Africa is a part of the world with an area of 30.3 million km 2 with islands, this is the second place after Eurasia, 6% of the entire surface of our planet and 20% of the land.
Africa is located in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres (most of it), a small part in the Southern and Western. Like all large fragments ancient continent Gondwana has a massive outline, with no large peninsulas or deep bays. The length of the continent from north to south is 8 thousand km, from west to east - 7.5 thousand km. In the north it is washed by waters Mediterranean Sea, in the northeast by the Red Sea, in the southeast by the Indian Ocean, in the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Africa is separated from Asia by the Suez Canal, and from Europe by the Strait of Gibraltar.
Africa lies on an ancient platform, which causes its flat surface, which in some places is dissected by deep river valleys. On the coast of the mainland there are small lowlands, the northwest is the location of the Atlas Mountains, the northern part, almost entirely occupied by the Sahara Desert, is the Ahaggar and Tibetsi highlands, the east is the Ethiopian Highlands, the southeast is the East African Plateau, the extreme south is the Cape and Drakensberg mountains The highest point in Africa is the Kilimanjaro volcano (5895 m, Masai plateau), the lowest is 157 meters below ocean level in Lake Assal. Along the Red Sea, in the Ethiopian Highlands and to the mouth of the Zambezi River, the largest fault in the world stretches earth's crust, which is characterized by frequent seismic activity.
The following rivers flow through Africa: Congo (Central Africa), Niger (West Africa), Limpopo, Orange, Zambezi (South Africa), as well as one of the deepest and longest rivers in the world - the Nile (6852 km), flowing from the south to north (its sources are on the East African Plateau, and it flows, forming a delta, into the Mediterranean Sea). Rivers are characterized by high water content exclusively in the equatorial belt, due to precipitation there large quantity precipitation, most of them are characterized by high flow rates and have many rapids and waterfalls. In lithospheric faults filled with water, lakes were formed - Nyasa, Tanganyika, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest lake in area after Lake Superior ( North America) - Victoria (its area is 68.8 thousand km 2, length 337 km, maximum depth - 83 m), the largest salty closed lake is Chad (its area is 1.35 thousand km 2, located on the southern edge of the world's greatest desert, the Sahara).
Due to Africa's location between two tropical zones, it is characterized by high total solar radiation, which gives the right to call Africa the hottest continent on Earth (the hottest heat on our planet was registered in 1922 in Al-Aziziya (Libya) - +58 C 0 in the shadow).
On the territory of Africa, such natural zones are distinguished as evergreen equatorial forests (the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, the Congo basin), in the north and south turning into mixed deciduous-evergreen forests, then there is a natural zone of savannas and woodlands, extending to Sudan, East and South Africa, to In northern and southern Africa, savannas give way to semi-deserts and deserts (Sahara, Kalahari, Namib). In the southeastern part of Africa there is a small zone of mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains there is a zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs. Natural zones of mountains and plateaus are subject to the laws of altitudinal zonation.
The territory of Africa is divided between 62 countries, 54 are independent, sovereign states, 10 dependent territories belonging to Spain, Portugal, Great Britain and France, the rest are unrecognized, self-proclaimed states - Galmudug, Puntland, Somaliland, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). For a long time, Asian countries were foreign colonies of various European countries and only by the middle of the last century gained independence. Depending on the geographical location Africa is divided into five regions: Northern, Central, Western, Eastern and Southern Africa.
Mountains and plains of Africa
Most of the African continent is plain. There are mountain systems, highlands and plateaus. They are presented:
The highest point of the country is the Kilimanjaro volcano, 5,895 m high, belonging to the East African Plateau in the southeastern part of the continent...
Deserts and savannas
The largest desert zone of the African continent is located in the northern part. This is the Sahara Desert. On the southwest side of the continent is another smaller desert, the Namib, and from there into the continent to the east there is the Kalahari Desert.
The savannah territory occupies the bulk of Central Africa. In area it is much larger than the northern and southern parts of the mainland. The territory is characterized by the presence of pastures typical of savannas, low bushes and trees. The height of herbaceous vegetation varies depending on the amount of precipitation. These can be practically desert savannas or tall grasses, with a grass cover from 1 to 5 m in height...
Rivers
The longest river in the world, the Nile, is located on the African continent. The direction of its flow is from south to north.
The list of major water systems of the mainland includes the Limpopo, Zambezi and Orange River, as well as the Congo, which flows through Central Africa.
On the Zambezi River is the famous Victoria Falls, 120 meters high and 1,800 meters wide...
Lakes
The list of large lakes on the African continent includes Lake Victoria, which is the second largest freshwater body of water in the world. Its depth reaches 80 m, and its area is 68,000 square km. Two more large lakes continent: Tanganyika and Nyasa. They are located in the faults of lithospheric plates.
There is Lake Chad in Africa, which is one of the world's largest endorheic relict lakes that have no connection with the world's oceans...
Seas and oceans
The African continent is washed by the waters of two oceans: the Indian and the Atlantic. Also off its shores are the Red and Mediterranean Seas. From the outside Atlantic Ocean in the southwestern part the waters form the deep Gulf of Guinea.
Despite the location of the African continent, the coastal waters are cool. This is influenced by the cold currents of the Atlantic Ocean: the Canary in the north and the Bengal in the southwest. From the Indian Ocean, the currents are warm. The largest are Mozambique, in northern waters, and Agulhas, in southern...
Forests of Africa
Forests make up a little more than a quarter of the entire territory of the African continent. Here are subtropical forests growing on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains and the valleys of the ridge. Here you can find holm oak, pistachio, strawberry trees, etc. They grow high in the mountains conifers, represented by Aleppo pine, Atlas cedar, juniper and other types of trees.
Closer to the coast there are cork oak forests; in the tropical region, evergreen equatorial plants are common, for example, mahogany, sandalwood, ebony, etc...
Nature, plants and animals of Africa
The vegetation of equatorial forests is diverse; about 1000 species of various types of trees grow here: ficus, ceiba, vine tree, oil palm, wine palm, banana palm, tree ferns, sandalwood, mahogany, rubber trees, Liberian a coffee tree etc. Many species of animals, rodents, birds and insects live here, living directly on the trees. On the ground live: brush-eared pigs, leopards, African deer - a relative of the okapi giraffe, large apes - gorillas...
40% of Africa's territory is occupied by savannas, which are huge steppe areas covered with herbs, low, thorny bushes, milkweed, and separately standing trees(tree-like acacias, baobabs).
Here there is the largest concentration of such large animals as: rhinoceros, giraffe, elephant, hippopotamus, zebra, buffalo, hyena, lion, leopard, cheetah, jackal, crocodile, hyena dog. The most numerous animals of the savannah are herbivores such as: hartebeest (antelope family), giraffe, impala or black-toed antelope, different kinds gazelles (Thomson's, Grant's), blue wildebeest, and in some places rare jumping antelopes - springboks - are also found.
The vegetation of deserts and semi-deserts is characterized by poverty and unpretentiousness; these are small thorny bushes and separately growing tufts of herbs. In the oases grows a unique date palm Erg Chebbi, as well as plants resistant to drought conditions and salt formation. In the Namib Desert, unique plants such as Welwitschia and Nara grow, the fruits of which are eaten by porcupines, elephants and other desert animals.
Animals here include various species of antelopes and gazelles, adapted to the hot climate and capable of traveling vast distances in search of food, many species of rodents, snakes, and turtles. Lizards. Among the mammals: spotted hyena, common jackal, maned sheep, Cape hare, Ethiopian hedgehog, Dorcas gazelle, sabre-horned antelope, Anubis baboon, wild Nubian ass, cheetah, jackal, fox, mouflon, there are resident and migratory birds.
Seasons, weather and climate of African countries
The central part of Africa, through which the equator line passes, is located in the region low pressure and receives sufficient moisture, the territories north and south of the equator are in the subequatorial climate zone, this is a zone of seasonal (monsoon) moisture and arid desert climate. The extreme north and south are in the subtropical climate zone, the south receives precipitation brought by air masses from the Indian Ocean, the Kalahari Desert is located here, the north receives minimal precipitation due to the formation of the region high pressure and the characteristics of the movement of trade winds, the largest desert in the world is the Sahara, where the amount of precipitation is minimal, in some areas it does not fall at all...
Natural Resources of Africa
In terms of water resources, Africa is considered one of the poorest continents in the world. The average annual volume of water is only sufficient to satisfy primary needs, but this does not apply to all regions.
Land resources are represented by large areas with fertile lands. Only 20% of all possible lands are cultivated. The reason for this is the lack of adequate water volume, soil erosion, etc.
African forests are a source of timber, including valuable species. The countries in which they grow, export raw materials. Resources are being used unwisely and ecosystems are being destroyed little by little.
In the depths of Africa there are deposits of minerals. Among those sent for export: gold, diamonds, uranium, phosphorus, manganese ores. There are significant reserves of oil and natural gas.
Energy-intensive resources are widely available on the continent, but they are not used due to the lack of proper investment...
Among the developed industrial sectors of the countries of the African continent, the following can be noted:
The main agricultural products are cocoa beans, coffee, corn, rice and wheat. Oil palm is grown in tropical regions of Africa.
Fishing is poorly developed and accounts for only 1-2% of the total agricultural output. Livestock production indicators are also not high and the reason for this is the infection of livestock by tsetse flies...
Peoples of Africa: culture and traditions
About 8,000 peoples live on the territory of 62 African countries and ethnic groups, which totals about 1.1 billion people. Africa is considered the cradle and ancestral home of human civilization; it was here that the remains of ancient primates (hominids) were found, which, according to scientists, are considered the ancestors of people.
Most peoples in Africa can number several thousand people or several hundred living in one or two villages. 90% of the population are representatives of 120 nations, their number is more than 1 million people, 2/3 of them are peoples with a population of more than 5 million people, 1/3 are peoples with a population of more than 10 million people (this is 50% of the total population of Africa) - Arabs , Hausa, Fulbe, Yoruba, Igbo, Amhara, Oromo, Rwanda, Malagasy, Zulu...
There are two historical and ethnographic provinces: North African (the predominance of the Indo-European race) and Tropical African (the majority of the population is the Negroid race), it is divided into such areas as:
In the North African province, the main peoples are considered to be Arabs and Berbers, belonging to the southern European minor race, mainly professing Sunni Islam. There is also an ethno-religious group of Copts, who are direct descendants of the Ancient Egyptians, they are Monophysite Christians.
Africa is the largest continent on the planet, which in terms of size and population ranks second after Eurasia. This occupies 6% of the Earth's area and more than 20% of the entire land area. The list consists of 62 units. Conventionally, this continent is divided into four parts - Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern. These borders coincide with the borders of the states that are located there. Some of them have access to the seas and oceans, others are located inland.
Africa itself is located, one might say, in the center of the planet. From the north it is washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, from the northeast - the Red Sea and East End bathes in the waters of the Indian Ocean, and all the western coasts, among which there are both resorts and industrial cities, plunge into the waters of the Atlantic. Relief, as well as vegetation and animal world This continent is very diverse and mysterious. Most of this area is occupied by deserts, which are incredibly hot. all year round. However, in some regions there are mountains covered with eternal snow. A list of African countries cannot be fully imagined without some natural features each of them.
Now we will look at the largest and most famous countries in Africa. A list with capitals, as well as languages used, is given below:
This is far from being represented full list African countries. Among them there are also very poorly developed areas that are part of both other African and European powers.
It is generally accepted that the most developed regions are the North and a small part of the South. All other states are in the so-called “safari” zone. There is an unfavorable climate for life, desert terrain, and the absence of inland waters. Now we will briefly look at what they are. The list consists of 6 administrative units, which include: Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Sudan. Most of this territory is the Sahara Desert, so local thermometers never drop below 10 degrees Celsius. It is also important to note that in this region, all countries were at one time or another under the rule of European powers. Therefore, local residents are very familiar with the Romano-Germanic family of languages. Nowadays, proximity to the Old World allows residents of North Africa to establish business relations with its representatives.
As mentioned above, the developed countries of Africa are not only in the north of the continent. The list of all the rest is much shorter, since it consists of one power - South Africa. This unique state contains absolutely everything you can imagine. At the height of summer, there is a peak influx of tourists from all over the world. People come to the region to see the unique shores, as well as to swim in the waters of the Indian or Atlantic Ocean. Along with this, fishing, boat trips, and excursions to local museums and attractions are very developed in the region. Along with this, local residents are actively engaged in the extraction of diamonds and oil, which are concentrated in huge quantities in the depths of this region.
Sometimes you get the feeling that the very center of world civilization is concentrated not in Europe, not even in America, but precisely in the very south of the African continent. Such world-famous cities as Pretoria, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth have grown up here. purple color jacaranda The territory of the cities is inhabited both by white settlers who have settled here for a very long time, and by the historical owners of these lands - black Africans. You can talk about these enchanting places for hours, because they are exactly what best countries and capitals of Africa. The list of southern cities and resorts given above will allow you to better navigate this area.
The cradle of all earthly humanity, the birthplace of minerals and jewelry, unique natural wonders and luxurious resorts that contrast with the poverty of the local population - all this is concentrated on one single continent. A simple listing of names - a list of African countries - cannot fully reveal all the potential that is stored in these lands and on their surface, and in order to get to know these territories, you need to go there and see everything with your own eyes.
In the east are the Cameroon mountains, in the south and west are the waves of the Atlantic, where the westernmost point of Africa is located - Cape Almadi in Senegal. Such natural boundaries are outlined West Africa, which is conventionally divided into two regions: the arid Sahel adjacent to the desert and Sudan, which is more comfortable for living. This part of the continent is home to sixteen countries, the largest of which are Niger, Mali and Mauritania, and the smallest is Cape Verde (Cape Verde).
Climate features, flora and fauna
The most difficult climatic conditions- in the northern Sahel, which is covered by desert year after year. The region is officially recognized as one of the hottest on the planet - in winter the temperature rarely drops below +20 °C, and in summer it confidently stays at +40 °C. At this time, all the vegetation here dies, and the herbivorous inhabitants of the savannah (mainly antelopes and gazelles) migrate south.
West African countries, located in the Sahel, periodically find themselves on the brink of disaster due to monstrous droughts that can last up to five to six years. But in Sudan Agriculture much better developed. In Togo, coffee, cocoa beans and cotton are grown and exported, in Gambia - peanuts and corn, in Mauritania - dates and rice.
Sudan receives much more rainfall than the Sahel - it is brought by the summer monsoons. In addition, many rivers flow here, so closer to the Atlantic the vegetation is more abundant (even lush tropical forests), and the animal world is much richer.
History and modernity
European colonialists were attracted to West Africa back in the 15th century - the British, Portuguese, and French created fortified outposts on the coast, imposing their conditions on the local tribes. Most states managed to completely free themselves from the tutelage of metropolises only in the second half of the last century.
As a legacy of such total dependence, the countries of West Africa received deep-rooted enmity with their neighbors, who were under the control of other European “patrons.” The region is famous for political instability - military coups, riots and civil wars are common here.
Western Africa is rich in mineral resources. Ghana is one of the leading suppliers of gold, Nigeria's budget is 80% dependent on oil trade, Sierra Leone produces diamonds, and Niger produces uranium. At the same time, only raw materials are supplied to the world market; the processing industry is underdeveloped. Almost all countries in the region are included in the list of the poorest countries on the planet with a very unfavorable epidemiological situation and a low level of healthcare.
List of West African countries
Uniting 54 African states. The African Union was founded on July 9, 2002. The predecessor of the African Union is the Organization of African Unity (OAU). African countries are divided into independent states of Africa and dependent territories of Africa, dependent mainly on the countries of the old world. Of these, 3 are self-proclaimed and unrecognized. The states of Africa, or as they are also called, the countries of the black continent, most of them, were colonial dependent for a long time and were under the control of European states and began to gain independence only in the 50-60s of the 20th century. Before this, only Egypt since 1922, Ethiopia since the Middle Ages, Liberia since 1847 and South Africa since 1910 were independent states; in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), until the 80-90s of the 20th century, the apartheid regime, which discriminated against the indigenous (black) population, remained in place. Currently, many African countries are ruled by regimes that discriminate against the white population. According to the research organization Freedom House, last years In many African countries (for example, Nigeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Congo (Kinshasa) and Equatorial Guinea), there has been a tendency to retreat from democratic achievements towards authoritarianism.
| African countries. Capital cities of African countries. Independent countries and dependent territories. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countries and territories | Area (km²) | Population of countries | Population density (per km²) | Capital |
| African countries | ||||
| North Africa. Independent states. | ||||
| Algeria (state) | 2 381 740 | 40 400 000 | 15,9 | Algiers (city) |
| Egypt | 1 001 450 | 88 487 396 | 85 | Cairo |
| Libya | 1 759 540 | 5 613 380 | 3,2 | Tripoli |
| Morocco | 446 550 | 33,848,242 | 70 | Rabat |
| Sudan | 1 886 100 | 40 234 882 | 16,4 | Khartoum |
| Tunisia (state) | 163 610 | 10 982 754 | 61,6 | Tunis (city) |
| Spanish territories in North Africa: dependent territories. | ||||
| Canary Islands (Spain) | 7 492, 360 | 2 118 344 | 284,5 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife |
| Small Sovereign Territories (Spain) | - | - | - | - |
| Melilla (city, Spain) | 12 | 85 584 | 6 382 | - |
| Ceuta (Spain) | 18,5 | 84 263 | 4 555 | - |
| Portuguese territories in North Africa: dependent territories. | ||||
| Azores (Portugal) | 2 346 | 246 772 | 106,3 | Ponta Delgada, Angra do Heroismo, Horta |
| Madeira (autonomous region, Portugal) | 828 | 267 785 | 341,13 | Funchal |
| West Africa. Independent countries and dependent territories. | ||||
| Benin | 112 620 | 10 741 458 | 79 | Porto-Novo, Cotonou |
| Burkina Faso | 274,200 | 17 692 391 | 57,5 | Ouagadougou |
| Gambia | 10 380 | 1 878 999 | 156 | Banjul |
| Ghana | 238 540 | 25 199 609 | 106 | Accra |
| Guinea | 245 857 | 11 176 026 | 39,4 | Conakry |
| Guinea-Bissau | 36 120 | 1 647 000 | 44,1 | Bissau |
| Cape Verde | 4 033 | 523 568 | 129,8 | Praia |
| Ivory Coast | 322 460 | 23,740,424 | 65 | Yamoussoukro |
| Liberia | 111 370 | 4 294 000 | 38 | Monrovia |
| Mauritania | 1 030 700 | 3 359 185 | 3 | Nouakchott |
| Mali | 1 240 000 | 15 968 882 | 11,71 | Bamako |
| Niger | 1 267 000 | 23 470 530 | 11 | Niamey |
| Nigeria | 923 768 | 186 053 386 | 197 | Abuja |
| Senegal | 196 722 | 13 300 410 | 51 | Dakar |
| Sierra Leone | 71 740 | 5 363 669 | 76 | Freetown |
| Togo | 56 785 | 7 154 237 | 108 | Lome |
| British dependent territories in West Africa. | ||||
| Saint Helena (Dependent Territory (UK)) | 413 | 5 231 | 12,45 | Jamestown |
| Central Africa. Independent countries. | ||||
| Angola | 1 246 700 | 20 172 332 | 20,69 | Luanda |
| Gabon | 267 667 | 1 738 541 | 6,77 | Libreville |
| Cameroon | 475 440 | 20 549 221 | 34 | Yaounde |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2 345 410 | 77 433 744 | 28 | Kinshasa |
| Congo | 342 000 | 4 233 063 | 12 | Brazzaville |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 1001 | 163 000 | 169,1 | Sao Tome |
| CAR | 622 984 | 5 057 000 | 6,1 | Bangui |
| Chad | 1 284 000 | 11 193 452 | 8,72 | N'Djamena |
| Equatorial Guinea | 28 051 | 740 743 | 20,41 | Malabo |
| East Africa. Independent countries and dependent territories. | ||||
| Burundi | 27 830 | 11 099 298 | 323 | Bujumbura |
| Djibouti | 22 000 | 818 169 | 35,27 | Djibouti |
| Zambia | 752 614 | 14 222 233 | 17,2 | Lusaka |
| Zimbabwe | 390 757 | 14 229 541 | 26 | Harare |
| Kenya | 582 650 | 44 037 656 | 65,1 | Nairobi |
| Comoros (Comoros) | 2 170 | 806 153 | 433 | Moroni |
| Mauritius | 2040 | 1 295 789 | 635,19 | Port Louis |
| Madagascar | 587 041 | 24 235 390 | 41,3 | Antananarivo |
| Malawi | 118 480 | 16 777 547 | 118 | Lilongwe |
| Mozambique | 801 590 | 25 727 911 | 25 | Maputo |
| Rwanda | 26 338 | 12 012 589 | 421 | Kigali |
| Seychelles | 451 | 90 024 | 193 | Victoria |
| Somalia | 637 657 | 10 251 568 | 13 | Mogadishu |
| Tanzania | 945 090 | 48 261 942 | 41,1 | Dodoma |
| Uganda | 236 040 | 34 758 809 | 119 | Kampala |
| Eritrea | 117 600 | 6 086 495 | 43,1 | Asmara |
| Ethiopia | 1 104 300 | 90 076 012 | 82,58 | Addis Ababa |
| South Sudan | 619 745 | 12 340 000 | 13,33 | Juba |
| British dependent territories in East Africa. | ||||
| British territory in Indian Ocean(dependent territory, UK) | 60 | 2 800 | 46,67 | Diego Garcia |
| French dependent territories in East Africa. | ||||
| Mayotte (dependent territory, overseas region of France) | 374 | 246 496 | 565,55 | Mamoudou |
| Reunion (dependent territory, overseas region of France) | 2512 | 844 994 | 329,85 | Saint Denis |
| Southern Lands (French overseas territory) | - | - | - | - |
| South Africa. Independent countries. | ||||
| Botswana | 600 370 | 2 112 049 | 3,4 | Gaborone |
| Lesotho | 30 355 | 2 031 000 | 66,5 | Maseru |
| Namibia | 825 418 | 2 358 163 | 2,2 | Windhoek |
| Swaziland | 17 363 | 1 185 000 | 68,2 | Mbabane |
| Republic of South Africa (South Africa or South Africa) | 1 219 912 | 48 601 098 | 41 | Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Pretoria |
The geography of African countries, each individually, as well as the geography of Africa as a whole, is unique and has its own unique geographical features belonging only to the African continent as a whole, and to each country of the continent individually. A peculiarity of the geographical location of many countries in the African region is the lack of access to the sea. At the same time, in countries facing the ocean, the coastline is poorly indented, which is unfavorable for the construction of large ports.
The economy of African countries as a whole leaves much to be desired, but has great prospects for rapid development in the near future. The economies of African countries are underdeveloped and lag far behind many countries in the world in their development. One of the factors behind the weak economies of African countries is that Africa has always been looked at as a cheap raw materials appendage with cheap, practically free labor. And therefore no one ever cared about the inner economic development African countries.
Africa's mineral resources are exceptionally rich in diversity. Africa's most important mineral resources have fairly large reserves. The reserves of mineral raw materials are especially large - manganese ores, chromites, bauxites, etc. There are fuel raw materials in depressions and coastal areas. 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 DRC. Manganese ores are mined in South Africa and Zimbabwe; platinum, iron ores and gold - in South Africa; Diamonds are mined in countries such as Congo, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Ghana; African diamonds have great importance for these countries; phosphorites are mined in Morocco and Tunisia; uranium - in Niger, Namibia. The mineral resources of African countries have a colossal economic importance for countries of the African continent.
Africa's land resources are quite significant, but soil erosion has become catastrophic due to improper cultivation. Water resources Africa is distributed extremely unevenly. Africa's forests occupy about 10% of its territory, but as a result of predatory destruction, the area of Africa's forests is rapidly declining.
The population of African countries has the highest rates of natural population growth. Natural population growth in Africa in many countries exceeds 30 people per 1000 inhabitants per year. The African population has a high proportion of children (50%) and a small proportion of older people (about 5%). The population of Africa, according to some estimates, approaches one billion people. The population density of Africa in relation to the area of Africa itself is significantly less than the population density of Europe, the population density of Asia and other regions of our planet in relation to their own area. The largest country in Africa by population, it is a country in West Africa, Nigeria. Nigeria's population is approximately 152 million as of 2011. The population density of Nigeria is quite high, since Nigeria's own area is relatively small and ranks only 14th on the African continent.
African countries have not yet been able to change the colonial type of sectoral and territorial structure of the economy, although the rate of economic growth has accelerated somewhat. The colonial type of sectoral structure of the economy is characterized by the predominance of low-commodity, consumer agriculture, weak development of the manufacturing industry, and lagging development of transport. African countries have achieved the greatest success in the mining industry. In the extraction of many minerals, Africa holds a leading and sometimes monopoly place in the world (in the extraction of gold, diamonds, platinum group metals, etc.). The manufacturing industry is represented by light and food industries, there are no other industries, with the exception of a number of areas near the availability of raw materials and on the coast (Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Zambia, DRC).
The second branch of the economy that determines Africa's place in the world economy is tropical and subtropical agriculture. Agricultural products account for 60-80% of GDP. The main cash crops are coffee, cocoa beans, peanuts, dates, tea, natural rubber, sorghum, and spices. IN Lately began to grow grain crops: corn, rice, wheat. Livestock farming plays a subordinate role, with the exception of countries with arid climates. Extensive cattle breeding predominates, characterized by a huge number of livestock, but low productivity and low marketability. The continent is not self-sufficient in agricultural products.
Transport also retains the colonial type: railways go from the areas of raw material extraction to the port, while the regions of one state are practically not connected. Rail and sea modes of transport are relatively developed. In recent years, other types of transport have also developed - road (a road was built across the Sahara), air, 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).
Most African states have developed bloated, unprofessional and ineffective bureaucracies. Given the amorphous nature of social structures, the only organized force remained the army. The result is endless military coups. Dictators who came to power appropriated untold wealth for themselves. The capital of Mobutu, the President of the Congo, at the time of his overthrow was $7 billion. The economy functioned poorly, and this gave scope for a “destructive” economy: the production and distribution of drugs, illegal mining of gold and diamonds, even human trafficking. Africa's share in world GDP and its specific gravity in world exports were declining, output per capita was declining.
The formation of statehood was extremely complicated by the absolute artificiality of state borders. Africa inherited them from its colonial past. They were established during the division of the continent into spheres of influence and have little to do with ethnic boundaries. The Organization of African Unity, created in 1963, aware that any attempt to correct a particular border could lead to unpredictable consequences, called for these borders to be considered immutable, no matter how unfair they may be. But these borders have nevertheless become a source of ethnic conflicts and the displacement of millions of refugees.
The main sector of the economy of most countries in Tropical Africa is agriculture, designed to provide food for the population and serve as a raw material base for the development of the manufacturing industry. It employs the majority of the region's amateur population and creates the bulk of the total national income. In many countries of Tropical Africa, agriculture occupies a leading place in exports, providing a significant portion of foreign exchange earnings. In the last decade, with growth rates industrial production An alarming picture was observed, allowing us to talk about the actual de-industrialization of the region. If in 1965-1980 they (on average per year) amounted to 7.5%, then in the 80s only 0.7%; a drop in growth rates took place in the 80s in both the mining and manufacturing industries. For a number of reasons, the mining industry plays a special role in ensuring the socio-economic development of the region, but this production is also decreasing by 2% annually. Feature development of the countries of Tropical Africa - poor development of the manufacturing industry. Only in a very small group of countries (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Senegal) does its share in GDP reach or exceed 20%.
A characteristic feature of integration processes in Africa is their high degree of institutionalization. Currently, there are about 200 economic associations of various levels, scales and orientations on the continent. But, from the point of view of studying the problem, the formation of subregional identity and its relationship with national and ethnic identity, the functioning of such large organizations as the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS). Southern African Development Community (SADC). Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), etc. The extremely low performance of their activities in previous decades and the advent of the era of globalization required a sharp acceleration of integration processes at a qualitatively different level. Economic cooperation is developing in new - compared to the 70s - conditions of contradictory interaction between the globalization of the world economy and the increasing marginalization of the positions of African states within its framework and, naturally, in a different coordinate system. Integration is no longer considered as a tool and basis for the formation of a self-sufficient and self-developing economy based on own strength and in opposition to the imperialist West. The approach is different, which, as mentioned above, presents integration as a way and means of including African countries in the globalizing world economy, as well as as an impulse and indicator of economic growth and development in general.
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African countries are very heterogeneous. The total number of states that were formed here in different time, today there are 62 countries, the vast majority of which - more than fifty - have independent status. Fifteen countries are located within the continent, 37 have oceanic or sea coast, ten are insular. The African continent is geographically divided into four parts according to the location of the parts of the world: Southern, Northern, Western, Eastern. The continent is washed by two oceans - the Indian and the Atlantic, of the seas - the saltiest Red and the warmest Mediterranean, as well as the Suez Canal.
In the center of the continent there is the Congo Basin, the Andola and Azande plateaus, and the Luanda plateau. The central part of the continent includes coastal areas washed by the Gulf of Guinea and the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The list of states that are located in the central subregion includes the following:
The overseas territory of Britain - the famous island of St. Helena - is usually geographically classified as the central subregion.
The southern subregion consists of five countries: the Republic of South Africa, the Kingdom of Swaziland, the Republic of Namibia, Botswana, and the Kingdom of Letoso. This list reflects the existence of a regional association: all of these are members of the South African Customs Union. The rich African countries that are part of it are engaged in the extraction of diamonds, oil, and other natural resources.
There is another list related to the South African subregion:
Geographically adjacent to the region is the island part of the French overseas possessions of Reunion. Sometimes the southern African continent includes Central African Angola, DR Congo, and East African Tanzania.
The list of North African countries is small. In the north of the continent are the African countries closest to European countries:
These are the largest African countries, which also have the most developed economies. In addition to them, the northern subregion includes Canary Islands. Most of the region is occupied by the Sahara Desert.
The list of countries in the West African region is quite large:
Despite its natural resource reserves, this part of the continent is considered one of the poorest.
The East African subregion is made up of small countries, about two hundred nationalities:
The entire continent is a huge amount language groups, tribal associations. The eastern part of the hottest continent on the planet exports precious metals,
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