Africa is 1/5 of the world's land area, on which there are over 50 states with a population of about 600 million people.
What all the countries of this continent have in common is that they were all colonies, and now they are sovereign states.
According to the state system - all the republics, except for 3 - the monarchy.
All mainland countries, with the exception of South Africa, are developing countries.
Economic and geographical characteristics of African countries:
1) economic and geographical location:
The territory of Africa stretches from north to south for 8 thousand km, and from west to east - up to 7.5 thousand km.
No other continent has such a number of countries remote from the seas (at a distance of up to 1.5 thousand km).
Most of these inland states are among the most backward.
In addition, weak indentation coastline mainland complicates the construction of large ports in countries with access to the sea.
2) natural conditions and resources:
Relief: it represents the East African Plateau, plains, on which vast deserts are widespread (Sahara, Libyan, Kalahari), in the northwest and south - mountains (Atlas, Cape, Draconian);
· mineral resources: very rich and diverse: oil and natural gas - in the north and west of Africa - Libya, Algeria, Nigeria; iron ore - in the west, north and center of the mainland - Liberia, Mauritania, Guinea, Gabon; manganese and uranium ores - Gabon, Niger; bauxites - Guinea, Cameroon; copper - Zaire, Zambia; gold, diamonds, platinum, phosphorites, chromites; cobalt and other deposits;
climate: Africa is located in several climatic zones: equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical; the maximum temperature in summer is +45, the minimum in winter is -4 degrees; rainfall varies greatly from 100 mm to 3000 mm or more;
· agro-climatic resources: favorable for growing heat-loving crops with a very long growing season (cotton, corn, coffee, cocoa, citrus fruits, sugar cane, etc.);
water: rivers - Nile, Congo, Niger, Zambezi, Orange, Limpopo; lakes - Victoria, Tanganyika, Nyasa;
· water resources: distributed extremely unevenly; provision with resources of full river flow per capita - at the equator - from 5 to 100 thousand or more cubic meters per year, in the north and south - from 2.5 to 0.5 thousand or less;
Soils: red-yellow and red ferralitic, red-brown, brown, gray-brown, gray soils, etc.
· land resources: only 1/5 of the land suitable for agriculture is cultivated (arable land); most of this territory is occupied by pastures; there are little-used and unused lands; a significant part of the land is subject to desertification and degradation;
· Forests: located in the zone of humid equatorial and variable wet vegetation;
· forest resources: forests occupy less than 1/10 of the region's territory (mainly in the equator region); their area is greatly reduced at the present time.
3) population:
a) population - 650 million people;
b) type of reproduction - I; very high birth rate - up to 50 people or more per 1000 inhabitants; high mortality - up to 20 people; natural increase - up to 30 people per 1000 inhabitants. Owing to the very high rate of population growth, the number is projected to reach 900 million by 2001;
c) a very significant proportion of children's ages (up to 50%) and a small proportion of older people (5%);
d) population density - average - 22 people / sq. km, which varies greatly by region - the most populated are river valleys, sea coasts; lowest density in desert areas;
e) in the northern part of the mainland there are more men than women; in the center and in the south - more women;
e) ethnic composition- more than 200 peoples, the largest in number are the Arabs of North Africa, Yoruba, Hausa, Fulbe, For, Amhara, etc.
g) religions - Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, as well as adherents of local traditional beliefs;
g) the level of urbanization is about 30%, but in terms of its pace, Africa ranks first in the world, The largest city continent - Cairo;
h) labor resources: low level of professional training, 2/3 of the population is employed in agriculture.
4) economy:
In most African countries, the colonial type of economic structure is still preserved, its distinctive features are:
· predominance of low-commodity, low-productive agriculture and mining industry;
· weak development of the manufacturing industry;
a strong backlog of transport;
Restriction of the non-productive sphere, mainly trade and services.
The territorial structure of the economy is also characterized by general underdevelopment and strong disproportions remaining from the colonial past. On the economic map of the region, only separate centers of industry (mainly metropolitan areas) and high-commodity agriculture stand out.
a) agriculture is the main sphere of material production in African countries.
It employs up to 2/3 of the population.
It is characterized by low productivity, crop and livestock productivity, low growth rates and poor mechanization.
· Crop production: mostly monocultural in nature (narrow specialization of agriculture in the production of one product, intended mainly for export); main crops: cocoa beans, cassava, sisal, peanuts, coffee, millet, sorghum, dates, tea, natural rubber, corn, wheat, rice, olives.
· Animal husbandry: in relation to crop production, it is subordinate in nature, with the exception of those states where it is impossible to cultivate crops due to the arid climate. This industry is characterized by low productivity and low marketability. Although Africa occupies one of the first places in the world in terms of livestock, it is not able to provide the population with meat and dairy products. Main types: sheep breeding, breeding of cattle, goats, camels.
b) industry: Africa is still the least industrialized part of the world, producing less than 1/100 of the world's manufactured products (excluding South Africa).
Mining: determines the place of Africa in the international geographical division of labor (mining of diamonds, gold, cobalt ores, chromites, manganese ores, copper, uranium, naphtha, etc.);
Processing: Light and food industries predominate.
Metallurgy, mechanical engineering (but mainly product assembly), and the chemical industry begin to develop.
c) transport: retains the colonial type - railways go from the areas of extraction of raw materials to the port of its export.
Relatively developed: automobile, air, pipeline.
Maritime transport is developed: the most significant ports in terms of cargo turnover are Alexandria, Dakar, Algiers, Casablanca, Laos.
5) external economic relations:
A significant role is played by foreign trade, through which most of the export industries are realized.
Main exporters:
oil - Nigeria, Libya, Algeria;
iron ore - Liberia, Mauritania;
· manganese ore - Gabon;
Phosphorites - Morocco;
uranium - Niger, Gabon;
cotton - Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Mali;
coffee - Ethiopia, Angola, Rwanda, Kenya;
cocoa beans - Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria;
Peanuts - Senegal, Gambia, Sudan;
· olive oil - Tunisia, Morocco.
Citrus fruits, tobacco, tropical wood are also exported.
Mostly finished products are imported, mainly from developed countries.
6) regional differences in Africa, the continent is divided into 5 regions: Northern, Western, Central, Eastern, Southern.
3. Definition by statistical materials major cotton exporters.
Cotton is one of the fibrous crops.
World production of cotton fiber is 20 million tons.
The first place in cotton sowing and cotton harvest is occupied by the countries of Asia - the most ancient region of development of cotton growing (China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, India), the second place - by the countries of America (USA, Mexico, Brazil), the third - by the states of Africa (Egypt).
Main cotton exporting countries: USA, India, Pakistan, China, Uzbekistan, Brazil.
Main import countries: European countries (including Russia), Japan
1. Minerals of Africa
Africa is exceptionally rich in minerals, although they are still poorly understood. Among other continents, it ranks first in the reserves of the following natural resources:
1. Manganese ore.
2. Khromitov.
3. Bauxites.
4. Gold.
5. Platinum.
6. Cobalt.
7. Diamonds.
8. Phosphorites.
The resources of oil, natural gas, graphite, and asbestos are also great. Africa's share in the world mining industry is 1/4. Almost all extracted raw materials and fuel are exported from Africa to economically developed countries.
Rice. 1. Diamond mining in Africa (Source)
2. Land, agro-climatic, water, forest resources of Africa
In the central part of Africa there are large reserves of forest and water resources.
Rice. 2. Forests of Liberia (Source)
In addition, African land resources are also significant. There is more cultivated land per inhabitant than in Southeast Asia or Latin America. In total, 20% of the land suitable for agriculture is cultivated. However, extensive farming and rapid population growth have led to catastrophic soil erosion, which reduces crop yields. This, in turn, exacerbates the problem of hunger, which is very relevant for Africa.
Rice. 3. Desertification map of Africa (Source)
The agro-climatic resources of Africa are determined by the fact that it is the hottest continent, lies entirely within the average annual isotherms of +20 °C. But at the same time, precipitation is the main factor determining differences in climatic conditions. 30% of the territory are arid areas occupied by deserts, 30% receive 200-600 mm of precipitation, but are subject to droughts; the equatorial regions suffer from an excess of moisture. Therefore, in 2/3 of the territory of Africa, sustainable agriculture is possible only through land reclamation work.
3. a brief description of Africa
After gaining independence, African countries began to make efforts to overcome centuries of backwardness. The restructuring of the sectoral and territorial structure of the economy began. The greatest success along this path has been achieved in the mining industry, which now accounts for 1/4 of the world's output in terms of production.
4. Colonial type of economy
Despite some progress, most regions of Africa are still characterized by a colonial type of economy.
The main features of the colonial type of economy:
1. The predominance of small-scale agriculture.
2. Weak development of the manufacturing industry.
3. Strong backlog of transport.
4. Restriction of the non-productive sphere only to trade and services.
5. Monocultural specialization.
Africa exports bananas, coffee, tea, dates, citrus fruits and other agricultural products.
5. Mining industry. mining areas
In total, seven main mining regions can be distinguished in Africa. Three of them are in North Africa and four are in sub-Saharan Africa.
Rice. 4. Map of the mining areas of Africa (Source)
Mining regions of Africa:
1. The region of the Atlas Mountains stands out for its reserves of iron, manganese, polymetallic ores, phosphorites (the world's largest phosphorite belt).
2. The Egyptian mining region is rich in oil, natural gas, iron, titanium ores, phosphorites, etc.
3. The region of the Algerian and Libyan parts of the Sahara is distinguished by the largest oil and gas fields.
4. The West Guinean region is characterized by a combination of gold, diamonds, iron ores, and graphites.
5. The East Guinean region is rich in oil, gas, and metal ores.
6. Zaire-Zambian region. On its territory there is a unique "Copper Belt" with deposits of high-quality copper ores, as well as cobalt, zinc, lead, cadmium, germanium, gold, silver. Congo (former Zaire) is the world's leading producer and exporter of cobalt.
7. The largest mining region in Africa is located within Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. Almost all types of fuel, ore and non-metallic minerals are mined here, with the exception of the inclusion of oil, gas and bauxite.
6. Regions of Africa
Africa is divided into 5 regions or 2 large regions (North Africa and Tropical Africa).
Rice. 5. Map of African Regions (Source)
Each region differs in the composition and distribution of the population, natural climatic conditions, resources, specialization of the economy. Tropical Africa (Sub-Saharan Africa) is the least industrialized, least urbanized region of the world and the most backward region of the world.
Rice. 6. Map of Tropical Africa (Source)
7. Monoculture
monocultural specialization- a narrow specialization of the country's economy in the production of one, as a rule, raw material or food product, intended mainly for export.
Rice. 7. Monocultures of African countries (Source)
8. Republic of South Africa
Republic of South Africa. This country ranks first in Africa in many indicators of economic development. South Africa accounts for the lion's share of Africa's GDP, manufacturing and vehicle fleet. South Africa is distinguished by the development of the mining industry, the extraction of gold, diamonds, iron ores, etc.
9. Trans-African Highways
Trans-African Highways: Maghreb, which connects all the countries of North Africa from Morocco to Egypt (Rabat - Cairo) and runs along the Mediterranean coast; Trans-Sahara Highway Algiers (Algeria) - Lagos (Nigeria); Trans-African highway Lagos - Mombasa (Kenya), or highway West - East, etc.
Topic 8, P. 1, 2
1. What resources are Africa richest in?
2. What is monoculture?
Africa freed itself from colonial dependence only at the end of the 20th century. Now there are 55 countries on the political map of this region, all of them are sovereign states.
The state system is dominated by republics, only three countries have a monarchical form of government: Morocco, Lesotho and Swaziland. Most African countries are quite large in area.
Of the features of the economic geographical location African countries are:
Lack of access to the sea of most states;
Access to international sea routes through the Gulf of Guinea and the Mediterranean Sea.
Africa is extremely rich natural resources.
Its main wealth is minerals. The region ranks first in the world in terms of reserves of most types of mineral raw materials. Oil and gas are mined here (Libya, Algeria, Nigeria), iron ore (Liberia, Mauritania, Guinea, Gabon), manganese and uranium ores (Gabon, Niger), bauxite (Guinea, Cameroon), copper ores (Zaire, Zambia), gold and diamonds (South Africa and West African countries), phosphorites (Nauru). South Africa is richest in minerals. There are almost all types of mineral resources (with the exception of oil, gas and bauxite).
African countries are well endowed with water resources. In addition to them, Africa has a whole system of lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika, Nyasa). However, water resources are unevenly distributed: there is an excess of moisture in the equatorial zone, and there are practically no rivers and lakes in the arid regions.
African countries are generally well endowed with land resources. However, as a result of erosion, a large number of lands. The soils of Africa are not very fertile, and, in addition, demanding on agricultural technology.
In terms of forest area, Africa is second only to Russia and Latin America. Forests occupy 10% of the total area of the region. These are humid equatorial forests. Currently, they are actively cut down, which leads to desertification of the territory.
The population of Africa is characterized by several specific features.
Here 300-500 ethnic groups stand out, and some of them have already formed into large nations (Arabs in North Africa), and some are still at the level of nationalities. In this regard, most states are multinational. In addition, the borders of colonial possessions were drawn without taking into account ethnic characteristics, which leads to ethnic conflicts.
Rapid population growth. Africa has the highest birth rate and natural increase in the world. The highest rates are in Kenya, Benin, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania.
The significant predominance of young people in the age structure of the population is associated with high birth and death rates. Extremely uneven population distribution. The average density is 2 times lower than the world average. Very sharp contrasts within countries. There are completely uninhabited territories (in the Sahara, in the zone of equatorial forests), and on the coast, in the valleys and deltas of the rivers, the concentration of the population is high (Egypt).
The region has historically low level urbanization. In Africa, only 20% of cities are millionaires, there are no urban agglomerations. However, there is now a high rate of urbanization, which leads to the uncontrolled growth of capitals due to the influx of rural residents.
At present, Africa's economy is the most backward part of the world economy (with the exception of South Africa). The countries of the continent act on the world market as major suppliers of minerals and agricultural products.
In the sectoral structure of the economy, the leading role belongs to the mining industry. For some types of minerals, Africa accounts for a significant part of world production: diamonds (96%), gold (76%), cobalt and chromium ores (67 - 68%), manganese ores (57%).
The extracted raw materials are mainly exported. Main exporters:
Oil - Nigeria, Libya, Algeria;
Medi - Zaire, Zambia;
Iron ores - Liberia, Mauritania;
Manganese ores - Gabon;
Phosphorites - Morocco;
Uranium ores - Niger, Gabon.
The manufacturing industry is represented mainly by light and food industries. IN last years the share of metallurgy, mechanical engineering, and the chemical industry is increasing. However, the range of types of manufacturing products is still very narrow, and heavy industry enterprises are concentrated in a small number of countries: in Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Zambia, Zaire and some others. Another sector of the economy that determines Africa's place in the world economy is agriculture. It employs up to 90% of the population of individual countries. The leading industry is crop production, in particular tropical and subtropical agriculture. It has an export orientation and often defines a monocultural specialization. For example: agriculture monoculture Senegal - peanuts, Ethiopia - coffee, Ghana - cocoa beans. Other export commodities include dates, tea, natural rubber, sorghum, spices, and cotton.
Main exporters:
Cotton - Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Mali, Tanzania;
Coffee - Ethiopia, Angola, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda;
Cocoa beans - Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria;
Peanuts - Senegal, Gambia, Sudan;
Olive oil - Tunisia, Morocco.
Animal husbandry plays a secondary role and is characterized by low productivity.
Agriculture relies on backward production - technical base. The weak development of irrigation leads to droughts, and the use of slash-and-burn agriculture leads to land degradation, erosion, and desertification.
The transport system in Africa is not developed. The transport network was formed in accordance with the interests of the former colonizers to ensure the export of export goods. Therefore, transport routes are represented by "penetration lines" connecting the port of call with areas of export specialization (a raw material extraction area or a tropical farming area).
The call for raw materials required the organization, first of all, of sea and rail transport. Maritime transport continues to play a leading role in the transport system of the region. The largest ports in Africa: Alexandria, Dakar, Algiers, Casablanca, Lagos, Dar es Salaam.
IN Lately other types of transport have also been developed. A highway across the Sahara has been built, major oil and gas pipelines have been laid in Algeria and Libya.
From the above, it follows that in Africa the colonial type of sectoral structure of the economy is still preserved. Its characteristic features:
The predominance of low-commodity, low-productive agriculture;
Weak development of the manufacturing industry;
Underdevelopment of the transport network;
Restriction of the non-productive sphere to trade and services.
The territorial structure of the economy of the countries of the region is characterized by disproportions in the location of the economy, separate centers of industry and high-value agriculture.
There are several sub-regions in Africa. They differ in their geographical, natural and cultural-historical features. The economic zoning of Africa has not yet taken shape.
The Republic of South Africa (SAR) is the only African country that belongs to the group of developed countries. In all indicators of economic development, it occupies the first place in Africa. It accounts for 25% of weapons and military equipment and 40% of industrial production. The economy is based on the mining industry. South Africa ranks first in the world in gold mining, second in diamond mining, and third in diamond mining. uranium ores. Metallurgy and mechanical engineering are highly developed.
geographic africa resource political
Political division
There are 55 countries and 5 self-proclaimed and unrecognized states in Africa. Most of them were colonies of European states for a long time and gained independence only in the 50-60s of the XX century.
Before that, only Egypt (since 1922), Ethiopia (since the Middle Ages), Liberia (since 1847) and South Africa (since 1910) were independent; In South Africa and Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), until the 1980s and 1990s, the apartheid regime discriminated against the indigenous population. Currently, many African countries are ruled by regimes that discriminate against the white population. According to the data research organization Freedom House, in recent years in many African countries (for example, in Nigeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Congo (Kinshasa) and Equatorial Guinea), there has been a trend of retreat from democratic achievements towards authoritarianism.
Natural conditions and resources
Africa is the hottest continent on the planet. The reason for this is the geographical location of the mainland: the entire territory of Africa is located in hot climatic zones, and the mainland is crossed by the equator line. It is in Africa that the hottest place on Earth is located - Dallol.
Central Africa and the coastal regions of the Gulf of Guinea belong to the equatorial belt, where heavy rainfall occurs throughout the year and there is no change of seasons. To the north and south of the equatorial belt are subequatorial belts. Here, humid equatorial air masses dominate in summer (rainy season), and in winter - dry air of tropical trade winds (dry season). To the north and south of the subequatorial belts are the northern and southern tropical belts. They are characterized by high temperatures with low rainfall, which leads to the formation of deserts.
In the north is the Sahara Desert, the largest on Earth, in the south - the Kalahari Desert, in the southwest the Namib Desert. The northern and southern extremities of the mainland are included in the corresponding subtropical belts.
Africa is exceptionally rich in natural resources. Especially large are the reserves of mineral raw materials - ores of manganese, chromites, bauxites, etc. Fuel raw materials are available in depressions and coastal regions.
Oil and gas are produced in North and West Africa (Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Libya).
Enormous reserves of cobalt and copper ores are concentrated in Zambia and the People's Republic of the Congo; manganese ores are mined in South Africa and Zimbabwe; platinum, iron ores and gold - in South Africa; diamonds - in Congo, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Ghana; phosphorites - in Morocco, Tunisia; uranium - in Niger, Namibia.
Africa has quite large land resources, but soil erosion has become catastrophic due to improper cultivation. Water resources across Africa are distributed extremely unevenly. Forests occupy about 10% of the territory, but as a result of predatory destruction, their area is rapidly declining.
The continent is crossed almost in the middle by the equator and lies completely between the subtropical belts of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The peculiarity of its shape - the northern part is 2.5 times wider than the southern one - determined the difference in their natural conditions. In general, the mainland is compact: 1 km of coastline accounts for 960 km2 of territory.
The relief of Africa is characterized by stepped plateaus, plateaus, and plains. The most highly raised outskirts of the mainland.
Africa is exceptionally rich in minerals, although they are still poorly understood. Among other continents, it ranks first in reserves of ores of manganese, chromite, bauxite, gold, platinum, cobalt, diamonds, and phosphorites. The resources of oil, natural gas, graphite, and asbestos are also great.
mining industry
Africa's share in the global mining industry is 14%. Almost all extracted raw materials and fuel are exported from Africa to economically developed countries, which makes its economy more dependent on the world market.
In total, seven main mining regions can be distinguished in Africa. Three of them are in North Africa and four are in sub-Saharan Africa.
- 1. The region of the Atlas Mountains stands out for its reserves of iron, manganese, polymetallic ores, phosphorites (the world's largest phosphorite belt).
- 2. The Egyptian mining region is rich in oil, natural gas, iron and titanium ores, phosphorites, etc.
- 3. The region of the Algerian and Libyan parts of the Sahara is distinguished by the largest oil and gas reserves.
- 4. The West Guinea region is characterized by a combination of gold, diamonds, iron ores, bauxites.
- 5. The East Guinean region is rich in oil, gas, and metal ores.
- 6. Zaire-Zambian region. On its territory there is a unique "Copper Belt" with deposits of high-quality copper, as well as cobalt, zinc, lead, cadmium, germanium, gold, silver.
Zaire is the world's leading producer and exporter of cobalt
7. The largest mining region in Africa is located within Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. Almost all types of fuel, ore and non-metallic minerals are mined here, with the exception of oil, gas and bauxite. Africa's minerals are unevenly distributed. There are countries in which the lack of a resource base slows down their development.
African land resources are significant. There is more cultivated land per inhabitant than in Southeast Asia or Latin America. In total, 20% of the land suitable for agriculture is cultivated. However, extensive farming and rapid population growth have led to catastrophic soil erosion, which reduces crop yields. This, in turn, exacerbates the problem of hunger, which is very relevant for Africa.
Agro-climatic resources.
The agro-climatic resources of Africa are determined by the fact that it is the hottest continent. But at the same time, precipitation is the main factor determining differences in climatic conditions.
Water resources of Africa. In terms of their volume, Africa is significantly inferior to Asia and South America. The hydrographic network is distributed extremely unevenly. The degree of use of the huge hydropower potential of the rivers (780 million kW) is low.
Forest resources of Africa.
Africa's forest resources are second only to resources Latin America and Russia. But its average forest cover is much lower, moreover, as a result of deforestation, which exceeds natural growth, deforestation has assumed alarming proportions.
Tropical and subtropical agriculture.
Agricultural production is 60--80% of GDP. The main cash crops are coffee, cocoa beans, peanuts, dates, tea, natural rubber, sorghum, spices. Recently, grain crops have been grown: corn, rice, wheat. Animal husbandry plays a subordinate role, with the exception of countries with arid climates. Extensive cattle breeding prevails, characterized by a huge number of livestock, but low productivity and low marketability. The continent does not provide itself with agricultural products.
Transport also retains a colonial type: railways go from the regions of extraction of raw materials to the port, while the regions of one state are practically not connected. Relatively developed rail and sea modes of transport. In recent years, other types of transport have also developed - automobile (a road was laid across the Sahara), air, and pipeline.
All countries, with the exception of South Africa, are developing, most of them are the poorest in the world (70% of the population lives below the poverty line).
Introduction
Conclusion
Introduction
Africa is unique in its fabulously rich nature: here lush tropical vegetation is adjacent to the endless desert scorched by the sun. In many ways, this continent is a mystery: modern civilization coexists with paganism, the archaic is violent, resists progress.
Africa is rightfully considered the pantry of the world: industrial deposits of so many metals have been discovered in its depths that they could fill the entire periodic table.
Africa continues to be the most backward region of the world economy. Therefore the main problem African continent consists in accelerating socio-economic transformations that would contribute to the solution of demographic, food and environmental issues.
In terms of territory, Africa surpasses all other major regions of the world, and in terms of the main indicators of economic and social development significantly inferior to them. Africa ranks last in terms of industrialization, transport security, development of health and science, crop yields and livestock productivity.
In the international division of labor, Africa is represented by the products of the mining industry, tropical and subtropical agriculture. Its share in the world production of gold and diamonds, uranium and bauxites, phosphorites, coconuts, palm oil, coffee and cocoa is especially large.
One of the obstacles hindering the implementation of social and economic transformations in Africa is the armed conflicts between clans that break out in the African countries themselves, in which European states intervene, which makes these conflicts protracted.
1. General characteristics of African countries
Among other continents, Africa occupies a special geographical position. The equator crosses it almost in the middle and divides it into two parts, approximately equally located (to the north and south) in equatorial, tropical and subtropical latitudes. A huge amount of heat enters the entire territory of Africa evenly throughout the year, and the seasons in its northern and southern parts are opposite: while in the northern hemisphere it is summer, in the southern hemisphere it is winter.
The nature of the geographical position provides the possibility of year-round navigation off the coast of Africa, since the seas washing it do not freeze. Great importance for shipping have the Strait of Gibraltar separating Africa and Europe (its distance is only 14 km) and the Suez Canal connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Many countries in Africa have no access to the sea.
The territory of Africa is 30.3 million square kilometers, the population is 784 million people. The length from north to south is 8 thousand km, from west to east - 7.5 thousand km. There are 55 countries in Africa, almost all of which are in the developing category (with the exception of South Africa). In terms of territory, most of them are larger than European ones. Sudan, the largest in terms of territory (2.5 million sq. km), is 4.5 times larger than France, the largest of the European countries. Sudan is followed by Algeria (2.4 million sq. km), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2.3 million, former Belgian Congo), Libya (1.76 million) and about eight more countries with a territory size of more than 1 million sq. km .km
Africa is the most backward region of the world economy in all major indicators of economic and social development, and this gap is growing. This is explained by the fact that the countries of the region for a long time were colonies of European states (France, Great Britain, Spain, Portugal, Belgium), which considered Africa as a source of industrial and agricultural raw materials.
The liberation of Africa from colonial dependence began only in the second half of the 1940s. 20th century Today there is not a single dependent state in Africa, with the exception of Western Sahara, the question of self-determination of which has not yet been resolved.
1.1 Demographics in Africa
Africa has the highest population reproduction rates. In a number of countries (Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria), the birth rate exceeds 50 newborns per 1,000 inhabitants, which is 4-5 times higher than in Europe. At the same time, Africa has the highest mortality rate in the world and the lowest life expectancy. With an average density of 25 people per square kilometer, the population is very unevenly distributed throughout Africa. The most densely populated sea coasts, coastal areas of South Africa, Zambia, Zaire and Zimbabwe. In these areas, the population density ranges from 50 to 1000 people per 1 sq. km. In the vast expanses of the deserts of the Sahara, Kalahari, Namib, the population density barely reaches 1 person per 1 sq. km.
Africa ranks first in the world in illiteracy. There are more than 1000 ethnic groups and more than 700 linguistic indigenous people in modern Africa. Therefore, often the official language is the language of the country whose colony was given country. The three most common official languages are French, English and Arabic; from other European languages - Spanish and Portuguese. In a number of countries official languages two: European and local, and only in 1/5 of all African countries is one of the languages of the local population official.
Africa is characterized by significant migration of the population (external and internal). The main centers of attraction for the labor force from the African continent are Western Europe and Western Asia(especially the Gulf countries). Within the continent, migratory labor flows mainly come from poorest countries to richer ones (South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya, Zaire, Zimbabwe).
1.2 Features of African civilization
The peculiarities of African civilization, which are pointed out by foreign and domestic geographers, can also serve as an obstacle in carrying out socio-economic transformations in Africa. So, A.P. Kuznetsov notes that the basis of African civilization is a fairly harmonious coexistence with nature, which leaves its mark on the psychology of Africans and agricultural methods". The backwardness of agriculture, expressed in low crop yields and low livestock productivity, is explained by natural conditions Africa (high temperatures and humidity), contributing to the rapid deterioration of products, which limits the possibility of their storage. For this reason, crops with different harvesting periods are traditionally grown in Africa, which are low-yielding (millet, sorghum, etc.). In Africa, slash-and-burn agriculture is practiced, typical of tropical rainforests. A plot of land is cultivated until the soil is depleted. Then the site is abandoned and a new one is developed through felling and arson. Such a system requires large areas; it is characterized by the absence of a more or less developed animal husbandry and the cultivation of the land with a hoe, and not with a plow. The use of modern agricultural technology in slash-and-burn agriculture leads to devastating results.
The unity of man and nature in Africa contributed to the development of specific features of the African character, which include sociability and goodwill, impulsiveness, collectivism, but at the same time inertness, apathy, lack of desire to change anything. At the same time, collectivism is understood very broadly - not only as a community of people, but also as a community with divine power, spirits, animals and flora, with inanimate nature.
These features of African civilization and economic management are the reason why the programs for the development of African countries developed by European countries turn out to be untenable and even disastrous for them,
E.N. Smirnov "Introduction to the course of the world economy" - M.: KNORUS, 2008. - P.416.
because they do not take into account the specifics of Africa, everyday, psychological and other habits of its population. However, the traditional methods of African agriculture do not correspond to modern requirements and realities. These realities include: the growing population of Africa, which cannot be fed with current African agricultural practices; the industrialization of African countries, into which they are drawn in the course of the development of the world economy; reduction of farmland; drawing African countries into the world economy, which dictates its own rules.
2. Natural and climatic conditions and minerals
The natural and climatic conditions and minerals of Africa are characterized by the following main features:
1. Africa is the hottest continent on Earth. Heat resources in Africa are quite sufficient for the development of agriculture, but water resources are distributed extremely unevenly in Africa, which negatively affects its agriculture. About 20% of all land suitable for agricultural production is cultivated in the region. 60% is occupied by arid (arid) zones, and the rest falls on waterlogged lands (tropical forests of the Congo Basin).
2. Africa has large reserves of minerals that have global importance, however, these reserves are distributed unevenly between parts of Africa. In North Africa, these are oil, gas, phosphorites; in the territories adjacent to the northern and western coasts of the Gulf of Guinea - aluminum ores, gold, diamonds, oil, and the lands stretching from the upper reaches of the tributaries of the Congo River to the upper reaches of the Orange River are rich in tin, copper, manganese ores, gold, diamonds, chromites. The richest country in Africa with minerals is the Republic of South Africa, whose subsoil contains almost the entire known set of minerals, with the exception of oil, natural gas and bauxite. The reserves of gold, diamonds, and platinum are especially large in South Africa.
2.1 Economy: leading industries and agriculture
The distribution structure of the economy and the population of Africa has not yet developed. In Africa, there is no single economic space, not only on the scale of the entire continent, but even individual countries. The population and economy are located in pockets. The transport network also reflects this weak interconnection and bears features characteristic of colonial countries. Railways and highways tend to go from ports to hinterland where export products are produced, which are supplied by the agricultural sector, as well as mining and forestry. Length railways small - vehicles cover larger areas. For some countries of Central and East Africa, inland water transport is of great economic importance. According to the length and intensity of use, the basins of the Congo, Nile and Niger rivers stand out. External transportation is carried out by sea transport.
Africa's economy is dominated by agriculture and mining. Agriculture employs about 70% of the working population, and in some countries (Chad, Mali, Rwanda, Central African Republic) up to 90% of the population. The predominant industry is crop production. There are two areas in the structure of crop production: the production of food crops for local consumption and the production of export crops.
Crops consumed in Africa include: millet, sorghum, rice, wheat, corn, cassava, yams and sweet potatoes. The main crops of the African continent - millet and sorghum, are cultivated almost everywhere. Corn is the main food crop of the savannah zone. Wheat crops are concentrated in North Africa and South Africa. Rice is mainly grown in well-moistened areas of East Africa (Nile Valley, Madagascar, etc.). The scale of wheat and rice production does not cover the region's domestic needs, so many African countries import wheat and rice.
Africa's main export crops are coffee, cocoa, tea, cotton, peanuts, bananas, and agave (sisal). Africa is a major supplier of coconut kernels, palm oil and olives to the world market. The oil palm is a culture of West and Equatorial Africa. The olive tree grows mainly in the countries of North Africa (Tunisia, etc.). The countries of North and South Africa produce citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits, etc.), tea, tobacco, and grapes.
Agriculture in many African countries is monocultural. So, Senegal is a country of peanuts, Ethiopia is a country of coffee, Ghana is a country of cocoa beans. Animal husbandry is of a subordinate nature, with the exception of those states where the possibilities of agriculture are limited by climatic conditions (dry climate).
The productivity of animal husbandry is low due to the low breeding and poor maintenance of livestock. Nomadic, semi-nomadic and distant pasture animal husbandry prevails. The main branches of animal husbandry are sheep breeding (wool and meat-wool direction), cattle breeding (mainly meat direction), camel breeding.
Agriculture relies on a backward production and technical base: agricultural work is carried out, as a rule, with the help of manual implements (hoes, axes).
The industry is dominated by the mining industry. The mining industry in Africa is poorly connected with other sectors of the economy, most of its products are exported. A few branches of heavy industry (copper, alumina and aluminum smelting, production of phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers, mining equipment, oil refining, etc.) occupy a very modest position in the African economy.
In the manufacturing industry, the textile and food industries have received the greatest development. Leading Industries textile industry- production of cotton fabrics (Sudan, Algeria), food - production of vegetable oils (palm, peanut, olive), coffee, cocoa, sugar, winemaking, canned fish.
Machine-building products are almost completely absent, with the exception of the assembly of cars from imported parts.
In general, in most African countries, the colonial type of sectoral structure of the economy is preserved, the distinguishing features of which are: the predominance of small-scale, low-productive agriculture; weak development of the manufacturing industry; low level of development of transport, narrow sectoral structure of the non-productive sphere, which is limited mainly to trade and services.
2.2 Sub-regions of Africa and South Africa
In economic terms, Africa is usually divided into two large sub-regions, which differ from each other not only in economic, but also in natural and cultural-historical features. This North Africa and Tropical Africa (or Sub-Saharan Africa or Black Africa).
North Africa includes seven countries: Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Western Sahara (fighting for independence, and its future status will be determined by the UN). The countries of this region are among the economically most developed African countries, they are distinguished by their great involvement in the international division of labor. In most countries of the subregion, the official language is Arabic. The population is concentrated in the coastal strip; here are the largest industrial centers and cities. Cairo is the most Big city Africa (about 7 million people). The southern part of the region is very sparsely populated.
Tropical Africa consists of four parts:
1. West Africa: 16 states (between Algeria and Mauritania from the north and the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea), the largest are Mali and Niger, Nigeria.
2. Central Equatorial Africa: 10 states (from the eastern coast of the Gulf of Guinea to Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia - in the east and from the southern borders of Libya to the northern borders of Namibia). The largest: Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), Chad, Angola. This is one of the richest regions in the world in terms of mineral resources. Especially famous is the "copper belt" - the southeast of the Congo and the adjacent region of Zambia, where, along with copper ores, cobalt, lead, zinc and other ores occur. The Congo has reserves of tin, uranium, and diamonds. Congo (Republic of the Congo) and Gabon have oil reserves. The agriculture of the subregion is specialized in the cultivation of coffee, cocoa, tea, tobacco, rubber, etc.
3. East Africa. Includes 19 states (from Sudan to Namibia - from north to south). It does not have large subsoil resources. The countries of the subregion supply coffee (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda), tea (Kenya), sisal and cotton (Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya) to the world market. There are almost no heavy industries.
4. South Africa. Includes five countries. It has a wide range of mineral resources. Socio-economically, South Africa is less homogeneous than any other region in Africa.
Republic of South Africa ( South Africa is the only developed country in Africa. It provides 2/3 of the entire GDP of the continent, up to 50% of the manufacturing industry. The country's economy is determined by its mining industry (first place in the world in gold mining, second in diamond mining, and third in uranium concentrate mining). Mechanical engineering and metallurgy are highly developed. However, South Africa has some characteristics of developing countries. The territory of South Africa is 1.2 million square kilometers, the population is 43.5 million people, of which 75% are blacks, 14% are whites, 9% are mixed and 3% are of Asian origin. Until 1990 There was an apartheid regime in the country separate development”), in which the political, economic and civil rights of the Negro population were severely limited and reservations were created for blacks - “bantustans” (Bantu is one of the peoples of Africa). In 1990 the apartheid regime was effectively abolished. In 1994 Free elections were held in the country, as a result of which the representative of the black majority, Nelson Mandela, became the president of the country.
Conclusion
Over the past 10 years, against the backdrop of mixed ups and downs in the global economy, Africa's economy, which has little influence, has maintained a slight upward trend all the time.
In recent years, the gradual recovery of the world economy has helped Africa's economic growth, especially the continued increase in international demand for primary products from Africa and rising prices for them stimulate economic growth in the region. Currently, oil production in Africa accounts for over 10 percent of the total world oil production, the increase in oil prices over the past 2 years leads to a significant increase in oil export revenues. In addition, in recent years, revenues from the export of non-ferrous metals, gold, coffee, tea and cotton have also increased significantly.
However, despite the favorable growth trend of the African economy, almost half of the Africans who live in sub-Saharan Africa are still below the poverty line.
The unstable political situation in a number of African countries seriously affects both foreign support and investment, as well as the production and export of domestic products, it hinders economic development African countries. Disease, hunger, deterioration environment and other issues raised civil war and armed conflicts, have a negative impact on the stable development of the African economy.
Today, it is important that African countries develop a rational and perfect economic policy. In recent years, a number of African countries have created the necessary conditions for the further development of the private economy, strengthened financial reforms, increased domestic savings, and increased investment in the development of infrastructure and human resources. However, these new measures need further improvement. In short, Africa has a weak base and many unresolved issues, Africa still has a long way to go to economic recovery.
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