Agro-climatic resources of Africa table. Mineral resources of the mainland

For a long time, Africa was considered as a continent where you can have a good rest (the largest and most interesting safaris take place here) and make good money selling forest resources. But at present, a comprehensive development of all types of resources is being carried out, and the research work has proved that Africa has great potential, since rich deposits of minerals are concentrated here and other types of natural resources have not yet been fully developed.

Abundance of heat, favorable climate, and slightly rugged relief of Africa are the most important prerequisites for possible rapid economic growth.

Water resources

The largest African rivers are located in the western and central parts of the continent. These are such rivers as Congo, Zambezi, Niger, Orange. There are fewer rivers to the north and south. Moreover, most of them are located in deserts and do not have a constant flow, filling up only during the rainy season.

Therefore, Africa is considered to be the continent least provided with water reserves. Fresh water here is only 2930 thousand cubic meters, and most of the fresh water is located in underground reservoirs. If we take into account the average indicators, then the annual volume of water per 1 person is 12 thousand cubic meters. This is enough to ensure a normal life. But certain areas of Africa are in dire need of water resources, since the equatorial climate with its abnormal heat and the presence of large desert areas should also be taken into account.

Africa's water resources are used mainly for urban water supply, land irrigation and for industrial needs. But only 2% of the continent is irrigated.

Recently, hydrotechnical construction has received great development. Over several decades, thousands of dams and reservoirs have been built. More than 100 reservoirs have a volume of over 100 million cubic meters of water. In terms of hydropower reserves, Africa ranks second in the world (after Asia).

Land resources

Africa's land resources are significant. There is twice as much cultivated land per person as in Asia or Latin America.

But at the moment, no more than 20% of land is being cultivated. This is due to soil erosion, large expanses of desert land, and lack of water. In addition, a huge part of the territory of the continent is occupied by tropical forests and jungles, and agriculture in these areas is impossible.

There is another danger threatening Africa's land resources - the spread of deserts on fertile soils. A particularly threatening situation is developing in the countries of Central Africa.

forest resources

In terms of forest area, Africa ranks third in the world after Russia and Latin America. Forests cover an area of 650 million hectares, which is 17% of all forests in the world. Dry tropical forests predominate in the east and south, and humid ones in the central and western parts.

Unfortunately, deforestation and irrational use lead to the degradation of forest resources. For example, 80% of energy in the countries of West and Central Africa is obtained by burning firewood, in the south of the continent this figure is 70%. Forests are also cut down for the sake of obtaining valuable species of wood. So far, afforestation and the spread of protected areas do not give proper results and Africa's forests are under threat of extinction.

Mineral resources

Africa has many minerals. We will only note those for which this continent is the world leader in the extraction: gold (76% of world production), diamonds (96%), manganese ores (57%), uranium (35%), chromites (67%), cobalt (68% ), phosphorites (31%).

The richest African country in minerals is South Africa. And in North Africa and in the south of the continent, large reserves of oil, graphite, and natural gas are concentrated.

One of the main problems of African countries that hinders the use of mineral resources is the lack of processing enterprises. Therefore, almost 80% of the extracted minerals are exported to other countries.

Alternative energy sources

Africa is the hottest continent, and it would seem that it should lead in the use of alternative energy sources such as the sun, wind and thermal springs. But it's all still in the project. Investors are in no hurry to invest in the development of the African economy, because, according to the World Bank, the costs here increase by 20-40% compared to other developing countries.

So far, only a few projects have been implemented. The Abener gas-solar power plant, with a capacity of 500 MW, has been launched, and the Olkaria geotreme power plant in Kenya is also operating.

The northern part of the continent can become the richest source of wind energy, but projects for the construction of such stations are still under development.

Africa has the richest and most diverse natural resource potential.

First of all, Africa stands out with large reserves mineral . Among other continents, Africa ranks first in reserves of diamonds, gold, platinum, manganese, chromites, bauxites and phosphorites. Large reserves of coal, oil and natural gas, copper, iron, uranium, cobalt ores. In addition, African minerals are often of high quality and low production costs. The richest country in Africa, South Africa, has an almost complete set of known mineral resources, with the exception of oil, natural gas, and bauxite.

However, the reserves of mineral resources are distributed unevenly. Among the countries of the region there are countries that are very poor in terms of resources (Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, etc.), which greatly complicates their development.

Agro-climatic resources, as well as mineral, are characterized by large reserves, diversity, but uneven distribution, which greatly complicates the development of agriculture.

Significant land reserves of Africa are due to the predominance of flat terrain (the Atlas, Futa-Jallon, Cape and Drakon mountains are located only on the outskirts of the mainland), as well as the presence of fertile soils (red-yellow, black, brown soils of equatorial forests, brown soils of subtropics, alluvial soils of river valleys), extensive natural pastures (regions of savannas, steppes and semi-deserts occupy about half of the area of Africa) favorable for various types of agricultural activities.

A favorable condition is the high availability of thermal resources (the sum of active temperatures is 6,000-10,000 °C).

However, the conditions of moisture supply significantly limit the possibilities for the development of agriculture in this region. In almost 2/3 of Africa, sustainable agriculture is possible only with land reclamation. In the equatorial region of Africa, where the amount of precipitation is 1500 or more mm per year, there is an excess of moisture, in the semi-deserts and deserts of the northern and southern hemispheres (Sahara, Namib, Kalahari), on the contrary, there is a lack of it. The most favorable for agriculture are the natural conditions of the windward slopes of the Atlas and Cape Mountains, Mediterranean regions, and the eastern marginal regions of South Africa, where the amount of precipitation is 800-1000 mm per year.

Africa has significant forest resources . In terms of total forest area, it is second only to Latin America and Russia. But its average forest cover is much lower. In addition, deforestation has recently become rampant due to increased tree cutting.

Africa has certain recreational resources. On the one hand, these are resorts on the sea coast (primarily the coast of the Mediterranean and Red Seas), on the other hand, they are monuments of world culture (North Africa is the cradle of ancient Egyptian civilization). Egypt stands out in this regard. In addition, national parks are being created in Africa, where you can see a wide variety of flora and fauna. First of all, this applies to Kenya, where international tourism in terms of income is second only to coffee exports.

African population.

The population of the region is more than 820 million people.

With an average density of 25 people per 1 sq. km population placed very much across Africa uneven. The most densely populated sea coasts, coastal islands, the lower reaches of the rivers Nile, Niger, mining regions of South Africa, Zambia, Zaire and Zimbabwe. In these areas, the population density ranges from 50 to 1000 people per 1 sq. km. km. In the vast expanses of the deserts of the Sahara, Kalahari, Namib, the population density barely reaches 1 person per 1 sq. km. km.

The uneven distribution is manifested both at the level of the region as a whole and at the level of individual countries. For example, almost the entire population of Egypt lives in the delta and valley of the Nile (4% of the total area), where the density is 1,700 people per 1 km 2.

Ethnic composition Africa's population is very diverse. 300-500 ethnic groups live on the mainland. Some of them (especially in North Africa) have developed into large nations, but most are still at the level of nationalities and tribes. Many of the ethnic groups still retained the remnants of the tribal system, archaic forms of social relations.

Linguistically, half of the population of Africa belongs to the Niger-Kordofan family, the third part belongs to the Afrosia family. Residents of European origin make up only 1%. But at the same time, the languages of the former metropolises remain the state (official) languages of most African countries: English (19 countries), French (21 countries), Portuguese (5 countries).

"Quality" of the population Africa is still very low. The proportion of illiterates in most countries exceeds 50%, and in countries such as Mali, Somalia, Burkina Faso it is 90%.

Religious composition Africa is also very diverse. At the same time, Muslims predominate in its northern and eastern parts. This is due to the settlement of the Arabs here. In the central and southern parts of Africa, the religious beliefs of the population were significantly influenced by the metropolitan countries. Therefore, many types of Christianity are widespread here (Catholicism, Protestantism, Lutheranism, Calvinism, etc.). Many peoples of this region have preserved local beliefs.

Due to the diversity of ethnic and religious composition, socio-economic difficulties and the colonial past (borders), Africa is a region of numerous ethnopolitical conflicts(Sudan, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Chad, Angola, Rwanda, Liberia, etc.). In total, over 35 armed conflicts were recorded in Africa during the post-colonial period, in which more than 10 million people died. More than 70 coups d'état resulted in the assassination of 25 presidents.

population reproduction Africa is characterized by very high rates (more than 3% per year). According to this indicator, Africa is ahead of all other regions of the world. First of all, this is determined by the high birth rate. For example, the birth rate in Niger, Uganda, Somalia, Mali exceeds 50 o / oo, i.e. 4-5 times higher than in Europe. At the same time, Africa is the region with the highest mortality and the lowest average life expectancy (men - 64 years, women - 68 years). As a result, the age structure of the population is characterized by a high proportion (about 45%) of children and adolescents under 15 years of age.

Africa has the highest level population migration , the vast majority of which is of a forced nature and is associated with interethnic conflicts. Africa hosts almost half of the world's refugees and displaced persons, the vast majority being "ethnic refugees". Such forced migrations always lead to outbreaks of famine, diseases, leading to increased mortality.

Africa is a region of high labor migration. The main centers of attraction for the labor force from the African continent are Western Europe and Western Asia (especially the countries of the Persian Gulf). Within the continent, labor migration flows mainly go from the poorest countries to the richer ones (South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya, Zaire, Zimbabwe).

Urbanization Africa's population is characterized by the lowest level in the world and the highest rate. In terms of the share of the urban population (about 30%), Africa is significantly inferior to other regions.

The pace of urbanization in Africa has taken on the character of an "urban explosion". The population of some cities doubles every 10 years. But urbanization here has a number of features:

Growing mainly metropolitan cities and "economic capitals"; the formation of urban agglomerations is just beginning (the number of millionaire cities is 24);

Urbanization often has the character of "false urbanization", which leads to negative socio-economic and environmental consequences.

A prime example of African-style urbanization is the city of Lagos in Nigeria. This city has long been the capital of the state. In 1950, its population was 300 thousand people, and now - 12.5 million. Living conditions in this overcrowded city are so unfavorable that in 1992 the capital was moved to Abuja.

Economy of Africa

Africa is the economically most backward part of the world economy. According to the main indicators of economic and social development, it is significantly inferior to other regions. Africa ranks last in terms of industrialization, transport security, development of health and science, crop yields and livestock productivity. In terms of its share in world GDP (4.5%), Africa is only ahead of sparsely populated Australia.

Industry of the region.

In the international division of labor, Africa is represented by products extractive industry. Its share in world production is especially large:

Production of the extractive industry has a pronounced export orientation, i.e. weak link with the local manufacturing industry. This is due to the fact that manufacturing industries in most countries are in their infancy.

Among the branches of the manufacturing industry, the textile and food industries have received the greatest development. The leading branches of the textile industry are the production of cotton fabrics (ARE, Sudan, Algeria), the food industry - the production of vegetable oils (palm, peanut, olive), coffee, cocoa, sugar, winemaking, canned fish.

Agriculture

Africa's leading agricultural industry - crop production. There are two areas in the structure of crop production: the production of food crops for local consumption and the production of export crops.

Crops consumed in African countries include millet, sorghum, rice, wheat, corn, cassava (or cassava), yams, and sweet potatoes (yam).

The main crops of the African continent - millet and sorghum, are cultivated almost everywhere. Corn is the main food crop of the savannah zone. Wheat crops are concentrated in North Africa and South Africa. Rice is mainly grown in well-moistened areas of East Africa (Nile Valley, Madagascar, etc.). The scale of wheat and rice production does not cover the internal needs of the region, so many African countries import wheat and rice.

Agriculture in Africa in the international geographical division of labor is represented primarily by branches of the tropical and subtropical agriculture. Africa stands out for the production of cocoa beans (60%), cassava (42%), sisal (41%), palm nuts (39%), peanuts (27%), coffee (22%), millet and sorghum (20%), olives (16%), tea (12%). African countries are also major exporters of citrus fruits, grape wines, tobacco, and tropical timber.

animal husbandry in the region is subordinate to agriculture, with the exception of countries where agriculture is limited by natural conditions (Mauritania, Somalia, Lesotho, etc.). Animal husbandry is characterized by low productivity (due to low pedigree). It relies on a backward production and technical base.

Nomadic, semi-nomadic and distant pasture animal husbandry prevails. The main branches of animal husbandry are sheep breeding (wool and meat-wool direction), cattle breeding (mainly meat direction), camel breeding.

Agriculture is experiencing great difficulties due to periodic droughts, livestock diseases (tse-tse fly) and other negative phenomena.

Desertification and deforestation have become environmental catastrophes for Africa. The main area of drought and desertification is the Sahel zone, stretching along the southern borders of the Sahara from Mauritania to Ethiopia across ten countries. This zone is famous for the fact that in the period from 1968 to 1974 not a single rain fell here, and in the 80s, droughts were repeatedly repeated. The Sahel turned into a scorched earth zone, and this phenomenon began to be called the "Sahelian tragedy."

Transport The region is characterized by an undeveloped transport system. In the era of colonialism, only sea and rail transport developed in the interests of the mother countries (although the length of the railroads is small). Now road and air transport is developing.

For some countries of Central and East Africa, inland water transport is of great economic importance. The basins of the Congo, Nile and Niger rivers stand out in terms of length and intensity of use.

Maritime transport mainly provides external relations of the countries of the region. Of great importance for shipping are the Strait of Gibraltar dividing Africa and Europe (its distance is only 14 km) and the Suez Canal connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas.

If we consider the economies of the countries of the region, it should be noted that after gaining independence in their sectoral structure, the share of industry and non-production spheres increased, but still in most countries colonial type of branch structure economy. Its distinguishing features:

The predominance of low-commodity, low-productive agriculture;

Weak development of the manufacturing industry;

Strong backlog of transport;

Restriction of the non-productive sphere mainly to trade and services;

One-sidedness of economic development.

In many countries, the one-sidedness of the economy has reached the level monocultures, which is understood as mono-commodity specialization of the country's economy (narrow specialization in the production of one, as a rule, raw material or food product, intended mainly for export).

Monoculture countries in Africa:

Countries	Share in the country's exports
Oil and oil products	Ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, uranium, diamonds	Food products and agricultural raw materials
Algeria	99%
Gabon	82%
Egypt	68%
Congo	90%
Libya	98%
Nigeria	98%
Botswana		70%
Guinea		95%
Congo (Zaire)		51%
Zambia		90%
Liberia		63%
Mauritania		51%
Namibia		74%
Niger		80%
Benin			64%
Gambia			83%
Ghana			74%
Senegal			70%
Sudan			52%
Uganda			99%
Chad			91%
Ethiopia			66%
Mauritius			60%
Mali			65%

African countries import mainly machinery and equipment, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs.

Energy in Africa remains at a very low level. In terms of electricity production per capita, African countries lag behind other regions of the world. Only South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Libya have more or less acceptable indicators of electricity production. Despite the fact that Africa has certain reserves of primary energy sources (oil, gas, coal), most of them are exported. Hydropower resources are not yet fully utilized. For example, the hydropower potential of the Congo River is much higher than that of the Amazon, although it carries 5 times less water into the ocean. This is explained by the fact that in the 300-kilometer segment of its lower course the fall of the river is 275 m with 32 waterfalls and rapids. Here it is possible to build hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 80-90 million kW, which is approximately equal to the capacity of all US hydroelectric power plants.

Sub-regions of Africa

Geopolitically and economically, Africa is divided into two parts: North Africa and Tropical Africa.

North Africa includes a territory (an area of about 10 million square kilometers with a population of 170 million people) adjacent to the Mediterranean, populated mainly by Muslim Arabs. The countries located on this territory (Algeria, Egypt, Western Sahara, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia), due to their geographical position (seaside, neighboring in relation to the countries of Southern Europe and Western Asia) and higher (in comparison with the states Tropical Africa) the level of economic and industrial development, are more involved in the international division of labor (export of oil, gas, phosphorites, etc.).

The economic life of North Africa is concentrated in the coastal zone. Almost the entire population of the region is concentrated in the same band.

Tropical Africa includes the territory located south of the Sahara, within which, in turn, allocate West, Central, East and South Africa. The vast majority of the population of countries located on their territory belongs to the equatorial (Negroid) race. The ethnic composition of the population is very diverse (there are more than 200 peoples), multinational states predominate. The main area of activity of the population is agriculture (with the exception of the countries of South Africa, in whose economy industry and the service sector play a decisive role). Tropical Africa is the most economically backward, least industrialized and least urbanized part of the developing world. Of the 49 countries within its borders, 32 belong to the group of "least developed countries in the world". Per capita GNP in the countries of East, West and Central Africa is several times (5-7 or more times) less than in the countries of North and South Africa.

Among the countries located south of the Sahara, a special place is occupied by South Africa .

Firstly, by its geographical position, it no longer belongs to Tropical Africa.

Secondly, in terms of socio-economic development, it does not belong to developing countries. This is a country of “settlement capitalism”. It accounts for: 5.5% of the territory, 7% of the population of Africa, but 2/3 of its GDP, more than 50% of the manufacturing industry and the car park.

South Africa has formed Africa's largest industrial region, the Witwatersrand, with its center in Johannesburg, which plays the role of the "economic capital" of the country.

In the MGRT, the face of South Africa is represented by the mining industry (gold, platinum, diamonds, uranium, iron, manganese ore, coal), some manufacturing industries (ferrous metallurgy, engineering, chemical industry, as well as the production of certain types of agricultural products (cereals, subtropical crops, fine-wool sheep breeding, cattle).

South Africa has the most dense transport network on the continent, large seaports.

However, the effects of the apartheid policy are still being felt in the country's economy. There are big differences between "whites" on one side and "blacks" and "coloreds" on the other. Therefore, South Africa is often called a country with a dual economy. It has features of economically developed and developing states.

NORTH AMERICA

The African continent is rich in various types of natural resources. Some people believe that you can have a good rest here by going on a safari, while others make money on mineral and forest resources. The development to the mainland is carried out comprehensively, therefore, all types of natural benefits are valued here.

Water resources

Despite the fact that a significant part of Africa is covered by deserts, many rivers flow here, the largest of which are the Nile and the Orange River, the Niger and the Congo, the Zambezi and the Limpopo. Some of them flow in deserts and are fed only by rainwater. The most famous lakes of the continent are Victoria, Chad, Tanganyika and Nyasa. In general, the continent has small reserves of water resources and is poorly supplied with water, therefore it is in this part of the world that people die not only from numerical diseases, hunger, but also from dehydration. If a person gets into the desert without water supplies, most likely, he will die. The exception will be the case if he is lucky enough to find an oasis.

Soil and forest resources

Land resources on the hottest continent are quite large. Of the total amount of soil that is available here, only a fifth is cultivated. This is due to the fact that a huge part is subject to desertification and erosion, so the land here is infertile. Many territories are occupied by tropical forests, so it is impossible to engage in agriculture here.

In turn, forest areas are of great value in Africa. The eastern and southern parts are covered with dry tropical forests, while wet ones cover the center and west of the mainland. What is worth noting is that here the forest is not valued, but cut down irrationally. In turn, this leads not only to the degradation of forests and soil, but also to the destruction of ecosystems and the emergence of environmental refugees, both among animals and among people.

Minerals

A significant part of Africa's natural resources are minerals:

fuel - oil, natural gas, coal;

metals - gold, lead, cobalt, zinc, silver, iron and manganese ores;

non-metallic - talc, gypsum, limestone;

precious stones - diamonds, emeralds, alexandrites, pyropes, amethysts.

Thus, Africa is home to the world's vast wealth of natural resources. These are not only fossils, but also wood, as well as world-famous landscapes, rivers, waterfalls and lakes. The only thing that threatens the exhaustion of these benefits is anthropogenic influence.

geographic africa resource political

Political division

There are 55 countries and 5 self-proclaimed and unrecognized states in Africa. Most of them were colonies of European states for a long time and gained independence only in the 50-60s of the XX century.

Before that, only Egypt (since 1922), Ethiopia (since the Middle Ages), Liberia (since 1847) and South Africa (since 1910) were independent; In South Africa and Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), until the 1980s and 1990s, the apartheid regime discriminated against the indigenous population. Currently, many African countries are ruled by regimes that discriminate against the white population. According to the research organization Freedom House, in recent years in many African countries (for example, in Nigeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Congo (Kinshasa) and Equatorial Guinea), there has been a trend towards authoritarian democratic achievements.

Natural conditions and resources

Africa is the hottest continent on the planet. The reason for this is the geographical location of the mainland: the entire territory of Africa is located in hot climatic zones, and the mainland is crossed by the equator line. It is in Africa that the hottest place on Earth is located - Dallol.

Central Africa and the coastal regions of the Gulf of Guinea belong to the equatorial belt, where heavy rainfall occurs throughout the year and there is no change of seasons. To the north and south of the equatorial belt are subequatorial belts. Here, humid equatorial air masses dominate in summer (rainy season), and in winter - dry air of tropical trade winds (dry season). To the north and south of the subequatorial belts are the northern and southern tropical belts. They are characterized by high temperatures with low rainfall, which leads to the formation of deserts.

In the north is the Sahara Desert, the largest on Earth, in the south - the Kalahari Desert, in the southwest the Namib Desert. The northern and southern extremities of the mainland are included in the corresponding subtropical belts.

Africa is exceptionally rich in natural resources. Especially large are the reserves of mineral raw materials - ores of manganese, chromites, bauxites, etc. Fuel raw materials are available in depressions and coastal regions.

Oil and gas are produced in North and West Africa (Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Libya).

Enormous reserves of cobalt and copper ores are concentrated in Zambia and the People's Republic of the Congo; manganese ores are mined in South Africa and Zimbabwe; platinum, iron ores and gold - in South Africa; diamonds - in Congo, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Ghana; phosphorites - in Morocco, Tunisia; uranium - in Niger, Namibia.

Africa has quite large land resources, but soil erosion has become catastrophic due to improper cultivation. Water resources across Africa are distributed extremely unevenly. Forests occupy about 10% of the territory, but as a result of predatory destruction, their area is rapidly declining.

The continent is crossed almost in the middle by the equator and lies completely between the subtropical belts of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The peculiarity of its shape - the northern part is 2.5 times wider than the southern one - determined the difference in their natural conditions. In general, the mainland is compact: 1 km of coastline accounts for 960 km2 of territory.

The relief of Africa is characterized by stepped plateaus, plateaus, and plains. The most highly raised outskirts of the mainland.

Africa is exceptionally rich in minerals, although they are still poorly understood. Among other continents, it ranks first in reserves of ores of manganese, chromite, bauxite, gold, platinum, cobalt, diamonds, and phosphorites. The resources of oil, natural gas, graphite, and asbestos are also great.

mining industry

Africa's share in the global mining industry is 14%. Almost all extracted raw materials and fuel are exported from Africa to economically developed countries, which makes its economy more dependent on the world market.

In total, seven main mining regions can be distinguished in Africa. Three of them are in North Africa and four are in sub-Saharan Africa.

1. The region of the Atlas Mountains stands out for its reserves of iron, manganese, polymetallic ores, phosphorites (the world's largest phosphorite belt).
2. The Egyptian mining region is rich in oil, natural gas, iron and titanium ores, phosphorites, etc.
3. The region of the Algerian and Libyan parts of the Sahara is distinguished by the largest oil and gas reserves.
4. The West Guinea region is characterized by a combination of gold, diamonds, iron ores, bauxites.
5. The East Guinean region is rich in oil, gas, and metal ores.
6. Zaire-Zambian region. On its territory there is a unique "Copper Belt" with deposits of high-quality copper, as well as cobalt, zinc, lead, cadmium, germanium, gold, silver.

Zaire is the world's leading producer and exporter of cobalt

7. The largest mining region in Africa is located within Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. Almost all types of fuel, ore and non-metallic minerals are mined here, with the exception of oil, gas and bauxite. Africa's minerals are unevenly distributed. There are countries in which the lack of a resource base slows down their development.

African land resources are significant. There is more cultivated land per inhabitant than in Southeast Asia or Latin America. In total, 20% of the land suitable for agriculture is cultivated. However, extensive farming and rapid population growth have led to catastrophic soil erosion, which reduces crop yields. This, in turn, exacerbates the problem of hunger, which is very relevant for Africa.

Agro-climatic resources.

The agro-climatic resources of Africa are determined by the fact that it is the hottest continent. But at the same time, precipitation is the main factor determining differences in climatic conditions.

Water resources of Africa. In terms of their volume, Africa is significantly inferior to Asia and South America. The hydrographic network is distributed extremely unevenly. The degree of use of the huge hydropower potential of the rivers (780 million kW) is low.

Forest resources of Africa.

Africa's forest resources are second only to those of Latin America and Russia. But its average forest cover is much lower, moreover, as a result of deforestation, which exceeds natural growth, deforestation has assumed alarming proportions.

Tropical and subtropical agriculture.

Agricultural production is 60--80% of GDP. The main cash crops are coffee, cocoa beans, peanuts, dates, tea, natural rubber, sorghum, spices. Recently, grain crops have been grown: corn, rice, wheat. Animal husbandry plays a subordinate role, with the exception of countries with arid climates. Extensive cattle breeding prevails, characterized by a huge number of livestock, but low productivity and low marketability. The continent does not provide itself with agricultural products.

Transport also retains a colonial type: railways go from the regions of extraction of raw materials to the port, while the regions of one state are practically not connected. Relatively developed rail and sea modes of transport. In recent years, other types of transport have also developed - automobile (a road was laid across the Sahara), air, and pipeline.

All countries, with the exception of South Africa, are developing, most of them are the poorest in the world (70% of the population lives below the poverty line).

Africa is the second largest continent after Eurasia, which is almost intersected by the equator in the middle and extends from it on both sides - south and north - to the subtropical latitudes of both hemispheres. Africa is bordered by the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The Mediterranean Sea separates it from Europe, the Red - from Asia. Africa includes the island of Madagascar and small islands located in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.
The history of the formation of the political map and the composition of the territory. Until the 50s of the XX century. Africa was a continent of colonial and dependent countries. France owned 37% of the African territory, where 26% of the population lived, Great Britain, respectively, 32% and 39%, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Germany also had colonies. In the 50s of the XX century. first countries gained independence. In the 60s, more than 40 countries already gained independence, in the 70s the process of liberation of the mainland from colonial oppression was almost completed. At present, there are 53 independent states on the continent, almost all of them are developing countries (Fig. 129). The possessions of Spain have been preserved - Ceuta, Melilla, the overseas department of France - about. Reunion. The status of Western Sahara, occupied by Morocco since 1976, must be determined by the UN. Most African countries are small, economically weak states with a small population and little developed natural resources. These countries are predominantly economically dependent on their former mother countries. The former British colonies remained in the Commonwealth system, the French - in the system of the Community of French-speaking countries. More than 30 African countries have become associate members of the European Union and actually play the role of its raw material appendage.
Natural resource potential. Africa is a continent of great economic opportunities, which is characterized by a variety of natural conditions, a wealth of mineral resources, the presence of significant land, water, plant and other resources. Africa is characterized by a slight dissection of the relief, which contributes to economic activity - the development of agriculture, industry, and transport. The location of most of the continent in the equatorial belt largely determined the presence of huge tracts of humid equatorial forests. Africa accounts for 10% of the world's forest area, accounting for 17% of the world's timber resources - one of the main African exports. The largest desert in the world - the Sahara - contains huge reserves of fresh water in its bowels, and large river systems are characterized by gigantic volumes of flow and energy resources. Africa is rich in minerals, which are resources for the development of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, and the chemical industry. Thanks to new discoveries, Africa's share in the proven world reserves of energy raw materials is increasing. There are more reserves of phosphorites, chromites, titanium, tantalum than in any part of the world. The reserves of bauxite, copper, manganese, cobalt, uranium ores, diamonds, rare earth metals, gold, etc. are of worldwide importance. Zambia to East Africa (deposits of copper, uranium, cobalt, platinum, gold, manganese); Guinean part of West Africa (deposits of bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, oil); the zone of the Atlas Mountains and the coast of Northwest Africa (cobalt, molybdenum, lead, zinc, iron ore, mercury, phosphorites); North Africa (oil, gas from the Mediterranean coast and shelf) (Fig. 130).

Rice. 129. Africa. State borders, cities

The regions of Africa are very different in natural features: moisture supply, soil types, vegetation cover. One element is common - a large amount of heat. Significant areas of deserts and equatorial

Rice. 130. Natural resources and industry in Africa

forests are unfavorable for agriculture. In deserts, agriculture is possible only if there are water sources around which oases are formed. In the equatorial forests, the farmer struggles with lush vegetation, and when it is destroyed, with erosion and excessive solar radiation, which negatively affects the condition of the soil. The best conditions for farming are in the highlands and savannahs with a favorable alternation of wet seasons. Most soils of the mainland have low natural fertility. 3/4 of the territory of the continent is covered with red and red-brown soils, a thin layer of which is poor in organic matter, is quite easily depleted and destroyed. Relatively fertile are the red and yellow soils of the subtropics, alluvial soils in other zones.
Population. More than 812 million people live in Africa, or 13% of the world's population. In the second half of the XX century. The population of the continent began to grow rapidly, and in the 1970s and 1980s, its growth rate turned out to be one of the highest in the world - 2.9-3.0% per year. African countries differ markedly in terms of population: Egypt, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo have a population of more than 40 million people each, and Nigeria - almost 120 million people.
Africa has a high birth rate. Thanks to the improvement of socio-economic conditions and medical care, mortality has decreased, especially among children. Decreasing mortality and high birth rates result in high population growth rates in most countries. The average population density on the continent is small and is about 22 people. per 1 km2. It is the highest on about. Mauritius (about 500 people per 1 km2), the lowest - in the Sahara and the countries of the Sahel zone. A significant concentration of the population remains in areas of developed agriculture (the Nile River Valley, the northern coast, Nigeria) or industrial activity (the "copper belt", industrial regions of South Africa). Despite the predominance of the rural population, Africa is characterized by high growth rates of the urban population - more than 5% per year. There are 22 millionaire cities on the continent.
Factors related to the uneven socio-economic development of individual countries have a significant impact on population migration. Industrial areas receive immigrants seeking work from neighboring countries. Military coups, constant struggle between ethnic and religious groups, military conflicts between countries lead to the appearance of a significant number of refugees in different parts of the mainland, at the end of the 20th century. they numbered from 7 to 9 million people.
Thus, the current demographic situation in African countries is very contradictory. The dynamics of population growth on the mainland due to relatively small emigration and migration is determined mainly by its natural movement. In different countries, the population is growing unevenly, the characteristics of the age and sex structure from an economic point of view remain unfavorable: insufficient number of able-bodied population, especially men, a high proportion of children and youth, short life expectancy (for men it is 49 years, for women - 52 years).

In recent years, AIDS-related deaths have taken on catastrophic proportions in a number of countries.
Questions and tasks What is the specificity and uniqueness of the geographical location of Africa? Where are the mining regions of Africa of world importance located? What population problems are most evident in African countries?