Transcript chapter9
World Regional Geography Chapter 9: A Geographic Profile of Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 9.1 Area & Population • Second largest land area of all the major world regions – Covers 17.4 million square miles (Twice the size of the U.S.) • Population of 749 million (2007) – Overpopulated in areas, yet much of region is sparsely populated – Average population density is slightly more than that of the U.S. – Rate of population increase is 2.5 percent per year • Preference for Large Families – – – – Extra hands to perform work Ability for parents to be looked after when old or sick In the case of girls, to receive “bride wealth” Large families convey status • Birth rates have been dropping in every country in the region over the past past two decades Comparison of Area & Latitude: Sub-Saharan Africa vs. Conterminous U.S. Population Distribution Population Cartogram Homes Elevated to Minimize Risk of Flooding 9.1.1 Africa’s Population Prospects • Africa has the world’s youngest population – 43% of the region’s people are under 15 years of age • Malthusian Scenario – 1 Percent Gap • Population has had growth rate of about 3% since 1960s • Food production has grown at only about 2% annually • This is the only world region where per capita food production is declining – HIV/AIDS • Possibly a Malthusian “check” to population growth 9.2 Physical Geography & Human Adaptations • • • • The Landscapes of Africa Africa’s Biomes and Climates Living off the Land Africa’s Wildlife 9.2.1 The Landscapes of Africa • Most of Africa is a vast plateau, or series of plateaus – Typical elevation of more than 1,000 feet, though in places elevation rises to 5,000 feet and higher • The character of African rivers – Rapids and waterfalls block navigation a short distance inland • Great potential for hydroelectric energy – Africa’s discontinuous inland waterways are interconnected by railroads and highways Physical Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa Mount Kilimanjaro • Insert fig 9.6 (of Kilimanjaro) Mount Kenya Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River 9.2.2 Africa’s Biomes and Climates • Equator bisects Africa, so about two-thirds of the region lies in the low latitudes, having tropical climates • Biomes of Sub-Saharan Africa – – – – – – – Tropical Rain Forest Savanna Steppe Desert Mediterranean Humid Subtropical Marine West Coast • Precipitation in region is high, but unevenly distributed • Drought is a persistent problem Climates of Sub-Saharan Africa Biomes of Sub-Saharan Africa 9.2.3 Living off the Land • Most productive lands are on river plains, in volcanic regions, and in some grassland areas of tropical steppes • To support growing populations, fallow periods have been shortened, and the lands pressed to yield more crops • Sub-Saharan Africa’s soils favor subsistence agriculture and pastoralism – Half of the region’s population practices these livelihoods Land Use in Sub-Saharan Africa Mother and Child in Zimbabwe Zebu Cattle in Madagascar 9.2.4 Africa’s Wildlife • Africa has the planet’s most spectacular and numerous populations of large mammals – Tropical grasslands and open forests • Habitats of large herbivorous animals – Elephant, Buffalo, Zebra, Giraffe, and many species of Antelope • Carnivorous and scavenging animals – Lion, Leopard, and Hyena – Tropical rain forests • Abundant species of insects, birds, and monkeys – Streams and rivers draining the forests and wetter savannas • Hippopotamus, crocodile, and a great variety of fish • Home to some of the world’s most extraordinary and successfully managed national parks – International tourism to these parks is a major source of revenue Daggers as Dress Accessory in Yemen 9.3 Cultural & Historical Geographies • African continent was the original home of humankind • After 5000 B.C.E., indigenous people were responsible for agricultural innovation in four culture hearths: – Ethiopian Plateau – West African Savanna – West African Forest – Forest-Savanna Boundary of West Central Africa • Domestication of important crops – Millet, sorghum, yams, cowpeas, okra, watermelons, coffee, and cotton 9.3.1 The Languages of Africa • Peoples of this region speak more than 1,000 languages, which generally belong to one of four broad language groups: – – – – Niger-Congo Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharan Khoisan • The African Union, the continent’s supranational organization, uses 6 official languages – English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, and Arabic Languages of Sub-Saharan Africa 9.3.2 Africa’s Belief Systems • Spiritualism is extremely strong, but spiritual affiliations and practices are more interwoven and flexible than in most other world regions – Not uncommon for family members to follow different faiths, or for an individual to change religious beliefs and practices in the course of a lifetime • Dominant Religions of Africa – Islam – Christianity – Indigenous African Religions (Animism) Religions of Sub-Saharan Africa 9.3.3 The Origins and Impacts of Slavery • Over a period of 12 centuries, as many as 25 million people from sub-Saharan Africa were forced to become slaves, exported as merchandise from their homelands • The trade began in the 7th century, with Arab merchants using trans-Saharan camel caravan routes to exchange goods • Slave traffic – Provided motivation for European commerce along African coasts – Largest slave traffic was the European controlled slave trade – Transatlantic slave trade peaked between 1700 and 1870 • 80% of an estimated 10 million slaves made the crossing • More than 10 million others probably died • Slavery has not yet died out in the region – Enslavement of children persists in West Africa Slave Export Trade Routes 9.3.4 The Impact of Colonialism • European colonialism began to overshadow and inhibit the growth of indigenous African civilizations in 16th C. • Portugal was earliest colonial power to build an African empire • Conference of Berlin in 1884-1885 – European powers carved up Africa – Modern national boundaries do not correspond with ethnic boundaries • Nigeria as the “Mistake of 1914” • European colonization had both positive and negative impacts on the region • Most countries still have important links with their former colonial powers Colonial Rule in 1914 9.4 Economic Geography • Sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by great poverty – 25 of the world’s 30 poorest countries are located there – All economies except South Africa’s are underindustrialized • Africa’s place in the commercial world is mainly that of a producer of primary products – Cash Crops – Raw Materials • Social and structural problems contribute to the region’s underdevelopment – Most African societies lack a substantial middle class and the prospect of upward economic mobility Coffee as Kenya’s Cash Crop 9.4.1 Agriculture • Per capita food output in most of Sub-Saharan Africa has declined or remained flat since independence – Malnutrition afflicts almost half the region’s children – Rapid population growth and drought are responsible – Many regimes have invested more in their militaries than in getting food to their citizens – Governmental preference for cash crops over subsistence food crops • Export Crops – Grown on small farms rather than on plantations / estates – Most valuable export crops are: • Coffee, Cacao, Cotton, Peanuts & Oil Palm Products – Secondary Cash Crops • Sisal, Pyrethrum, Tea, Tobacco, Rubber, Pineapples, Bananas, Cloves, Vanilla, Cane Sugar & Cashews 9.4.2 Mineral Resources • Notable Mineral Exports – – – – – – – Precious metals and precious stones Iron alloys Copper Phosphate Uranium Petroleum High-grade iron ore • Destined principally for Europe, the U.S., and China • Mining has attracted far more investment capital to Africa than any other economic activity Minerals, Oil Pipelines and Transportation Links 9.4.3 Africa’s Fragile Infrastructure • Poor Transportation Hindering Development – Few countries can afford to build extensive new road or rail networks, and much of colonial infrastructure has deteriorated – Contributes to famine, with the inability to transport crop surpluses to parts with chronic food shortages – Contributes to high costs of agricultural inputs (i.e., fertilizers) • Bridging the Digital Divide – Critical shortage of telephone, fax, e-mail, and other communication technologies – Internet Cafés – Mobile Phones Ferries for River Crossings Without Bridges 9.4.4 Africa in World Markets & Economies • Commodities boom brought annual economic growth rates of about 5% to 16 Sub-Saharan African countries • Many countries outside the region have effectively closed their doors to African imports – Subsidies, high tariffs, and/or low quotas imposed on agricultural products or manufactured goods • Africa’s Debt – Forgiveness of $40 billion of debt by G-8 – China’s engagement with the region • Pledge of $20 billion in infrastructure and trade financing 9.4.5 A Legacy of Failed States • Failed-State Syndrome – Pernicious process of economic and political decay that is eating away at some African countries – Some countries are little more than “shell states” – 9 of world’s 15 most corrupt countries are in this region – Donor Democracy • Leaders make just enough concessions to win outside aid without instituting real reform 9.5 Geopolitical Issues • Sub-Saharan Africa is often judged as marginal in world affairs, but the region deserves and is receiving increased international attention – Humanitarian problems – Global implications of its public health and environmental situations – Problems in the management of Africa’s natural resource wealth, its oil reserves, and concerns over terrorism – Terrorism Hot Spots • Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Niger, Chad, and Mali – HIV/AIDS • Link between U.S. and Africa via air traffic routes • Potential AIDS-related political instability or civil wars