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Population of West Africa

West Africa is a region characterized by a great diversity of the peoples inhabiting it, as well as the language families and anthropological groups to which these peoples belong, their forms of economic activity and religious beliefs.

The border of the settlement of representatives of two large races - Caucasoid and Negroid - passes through the territory of the region. In the northern regions, on the territory of Mali and Niger, Berber-speaking Tuareg live. They belong to the Mediterranean type of the large Caucasian race. However, the vast majority of the peoples of West Africa belong to the large Negroid race, the formation of which, apparently, took place in the basins of the Niger and Congo rivers. Her distinguishing features are very dark skin, very curly hair, prognathism (protruding jaws), a wide nose with a low bridge of nose, swollen lips.

Negroid related to different nations West Africa, differ from each other in skin color, the degree of development of prognathism, the thickness of the lips, height, etc. For example, the Hausa (northern Nigeria and neighboring countries) have much lighter skin than the inhabitants of Guinea and Senegal; the average height of the Wolof is 171-173 cm, the Yoruba is 165 cm, etc. According to these characteristics, modern anthropologists distinguish several groups among the Negroids of West Africa: Senegalese (Wolof type), Niger (Mandingo type), Chadian (Hausa type).

The centuries-old neighborhood of Caucasians and Negroids has led to the emergence of many transitional groups that combine the features of two large races. Their existence was sometimes used to build anti-scientific theories about alien Caucasians, who allegedly brought more high culture negroid peoples. In particular, a similar role was attributed to the Fulbe people, who now live scattered among a purely Negroid population throughout West Africa. An idealized type of “true Fulbe” was created: light-skinned, with a high straight nose, devoid of prognathism, etc. A detailed study of the anthropology of the Fulbe showed that they combine the features of the Caucasoid and Negroid large races, with a certain predominance of the latter.

The great diversity of the ethno-linguistic map of West Africa is the result of a long historical development of the region. The gradual "drying" of the Sahara led to significant migrations of peoples to the south and southwest of it.

The existence in the Sahel zone of West Africa of large trading medieval states - Ghana (III-XI centuries), Mali (XIII-XV centuries), Songhai (XVI-XVII centuries) - contributed to the intensification of the processes of ethnic rapprochement within these political associations. A broad aggressive policy was accompanied by migrations, the creation of settlements of captives of a different ethnicity, the mixing of the population and the formation of new, dependent "tribes", as was the case, for example, in the state of Songhai. The involvement of West Africa in the European slave trade also made noticeable changes in the ethnic map of the region: some tribes disappeared, others moved, others assimilated. In the XVIII-XIX centuries. During the wars of conquest under the slogans of Islam, the Fulani settled widely in West Africa, who had previously lived only in the west of the region.

There are now several large language families in West Africa1. The languages ​​of the Afroasian family are represented in the region by the Berber language Tamashek (Tuareg) and the languages ​​of the Chadic group (Hausa and related).

The languages ​​of the population of the territory stretching from the Ivory Coast to Nigeria are part of the Niger-Kordofanian family. Within it, languages ​​fall into several groups. The most significant of them is the Guinean subgroup (kwa), which includes the languages ​​of the population of the Ivory Coast (abron, etc.), Ghana (Akan, Twi, Fanti, Ashanti), Togo (Ga, Guang and Ewe), Benin (background) , Southern Nigeria (yoruba, for, edo, nupe). Outside the coast, many linguists include the Songhay language (the Songhay people live along the middle reaches of the Niger in Mali and Niger) in this group, although it is more common to separate this language into a separate group of the Nilo-Saharan language family.

Linguistic unity is most characteristic of the Mande subgroup. The Mande languages ​​are spoken by the population of the steppe regions of the Western Sudan region (Mali, Senegal), the northern regions of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Ivory Coast. The Mande languages ​​are divided into two groups. Northern (Mandetan) combines Mandingo with its three dialects (Malinke, Bambara, Di Ula), Soninke, Hasonke, Toronke, etc. Southern (Mandefu) includes coco, kpelle, mende, toma, gbande, etc., as well as some languages ​​of Nigeria. In total, this subgroup includes about 40 languages.

The languages ​​of the population of the Atlantic coast from the mouth of the river are also combined into one group. Senegal to Liberia. The West Atlantic (or West Antoid) subgroup includes Wolof and Serer in Senegal, Balante, Bidyo and others in Guinea-Bissau, Nala, Landuma and Kisi in Guinea, Bullom, Temne, Limba in Sierra Leone, Gola in Liberia, etc. .

The population of the Niger Bend region speaks the languages ​​of the Gur or Volt subgroup (Mosigrusi). These are mainly the peoples of the Upper Volta: mine, grusi (gu runsi), gourma, etc. In Mali, this group includes the Bobo, Dogon, and Senufo languages.

Another significant one. language subgroup - Benuecongolese. These are the languages ​​of the peoples of the middle part of Northern Nigeria: Tiv, Birom, Yergum, Boki, etc.

In Northern Nigeria, a small part of the population speaks the languages ​​of the Saharan group of the Nilo-Saharan family (Kanuri).

Among the languages ​​of West Africa, Hausa stands out prominently. This is the language of one of the largest peoples in the region. The number of the Hausa proper and peoples close to them in terms of language and culture exceeds 10 million people. Khausan tsi - people ancient culture, which played a large role in the history and economic development of the entire region, and their language has long become the language of interethnic communication in West Africa. The total number of Hausa speakers (including as a second language) is at least 15 million people. The Diula language also played and continues to play the role of the language of interethnic communication.

More than 7 million people speak the languages ​​of the Benuecongolese subgroup, about 8 million people speak the Volt language, and more than 10 million people speak the West Atlantic subgroup. About 1 million people have Songhay. The total number of peoples of the Guinean group is more than 23 million people. The number of Mande speakers is over 7 million. The Tuareg live in Mali (more than 200 thousand) and in Niger (more than 300 thousand).

Some languages ​​of West Africa were written in the Middle Ages and in modern times. Hausa, Fulbe and Kanuri used the Arabic graphic base ("Ajami") with the introduction of additional icons to indicate sounds that were not available in Arabic. Literature existed in the Hausa language: poems, historical chronicles (some of them translated into Russian), etc. Particularly interesting are the documentary written monuments of the temples - charters that granted privileges for merits to the state (including for merits in the field of culture) ; the earliest of them belong to the XII - XIII centuries. The Fulbe also had original fiction (poems religious, historical, glorifying the work of the farmer and cattle breeder). Representatives of the Kanuri people also wrote in these languages, as well as in Kanur.

In addition to the borrowed writing system, many peoples of West Africa had original systems for transmitting information (notches, sketches, pictograms). On the coast of Southern Nigeria, the Nsibidi script was distributed from simplified pictographic (pictorial) signs. The wall bas-reliefs of the palace of the ruler of Dahomey, telling about the deeds of the rulers of this people, and the reliefs on elephant tusks of the Yoruba are close to the systems of pictographic writing. At the beginning of our century, the Bamum developed a written language based on pictograms. In Liberia and Sierra Leone, among the peoples of the Vai, Mende, Loma from the beginning of the 19th century. there was a syllabary. On weights for weighing gold among the Ashanti (Ghana; a special system of writing numbers was used.

Today, many peoples of West Africa have a written language based on the Latin script with the addition of signs to indicate sounds that are absent in European languages. In the states of this region, local languages ​​have not yet been adopted as state languages. At the same time, work is underway to compile a written language for the still unwritten main languages, to develop the newly written languages ​​(Mali - Bama, Guinea - Malinka, Fulfulda and Coco, Ghana - Ashanti, Fanti, etc.).

A characteristic feature of the region, as well as the whole of Tropical Africa, is the mismatch between the ethnic territories of individual peoples and the borders of states artificially formed during the period of the colonial division of Africa. Now all the states of West Africa are poly-ethnic states. Processes of modern national development are dual. On the one hand, there is an assimilation of small peoples by large ones, such as, for example, the Hausa. On the other hand, there is a formation (not on the basis of the ethnic territory of individual peoples, but within the framework of multi-ethnic states) of single stable communities, which are usually called "national-political".

A significant number of Africans adhere to Islam and Christianity. No less widespread are local traditional cults> Finally, there are syncretic, Afro-Christian sects.

Islam in West Africa has a long history. Being introduced in the IX-X centuries. Muslim merchants from North Africa, with which the peoples of West Africa had long-standing trade ties, it quickly spread throughout the Sahel zone. In many pre-colonial states, it became the state religion; Arab culture and language became the culture and language of the ruling classes. In the Middle Ages, the region developed its own centers of theology and science. The largest of them existed during the reign of Sankor in Timbuktu (modern Mali). Islam in West Africa has adopted much from local traditional cults, here it is not as orthodox as in the Middle East and North Africa. In particular, he did not suppress the love of dancing and singing inherent in all Africans. A rather high position of women was preserved: in Zaria and Bornu, Muslim countries, in the Middle Ages there were even female rulers. During the period of the colonial division of Africa, the movement of resistance to the colonialists was often organized under the banner of the defense of Islam.

Islam of West Africa - Sunni persuasion; several Muslim sects operate here. The Muslim population is concentrated mainly in the west of the region and in the Sahel zone. In countries such as Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Muslims make up the vast majority of the population (in Senegal - approximately 80%, in Niger - 96, in the Gambia - 80%, etc.). In Nigeria, almost half of the inhabitants are Muslims (they are concentrated mainly in the northern regions). In Upper Volta, Ghana, Muslims are about 20%. Wolof, Fulbe, Hausa, Tukuler - the peoples are either completely or mostly Muslim.

A significant number of West Africans retain local traditional beliefs that are extremely diverse. Most of these peoples have a cult of ancestors, tribal cults, fetishism, belief in the spirits of nature, etc. Some peoples of West Africa also knew developed polytheistic religions. To this day, there is polytheism among the Akans (Ivory Coast and Ghana) with a host of gods headed by the sky god Nyame. The most developed pantheon of the Yoruba. From the gathering of spirits "stand out" the great gods: the lord of the sky Olorun, the lord of the earth Obata la, the water god Olokun, the goddess hearth Oloraza, god of iron and war Ogun it. e. The peoples who reached the level of class formation before colonization and created early class states (Yoruba, Akan, Ashanti, Moi, etc.) developed a cult of a sacred ruler, and a priesthood was born. All peoples who profess different forms traditional beliefs, belief in magic, talismans, amulets, witchcraft is widespread.

Local traditional cults are followed by the majority of the population of Liberia - three quarters, Ivory Coast - more than two thirds, Upper Volta and Ghana - more than three quarters, Nigeria and Guinea Bissau - about half. The “pagan” peoples are predominantly the Dogon, Akan, Balante, Yoruba, etc. Many peoples of West Africa, who adhere to local traditional beliefs, have a cult of ancestors (the cult masks of the Dogon, Senufo and Bam Bara are especially well known).

Christianity began to spread in West Africa with late XIX in. The first attempts of Europeans to Christianize the states with which they entered into trade contacts (for example, at the end of the 15th century the ruler of Benin was baptized) were isolated and were not crowned with success. Only vigorous activity many missionary societies (the most active was the Catholic Order of the White Fathers) led to the Christianization of part of the population of West Africa. Different areas of Christianity are represented in the region: Catholicism, Evangelicalism, Anglicanism, Protestantism. After the Second World War, the "Africanization" of the church was carried out: in West Africa there are many African archbishops (in Senegal, Guinea, Ghana, Benin), there is also an African cardinal (in Upper Volta). But in no country in West Africa are Christians in the majority. Their largest number is in Benin (over 10% of the population) and Ghana (about 17%). The predominance of Catholics or Protestants in the Christian population of a particular country is historically associated with its colonial past: the former colonies of France are mostly Catholic, Great Britain - Protestant.

As already mentioned, in some areas of West Africa, peculiar Afro-Christian sects have spread, syncretically uniting the dogma and cults of Christianity and local traditional religions. Such sects arose as peculiar forms of protest; in the first periods of their existence, they often played an important role in national liberation movements. Now they unite for the most part several tens of thousands of people and do not play a significant role in public life their countries.

The culture of the peoples of West Africa has a long history. One of the most ancient types of art is rock art and petroglyphs dating back to the 10th-8th millennium BC. e. Although the bulk of monuments of this kind are concentrated in the Sahara, they are also found within West Africa, in the republics of Mali and Niger.

The region developed one of the most interesting cultures of the Iron Age - Nok (named after the village of Nok in Nigeria). It existed in the 1st millennium BC. e. over a vast territory (500 km from west to east and 300 km from north to south). Terracotta nok heads, surprisingly plastic and original, are still admired all over the world. Probably, it was on the basis of this culture that medieval art Ife and Benin (Nigeria). Ife culture flourished between the 12th and 14th centuries. The finds of the first bronze sculptures in Ife at the beginning of our century amazed Western scientists, who could not believe in the local origin of the sculptures and attributed them to the Etruscans, then the Atlanteans, then the Egyptians, then the Europeans of the Renaissance. Now, after numerous finds of not only individual heads, but also entire figures, the local origin of this sculpture is beyond doubt. One of the features of African sculpture, both bronze and wooden, is the tendency to significantly increase the size of the head as the main container of "life force", according to traditional ideas. This sharply distinguishes African sculpture from European and allows us to dismiss all attempts to explain the appearance of this peculiar culture by foreign influences.

On the entire western coast of Africa there are small plastic casting zones. Especially widely known are the works on metal (including gold) of the Ashanti people. Their weights for weighing golden sand are miniature sculptural groups depicting genre scenes illustrating proverbs and sayings.

Large castings from Benin, Ife, and small Ashanti sculptures were made using the "lost wax" technique. A layer of wax was applied to the clay base, on which all the details were worked out, then the blank was covered with a layer of clay, in which a hole was left. Molten metal was poured through it, melting the wax and replacing it.

Another area of ​​traditional West African art is wood sculpture. Like bronze casting, it was closely associated with beliefs and cult and had ritual significance. However, her character was different. The bronzes of Benin are the receptacle for the souls of the rulers, while the wooden cult items are not only sculptures, but also masks. Most interesting masters wood carvings - Dogon, Senufo and Bambara. Bambara head masks, depicting a mythical ancestor - an antelope, stylized, not decorated with any materials, complemented by a costume that covered the entire figure of a dancer, played an extremely important role in ceremonies before the start of agricultural work, during initiation rites, etc.

The peoples of West Africa have long been famous as skilled artisans and skillful traders. They not only supplied their neighbors with their products, but also traded with the countries of North Africa. Camel caravans carried gold and salt, handicraft products to the north of the continent.

The traditional architecture that developed in the Middle Ages also feeds modern architecture. The palaces of the Benin and other rulers were destroyed, but the adobe mosques in the middle reaches of the Niger still survived, the palace of the Dahomey rulers was restored, which now houses the National Museum, the palaces of the sultans of Sokoto and Kano. Modern architects tend to use in their creations the traditions of Hausa and Ashanti, which intricately decorated the walls of dwellings.

The peoples of West Africa have preserved a rich tradition of oral literary creativity. Narrators - griots passed down historical legends, epic tales from generation to generation, composed songs and fairy tales. Dancing and musical art has long been widespread. These genres of folk art continue to exist today. Professional writers, actors, musicians grew up on their basis. The writers Sem ben Usman and Leopold Senghor, Chinua Achebe and Wole Shoinka and others often use folk heritage in their work. In many countries, folklore ensembles have been created that are well known outside of Africa. Theaters put on both translated and original performances. New directions in contemporary art West Africa - painting and cinematography. There was no place for painting in the traditional art of the West African peoples, in part because of Islam's prohibition against depicting animals and people. Now in West Africa there are a number of interesting artists, both painters and sculptors, who creatively use the artistic heritage of the peoples. The young cinematography of African countries (Senegal and Guinea, for example) has already become known outside the continent.

The population dynamics of West Africa is typical of economically underdeveloped countries. The birth and death rates are very high, and the average life expectancy is low. The average birth rate in Africa is 47 people per 1,000. In West African countries, the birth rate is approximately the same as the average for the continent (for example, in Ghana - 46.6 people), the average death rate is 24 people per 1,000. Average life expectancy in most countries of the region - 35-40 years, although there have been some cases of significant longevity - 100 years or more.

The excess of births over deaths leads to rapid natural population growth, and low duration life- to a rapid change of generations. The average annual natural population growth is 2.5%.

The age structure of the population of West African countries is characterized by a high percentage of childhood and a low percentage of the elderly. As a rule, about 40% of the population are children under 15, over 40% are people aged 15-44, about 9% are 45-60 years old and 4-5% are over 60. In some countries, this discrepancy is even sharper. . In Mali and Togo, children under 15 make up almost half of the population.

The policy of birth control is not carried out by all countries of the region. Moreover, the problem of demographic growth is different in different countries. The state family planning program was adopted in 1969 in Ghana; some support for such plans is provided by the Government of Nigeria. More often than not, governments have a negative attitude towards family planning attempts. The reasons for this are the still weak population of the territory of many countries, the traditional large number of children (the desired number of children in an African family is 6-7 people) and the belief that a high birth rate can contribute to the development of new lands and, ultimately, strengthening the political positions of the state.

Demographic growth is outpacing economic growth, which naturally exacerbates the employment problem, especially among young people. In all countries, the supply of labor significantly exceeds the demand. On average, about 80% of the population is employed in agriculture (in Niger - 90%, in Sierra Leone - 75%), mainly in traditional, unproductive types of farms. There is hidden unemployment and underemployment in the countryside. Seasonal unemployment is observed in many countries (in Senegal it covers about 30% of the agricultural population). Unemployment is also growing in cities, where young people from all over the country flock to. Urban unemployed are usually 5-8% total number employed. With the exception of certain areas of the mining and manufacturing industries, the bulk of the employed population is concentrated in the areas of transport and services (in many countries also in the administrative apparatus).

The governments of young countries are trying to deal with this unfavorable situation. Are being developed special programs youth employment, public Works of a temporary nature, long-term plans for the development of agriculture are being prepared with the involvement of the unemployed population. But ultimately, the solution to the problem of employment is connected with a sharp increase in the rate of economic growth, the implementation of a social policy that meets the interests of the masses, the introduction of planned principles in the development of the economy, the implementation of a democratic agrarian reform, etc.

The population distribution in West Africa is extremely uneven. Its average density is about 10 people per 1 sq. km. km. The most compactly populated are the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and the valleys of large rivers - the Niger, Volta, Senegal, Gambia, industrialized areas and areas of plantation agriculture.

In the northern regions of the drylands, on the borders with the Sahara and in the Sahara itself, as well as in the humid equatorial forests of the Guinean coast, the population is quite rare. The average population density in Nigeria is 68 people per 1 sq. km. km, and in the northern regions of Niger, the population density drops to 0.2 people per 1 sq. km. km.

In West Africa, the migration movement is quite developed. Significant interstate and intrastate migrations are associated with the nature of activities and the problem of employment. In West Africa, peoples and individual groups of the population continue to lead a nomadic lifestyle. Their main occupation is nomadic cattle breeding. First of all, the ego of the Tuareg and Fulbebororo. All members of such ethnic groups roam with cattle.

Migrations caused by the uneven economic development of different regions within the country are of a different nature. They can be permanent, long-term or seasonal. Migration, which is permanent, is associated with the process of urbanization; as a rule, young people aged 15-30 move to cities for permanent residence. Long-term migrations (leaving for several years) are caused by work for hire and contracts in cities, centers of extractive industry, plantation and commercial agriculture. Seasonal migrations are caused by the needs of agriculture and fishing. The centers of attraction for such migrations in West Africa are Ghana (cocoa plantations, ports, mining), BSC (cocoa plantations, coffee), Senegal and Gambia (peanut plantations), parts of Nigeria (mining industry), and Sierra Leone. Countries that mainly supply migrants are Upper Volta and Mali. The vast majority of migrants are men. This leads to the fact that, despite the approximately equal number of men and women in most countries of West Africa, their distribution is extremely uneven. As a rule, men predominate in cities and centers of commercial agriculture and industry, while women predominate in areas of traditional agriculture.

Since all the countries of West Africa are agrarian, naturally, the rural population predominates. However, West Africa has a long history of urban civilization. In the Middle Ages, there were about 70 cities. They appeared either shopping centers(Auda Gost, Timbuktu, Djenne, etc.), or as trade and craft (Kano and other Hausa cities), or as administrative (Ouagadougou, etc.) and religious (Ife, Oyo) centers. Some of these ancient cities perished (Audagost, KumbiSale, Niani, etc.), others, although preserved, lost their former significance (Timbuktu), and still others, very few, have grown into large modern cities (Ouagadougou, Kano and a number of others). Zones of the ancient urban population - the lands of the Hausa and Yoruba in Nigeria. And still here the highest level of urbanization.

Most modern cities are of later origin: they grew up on the bridge of colonial outposts, trading posts, mission stations, and later - in mining areas. At present, the urban population is growing at a high rate (4.1% per year). The urban population in West Africa is unevenly distributed. Low level of urbanization (townspeople make up 5-10% of the country's population) in Niger, Liberia, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Upper Volta, medium (10 -20%) - in Benin, Guinea, Gambia, Sierra Leone, high (20 - 40%) - in Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria. A characteristic feature of urbanization is the concentration of more than half of the total urban population in several (sometimes one or two) large cities. In Senegal, about 60% of the urban population lives in such cities, in Nigeria - 60-70%, in the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali - about 80%, in Guinea - 80-90%. Largest cities West Africa - Lagos (about 3.5 million inhabitants), Abidjan (900 thousand), Accra (about 1 million), Dakar (about 800 thousand), Conakry (575 thousand), Bamako (404 thousand) , Freetown (274 thousand), Monrovia (160 thousand).

Part of the African continent, located south of the central Sahara and washed from the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean. The natural border in the east is the Cameroon Mountains.

Western Africa covers the Sahel and Sudan regions, as well as the rainforests of the Guinean region. The climate, due to the trade winds, is variable-humid with variously pronounced seasons of droughts and rains. There is almost no vegetation in the Sahel, savannahs dominate in Sudan, and strips of tropical forest exist off the coast.

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, significant states existed in West Africa, such as Ghana, Mali and Songhai. In the 15th century, the Portuguese began to establish their colonies on the Guinean coast, later the French and the British, trading in slaves, in particular with America.

The Guinean region has long been considered the "grave of the white man". Tropical diseases such as malaria, yellow fever or sleeping sickness killed in the XVIII century in the first year from 25 to 75 percent of newly arrived Europeans. In subsequent years, another ten percent died. Diseases were spread by a huge number of mosquitoes and tsetse flies, in addition, poor hygiene conditions during the rainy seasons affected. In the 20th century, colonial borders in West Africa strengthened, but in the 1960s. wars for independence began.

West Africa is divided by contradictions between French-speaking and English-speaking countries, consisting not only in the language barrier, but also in different mentalities and worldviews. Connections former colonies relations with the former mother countries are often closer than with neighboring states. The West African ECOWAS community serves integration in the region and tries to create peace in various hot spots: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire.

The road infrastructure is poorly developed, railways exist only from the hinterland to the coast and are a legacy of colonial economic policies. Significant ports are Dakar, Conakry, Abidjan, Accra, Lome and Lagos.

The Sahel states are among the poorest countries in the world, Nigeria, despite rich oil reserves, is also far behind in development. On the coast, agriculture produces monocultures intended for export. Most West Africans are self-sufficient.

West Africa is home to more than half of the African languages. Most of them belong to the Kongo-Kordofanian and Afroasiatic language group. Of great importance to the traditional culture of the peoples living in the savannas and rainforests is oral folklore and the transmission of knowledge, as well as the use of masks and dances for ceremonial purposes.

West Africa includes the following states:

• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Gambia
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Cape Verde
• Ivory Coast
• Liberia
• Mauritania
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone

Sometimes West Africa includes Western Sahara and Chad.

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Africa is a part of the world with an area of ​​\u200b\u200bwith islands of 30.3 million km 2, this is the second place after Eurasia, 6% of the entire surface of our planet and 20% of the land.

Geographical position

Africa is located in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres (most), a small part in the Southern and Western. Like all large fragments of the ancient mainland Gondwana, it has a massive outline, large peninsulas and deep bays are absent. 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 the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, in the northeast by the Red Sea, in the southeast by the Indian Ocean, in the west - Atlantic Ocean. Africa is separated from Asia by the Suez Canal, from Europe by the Strait of Gibraltar.

Main geographical features

Africa lies on an ancient platform, which determines its flat surface, which in some places is dissected by deep river valleys. On the coast of the mainland there are few lowlands, the northwest is the location of the Atlas Mountains, the northern part, almost completely 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 Draconian mountains The highest point in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 m, Masai plateau), the lowest is 157 meters below sea level in Lake Assal. Along the Red Sea, in the Ethiopian Highlands and to the mouth of the Zambezi River, the world's largest fault stretches earth's crust, which is characterized by frequent seismic activity.

Rivers flow through Africa: Congo (Central Africa), Niger (Western 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 south to north (its sources are on the East African Plateau, and it flows, forming a delta, into the Mediterranean Sea). The rivers are high-water only in the equatorial zone, due to the large amount of precipitation there, most of them are characterized by high flow speed, 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 after Lake Superior (North America) - Victoria (its area is 68.8 thousand km 2, length 337 km, max depth - 83 m), the largest salty drainless lake is Chad (its area is 1.35 thousand km 2, located on the southern outskirts of the largest desert in the world, the Sahara).

Due to the location of Africa 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 highest temperature on our planet was recorded in 1922 in El Azizia (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 depression), in the north and south turning into mixed deciduous-evergreen forests, then there is a natural zone of savannahs and light forests, extending to Sudan, East and South Africa, to Sevre and southern Africa savannas are replaced by 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 - a zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs. The natural zones of mountains and plateaus are subject to the laws of altitudinal zonation.

African countries

The territory of Africa is divided among 62 countries, 54 are independent, sovereign states, 10 are dependent territories belonging to Spain, Portugal, Great Britain and France, the rest are unrecognized, self-proclaimed states - Galmudug, Puntland, Somaliland, the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Long time Asian countries were foreign colonies of various European states and only by the middle of the last century gained independence. Africa is divided into five regions based on geographic location: North, Central, West, East and South Africa.

List of African countries

Nature

Mountains and plains of Africa

Most of the African continent is a plain. There are mountain systems, uplands and plateaus. They are presented:

• the Atlas Mountains in the northwestern part of the continent;
• the Tibesti and Ahaggar uplands in the Sahara desert;
• Ethiopian highlands in the eastern part of the mainland;
• Dragon Mountains in the south.

The most high point countries - this is the Kilimanjaro volcano, 5,895 m high, belonging to the East African plateau in the southeastern part of the mainland ...

Deserts and savannas

The largest desert zone of the African continent is located in the northern part. This is the Sahara desert. In the southwestern side of the continent is another smaller desert, the Namib, and from it inland to the east is the Kalahari Desert.

The territory of the savanna occupies the main part of Central Africa. In terms of area, it is much larger than the northern and southern parts of the mainland. The territory is characterized by the presence of pastures typical for savannahs, low shrubs and trees. The height of grassy vegetation varies depending on the amount of precipitation. It can be almost desert savannas or tall grasses, with grass cover from 1 to 5 m in height...

Rivers

On the territory of the African continent is the longest river in the world - the Nile. Its direction of flow is from south to north.

In the list of major water systems of the mainland, Limpopo, Zambezi and the Orange River, as well as the Congo, which flows through the territory of 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 of the African continent includes Lake Victoria, which is the second largest freshwater reservoir in the world. Its depth reaches 80 m, and its area is 68,000 square kilometers. Two more large lakes of the continent: Tanganyika and Nyasa. They are located in the faults of the 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 oceans ...

Seas and oceans

The African continent is washed by the waters of two oceans at once: the Indian and the Atlantic. Also off its coast are the Red and Mediterranean Seas. From the Atlantic Ocean in the southwestern part of the water form the deep Gulf of Guinea.

Despite the location of the African continent, 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 the northern waters, and Needle, in the southern ...

Forests of Africa

Forests from the entire territory of the African continent make up a little more than a quarter. 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 tree, etc. High in the mountains grow coniferous plants, represented by Aleppo pine, Atlas cedar, juniper and other tree species.

Closer to the coast there are cork oak forests, in the tropical area evergreen equatorial plants are common, for example, mahogany, sandalwood, ebony, etc...

Nature, plants and animals of Africa

The vegetation of the equatorial forests is diverse, there are about 1000 species of various tree species: ficus, ceiba, wine tree, olive palm, wine palm, banana palm, tree ferns, sandalwood, mahogany, rubber trees, Liberian a coffee tree etc. It is home to many species of animals, rodents, birds and insects living right on the trees. On earth live: bush pigs, leopards, African deer - a relative of the okapi giraffe, large apes - gorillas ...

40% of the territory of Africa is occupied by savannas, which are huge steppe areas covered with forbs, low, thorny shrubs, milkweed, and separately standing trees(tree-like acacias, baobabs).

Here there is the largest accumulation 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 savanna are such herbivores as: bubal (antelope family), giraffe, impala or black-footed antelope, different kinds gazelles (Thomson, Grant), blue wildebeest, in some places there are still rare jumping antelopes - springboks.

The vegetation of deserts and semi-deserts is characterized by poverty and unpretentiousness, these are small thorny shrubs, separately growing bunches of herbs. The oases grow a unique date palm Erg Chebbi, as well as plants resistant to drought conditions and salt formation. Grow in the Namib Desert unique plants velvichchia and nara, the fruits of which feed on porcupines, elephants and other animals of the desert.

Of the animals, various species of antelopes and gazelles live here, adapted to the hot climate and capable of traveling great distances in search of food, many species of rodents, snakes, and turtles. Lizards. Among mammals: spotted hyena, common jackal, maned sheep, Cape hare, Ethiopian hedgehog, gazelle dorcas, saber-horned antelope, Anubis baboon, wild Nubian donkey, cheetah, jackal, fox, mouflon, there are permanently living and migratory birds.

Climatic conditions

Seasons, weather and climate of African countries

The central part of Africa, through which the equator line passes, is in an area of ​​low pressure and receives sufficient moisture, the territories north and south of the equator are in the subequatorial climatic zone, this is a zone of seasonal (monsoonal) 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 the minimum amount of precipitation due to the formation of the region high pressure and the peculiarities of the movement of the 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 ...

Resources

African Natural Resources

By reserves water resources Africa is considered one of the least wealthy continents in the world. The average annual volume of water is only enough to meet 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 land is cultivated. The reason for this is the lack of the proper volume of water, soil erosion, etc.

The forests of Africa are a source of timber, including species of valuable varieties. The countries in which they grow, the raw materials are exported. Resources are misused and ecosystems are slowly being destroyed.

In the bowels 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 represented on the continent, but they are not used due to the lack of proper investments...

Among the developed industrial sectors of the countries of the African continent, one can note:

• the mining industry that exports minerals and fuels;
• the oil refining industry, distributed mainly in South Africa and North Africa;
• chemical industry specializing in the production of mineral fertilizers;
• as well as the metallurgical and engineering industries.

The main agricultural products are cocoa beans, coffee, corn, rice and wheat. In the tropical regions of Africa, oil palm is grown.

Fishing is poorly developed and accounts for only 1-2% of the total volume of agriculture. The indicators of animal husbandry are also not high, and the reason for this is the infection of livestock with tsetse flies ...

culture

The peoples of Africa: culture and traditions

About 8,000 peoples and ethnic groups live on the territory of 62 African countries, which in total is about 1.1 billion people. Africa is considered the cradle and ancestral home 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 of the peoples in Africa may number from several thousand people to several hundred living in one or two villages. 90% of the population are representatives of 120 peoples, their number is more than 1 million people, 2/3 of them are peoples with more than 5 million people, 1/3 - peoples with 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:

• West Africa. The peoples who speak Mande (Susu, Maninka, Mende, Wai), Chadian (Hausa), Nilo-Saharan (Songhai, Kanuri, Tubu, Zagawa, Mawa, etc.), Niger-Congo languages ​​(Yoruba, Igbo, Bini, nupe, gbari, igala and idoma, ibibio, efik, kambari, birom and jukun, etc.);
• Equatorial Africa. Inhabited by Buanto-speaking peoples: Duala, Fang, Bubi (Fernandese), Mpongwe, Teke, Mboshi, Ngala, Komo, Mongo, Tetela, Cuba, Kongo, Ambundu, Ovimbundu, Chokwe, Luena, Tonga, Pygmies, etc.;
• South Africa. Rebellious-speaking peoples, and speaking Khoisan languages: Bushmen and Hottentots;
• East Africa . Bantu, Nilotic and Sudanese groups of peoples;
• North East Africa. The peoples speaking Ethio-Semitic (Amhara, Tigre, Tigra.), Cushitic (Oromo, Somalis, Sidamo, Agau, Afar, Konso, etc.) and Omotian languages ​​(Ometo, Gimirra, etc.);
• Madagascar. Malagasy and Creoles.

In the North African province, the main peoples are considered to be Arabs and Berbers, belonging to the South European minor race, mainly practicing Sunni Islam. There is also an ethno-religious group of Copts who are direct descendants of the Ancient Egyptians, they are Monophysite Christians.

West Africa - part of the African continent, located south of the central Sahara and washed from the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean. West Africa covers the Sahel and Sudan regions.

Sudan - northern part central Africa, south of the Sahara to the 5th parallel north of the equator. Its southern border, like the border with the Sahara, is determined by the climate and is not pronounced - from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east and Kenya in the south.

The Western Sudan subregion includes territories: Burkina Faso, northern Mali, parts of Niger, Guinea, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Mauritania.

Sahel (translated from Arabic means “shore”, “border” or “coast”) is a tropical savannah in Africa, a kind of transition between the northern Sahara and the southern, more fertile lands of the African region of Sudan (not to be confused with the state of Sudan).
The Sahel is the border zone between Sudan and the Sahara.
The Sahel stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east; in the belt, its width varies from several hundred to thousands of kilometers. The Sahel includes: Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan and Eritrea.

The climate, due to the trade winds, is variable-humid with variously pronounced seasons of droughts and rains. There is almost no vegetation in the Sahel, savannahs dominate in Sudan, and strips of tropical forest exist off the coast.

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, significant states existed in West Africa, such as Ghana, Mali and Songhai. Starting from the 15th century, the Portuguese, French and British began to establish their colonies on the Guinean coast, trading in slaves, in particular with America.

The West African region includes 16 states that gained independence between the late 1950s and the early 1970s. Of these, 9 are former French colonies: Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo, 4 are former British colonies: Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, 2 - former Portuguese colonies: Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde; Liberia is a state created by black American settlers who proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Liberia in 1847.

The main advantage of the region is huge Natural resources. There are territories rich in minerals, namely: bauxite in Guinea, iron ore in Mauritania, uranium in Niger, oil in Nigeria, diamonds in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Some of these countries are significant suppliers of various crops to world markets, for example: Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali - cotton, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo - cocoa and coffee, Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia - hevea for rubber production ; almost all coastal countries of the West African region are rich in fish and seafood.

For foreign partners, the markets of West African countries may be of interest because of their need for various groups of goods. Distinctive feature economies of West Africa is that they do not meet their needs for food, technical and chemical goods. Therefore, these countries are forced to import these goods. In addition, much attention is paid to the construction of infrastructure facilities for industrial, social, tourist and other complexes.

West African countries

West Africa - part of the African continent, which is located south of the central Sahara and washed from the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, the natural border is the Cameroonian mountains.

The country	Population, million people	Capital
Benin	10,32	Porto-Novo
Burkina Faso	16,93	Ouagadougou
Islamic Republic of Gambia	1,849	banjul
Ghana	25,9	Accra
Guinea	11,75	Conakry
Guinea-Bissau	1,704	Bissau
Cape Verde	0,499	praia
Ivory Coast	20,32	Yamoussoukro
Liberia	4,294	Monrovia
Mauritania	3,89	Nouakchott
Mali	15,3	Bamako
Niger	17,83	Niamey
Nigeria	173,6	Abuja
Saint Helena, Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha	0,005	Jamestown
Senegal	14,13	Dakar
Sierra Leone	6,092	Freetown
Togo	6,817	Lome

History of West Africa

The culture of this region has its roots in the ancient West African empires of Ghana, Mali and Sopgai, which flourished between the 6th and 16th centuries. These empires fell into decay, and small independent kingdoms appeared in their place. In the 15th century, Portuguese merchants sailed here, followed by the British, French and Dutch.

Over the next 400 years, Europeans continuously invaded here, founding colonies. The conquerors exploited people and land, built gold mines, set up plantations to grow coffee, coconuts, sugarcane and cotton, and forced Africans to work for them as slaves. Europeans took natives to America on ships, where they sold them into slavery to local planters. On the way, many died, and the survivors faced the painful life of slaves.

In 1807, Britain abolished slavery, but independence for these countries was still a long way off. Colonial authorities remained in West Africa until the middle of the 20th century. After that, military and dictatorial regimes were established in some countries. Today, many countries have become democratic.

EGP West Africa

The EGP of West Africa is characterized by more high level development compared to eastern neighbor, but at a lower level of development compared to North Africa. This region is one of the richest mineral resources in the world. Quite large reserves of manganese, tin, gold, diamonds, and iron ore are concentrated here. Significant oil and gas reserves. Nigeria is the largest oil supplier in the region.

Mangrove forests and mud flats stretch along the coast of West Africa. They are washed by warm rains brought from the ocean. Further from the shore, lagoons and coastal swamps give way to tropical rainforests that stretch for hundreds of kilometers.

Winding rivers are often the only means of communication, as roads, already washed out during the rainy season, are swallowed up by the jungle. Evaporative forests cover the cooler central highlands. Rivers rushing off high altitude into narrow gorges, form picturesque waterfalls. During the rains, the rivers flood the surrounding lands, giving off fertile silt, periodically washing away entire villages. And finally, the landscape turns into endless savannahs, shimmering under the hot sun.

Agriculture in West Africa

Despite the recent intensifying process of industrialization in the most developed countries of West Africa, agriculture in this region continues to be the basis of the economy. The main branches of agricultural production: nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralism, which is especially common in the Sahel zone.

In West Africa, cattle breeding is harmoniously combined with agriculture. Complementary industries increase the overall productivity of agriculture. Main crops grown: corn, sorghum, peanuts, Palm oil, cotton.

Industry of West Africa

Industrial production is generally rather poorly developed. There is a preponderance towards the extractive industries. The main development was the mining industry and oil and gas production. Manufacturing industries are in the stage of initial development and are represented by processing mineral resources, textile production, cotton processing, furniture manufacturing.

Some of the people of West Africa work on modern machines on rubber plantations owned by foreign companies. The scarce land and arid climate make farming difficult, but priceless treasures are hidden in the land itself. Nigeria is one of the world's largest oil producers. Deposits of phosphorites, diamonds, bauxites and iron ore are the key to further prosperity.

Population of West Africa

The population of this region is about 300 million people. There is a rapid population growth, the birth rate exceeds 50 babies per 1,000 inhabitants. Consequently, West Africa is still in the second phase of its demographic transition.

Most of the population belongs to the Negroid race. In the northern part of Mali live the Berber-speaking Tuareg, belonging to the Mediterranean type of a large Caucasian race. Negroid peoples are: Fulbe, Diola, Wolof, Kisi, Serer, Senufo, etc.

In the cities of West Africa, people live in modern high-rise buildings or in wooden, tin-roofed houses. Many urban women leave daily for the countryside to work in the fields or livestock farms and poultry houses. Around coastal lagoons village houses with thatched roofs are built on stilts above the water. Fishermen and merchants living in these places travel by boat. Most West Africans live in countryside, these are rather poor farmers and pastoralists. For themselves, they grow millet, cassava and rice. And cotton, peanuts and palm oil are sold.