Transcript Today`s Issues in Africa

 European
colonialism and it’s aftermath
has left most of today’s independent
African nations with economic, health,
educational, and political problems.
 Compounding these problems is Africa’s
challenging geography.
 Africa’s
history of
colonization has had
long-term effects on
its economy.
 Barriers
to African
economic
development include
illiteracy, foreign
debt, and a lack of
manufacturing
industries.
 European
colonizers
exploited Africa’s
resources, people


European colonies
were set up only to
benefit Europe.
Land was mined,
drilled;
environment was
ignored
 Most
countries do little
manufacturing

sell raw materials to
industrialized countries
 All
this has limited
Africa’s economic
growth, political
stability
 In fact, most African
countries are worse off
today than in 1960

average incomes have
decreased
 African
countries
lack crucial
infrastructure such
as roads, airports,
railroads, ports.
 Many people have
little access
computers or high
technology
 Newly
independent
countries borrowed
money to build
economies
total Africa debt of
governments was
$295 billion by 2002
 many Western leaders
push to forgive
Africa’s debts

 “One-commodity”
countries rely on export of
one or two commodities



commodity —agricultural or
mining product that can be
sold
value varies daily based on
worldwide supply and demand
this makes “one-commodity”
nations’ economies unstable
 Economists
want Africans to
diversify — create variety
in economies
Uneducated populace is a
large barrier to economic
development
 Average schooling time for
women up only 1.2 years in
last 40 years
 In Angola and Somalia, civil
wars have destroyed school
systems
 But in Algeria, 94% get a
formal education


83% of Mauritians over 15 are
literate
 Many
of Africa’s
best and brightest
end up migrating
to western
nations.
 Many urge them to
return and help
out their nations.
 Epidemic
diseases are killing Africa’s
people in huge numbers.
 African nations and countries around the
world are using a variety of methods,
including education, to eradicate disease.
 Cholera

—sometimes fatal infection
spread by poor sanitation, lack of clean water
 Malaria
—often-fatal infectious disease marked
by chills, fever

carried by mosquitoes; resistant to drugs due to
overuse
 Acquired
immune deficiency syndrome
(AIDS)—caused by HIV virus


70% of adult, 80% of child AIDS cases are in Africa
often paired with tuberculosis—infectious
respiratory infection
3
million died from
AIDS worldwide in 2000
- 2.4 million lived in subSaharan Africa
 In
Swaziland, 3 of 4
deaths were from AIDS

life expectancy has
fallen from 58 years to
39
 In
2000, 26 million
people in Africa had
HIV or AIDS
 Many
countries are trying
to fight disease epidemics
in their countries
 Educating the masses on
the problems
 Outside agencies have
funded immunization and
treatment
 In some areas this has
helped, but the struggle
continues.
 European
control
begins to fade in 20th
century

most countries gain
independence in 1960s
 Despite
leaving, there
is long-term damage
to cultural and ethnic
boundaries, economy
 Colonial
boundaries included rival
ethnic groups in the same country.
 Colonial governments increased the
rivalries by favoring one group or pitting
them against each other.
 Colonial governments were often run
with high levels of corruption.
 After independence, many nations
struggled with ethnic conflict and
corruption.
 Early
19th century Africa was home to
great empires, rich cultures
 By the end of the 19th century—poverty
and violence
 Many of Africa’s problems stem from
European colonialism
 Portuguese
establish
coastal trading stations
in the 1400s
 By mid-1800s,
Europeans seek Africa’s
rich natural resources

need raw materials for
industrial economies,
markets to sell goods
 Berlin
Conference
(1884-85) sets rules for
dividing up Africa