cocoa, oil)

• Negative import-export balance (dependence)

• Economic difficulties caused by political instability

Health• Poor health care,

education, family planning, nutrition, lack of clean water.

• AIDS crises