Transcript Sub Saharan Africa Today

Unit 8
Africa South of the Sahara Today
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I. Section I
Living in Africa
South of the Sahara

Play Pump-
Children play on merry-goround and pump water
into tower at the same
time!
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A. Agriculture

Farming Methods & Export Crops

Farming is the main economic activity of this
region
Farming – most people do this
 Shifting Farming – move every 2-3 years to find
better soil
 Sedentary Farming – most common in areas
w/good soil
 Commercial Farming – produce crops on a large
scale
 Subsistence

Cash Crops – palm oil, peanuts, cacao, sisal (used in
rope)
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B. Logging & Fishing

Forests cover almost 25% of this region
They are being destroyed rapidly
 Why are these trees so important (especially in
the southern hemisphere)?
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
Commercial Fishing

Represents a small portion of economy
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C. Mining Resources

Mining Wealth

South Africa – world’s largest producer of gold
 Also
produces gems & diamonds
 Many mines are foreign owned or owned by rich
white South Africans


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Not much goes to the black mine workers
Watch the movie “Blood Diamonds” if possible!
An Imbalance of Riches
 Poor
government management of resources has
not helped the people of those countries, but
instead foreigners
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D. Industrialization


Development of Manufacturing
 Lack of infrastructure –
resources needed to
industrialize
 What does this cause?
 By the late 1990’s, only
15% of the region’s GDP
came from manufacturing!
Overcoming Obstacles
 Lack of skilled workers,
power/energy, political
conflicts/civil wars
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E. Transportation &
Communications

Roads & Railroads
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Lack of money, skilled
workers, rough terrain,
wars – all make it
difficult to keep roads
& railways in working
order
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
Communications

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Mostly radio
TV & Telephones are
limited
Internet Commerce

Some Africans are
using the internet to
sell their goods and
make a living!
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II. Section II
People & Their Environment
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A. Shadow of Hunger
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Today, many people
in this region must
focus on survival

Hunger is one of the
biggest problems

In the 1990’s, many
thousands of people
died of starvation in the
Horn of Africa –
Somalia, Ethiopia, and
Djibouti

Drought & wars
contributed to the
famine
Hunger Trouble Spots
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Desertification
 The
Sahel region once supported life and has
now been effected by drought, people, and
animals that have stripped this land
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A. (cont)

Conflict & Hunger
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War continues to be a
major cause of famine



Since 1990 – Liberia,
Sudan, Somalia,
Rwanda
MAJOR WAR
ISSUES currently
occurring in Somalia
and Sudan
Recent peace treaty
between Ethiopia &
Eritrea
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
Farming & Peace
 After Eritrea gained
its independence in
1993, farmers in
both countries have
tried to improve the
land
 Still facing
issues like
drought, though

The sandals worn by the fighters of
independence have become iconic.
This monument in Asmara was
erected in memoriam
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B. Land Use

Destruction of the Rain
Forest
 In 1990, rain forest =
1.5 billion acres
 By 2000, 126 million
acres had disappeared
 How does this
affect the people
living there?
 How does it affect
us?
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Endangered Animals
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Depletion of rain forests destroys habitats
Many animals face extinction
Many animals are killed by poaching
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Conservation & Tourism
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Game preserves built
Ecotourism introduced
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C. Toward the Future
This region is trying to work towards
improvement for its plants, animals, &
people
 Make sure you read pgs. 548-549 !
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