GEO200 Lecture 9b on Sub-Saharan Africa PDF

WELCOME TO GEO-200 World Regional Geography Dr. Fatmaelzahraa Hussein Visiting Faculty -CHSS ( A ssista nt Pro fe sso r) Lecture 9b Lecture-9b A Geographic Profile of SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA-2  Lecture-9b Lecture Objectives Is To :...

WELCOME TO GEO-200 World Regional Geography Dr. Fatmaelzahraa Hussein Visiting Faculty -CHSS ( A ssista nt Pro fe sso r) Lecture 9b Lecture-9b A Geographic Profile of SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA-2  Lecture-9b Lecture Objectives Is To : 1. Explore Sub-Saharan Africa’s region Cultural and Historical Geographies. 2. Explore Sub-Saharan Africa’s Languages 3. Understand Sub-Saharan Africa Belief Systems 4. Understand Sub-Saharan Africa’s Colonialism 5. Understand Sub-Saharan Africa Economic Geography 6. Understand Sub-Saharan Africa’s Legacy of Failed States 7. Understand Sub-Saharan Africa Geo-political issues.  Lecture-9b ​Sub-Saharan Africa: Cultural and Historical Geographies African continent is considered the original home of humankind After 5000 B.C.E., indigenous people were responsible for agricultural innovation in four culture hearths: Ethiopian Plateau West African Savanna West African Forest Forest-Savanna Boundary of West Central Africa Domestication of important crops Millet, sorghum, yams, cowpeas, okra, watermelons, coffee, and cotton  Lecture-9b Sub-Saharan Africa: The Languages Peoples of this region speak more than 1,000 languages, which generally belong to one of four broad language families: 1. Afro-Asiatic: Ex. Amharic (spoken in Ethiopia) 2. Niger-Congo: Ex. Swahili (widely spoken in East Africa) 3. Austronesian: Ex. Malagasy (spoken in Madagascar) 4. Indo-European: Ex. Afrikaans (South Africa) and English The African Union, the continent’s supranational organization, uses 6 official languages English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, and Arabic  Lecture-9b Sub-Saharan Africa: Africa’s Belief Systems Spiritualism is extremely strong, but spiritual affiliations and practices are more interwoven and flexible than in most other world regions Not strange for family members to follow different faiths, or for an individual to change religious beliefs and practices during a lifetime Dominant Religions of Africa Islam Christianity Indigenous African Religions (Animism) Animism is the religious belief that objects, places and creatures (animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork) all possess a distinct spiritual essence  Lecture-9b Sub-Saharan Africa: The Impact of Colonialism European colonialism began to overshadow and inhibit the growth of indigenous African civilizations in the 16th century Portugal was the earliest colonial power to build an African empire Conference of Berlin in 1884-1885 ◦ Regulated European colonization and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period and coincided with Germany's sudden emergence as an imperial power ◦ European colonization had both positive and negative impacts on the region Most countries still have important links with their former colonial powers  Lecture-9b Sub-Saharan Africa: Economic Geography Sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by great poverty Coffee as Kenya’s Cash Crop ◦ 25 of the world’s 30 poorest countries are located in Sub-Sharan Africa ◦ All economies except South Africa’s are under industrialized Africa’s place in the commercial world is mainly that of a producer of primary products ◦ Cash Crops (agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit) ◦ Raw Materials (material that is used to produce goods, finished products, energy, or intermediate materials which are used for future finished products) Social and structural problems contribute to the region’s underdevelopment ◦ Most African societies lack a substantial middle class and the prospect of upward economic mobility  Lecture-9b Sub-Saharan Africa: Agriculture Per capita food output in most of Sub-Saharan Africa has declined or remained flat since independence Malnutrition afflicts almost half the region’s children due to rapid population growth and drought Many regimes have invested more in their militaries than in getting food to their citizens Governmental preference for cash crops over subsistence food crops Export Crops Grown on small farms rather than on plantations/estates Most valuable export crops: coffee, cacao, cotton, peanuts and oil palm Secondary cash crops: sisal, pyrethrum, tea, tobacco, rubber, pineapples, bananas, cloves, vanilla, cane sugar and cashews  Lecture-9b Sub-Saharan Africa: Mineral Resources Notable Mineral Exports Precious metals and precious stones(ex. diamond). Iron alloys Copper Phosphate Uranium Petroleum High-grade iron ore Destined principally for Europe, the U.S., and China. Mining has attracted far more investment capital to Africa than any other economic activity.  Lecture-9b Sub-Saharan Africa: Africa’s Fragile Infrastructure Poor transportation hindering development Few countries can afford to build extensive new road or rail networks, and much of colonial infrastructure has deteriorated Contributes to famine, with the inability to transport crop surpluses to parts with chronic food shortages Contributes to high cost of agricultural inputs (e.g., fertilizers) Bridging the digital divide Critical shortage of telephone, fax, e-mail, and other communication technologies  Lecture-9b Sub-Saharan Africa: Africa in World Markets & Economics Commodities boom brought annual economic growth rates of about 5% to 16% Sub-Saharan African countries. Many countries outside the region have effectively closed their doors to African imports. Subsidies, high tariffs, and/or low quotas imposed on agricultural products or manufactured goods Africa’s debt Forgiveness of $40 billion debt by G-8  Lecture-9b Sub-Saharan Africa: Africa in World Markets & Economics (Cont.) China’s engagement with the region Trade between China and Africa increased by 700% during the 1990s, and China is currently Africa's largest trading partner. The Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was established in October 2000 as an official forum to greatly strengthen the relationship. A few Western countries, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, have become concerned over the significant political, economic and military roles China is playing in the African continent.  Lecture-9b Sub-Saharan Africa: A Legacy of Failed States Failed-state syndrome (a state that is unable to perform the two fundamental functions of the sovereign nation- state in the modern world system: it cannot project authority over its territory and peoples, and it cannot protect its national boundaries.) Harmful process of economic and political decay that is eating away at some African countries Some countries are little more than ‘shell states’ 9 of the world’s 15 most corrupt countries are in this region Donor democracy Leaders make just enough concessions to win outside aid without instituting real reform  Lecture-9b Sub-Saharan Africa: Geopolitical Issues Sub-Saharan Africa is often judged as marginal in world affairs, but the region deserves and is receiving increased international attention. Humanitarian problems Global implications of its public health and environmental situations Problems in the management of Africa’s natural resource wealth, its oil reserves, and concerns over terrorism Terrorism hotspots Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Niger, Chad, and Mali HIV/AIDS Link between U.S. and Africa via air traffic routes Potential AIDS-related political instability or civil wars  Lecture-9b Now you should be able to: 1. Mention Sub-Saharan Africa’s region Cultural and Historical Geographies. 2. Mention Sub-Saharan Africa’s Languages 3. Explain Sub-Saharan Africa Belief Systems 4. Explain Sub-Saharan Africa’s Colonialism 5. Explain Sub-Saharan Africa Economic Geography 6. Explain Sub-Saharan Africa’s Legacy of Failed States 7. Explain Sub-Saharan Africa Geo-political issues. Thank You For any questions: [email protected]