What do you know about Africa? Probably the fact that blacks, Arabs and Zulus live there. There are crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, zebras, lions and tigers. There are pyramids, the Nile River, Lake Victoria and the Sahara desert. Children are constantly starving there, there are wars and people do not live well. So, what is Africa, let's get to know this amazing continent better.
General information about Africa is as follows: the area of \u200b\u200bthe territory - 30 221 53 km2, the population is about 1,1-1,2 billion people, the number of countries - 55 . This is the second largest continent after Eurasia - it is approximately 6% of the total area of \u200b\u200bthe planet and 20.4% of the total land area. Africa crosses the equator ...
Next, I will try to tell you what Africa is from the point of view of the economy and what place it occupies among other economies of the world. You will be able to compare indicators such as territory, population size and density, nominal and PPP GDP, as well as per capita. You can see tables, charts, maps African countries and much more.
Africa is usually divided into territorial and economic zones as East Africa, West Africa, North Africa, Middle Africa and South Africa.
During 1970-2016 Africa's GDP increased in current nominal prices from $107.2 billion to $2321 billion, which means it grew 21.65 times. Agree, Africa has made a big leap in these 46 years.
We also have constant price data relative to 1970 between 1970 and 2016. According to them, Africa's GDP increased from $107.2 billion in 1970 to $535 billion in 2016, which means that the real purchasing power of Africa as a whole has grown by 4.99 times over 46 years.
The population of Africa in 1970 was estimated at 364,634,000 people, and finally in 2016 it is estimated at 1,216,129,000 people, which means that the population of Africa has grown by 3.33 times in 46 years.
The table below needs some explanation. You can see the dynamics of Africa's GDP growth from 1970 to 2016 there. Current prices are nominal prices in US dollars for that year of measurement. 1970 constant prices is what Africa's GDP would be if the purchasing power of the dollar were the same as it was in 1970.
Year | GDP, billion, dollars, | GDP per capita, USD | GDP, billion, dollars, | GDP growth, % | share in the world, % |
current prices | constant prices 1970 | ||||
1970 | 107,2 | 293 | 107,2 | 3,2 | |
1971 | 120,5 | 321 | 111,1 | 3,6 | 3,2 |
1972 | 137,6 | 357 | 116,5 | 4,9 | 3,2 |
1973 | 171,5 | 434 | 121,5 | 4,3 | 3,3 |
1974 | 229 | 564 | 129,8 | 6,8 | 3,9 |
1975 | 258,7 | 621 | 133,2 | 2,6 | 3,9 |
1976 | 289,5 | 676 | 141,5 | 6,2 | 4 |
1977 | 329,5 | 749 | 146 | 3,2 | 4,1 |
1978 | 379,2 | 839 | 148,9 | 2 | 4 |
1979 | 444,2 | 956 | 154,3 | 3,6 | 4 |
1980 | 555,8 | 1163 | 159,5 | 3,4 | 4,5 |
1981 | 521 | 1061 | 161,1 | 1 | 4,2 |
1982 | 511,1 | 1012 | 164,3 | 2 | 4,1 |
1983 | 520,7 | 1003 | 164,6 | 0,18 | 4,1 |
1984 | 508,4 | 952 | 169,8 | 3,2 | 3,9 |
1985 | 502,1 | 914 | 176 | 3,7 | 3,7 |
1986 | 440,7 | 781 | 177,9 | 1,1 | 2,8 |
1987 | 440,2 | 759 | 179,2 | 0,73 | 2,5 |
1988 | 472,1 | 792 | 187,1 | 4,4 | 2,4 |
1989 | 480,7 | 785 | 194,2 | 3,8 | 2,3 |
1990 | 539,4 | 857 | 199,7 | 2,8 | 2,4 |
1991 | 536,9 | 831 | 202,8 | 1,6 | 2,2 |
1992 | 555,6 | 838 | 202,6 | -0,099 | 2,2 |
1993 | 545,5 | 802 | 202,5 | -0,049 | 2,1 |
1994 | 519,6 | 745 | 207,4 | 2,4 | 1,9 |
1995 | 564,5 | 789 | 213,3 | 2,8 | 1,8 |
1996 | 591 | 806 | 224,7 | 5,3 | 1,9 |
1997 | 611,3 | 814 | 231,7 | 3,1 | 1,9 |
1998 | 603,7 | 785 | 238,3 | 2,8 | 1,9 |
1999 | 606,4 | 769 | 244,4 | 2,6 | 1,9 |
2000 | 631,3 | 782 | 253,2 | 3,6 | 1,9 |
2001 | 615,6 | 745 | 263,4 | 4 | 1,9 |
2002 | 635,6 | 751 | 279,3 | 6 | 1,8 |
2003 | 760,5 | 877 | 294,3 | 5,4 | 2 |
2004 | 928,1 | 1045 | 311,9 | 6 | 2,1 |
2005 | 1097,6 | 1206 | 330,6 | 6 | 2,3 |
2006 | 1259,5 | 1351 | 349,9 | 5,8 | 2,5 |
2007 | 1465,5 | 1533 | 371,3 | 6,1 | 2,5 |
2008 | 1733,6 | 1769 | 391,7 | 5,5 | 2,8 |
2009 | 1620,3 | 1613 | 403,5 | 3 | 2,7 |
2010 | 1910,8 | 1856 | 424,3 | 5,2 | 2,9 |
2011 | 2105,2 | 1995 | 428 | 0,87 | 2,9 |
2012 | 2261,3 | 2090 | 449,6 | 5 | 3,1 |
2013 | 2322,4 | 2094 | 464,7 | 3,4 | 3,1 |
2016 | 2321 | 1933 | 535 | — | 3,08 |
This is followed by a table that displays the latest data for African countries for 2016. In it you can look at parameters such as territory, population, population density, nominal GDP and purchasing power parity, population density, GDP per capita and the percentage each country contributes to the total nominal GDP of Africa. The table is dynamic, you can sort it by all columns.
Country | Terit., thousand km2 | Population, million | GDP nom, billion $ | % of GDP nom | GDP PPP, billion $ | GDP nom, $, per capita. | GDP PPP $, per capita. | Density population, km2 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Africa | 30370 | 1200,608154 | 2321 | 100,00 | 6103 | 1933 | 5083 | 39,5 |
Algeria | 2382 | 40 | 168 | 7,25 | 609 | 4180 | 15135 | 16,9 |
Angola | 1247 | 20 | 99 | 4,26 | 194 | 4899 | 9620 | 16,2 |
Benin | 115 | 11 | 8,302 | 0,36 | 23 | 763 | 2072 | 94,8 |
Botswana | 582 | 2,156 | 11 | 0,47 | 37 | 5078 | 16934 | 3,7 |
Burkina Faso | 273 | 17 | 12 | 0,51 | 33 | 685 | 1890 | 63,4 |
Burundi | 28 | 11 | 2,742 | 0,12 | 7,892 | 245 | 706 | 401,6 |
Gabon | 268 | 18 | 15 | 0,63 | 36 | 804 | 2000 | 67,7 |
Gambia | 10 | 1,882 | 0,886 | 0,04 | 3,387 | 471 | 1799 | 181,4 |
Ghana | 239 | 27 | 38 | 1,64 | 121 | 1411 | 4477 | 113,4 |
Guinea | 246 | 12 | 7,067 | 0,30 | 12 | 608 | 1000 | 47,3 |
Guinea-Bissau | 36 | 1,693 | 1,116 | 0,05 | 7,537 | 659 | 4451 | 46,9 |
Dem. Repub. Congo | 2345 | 81 | 42 | 1,81 | 69 | 517 | 845 | 34,7 |
Djibouti | 23 | 0,847 | 1,903 | 0,08 | 3,327 | 2248 | 3929 | 36,5 |
Egypt | 1010 | 95 | 331 | 14,25 | 1093 | 3494 | 11542 | 93,7 |
Zambia | 753 | 16 | 21 | 0,89 | 65 | 1269 | 4020 | 21,5 |
West Sahara | 267 | 0,587 | 1 | 0,04 | 1 | 1543 | 1543 | 2,2 |
Zimbabwe | 391 | 13 | 14 | 0,61 | 28 | 1087 | 2169 | 33,4 |
Cape Verde | 4,033 | 0,525 | 1,745 | 0,08 | 3,649 | 3324 | 6950 | 130,2 |
Cameroon | 475 | 24 | 31 | 1,33 | 77 | 1267 | 3171 | 51,2 |
Kenya | 581 | 47 | 69 | 2,98 | 153 | 1478 | 3264 | 80,5 |
Comoros | 2,034 | 0,795 | 0,625 | 0,03 | 1,255 | 786 | 1579 | 390,7 |
Congo | 342 | 4,852 | 10 | 0,42 | 31 | 2013 | 6421 | 14,2 |
Ivory Coast | 322 | 24 | 34 | 1,48 | 85 | 1444 | 3593 | 73,6 |
Lesotho | 30 | 1,953 | 2,096 | 0,09 | 6,017 | 1073 | 3081 | 64,3 |
Liberia | 111 | 4,300 | 2,106 | 0,09 | 3,879 | 490 | 902 | 38,6 |
Libya | 1760 | 6,542 | 39 | 1,70 | 91 | 6021 | 13894 | 3,7 |
Mauritius | 2,040 | 1,348 | 14 | 0,58 | 23 | 10051 | 17298 | 660,9 |
Mauritania | 1030 | 3,677 | 4,718 | 0,20 | 17 | 1283 | 4544 | 3,6 |
Madagascar | 587 | 24 | 10 | 0,42 | 37 | 399 | 1535 | 41,6 |
Malawi | 118 | 19 | 6,149 | 0,26 | 22 | 331 | 1176 | 156,7 |
Mali | 1240 | 17 | 12 | 0,51 | 31 | 680 | 1774 | 14,1 |
Morocco | 447 | 34 | 109 | 4,69 | 288 | 3236 | 8543 | 75,4 |
Mozambique | 802 | 26 | 19 | 0,82 | 37 | 734 | 1424 | 32,3 |
Namibia | 826 | 2,436 | 10 | 0,44 | 27 | 4179 | 11096 | 3,0 |
Niger | 1267 | 19 | 7,652 | 0,33 | 20 | 411 | 1085 | 14,7 |
Nigeria | 924 | 186 | 485 | 20,90 | 1166 | 2606 | 6267 | 201,4 |
Rwanda | 26 | 13 | 8,763 | 0,38 | 20 | 675 | 1566 | 493,1 |
Sao Tome and Prince. | 0,964 | 0,198 | 0,351 | 0,02 | 0,694 | 1777 | 3513 | 204,9 |
Swaziland | 17 | 1,451 | 4,357 | 0,19 | 11 | 3002 | 7632 | 83,6 |
Seychelles | 0,459 | 0,093 | 1,419 | 0,06 | 2,608 | 15228 | 27987 | 203,0 |
Senegal | 197 | 14 | 15 | 0,65 | 39 | 1061 | 2717 | 72,8 |
Somalia | 638 | 11 | 5,707 | 0,25 | 6 | 528 | 555 | 17,0 |
Sudan | 1886 | 37 | 84 | 3,63 | 167 | 2296 | 4547 | 19,5 |
Sierra Leone | 72 | 6,019 | 4,563 | 0,20 | 10 | 758 | 1642 | 83,9 |
Tanzania | 947 | 52 | 47 | 2,01 | 151 | 890 | 2870 | 55,4 |
Togo | 57 | 7,757 | 4,499 | 0,19 | 12 | 580 | 1490 | 136,6 |
Tunisia | 164 | 11 | 42 | 1,83 | 131 | 3807 | 11750 | 68,1 |
Uganda | 241 | 38 | 27 | 1,15 | 85 | 695 | 2221 | 159,0 |
CAR | 623 | 5,507 | 1,782 | 0,08 | 3,206 | 324 | 582 | 8,8 |
Chad | 1284 | 12 | 13 | 0,55 | 34 | 1082 | 2848 | 9,2 |
Equator. Guinea | 28 | 0,759 | 7,884 | 0,34 | 24 | 10381 | 31265 | 27,1 |
Eritrea | 118 | 5,870 | 5,352 | 0,23 | 9 | 912 | 1554 | 49,9 |
Ethiopia | 1104 | 102 | 67 | 2,91 | 170 | 659 | 1665 | 92,7 |
South Africa | 1221 | 54 | 327 | 14,07 | 742 | 6014 | 13673 | 44,5 |
South Sudan | 644 | 13 | 14 | 0,60 | 23 | 1103 | 1826 | 19,4 |
For greater clarity, here is a map of Africa with population by country for 2016
Based on the data presented, it is possible to compile a table of how much purchasing power there was per African in 1970, and account for in 2016 at constant 1970 prices and current prices.
As can be seen from the table above, the purchasing power of the average African increased from 1970 to 2016, not only in current-nominal prices, but also in constant 1970 prices. In current-nominal prices, it has grown 6.6 times, and in constant 1970 prices it has grown 1.5 times. Which for Africa is not so bad, I would even say amazing, indicator.
In the following tables and explanations to them, you can get information about the structure of the economy, GDP for individual subregions, and other economic indicators African countries from 1970 to 2013. I specify the latest data below are the maximum for 2013.
Dynamics of the African economy, billion dollars, 1970-2013, current (nominal) prices
Structure of the African economy, %, 1970-2013
Year | Agriculture | Industry | Construction | Trade | Transport | Services |
1970 | 23,1 | 23,2 | 5,4 | 13,2 | 8,5 | 26,6 |
1980 | 17,2 | 29,8 | 7,1 | 12,2 | 10,6 | 23,1 |
1990 | 18,6 | 27,8 | 4,8 | 14,8 | 7,7 | 26,3 |
2000 | 15 | 29,4 | 4,3 | 14,6 | 8,7 | 28 |
2010 | 15,6 | 29,5 | 5,3 | 14,4 | 9 | 26,3 |
2013 | 15,8 | 28,6 | 5,5 | 14,6 | 9,1 | 26,3 |
The picture more clearly shows the structure of the African economy by sub-region in 2013.
Nominal GDP in Africa by sub-regions, billion dollars, 1970-2013
Year | North Africa | West Africa | South Africa | East Africa | Middle Africa |
1970 | 24,5 | 35,2 | 19,3 | 18 | 10,2 |
1980 | 137,6 | 237,8 | 87,4 | 53,3 | 39,6 |
1990 | 184 | 115,9 | 123,6 | 66,6 | 49,4 |
2000 | 260,5 | 116,2 | 148,4 | 72,6 | 33,6 |
2010 | 645,5 | 487,6 | 406,3 | 194,2 | 177,1 |
2013 | 743,9 | 673,3 | 399,2 | 260,2 | 245,9 |
Nominal GDP per capita in Africa by sub-region, dollars, 1970-2013
Year | South Africa | North Africa | West Africa | Middle Africa | East Africa |
1970 | 759 | 279 | 333 | 252 | 169 |
1980 | 2648 | 1221 | 1736 | 753 | 374 |
1990 | 2939 | 1265 | 645 | 705 | 347 |
2000 | 2885 | 1483 | 497 | 359 | 287 |
2010 | 6910 | 3242 | 1598 | 1417 | 568 |
2013 | 6606 | 3552 | 2033 | 1811 | 699 |
place | Sub-regions, countries | GDP, billion, dollars, | share, % |
Africa | 2322,4 | 100 | |
sub-regions | |||
1 | North Africa | 743,9 | 32 |
2 | West Africa | 673,3 | 29 |
3 | South Africa | 399,2 | 17,2 |
4 | East Africa | 260,2 | 11,2 |
5 | Middle Africa | 245,9 | 10,6 |
The picture below clearly demonstrates how much each sub-region of Africa contributes in % to the total treasury of Africa's GDP for 2013.
There are also leaders in Africa in terms of nominal GDP growth, below will be shown a picture-table of African leader countries from 1970 to 2016. Some countries fell out over time, some, on the contrary, took the lead. The picture walks up showing economic situation most economically developed countries Africa.
As you can see, Nigeria was the largest country in terms of nominal GDP from 1970-1980, then it lost the lead to the country of South Africa, which was in the lead from 1990-2010, then Nigeria again regained its position in 2013 and remains the leader now.
Second place in 1970-1980 was occupied by South Africa, then in 1980-1990 Nigeria was in second place, in 1990-2000 Egypt was in second place, then Nigeria again in 2000-2010, then in 2013 South Africa broke through to second place, and since 2016 Egypt will be on it again.
The third place at different times was occupied by such countries: 1970-1980 - Egypt, 1980-1990 - Sudan, 2000-2010 - Nigeria, 2010-2013 - Egypt, and since 2016 this place has been occupied by South Africa.
For 2016, the top eight countries in terms of nominal GDP looks like the table below
Country | Terit., thousand km2 | Population, million | GDP nominal, billion $ | % of GDP nominal | GDP PPP, billion $ |
Nigeria | 924 | 186 | 485 | 20,9 | 1166 |
Egypt | 1010 | 95 | 331 | 14,25 | 1093 |
South Africa | 1221 | 54 | 327 | 14,07 | 742 |
Algeria | 2382 | 40 | 168 | 7,25 | 609 |
Morocco | 447 | 34 | 109 | 4,69 | 288 |
Angola | 1247 | 20 | 99 | 4,26 | 194 |
Sudan | 1886 | 37 | 84 | 3,63 | 167 |
Kenya | 581 | 47 | 69 | 2,98 | 153 |
Africa | 30370 | 1201 | 2321 | 100 | 6103 |
For greater clarity, I will place this data in the form of a diagram.
Africa and the countries located on this continent develop, of course, African countries are still far from the developed countries of the world, but they will confidently move into a happy future. As you can see, not all Africans sit under palm trees and wait for a banana or coconut to fall to the ground at their feet. Although a banana is not a tree, a banana is a grass!
The Negro lies under a palm tree in his homeland. A businessman from Europe passes by.
- Here you are a black man, lying idle, but you could climb a palm tree, pick bananas. Go to the market and sell.
- What for?
- Well, why! With the money from what was sold, you can buy a cart and earn a lot more!
- What for?
- Yes, you can already buy a truck from the sold one and carry large volumes, then you will hire workers, and you yourself will lie and do nothing!
- And I, in principle, and so I lie and do nothing!
The journalist asks the Negro:
- Tell me, how do you get coconuts?
- And we are waiting for the wind to blow, they fall, and we collect them.
What if there is no wind?
- Well ... then crop failure
You can also view related articles Economy and GDP analysis of Japan 1970-2016 and Table of countries of the world 2016 (area, population, GDP) . Thank you for your attention and all the best!
Approximately one third of Africa is an area of inland flow, mostly temporary streams. The rivers of Africa are full of rapids, so even the largest of them are not navigable all the way.
The three largest lakes in Africa - Victoria, Tanganyika, Nyasa - are called the Great African Lakes. Lake Victoria is one of the largest lakes in the world and the largest lake in Africa. It is so large that for many years Europeans heard rumors about it as a sea in the depths of the African continent. The largest land mammals live in Africa - elephants, hippos, rhinos, giraffes.
Back in the middle of the last century, political map Africa was dominated by colonies of European powers: France, Great Britain, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, Spain, Italy. After World War II, the rise of the national liberation struggle began. A number of countries in North Africa are the first to achieve independence, among them Tunisia, Morocco and Sudan (Egypt formally gained independence in 1922). A few years later, in 1960, 14 former colonies and trust territories of France, as well as Nigeria, the Belgian Congo and Somalia, became sovereign states. This year has gone down in history as the Year of Africa. Gradually, the process of decolonization covers the entire "Black" continent, the last colony, Namibia, became independent in 1990.
Africa remains the most economically backward continent.
Of the 25 countries with the lowest GDP per capita, 20 are in Africa. All these countries are characterized by a very low level of economic development and a rapidly growing population: for example, in Eritrea, Somalia, Burundi, Burkino Faso, Mali, Niger, natural growth is 3 percent or more per year. Many countries are characterized by an unstable political situation, often escalating and acquiring the most tragic form for the population and economy of the country - the form of a military conflict.
Poverty is concentrated in "Black Africa", mainly between 20°N. sh. and 10°S sh. (including the Sahel natural zone, characterized by progressive desertification and periodic catastrophic droughts). This "poverty belt" includes Guinea, Bissau, Sierra Leone, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Niger, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia. Poverty is also characteristic of the southeastern "corner" of Africa (including the islands off the coast of the mainland), here are Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, the Comoros and Madagascar.
Africa is distinguished by the great diversity of the ethnic composition of the population, there are more than 200 peoples. Therefore, the region is dominated by multinational states. The largest peoples (groups of peoples) are Arabs, Bantu, Congo, Yoruba, Fulbe, Somali, for, Nilotic, Shona, Bushmen.
Africa Average Population Density
The average population density in Africa is 28 people/km2. The western part of the mainland and some countries of Central and South Africa are more populated, the population density is lower in North Africa. Areas with a higher concentration of population are coastal areas, where big cities and large plantations, among them the Mediterranean regions of the Maghreb, the coast of the Gulf of Guinea and the adjacent plains of Nigeria.
Africa has the most high performance natural increase population - 2.2% per year. The “champion” looks like Niger, where this figure reaches 3.6%, it is expected that over the next fifty years the population of this African country will increase by 4.45 times. At the same time, Africa ranks first in the world in terms of child mortality, low duration life. The average life expectancy in Africa is 49 years. It is the only region where life expectancy is below the global average, with a gap of a "quarter of life": 49 years versus 65 years on average in the world. On the continent, there are significant differences in life expectancy: a more prosperous situation in North Africa is 66 years, the leaders are Tunisia and Libya (73 years). Least of all live in Eastern and Central Africa- 43 years, this is about half the life of a Japanese or a Swede. At the very bottom in life expectancy are Zambia and Zimbabwe - 32 and 33 years respectively. This is due to AIDS, these countries are at the "epicenter" of the spread of this "plague of the XX-XXI centuries." Many African countries are involved in the circle of "AIDS-enchanted" states, primarily in the southern part of the continent (Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana, and also South Africa).
Share of urban population in Africa
Africa is inferior to other regions of the world in terms of the share of the urban population, 38.7% of Africans live in cities. Only South Africa has surpassed the 50% urban population threshold (the average in this part of Africa is 53.8%, from 17.9% in Lesotho to 56.9% in South Africa). Literally one step up to the 50% mark is North Africa - 49.6%. East Africa has been the least affected by urbanization, with an average of 26% here (from 9.9% in Burundi to 83.7% in Djibouti). At the same time, in terms of urban population growth, Africa holds the world championship.
The economy of African countries is characterized by the predominance of agriculture, food, light (textile) and mining industries. Where there are forest resources, the forest and woodworking industries develop (the initial stages of processing). AT last years the importance of metallurgy, the oil refining and chemical industries, mechanical engineering and the electric power industry is somewhat increasing. However, in general, the manufacturing industry is poorly developed, with the exception of South Africa and certain areas of North Africa.
African development
In the territorial structure of the economy, few territories are distinguished by a higher level of development, as a rule, this is the capital, areas of extraction and processing of mineral resources, as well as ports for the export of raw materials and certain types of agricultural products. The rest of the districts are areas dominated by subsistence and semi-subsistence agriculture. The development of this industry is characterized by low growth rates, and in a number of countries they lag behind the population growth rates. The leading branch of agriculture is crop production, many countries specialize in one or two crops. For example, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana specialize in cocoa beans and coffee, Senegal - in peanuts, Tunisia - in olives, Egypt - in oranges and cotton, Kenya - in sisal, Tanzania - in sisal and tea. Of the food crops, cassava (a type of cassava), corn, and yams are of great importance. Animal husbandry plays an important role only in those areas where crop production is limited due to the arid climate. Basically, they raise zebu, sheep, pigs and camels; the largest livestock in Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa. Most countries cannot provide their population with the necessary food products and are forced to import them, some receive foreign aid.
The area of the African continent is the second largest after Eurasia. 1/7 of the total population of the planet lives on the continent. The population density of Africa, its ethnic and racial composition is very different. We will talk about how exactly they differ in this article.
Africa is the closest neighbor of Eurasia, from which it is separated by several seas and straits. It lies in both the southern and northern hemispheres of the Earth, the equator crosses it almost in the middle. The continent is washed by the Indian and Atlantic oceans.
The area of mainland Africa is 29.2 million km2. From north to south, it stretches for almost 8 thousand kilometers. The extreme western and eastern points at the widest point are separated from each other by about 7.5 thousand kilometers.
The relief of the continent is predominantly flat. The coastline is not strongly indented, without the formation of deep bays and peninsulas protruding into the sea. There are several islands nearby, which, together with the main landmass of the mainland, are part of the African part of the world.
The geography of Africa largely determines its climate, nature, and population. Stretching from the southern subtropical to the northern subtropical zone, it is the hottest continent on Earth. Most of it is occupied by deserts, semi-deserts and savannahs. Despite this, on the territory of the continent there are tropical rainforests, large lakes and full-flowing rivers. The two largest river systems in Africa belong to the Nile and the Congo. They are also among the largest in the world.
The continent is called the cradle of mankind. It is believed that it was here that the first representatives of the human race appeared, who then settled throughout the planet. Now about 56 states are formed on the territory of the mainland and more than a billion people live. The total population density of Africa is 30.51 people / km 2.
All states of the continent differ in their level of development. However, many of them are characterized by poverty, economic backwardness and poor health care. In this regard, the average life expectancy of Africans is approximately 50 years.
Since the 20th century, population growth has steadily increased. Therefore, the indicator of the continent occupies a leading position in the world. It is expected that the number of its inhabitants will double by 2050.
The most populous country is Nigeria with 195 million people. After it come: Ethiopia (106 million), Egypt (97 million), Democratic Republic of the Congo (84 million), Tanzania (57 million), South Africa (56 million). The smallest population lives in the Seychelles (86,000 people), Sao Tome and Principe (200,700 people), Mayotte (257,000 people), Cape Verde (536,000 people).
The population of African countries is very diverse in composition. It represents up to 8000 ethnic groups and peoples. The racial composition is dominated by representatives of the Negroid and Caucasoid (Arabs) type. Mixed types also live in South Africa and nearby countries.
Many nationalities are very small and live within one or two villages. Only 120 ethnic groups have more than one million people, and they represent 90% of all inhabitants of the African continent.
The entire north is inhabited predominantly by Arabs and Berbers who speak Afroasian languages. Negro-Australian peoples live in the southern part of the Sahara and below: Nilotic, Bushmen, Bantu, Pygmies. In Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia live mainly Ethiopians, Kushites, Omotes.
Bantu, Bushmen, Hottentots live in the southern and central parts of the continent. Due to historical events, a separate ethnic group, the Afrikaners, was formed here. These are the descendants of the first colonists from Holland, France, Germany, who speak Afrikaans. A small percentage of the population is also made up of people from Asia and other regions of the world.
Not all regions of the hottest continent are favorable for life, so the population is distributed very unevenly. It is mainly concentrated near water sources - large rivers, lakes and oases. For example, in the Nile Valley, there are almost 1,200 people per square kilometer. A large number of people live in the area of Lake Victoria, on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea (Nigeria, Togo, Benin) and the Mediterranean Sea (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco).
In addition, the high population density of Africa is observed in areas with developed agriculture and industry. People from all countries of the continent flock here for the sake of work. So, popular places are the central parts of the mainland rich in deposits, as well as South Africa.
If we talk about specific countries, then Rwanda and Burundi (500 people / km 2) have a high density on the continent. They are located within the equatorial zone with a warm and humid climate, frequent rainfall, next to the large lakes of Tanganyika and Kivu. If we talk about Africa as a whole, then most high density observed on the island of Marikiye (628 people/km 2). The smallest number of people per square kilometer lives in Namibia, Mauritania, Libya, Botswana, Western Sahara (2-4 people / km 2), where the climate is the most arid.
The island of Mauritius and the country of the same name are located in the Indian Ocean to the east of Madagascar. Currently, 1.3 million people live here, and the population density is the highest in all of Africa. This is surprising, because back in the 15th century there were no people on the island at all.
The first settlers of Mauritius were European sailors - first the Portuguese, then the Dutch, French and British. Europeans quickly mastered the island. They organized plantations of cane, coffee, cotton, tobacco, cassava and other crops on it, bringing the inhabitants of the African continent to work.
The modern population of Mauritius is the descendants of the colonizers, slaves, as well as hired workers. The descendants of mixed marriages, mestizos, make up 27% of all residents of the country, another 68% are Indo-Mauritians - descendants of immigrants from India. Approximately 5% of the inhabitants are of Chinese and French origin.
The country has no official language and religion. Many residents speak English, French, Mauritanian Creole and Bhojpuri. Thanks to an unusual history, Mauritius combines various beliefs, traditions, and architecture. Islam, Hinduism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism and other religions coexist under one roof.
Of the official countries, the Republic of Namibia has the lowest population density in Africa - 3.1 people / km 2. Only the disputed territory of Western Sahara is characterized by a lower indicator (2.2 people / km 2).
Namibia is located in the southwest of the continent, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. In the north, its territory is occupied by savannas and light forests, in the south and west it is covered by the Namib and Kalahari deserts. There is little rainfall, and most rivers appear only during the rainy season.
The country is inhabited by approximately two million people. More than 80% belong to the Bantu peoples, who penetrated here in the Middle Ages. The indigenous population - Bushmen and Nama - make up less than 10%. The rest of the inhabitants are descendants of mixed color marriages, as well as marriages between German colonists and Africans.
North Africa has the largest desert on the planet. From west to east it stretches for 4800 kilometers and covers about 30% of the continent. Local temperatures during the day reach +40 °C, in some areas they reach +58 °C.
There are ten states on the territory of the Sahara, but its vast expanses are uninhabited. It is hot and dry here, and the vegetation is represented mainly by shrubs, rarely growing herbs and trees. Life in the desert could be completely unbearable if not for the oases and the Nile. The bulk of the population lives there.
Many peoples of the Sahara lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle. They breed sheep, goats and camels, and collect wild berries and fruits. Cereals, fruits and vegetables are grown in oases, valleys and deltas.
The main population of Africa is the rural population. Approximately 2/3 live in separate small settlements or large villages, where communal land use is developed. However, the continent has the highest rate of urbanization in the world, and in the coming decades, everything can change dramatically.
Every year the number of urban residents increases by 4-5%. rural countries still remain Burundi, Lesotho, Rwanda. But in South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritius, there are more and more cities.
There are currently about 40 million-plus cities in Africa. Among them are Cairo in Egypt (17.8 million), Lagos in Nigeria (11.5 million), Kinshasa in the DRC (10 million), Johannesburg in South Africa (6.2 million), Khartoum in Sudan (5.2 million), Luanda in Angola (5.2 million). It is predicted that half of Africans will live in cities by 2035.
(L. Leakey, K. Arambur, F. Howell and others) in the late 50s - early 70s. of our century, they carried out thorough research on the territory and (Olduvai Gorge, the eastern shore of Lake Turkana, the valley of the Omo River, Hadar, etc.). First, the remains of fossil forms of great apes related to modern chimpanzees and gorillas were found. Then they discovered the immediate predecessors of the most ancient people - Australopithecus. From among these two-legged primates, about 3 million years ago, creatures emerged that made the first artificial tools. Scientists believe that it was they who created the oldest Paleolithic culture - the Olduvai - and thereby laid the foundation for the human race.
The main part of the territories of the mainland is inhabited by peoples belonging to the Negroid branch of the equatorial race. Negroids are characterized by a dark skin color that protects the body from the scorching rays of the sun. Thick curly hair forms an air gap that protects the head from overheating. For representatives of this race, wide noses with a low nose bridge, swollen lips are common. However, these signs are expressed differently in different representatives of this race. Thus, the color of the skin varies from light brown in some tribes of the southeast of the mainland to almost among the tribes living in the Upper basin and east of the lake (Nilotic tribes).
Pygmies living under the canopy of the equatorial (Zaire) are distinguished by peculiar signs. The skin color of the Pygmies is lighter than that of the Negroids, the lips are thin, their average height is 142 cm, the maximum is 150 cm. Bushmen and Hottentots have survived in the deserts. They have a yellowish-brown skin color, a wide flat face, which gives them a certain resemblance to the Mongoloids. It is obvious that the conditions of life and semi-deserts bring these peoples closer to the inhabitants - the Mongoloids.
Each group of the Negroid branch of the equatorial race has its own spoken language. Sub-Saharan Africans speak languages. The peoples of Central, Southern and parts of East Africa speak Bantu languages.
The north of the mainland is inhabited by Berbers and Arabs who moved here from Asia. They belong to the southern branch of the Caucasian race. Berbers and Arabs have dark skin, dark hair and eyes, an elongated skull, a narrow nose and an oval face; they speak mostly Arabic.
In areas of mixed habitation of different races, groups of peoples were formed, combining various racial characteristics. So, Ethiopians occupy an intermediate position between Negroids and Caucasians. there was a type of people (Malagasy) with signs of Negroids and Mongoloids, who penetrated here, probably from.
For several centuries it was in colonial dependence on a number of European states. Therefore, a newcomer population of European origin was formed in the former colonies. Europeans live in Africa mainly in areas with a favorable Mediterranean climate. In the north, along the coast of the sea, there are many French; in the extreme south of the mainland - the British and Boers (descendants of Dutch settlers).
More than 550 million people live in Africa, which is approximately 1/10 of the world's population. On the territory of the mainland, the population is distributed extremely unevenly. The population density in the Nile Delta is very high - more than 1000 people. per km2. This is one of the densely populated areas not only in Africa, but throughout the globe. The coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Guinea, the south and southeast of the mainland are relatively densely populated. In the deserts and semi-deserts of Africa (, Namib,) the population is very rare, some areas are completely deserted.
The peoples of Africa have gone through a long historical path of development. In ancient times in Africa there were highly organized states with a developed culture and medicine, flourishing crafts and trade, and a developed building art (, Ethiopia).
The era of the slave trade and colonial robbery by European capitalists lasted for about four centuries in Africa. Only during the period of the slave trade, about 100 million people were taken out of Africa. During the colonial conquests, the indigenous population of the mainland became a cheap, almost free labor force in the mines and plantations. To justify the capture of the best lands, the predatory export of the wealth of African land (diamonds, gold, ores of non-ferrous and rare metals; coffee, bananas, cocoa and other agricultural products), as well as horrendous working conditions and beggarly wages for slave labor, the European colonialists substantiated the false the theory according to which the peoples of Africa allegedly belong to an “inferior race” and are not able to manage their own economy, govern their countries, develop science and art. Although, as we noted, Africans successfully did all this long before the arrival of Europeans.
By 1950, only four states remained independent politically: Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Union of South Africa (with a special system of brutal exploitation of Africans and racial oppression - apartheid). Since the 50s. In the twentieth century, a national liberation movement unfolded in Africa, which led to the collapse of the colonial system. Only in 1960 did they free themselves from colonial oppression 17 . By the end of the 60s. there were already 42 independent countries on the mainland, and by the mid-80s. - more than 50. Now there are no colonies in Africa, although many countries are in economic dependence from the former colonists.
The leading capitalist countries of the world are striving to maintain their economic and political dominance in the newly-free countries. This is facilitated by the difficulties to which the peoples of Africa have been subjected to centuries of exploitation: economic backwardness, illiteracy of the majority of the indigenous population, chronic food shortages, poor medical care, and so on. At present, most African countries belong to the group of developing countries, and to the category of lagging behind in their development or least developed. The first of them is dominated by a mixed economy with strong remnants of feudal relations; second, consumer Agriculture. In general, Africa is the least developed economically and social relations region of the world. And although in the past two decades the population of Africa has been growing faster than on Earth as a whole, the pace of development of many countries after gaining political independence has increased, these countries are still only at the beginning of a long journey to the level of European civilization.
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Goals: to acquaint students with the population of Africa - its characteristics, racial and ethnic composition, external features, location on the mainland; continue to develop skills and abilities to work with geographical maps, tables, diagrams; to cultivate a tolerant attitude towards people with different skin colors.
Equipment: map "Peoples and population density of the world", multimedia projector, presentation, atlases, contour maps, diagrams - clusters.
Conduct forms: repetition of known and familiarity with new terms and concepts; independent work with the text of the textbook about the peoples inhabiting Africa; practical work with a thematic map of population density, with a contour map, a table "Peoples of Africa"; a conversation with students and a teacher's story about the history of the appearance of people in Africa, about the past and present situation of the indigenous population of the mainland; a conversation with students about the distribution of the population in Africa.
Terms and concepts: races - Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Equatorial (Negroid); location and population density, colony.
Geographic features: the Nile Delta, the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Guinea, Sahara, Egypt, Liberia, Ethiopia.
Names: N. Mandela, P. Lulumba.
Textbook: Geography of continents and oceans. Grade 7. Authors: V.A. Korinskaya, I.V. Dushina, V.A. Shchenev. Bustard, 2009.
During the classes
Watching the video clip "Tutsi Dance Rwanda>"
1. Africa - the ancestral home of man - teacher's story. SLIDE № 3,4
The vast majority of scientists call Africa the ancestral home of man. On this continent, most of the discoveries of human ancestors have been made, and just in Ethiopia and Kenya, where the rift valley (a fault in the earth's surface) is located. In ancient times, active volcanic activity was observed in this valley, and many rocks have increased radioactivity. It is possible that mutations under the influence of radioactivity led to the emergence of Homo sapiens. And not "divine power" at all.
In the second half of the XX century. in East Africa, in rock strata that are about 27 million years old, the remains of a man and his tools were found.
2. Races and peoples - conversation. SLIDES #5-22 ( teacher's choice)
3. Primary consolidation of the studied material - filling in the cluster: Characteristics of the population of Africa - group work(Attachment 1)
4. Population Location and Density - Analysis of the Africa Population Density Thematic Map SLIDES #23-24
Questions:
CONCLUSION:
Africa has about 1 billion people. The coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Guinea and the southeastern coast of the mainland are relatively densely populated. The population density is high in the Nile Delta, where there are 1000 people per 1 km 2. In the Sahara Desert, which occupies ¼ of the mainland, less than 1% of the total population lives, and in some areas it is completely absent.
5. The colonial past of the mainland - independent work of students with the text of the textbook. SLIDE #25
EXERCISE: read the text of the textbook on pages 134-135 “The mainland's colonial past” and select the correct statements in the card (Appendix 2)
More about the leaders of the national liberation movement – student's story (advance task)
Nelson Holilala Mandela(born July 18, 1918) - the first black president of South Africa from May 10, 1994 to June 14, 1999, one of the most famous activists in the struggle for human rights during the existence of apartheid, for which he spent 27 years in prison, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 1993. Honorary member of more than 50 international universities.
After Mandela left the presidency of South Africa in 1999, he became a vocal advocate for greater coverage of HIV and AIDS. According to experts, there are now about five million HIV carriers and AIDS patients in South Africa - more than in any other country. When McGahoe, Nelson Mandela's eldest son, died of AIDS, Mandela called for fighting the spread of this deadly disease.
Patrice Emery Lumumba(July 2, 1925 - January 17, 1961) - Congolese political and public figure, the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the declaration of its independence in June 1960, a national hero of Zaire, a poet and one of the symbols of the African peoples' struggle for independence. Founder (1958) and leader of the National Movement of the Congo.
Removed from the post of prime minister by the President of the Congo, then arrested during the Congo crisis in September 1960. Killed on January 17, 1961.
1. Practical work in the contour map: SLIDE No. 26
2. Questions on the topic studied: SLIDE No. 27
3. Filling in the table (e If there is time left in the lesson - choose one of the three options) SLIDE № 30-34
Evaluation test - writing in a notebook(selective check, mutual check) SLIDE No. 28-29
CORRECT ANSWERS: 1. c 2.a 3.b 4.a 5.c 6.b7. in
§ 30, pp. 132-135, prepare a description of the peoples of Africa according to the plan:
Literature.