Chapter 10Africa and the International Community

Introduction

• Modern day Africa faces many political and economic challenges– Illegitimate and corrupt rule has plagued most of the

country– The continent struggles to find the recipe for economic

development and growth but have made strides in the last few years

• The continent still suffers from the legacy of colonialism

• Africa owns about one-third of the world’s primary commodities

African Geography

• Size– Second largest continent– Stretches five thousand miles from North to South– Just under five thousand miles West to East– More than three times the size of the United States

• Thought of in terms of North of the Saharan desert or Sub-Saharan– 45 countries make up sub-Saharan Africa– Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Nigeria make up the

transition between North and Sub-Saharan

Climate and Land Mass

• Africa is rich in various topographies and climates• Home to some of the world’s largest and driest

deserts, highest mountain peaks, and densest rain forests

• The Congo River dominates the west central rain forests of equatorial Africa

• The Nile River is the lifeblood of northeast Africa• East African landscape includes mountains, lakes,

upland plateaus, and rich grasslands• The southern regions of Africa are a mix of deserts,

hills, and plateaus

Geographic Disadvantages

• Africa has few natural harbors and navigable rivers to the interior making resource movement tough

• Africa is generally very dry and the dry seasons last for six to seven months– Makes sustainable agriculture production difficult

• Recurrent drought has plagued some of the central and eastern countries since the 1970’s making life difficult in these regions

African Demography

• Population Density– Africa is home to about 1 billion people, of which 750 million

live in sub-Saharan Africa– Population density in much of the continent is low, people

tend to cluster around large cities, coastlines, and areas of arable land

– The World Bank estimates that 65% of Africans are employed in the agricultural sector

• Low Life Expectancy and High Birth Rates– High infant mortality rates

• ¼ of children in Sierra Leone die before the age of one

– Despite high infant mortality rates, birth rates in most African countries are high

Contested Borders

• Most borders in Africa are the constructions of European imperialists of the 19th Century

• Only 1/5 of Africa’s borders run across sparsely populated deserts, while many other boundaries divide ethnic groups– These divisions have been the reason for many

disputes• Many historical lands and landmarks are not

contained in present day states of nations as laid out by the imperial borders

Cultural Diversity in Africa

• No country has just one culture– Ethiopia has 76 ethnic groups and 286 languages

• About 1500 identified African languages divided into five major groups:– Afro-Asiatic (from Sahara north to Mediteranean)– Niger-Congo (sub-Saharan)– Khoisan (southern)– Nilo-Saharan (North-Central)– Malagasy

Africa in World History

• African history is dominated by Western accounts– Until recently, historical accounts of the region before

Europeans was left out of history• Ghana and Mali were of the great West African

commercial states in the pre-modern period• Ethiopia and Zimbabwe in the south were

flourishing agricultural and trading societies• Much history has been lost due to the slave trade

The Slave Trade

• Originally the Portuguese and Dutch were interested in gold and ivory

• By the 18th century, the focus switched to slave trade– Over 12 million Africans enslaved and taken to the

Western Hemisphere– More than 1 million more died

• The slave trade coincided with the decline in African societies– Made it easier for the Europeans to invade

The Slave Trade

• By the 20th century, European nations had established formal control over the entire continent with the exception of Liberia and Ethiopia

• The Berlin Conference (1884-1885) finalized imperial borders– Most of these borders exist today

• Europeans improved many aspects of African life, but very few Africans reaped the benefits

African Independence• The end of colonial rule began in the late 1950’s

when Ghana became the first to gain independence in 1957

• By 1975 the era of European rule in Africa was over• The independence movement was peaceful except

in countries with large amounts of Europeans– Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya (1952 to 1959)

• Corruption of leaders has become a problem in many African states and was a problem during the Cold War– kleptocracy

Political and Economic Development

• In the 1980’s many African countries seemed to becoming democratic governments and growing economies

• Ethnic conflict and civil war became a bigger priority

• Freedom House ratings of the 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa– 10 “free”– 23 “partly free”– 15 “not free”

World Integration

• World trade and technology has come a long way in the last several decades

• Africa needs political stability before it can fully integrate into this improving global economy

• Inequities in education levels and the distribution of wealth left by imperialists have left Africa with a stunted economy

Africa in the Global Economy

• Less connected than any other continent• Accounts for 1% of the world’s economic

output and 2% of world trade• By the end of the 1950’s Ghana’s per capita

GDP was equivalent to South Korea’s– Today, Ghana’s per capita GDP is $2500 while

South Korea’s is $28,300• 90% of people in Mozambique, Malawi, and

Tanzania live on less than $2 per day

Resources in Africa

• Africa owns a large portion of the world’s raw minerals– 54% of world’s cobalt, 32% of its bauxite, 52% of

its manganese, 81% of its chromium, and 84% of its platinum

• This mineral wealth has been a main cause of conflict as civil wars occur to gain ownership of these materials

Economic Aid to Africa

• In the last 60 years, Africa has received about $1 trillion dollars in aid

• Results:– Reduces incentives to reform economic and political

policies– Budget deficits and debt increase– Decline in per capita GDP

• Corrupt officials are a large problem– The African Union (AU) estimates that $150 billion lost

annually due to corruption

Explanations for Poor Economic Growth

• Low education levels throughout the continent– 63% of African population is literate– 50% of sub-Saharan African women are literate• Somalia is worst at 25%

• Damage done by colonial rule– Economic and political systems put in place not

conducive to African way of life • Lack of infrastructure

Demographic Issues

• Very high average birthrates in African countries– 6.5 children per woman in Somalia– 4.9 children per woman in Rwanda

• Very low average life expectancies in African countries– Average life expectancy in Africa is 56 years– AIDS, malaria, lack of clean water all reasons

Nigeria

• 6th largest oil producer in the world• Largest population in sub-Sahara• Very ethnically diverse, over 250 ethnic groups– Muslim Hausa and Fulani groups make up much of

the north, Igbo make up the southeast, and Christian Yoruba make up the southwest

• Civil unrest due to religious and ethnic differences

• Life expectancy in Nigeria is only 47.6 years

Democratic Republic of Congo

• Comprises 1/13 of Africa’s landmass and possesses some of Africa’s most valuable natural resources– Gold, oil, diamonds, rubber, copper, zinc

• Historically corrupt state– King Leopold II– Mobutu

• Culturally diverse with over 200 ethnic groups and 75 different languages

• GDP per capita of $300 and 70% live below the poverty line

The Horn of Africa

• These countries exemplify the struggles of many African countries in building nations inside imperial borders

• Inconsistent support by the US left many countries unstable and unable to establish a political identity

• Somalia is a prime example of the crippling effects of corruption and has become a breeding ground for terrorists

Globalization in Africa

• The US and Canada import 33% of sub-Saharan crude oil, China imports 33%, and Europe imports about 20%

• Increased trade opportunities with US, Europe, India, and China– African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) gave 38

African countries duty-free access to US markets– Preferential trade agreements between Africa and Europe– China overtook US as largest trade partner in 2009

• AIDS and terrorist activity in East Africa has drawn the attention of the US