SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: POPULATION PATTERNS

RAPID POPULATION GROWTH

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to both the highest birthrate and death rate in the world. It also has the highest infant mortality rate, and

shortest life expectancy. Much of this can be contributed to the proliferation of AIDS

in the region, and poor nutrition / malnourishment.

In 2012 it was estimated that around 910 Million people lived in Sub-Saharan Africa. Your book written in 2005 has the population at 673

million. Comparing these numbers demonstrates the vast

growth in the region. The current growth rate in the region is 2.3%

It is estimated that by 2050 nearly 1.5 billion people will live in the region

AIDS (ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME)

In 2005, nearly 70% of the estimated 36 million people in the world carrying HIV, lived in sub-Saharan Africa. During this time, a child born in Zimbabwe was more

likely to die of AIDS than any other cause. Overall life expectancy in the area dropped from 65 years to

39 years because of the disease.

At the end of 2000 about 17 million Africans had already dies of AIDS-related diseases.

However, with continued push to educate people of the region about the causes and effects of AIDS has reduced the spread of the disease in the area. In 2005 an estimate 5.4% of the population had the

disease, in 2012 it was down to 4.6%.

POPULATION DENSITY AND DISTRIBUTION

Despite it large overall population, Sub-Saharan Africa has relatively few people for its land mass. However, the distribution of population is very

uneven throughout the region. Rwanda – 718 people per square mile Namibia – 6 people per square mile

This difference in population density is due to the harshness of land / survivability in many of the regions areas. Most people tend to settle around places with easy

access to water, fertile soil, and mild climates The most dense population centers are the coastal

belt of West Africa along the Gulf of Guinea, and along the eastern coast of southern Africa (Page 488).

A DIVERSE POPULATION

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to some 3,000 ethnic groups. Africa as a whole contains more ethnic group

than any other continent. Urbanization – movement of people form

rural areas to cities From 1950 to 2005 the urban population in the

region grew from 35 million to 270 million people.

This growth has continued: 2005 – 33.9% of total population live in urban areas 2012 – 36.8% of total population live in urban areas