Ch 22.1

Living In Africa South of the Sahara

Agriculture

• Colonial Legacy

– used as resource for raw materials

– countries only grew one crop

• cacao, coffee, rubber, oil,

Agriculture

• Farming Methods

– commercial farming – business

• 75% world’s palm oil

• 80% world’s peanuts

• 75% world’s cacao

• 66% world’s sisal – rope

Agriculture

• subsistence farming – farm to live

• shifting farming – move to find better soil

• sedentary farming – permanent settlement

Agriculture

• Problems

– lack technology to increase food production

– lack money to improve farm machinery or buy fertilizer.

Forests and Seas

• Forest cover 25% of Africa

– teak, ebony, walnut, rosewood

• Lumber industry hurt by poor transportation and lack of capital

– coastal countries with rainforests

• export less than 10% of world’s supply

Forests and Seas

• Commercial fishing developed slowly – mainly SW

– tuna, sardines, anchovies, mackerel

Mining

• South Africa has most minerals

– Gold deposit 300 mi. long – Transvaal – 1/2 the worlds known gold reserve

– Leading producer of gem diamonds, platinum, chromium, vanadium, manganese

– One of richest nations in region – GDP $215 billion most goes to outside investors or owners.

Mining

• S. Africa continued

– Gap in household income between Blacks and Whites – B = $3,614 W = 21,707

• Guinea – bauxite reserve

• Congo – diamonds, and copper

• Nigeria – huge oil, OPEC member

Manufacturing

• Small part of economy

– Many raw material but few processing centers

– Late 1990’s only 15% of regions GDP from manufacturing – varies depending on country

– Obstacles – lack of capital, political turmoil, lack of skilled workers or transportation.

Manufacturing

– Hydroelectricity remains untapped

• leads to poverty

– Regional trading association – Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

http://www.ecowas.int/

Transportation and Communication

• Efforts to create not been successful

– few paved roads

– few phones

– more radios

• Train and airplane are most successful method

Railroad

• Kenya National Railroad – Nairobi to coastal cities

– built by British

– allowed hauling of raw material to port

– other railroads followed

Improving transportation

• Wars and lack of funds have caused a decline in highways and railways

• regions size and unfavorable terrain made difficult to find new routes

• few harbors and navigable rivers

• government owned airlines have international and domestic service

• Intl. airports – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Nairobi, Kenya, Johannesburg, South Africa, Dakar, Senegal

OIL

• pipelines in Tanzania, Zambia, Sudan, South Africa, and Nigeria

Railroads –

• Great Uhuru Railroad – Congo to Tanzania

• overland routes stopped by war or lack of funds

D.R. Congo

Mass Communication

• lack of newsprint, low literacy rate

• telephone service is limited

– Chad 1-1,209, Kenya 1-111

– most effective is radio Chad 1-4, Kenya 1-11

– T.V. – rerun American shows, urban areas, educational tool.