africa obstacles
TRANSCRIPT
How do countries/people progress?
* Progress through contact with other people.
• Through trade they exchange ideas, new technology, etc.
“In understanding Black Africa, geography is more important than
history.” Fernand Braudel
Obstacles to Africa’s Development
1. Desert that Divides
Sahara Desert
Desert is larger than continental United States
3,500,000 square miles
5 of Africa’s 10 richest countries are located in Northern Africa WHY??
2. Lack of easy access to oceans
Can’t get goods in and out.
No harbors to dock ships
Escarpments
Difficult for ships to dock on tip of Africa as wind, ocean currents are nasty!!
3. Limited Islands/Peninsulas
Only 2% of Africa’s landmass is made up of islands/peninsulas.
WHY is this a problem??
4. Landlocked countries
1/3 or 15 countries in Africa are landlocked.
5. Lack navigable rivers
Many rivers only navigable during rainy season.
No rivers reach from inner continent to ocean anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa.
Asia: Yangtze River can carry boats weighing up to 10,000 tons
Hudson River in America holds aircraft carriers
6. Lack of access to rivers that exist
Many sandbars block mouth of river
Nile River only river in Africa that reaches inland.
7. Lack of mountains in tropics/dependence on rainfall.
No mountains = no collection of snow=no runoff=no water to refill rivers
8. Bad Bugs
Tsetse Fly (sleeping sickness)
Malaria
People are sick they can’t work!!
Bugs effect pack animals can’t work
Animals die there is no fertilization…dead animals can not poop!!
9. Language Barrier
800-2000 different languages spoken in Africa
Difficult to dialogue with each other
10. European Colonalization Late
1800s-1960s
European Colonialism Late 1800s-1960
**Divided groups
**Forced groups who disliked each other to live next to each other.
**Diseases
Why should we care about Africa?