The mainland occupies 1/5 of the earth's land mass. In size (30.3 million km2 - with islands), it is second only to all parts of the world. The region includes 55 countries. There are several options for dividing Africa into regions. In the school course, it is proposed to divide into 3 subregions:, Tropical Africa,. In the scientific literature, the five-term division of Africa is most accepted, including the North (the countries of the Maghreb, the Mediterranean coast), the West (the northern part of the coast and the coast of the Gulf of Guinea). Central (, CAR, Zaire, etc.), Eastern (located east of the Great African Rifts), Southern.

There is no other continent in the world that would suffer as much from colonial oppression and the slave trade as Africa. The collapse of the colonial system began in the 50s in the north of the continent, the last colony was liquidated in 1990. In 1993, a new state arose on the political map of A. - (as a result of the collapse). Under the auspices of the UN are Western Sahara (Saharan Arab Republic. Different criteria can be used to assess the EGP of African countries. One of the main criteria is dividing countries by the presence or absence of access to the sea. Due to the fact that Africa is the most massive continent, no other of these, there are not so many countries located far from the seas.Most of the inland countries are the most backward.

Africa freed itself from colonial dependence only at the end of the 20th century. Now there are 55 countries on the political map of this region, all of them are sovereign states.

The state system is dominated by republics, only three countries have a monarchical form of government:, and. Most African countries are quite large in size.

Of the features of the economic and geographical position of African countries, we can distinguish:

• Lack of access to the sea of ​​most states;
• Access to international sea routes through the Gulf of Guinea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Africa is extremely rich in natural resources. Its main wealth is. The region ranks first in the world in terms of reserves of most types of mineral raw materials. Oil and gas are mined here (Libya, Algeria, Nigeria), (, ), manganese and (Gabon,), bauxite (Guinea,), copper ores (Zaire, Zambia), gold and diamonds (South Africa and West African countries), phosphorites (). South Africa is richest in minerals. Almost all types are found here (with the exception of oil, gas and bauxite).

African countries are well endowed with water resources. In addition to them, Africa has a whole system of lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika, Nyasa). However, water resources are unevenly distributed: there is an excess of moisture in the equatorial zone, and there are practically no rivers and lakes in the arid regions.

African countries are generally well endowed with land resources. However, as a result of erosion, a large amount of land is constantly withdrawn from agricultural circulation. The soils of Africa are not very fertile, and, in addition, demanding on agricultural technology.

In terms of forest area, Africa is second only to Russia and. Forests occupy 10% of the total area of ​​the region. These are humid equatorial forests. Currently, they are actively cut down, which leads to desertification of the territory.

Agro-climatic resources cannot be assessed unambiguously, since heat reserves are significant, and moisture is extremely uneven.

From the above, it follows that in Africa the colonial type of sectoral structure of the economy is still preserved. Its characteristic features:

• The predominance of low-commodity, low-productive agriculture;
• Weak development of the manufacturing industry;
• Underdevelopment of the transport network;
• Restriction of the non-productive sphere to trade and services.

The territorial structure of the economy of the countries of the region is characterized by disproportions in the location of the economy, separate centers of industry and high-value agriculture.

There are several sub-regions in Africa. They differ in their geographical, natural and cultural-historical features. The economic zoning of Africa has not yet taken shape.

The Republic of South Africa (South Africa) is the only one belonging to the group of developed countries. In all indicators of economic development, it occupies the first place in Africa. It accounts for 25% of GDP and 40% of industrial production. The economy is based on the mining industry. South Africa ranks first in the world in gold mining, second in diamond mining, and third in uranium ore mining. Metallurgy and mechanical engineering are highly developed.

Monocultural specialization and the low level of economic development of the African states are manifested in an insignificant share in world trade and in the enormous importance it has for the continent itself. Thus, more than 1/4 of GDP goes to foreign markets, and foreign trade provides up to 4/5 of government revenues to the budget of African countries.

About 80% of the trade turnover of the continent falls on the developed countries of the West.

Discipline "Country Studies of Africa" Lecture 1

General review. Geographical position

The mainland occupies 1/5 of the earth's land mass. In size (30.3 million sq. km - with islands) of all parts of the world it is second only to Asia. The region includes 55 countries.

There are several options for dividing Africa into regions. In the scientific literature, the five-term division of Africa is most accepted, including the North (the Maghreb countries, the Mediterranean coast), the West (the northern part of the Atlantic coast and the coast of the Gulf of Guinea), the Central (Chad, Tsar, Zaire, the Congo, etc.), the East (located to east of the Great African Rifts), South.

Almost all African countries are republics (with the exception of Lesotho, Morocco and Swaziland, which are still constitutional monarchies). The administrative-territorial structure of states, with the exception of Nigeria and South Africa, is unitary.

There is no other continent in the world that would suffer as much from colonial oppression and the slave trade as Africa.

Different criteria can be used to evaluate the GWP of African countries. One of the main criteria that separates countries by the presence or absence of access to the sea. Due to the fact that Africa is the most massive continent, no other of them has so many countries located far from the seas. Most of the inland countries are the most backward.

Natural conditions and resources

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 highest uplifts are confined to the 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.

Africa's share in the world mining industry is 1/4. 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.

The region of the Atlas Mountains stands out for its reserves of iron, manganese, polymetallic ores, and phosphorites (the world's largest phosphorite belt). The Egyptian mining region is rich in oil, natural gas, iron, titanium ores, phosphorites, etc. The region of the Algerian and Libyan parts of the Sahara is distinguished by the largest oil and gas deposits. The West Guinea region is characterized by a combination of gold, diamonds, iron ores, and graphites. The East Guinean region is rich in oil, gas, and metal ores. Zaire-Zambian region. On its territory there is a unique "Copper Belt" with deposits of high-quality copper ores, as well as cobalt, zinc, lead, cadmium, germanium, gold, silver. Congo (former Zaire) is the world's leading producer and exporter of cobalt. 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 the inclusion of oil, gas and bauxite. Africa's minerals are unevenly distributed. There are countries in which the lack of a raw material base hinders 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.

The agro-climatic resources of Africa are determined by the fact that it is the hottest continent and lies entirely within the average annual isotherms of +20°C. But at the same time, precipitation is the main factor determining differences in climatic conditions. 30% of the territory - arid areas occupied by deserts, 30% - receive 200-600 mm of precipitation, but are subject to droughts; the equatorial regions suffer from an excess of moisture. Therefore, in 2/3 of the territory of Africa, sustainable agriculture is possible only through land reclamation work.

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.

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

Population

Africa stands out worldwide with the highest rates of population reproduction. In 1960, 275 million people lived on the continent, in 1980-475 million people, in 1990-648 million people, and in 2000, according to forecasts, there will be 872 million.

In terms of growth rates, Kenya stands out especially - 4.1% (first place in the world), Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda. Such a high birth rate is explained by centuries-old traditions of early marriages and large families, religious traditions, as well as an increased level of healthcare. Most countries of the continent do not pursue an active demographic policy.

The change in the age structure of the population as a result of the demographic explosion also entails great consequences: in Azerbaijan, the proportion of children is still growing (40-50%). This increases the "demographic burden" on the able-bodied population. The population explosion in Armenia exacerbates many of the problems of the regions, the most important of which is the food problem. Many problems are connected with the ethnic composition of the population of Africa, which is very diverse. 300-500 ethnic groups stand out. According to the linguistic principle, 1/2 of the population belongs to the Niger-Kordofan family, 1/3 to the Afro-Asiatic family, and only 1% are residents of European origin. An important feature of African countries is the mismatch of political and ethnic boundaries as a result of the colonial era of the development of the continent. It is also a legacy of the past that the official languages ​​of most African countries are still the languages ​​of the former metropolitan countries—English, French, and Portuguese. In terms of urbanization, Africa still lags far behind other regions. However, the rate of urbanization here is the highest in the world. Like many other developing countries, Africa is experiencing "false urbanization".

General characteristics of the economy

After gaining independence, African countries began to make efforts to overcome centuries of backwardness. Of particular importance were the nationalization of natural resources, the implementation of agrarian reform, economic planning, and the training of national personnel. As a result, the pace of development in the region accelerated. The restructuring of the sectoral and territorial structure of the economy began. The greatest success along this path has been achieved in the mining industry, which now accounts for 1/4 of the world's output in terms of production. In the extraction of many types of minerals, Azerbaijan holds an important, and sometimes even a monopoly, place in the foreign world. It is the extractive industry that primarily determines the place of A. in the MGRT. The manufacturing industry is poorly developed or non-existent. But some countries in the region are distinguished by a higher level of manufacturing industry - South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco.

The second branch of the economy, which determines the place of agriculture in the world economy, is tropical and subtropical agriculture. It also has a pronounced export orientation. But in general, A. lags behind in its development. It ranks last among the regions of the world in terms of the level of industrialization and crop productivity.

Foreign economic relations

The monocultural specialization and low level of economic development of the African states are manifested in an insignificant share in world trade and in the enormous importance that foreign trade has for the continent itself. Thus, more than one-fourth of Africa's GDP goes to foreign markets, and foreign trade provides up to four-fifths of government revenues to the budgets of African countries. About 80% of the trade turnover of the continent falls on the developed countries of the West.

Conclusion

Despite the huge natural and human potential, Africa continues to be the most backward part of the world economy.

General economic and geographical characteristics of African countries The mainland occupies 1/5 of the earth's land mass. In size (30.3 million km2 - with islands) of all parts of the world it is second only to Asia. The region includes 55 countries. There are several options for dividing Africa into regions. The school course proposes to divide Africa into 3 subregions: North Africa, Tropical Africa, South Africa. In the scientific literature, the five-term division of Africa is most accepted, including the North (the countries of the Maghreb, the Mediterranean coast), the West (the northern part of the Atlantic coast and the coast of the Gulf of Guinea). Central (Chad, CAR, Zaire, Congo, etc.), Eastern (located east of the Great African Rifts), Southern. There is no other continent in the world that would suffer as much from colonial oppression and the slave trade as Africa. The collapse of the colonial system began in the 50s in the north of the continent, the last colony, Namibia, was liquidated in 1990. In 1993, a new state emerged on the political map of Africa - Eritrea (as a result of the collapse of Ethiopia). Under the auspices of the UN are Western Sahara (Saharan Arab Republic. Different criteria can be used to assess the EGP of African countries. One of the main criteria is dividing countries by the presence or absence of access to the sea. Due to the fact that Africa is the most massive continent, no other of these, there are not so many countries located far from the seas.Most of the inland countries are the most backward.Africa was freed from colonial dependence only at the end of the 20th century.Now there are 55 countries on the political map of this region, all of them are sovereign states.The state system is dominated by republics , only three countries have a monarchical form of government: Morocco, Lesotho and Swaziland.Most African countries are quite large in territory.Of the features of the economic and geographical position of African countries, we can distinguish: Lack of access to the sea for most states; Access to international sea routes through the Gulf of Guinea and Mediterranean Sea Africa extremely rich in natural resources. Its main wealth is minerals. The region ranks first in the world in terms of reserves of most types of mineral raw materials. Oil and gas are mined here (Libya, Algeria, Nigeria), iron ore (Liberia, Mauritania, Guinea, Gabon), manganese and uranium ores (Gabon, Niger), bauxite (Guinea, Cameroon), copper ores (Zaire, Zambia), gold and diamonds (South Africa and West African countries), phosphorites (Nauru). South Africa is richest in minerals. There are almost all types of mineral resources (with the exception of oil, gas and bauxite). African countries are well endowed with water resources. In addition to them, Africa has a whole system of lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika, Nyasa). However, water resources are unevenly distributed: there is an excess of moisture in the equatorial zone, and there are practically no rivers and lakes in the arid regions. African countries are generally well endowed with land resources. However, as a result of erosion, a large amount of land is constantly withdrawn from agricultural circulation. The soils of Africa are not very fertile, and, in addition, demanding on agricultural technology. In terms of forest area, Africa is second only to Russia and Latin America. Forests occupy 10% of the total area of ​​the region. These are humid equatorial forests. Currently, they are actively cut down, which leads to desertification of the territory.

GENERAL ECONOMIC AND GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUNTRIES OF AFRICA

Table 11. Demographic and socio-economic indicators of the world, Africa and South Africa.

General review. Geographical position.

The mainland occupies 1/5 of the earth's land mass. In size (30.3 million km 2 - with islands) of all parts of the world it is second only to Asia. It is washed by the waters of the Atlantic and Indian oceans.

Figure 14. Political map of Africa.

The region includes 55 countries.

Almost all African countries are republics (with the exception of Lesotho, Morocco and Swaziland, which are still constitutional monarchies). The administrative-territorial structure of states is unitary, with the exception of Nigeria and South Africa.

There is no other continent in the world that would suffer as much from colonial oppression and the slave trade as Africa. The collapse of the colonial system began in the 50s in the north of the continent, the last colony, Namibia, was liquidated in 1990. In 1993, a new state appeared on the political map of Africa - Eritrea (as a result of the collapse of Ethiopia). Under the auspices of the UN are Western Sahara (Saharan Arab Republic).

Different criteria can be used to evaluate the GWP of African countries. One of the main criteria is separating countries by the presence or absence of access to the sea. Due to the fact that Africa is the most massive continent, no other of them has so many countries located far from the seas. Most of the inland countries are the most backward.

Natural conditions and resources.

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 km 2 of territory. The relief of Africa is characterized by stepped plateaus, plateaus, and plains. The highest uplifts are confined to the outskirts of the mainland.

Africa is exceptionally rich minerals, although they are still poorly studied. 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.

Africa's share in the world mining industry is 1/4. 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, and phosphorites (the world's largest phosphorite belt).
2. The Egyptian mining region is rich in oil, natural gas, iron, titanium ores, phosphorites, etc.
3. The area of ​​the Algerian and Libyan parts of the Sahara is distinguished by the largest oil and gas fields.
4. The West Guinea region is characterized by a combination of gold, diamonds, iron ores, and graphites.
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 ores, as well as cobalt, zinc, lead, cadmium, germanium, gold, silver. Congo (former 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 the inclusion of oil, gas and bauxite.

Africa's minerals are unevenly distributed. There are countries in which the lack of a raw material base hinders their development.

Significant land resources Africa. 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 Africa is determined by the fact that it is the hottest continent, lies entirely within the average annual isotherms of + 20 ° C. But at the same time, precipitation is the main factor determining differences in climatic conditions. 30% of the territory - arid areas occupied by deserts, 30% - receive 200-600 mm of precipitation, but are subject to droughts; the equatorial regions suffer from an excess of moisture. Therefore, in 2/3 of the territory of Africa, sustainable agriculture is possible only through land reclamation work.

Water resources 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 In terms of reserves, Africa is second only to the resources of Latin America and Russia. But its average forest cover is much lower, besides, as a result of logging, deforestation has assumed alarming proportions.

Population.

Africa stands out worldwide with the highest rates of population reproduction. In 1960, 275 million people lived on the continent, in 1980 - 475 million people, in 1990 - 648 million, and in 2000, according to forecasts, there will be 872 million. Kenya stands out in terms of growth rates - 4, 1% (first place in the world), Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda. Such a high birth rate is explained by centuries-old traditions of early marriages and large families, religious traditions, as well as an increased level of healthcare. Most countries of the continent do not pursue an active demographic policy.

The change in the age structure of the population as a result of the demographic explosion also entails great consequences: in Africa, the proportion of children's ages is high and still growing (40-50%). This increases the "demographic burden" on the able-bodied population.

The population explosion in Africa exacerbates many of the problems of the regions, the most important of which is the food problem. Despite the fact that 2/3 of Africa's population is employed in agriculture, the average annual population growth (3%) significantly outpaces the average annual growth in food production (1.9%).

Many problems are connected with the ethnic composition of the population of Africa, which is very diverse. 300-500 ethnic groups stand out. Some of them have already formed into large nations, but most are still at the level of nationalities, and remnants of the tribal system are also preserved.

According to the linguistic principle, 1/2 of the population belongs to the Niger-Kordofan family, 1/3 to the Afro-Asiatic family, and only 1% are residents of European origin.

An important feature of African countries is the mismatch of political and ethnic boundaries as a result of the colonial era of the development of the continent. As a result, many united peoples found themselves on opposite sides of the border. This leads to inter-ethnic conflicts and territorial disputes. The latter cover 20% of the territory. Moreover, 40% of the territory is not demarcated at all, and only 26% of the length of the borders pass along natural boundaries, partially coinciding with ethnic boundaries.

The legacy of the past is that the official languages ​​of most African countries are still the languages ​​of the former metropolises - English, French, Portuguese.

The average population density in Africa (24 people / km 2) is less than in foreign Europe and Asia. Africa is characterized by very sharp contrasts in settlement. For example, the Sahara contains the largest uninhabited territories in the world. Rare population and in the zone of tropical rainforests. But there are also quite significant clumps of population, especially on the coasts. The population density in the Nile Delta reaches 1000 people/km2.

In terms of urbanization, Africa still lags far behind other regions. However, the rate of urbanization here is the highest in the world. Like many other developing countries, Africa is experiencing "false urbanization".

General characteristics of the economy.

After gaining independence, African countries began to make efforts to overcome centuries of backwardness. Of particular importance were the nationalization of natural resources, the implementation of agrarian reform, economic planning, and the training of national personnel. As a result, the pace of development in the region accelerated. The restructuring of the sectoral and territorial structure of the economy began.

The greatest success along this path has been achieved in the mining industry, which now accounts for 1/4 of the world's output in terms of production. In the extraction of many types of minerals, Africa holds an important, and sometimes even a monopoly, place in the foreign world. The main part of the extracted fuel and raw materials is exported to the world market and provides 9/10 of the region's exports. It is the extractive industry that primarily determines Africa's place in the MGRT.

The manufacturing industry is poorly developed or non-existent. But some countries in the region are distinguished by a higher level of manufacturing industry - South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco.

The second branch of the economy, which determines Africa's place in the world economy, is tropical and subtropical agriculture. It also has a pronounced export orientation.

But in general, Africa is still far behind in its development. It ranks last among the regions of the world in terms of the level of industrialization and crop productivity.

Most countries are characterized by a colonial type of sectoral structure of the economy.

It is defined:
• the predominance of low-commodity extensive agriculture;
• underdeveloped manufacturing industry;
• a strong backlog of transport - transport does not provide communications between the hinterland, and sometimes - foreign economic relations of states;
• the non-productive sphere is also limited and is usually represented by trade and services.

The territorial structure of the economy is also characterized by general underdevelopment and strong disproportions remaining from the colonial past. On the economic map of the region, only separate centers of industry (mainly metropolitan areas) and high-commodity agriculture stand out.

The one-sided agrarian and raw material development of the economy of most countries is a brake on the growth of their socio-economic indicators. In many countries, one-sidedness has reached the level of monoculture. monocultural specialization- narrow specialization of the country's economy in the production of one, as a rule, raw material or food product, intended mainly for export. The emergence of such specialization is associated with the colonial past of countries.

Figure 15. Monoculture countries in Africa.
(click on image to enlarge image)

Foreign economic relations.

Monocultural specialization and the low level of economic development of African states are manifested in an insignificant share in world trade and in the great importance that foreign trade has for the continent itself. Thus, more than 1/4 of Africa's GDP goes to foreign markets, foreign trade provides up to 4/5 of government revenues to the budget of African countries.

About 80% of the trade turnover of the continent falls on the developed countries of the West.

Despite the huge natural and human potential, Africa continues to be the most backward part of the world economy.

Africa is the second largest continent after Eurasia, washed by the Mediterranean Sea from the north, the Red Sea from the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean from the west and the Indian Ocean from the east and south. Africa is also called the part of the world, consisting of the mainland Africa and adjacent islands. The area of ​​Africa is 29.2 million km², with islands - about 30.3 million km², thus covering 6% of the total surface area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe Earth and 20.4% of the land surface. On the territory of Africa there are 55 states, 5 unrecognized states and 5 dependent territories (islands).

General economic and geographical characteristics of African countries

A feature of the geographical position of many countries in the region is the lack of access to the sea. At the same time, in countries facing the ocean, the coastline is slightly indented, which is unfavorable for the construction of large ports.
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 Democratic Republic of the Congo; manganese ores are mined in South Africa and Zimbabwe; platinum, iron ores and gold - in South Africa; diamonds - in the Congo, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Ghana; phosphorites - in Morocco, Tunisia; uranium - in Niger, Namibia.
In Africa, there are quite large land resources, but soil erosion has become catastrophic due to improper processing. 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.
Africa has the highest rate of natural population growth. The natural increase in many countries exceeds 30 persons per 1,000 inhabitants per year. A high proportion of children's ages (50%) and a small proportion of older people (about 5%) remain.
African countries have not yet succeeded in changing the colonial type of sectoral and territorial structure of the economy, although the pace of economic growth has somewhat accelerated. The colonial type of the sectoral structure of the economy is distinguished by the predominance of small-scale, consumer agriculture, the weak development of the manufacturing industry, and the lag in the development of transport. African countries have achieved the greatest success in the mining industry. In the extraction of many minerals, Africa holds a leading and sometimes monopoly place in the world (in the extraction of gold, diamonds, platinoids, etc.). The manufacturing industry is represented by light and food industries, other industries are absent, with the exception of a number of areas near the availability of raw materials and on the coast (Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Zambia, DRC).
The second branch of the economy, which determines Africa's place in the world economy, is tropical and subtropical agriculture. Agricultural products make up 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 been developed - automobile (a road has been 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).

Problems and difficulties of African states

Swollen, unprofessional and inefficient bureaucracies have emerged in most African states. Given the amorphous nature of social structures, the army remained the only organized force. The result is endless military coups. The dictators who came to power appropriated untold wealth. The capital of Mobutu, the President of the Congo, at the time of his overthrow was $ 7 billion. The economy functioned poorly, and this gave room for a "destructive" economy: the production and distribution of drugs, illegal mining of gold and diamonds, even human trafficking. Africa's share in world GDP and its share in world exports were declining, output per capita was declining.
The formation of statehood was extremely complicated by the absolute artificiality of state borders. Africa inherited them from the colonial past. They were established during the division of the continent into spheres of influence and have little in common with ethnic boundaries. The Organization of African Unity, created in 1963, realizing that any attempt to correct this or that border could lead to unpredictable consequences, called for these borders to be considered unshakable, no matter how unfair they may be. But these borders have nevertheless become a source of ethnic conflict and the displacement of millions of refugees.
The main branch of the economy of most countries in Tropical Africa is agriculture, designed to provide food for the population and serve as a raw material base for the development of the manufacturing industry. It employs the predominant part of the region's able-bodied population and creates the bulk of the total national income. In many states of Tropical Africa, agriculture occupies a leading place in exports, providing a significant part of foreign exchange earnings. In the last decade, an alarming picture has been observed with the growth rates of industrial production, which allows us to speak about the actual deindustrialization of the region. If in 1965-1980 they (on average per year) amounted to 7.5%, then for the 80s only 0.7%, a drop in growth rates took place in the 80s both in the extractive and manufacturing industries. For a number of reasons, a special role in ensuring the socio-economic development of the region belongs to the mining industry, but even this production is reduced by 2% annually. A characteristic feature of the development of the countries of Tropical Africa is the weak development of the manufacturing industry. Only in a very small group of countries (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Senegal) does its share in GDP reach or exceed 20%.

Integration processes

A characteristic feature of the integration processes in Africa is the high degree of their institutionalization. At present, there are about 200 economic associations of various levels, scales and directions on the continent. But from the point of view of studying the problem of the formation of subregional identity and its relationship with national and ethnic identity, the functioning of such large organizations as the West African Economic Community (ECOWAS), the South African Development Community (SADC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), etc. The extremely low effectiveness of their activities in previous decades and the advent of the era of globalization required a sharp acceleration of integration processes at a qualitatively different level. Economic cooperation is developing in new - in comparison with the 70s - conditions of contradictory interaction between the globalization of the world economy and the increasing marginalization of the positions of African states within its framework and, naturally, in a different coordinate system. Integration is no longer seen as a tool and basis for the formation of a self-sufficient and self-developing economy, relying on its own forces and as opposed to the imperialist West. The approach is different, which, as mentioned above, presents integration as a way and means of including African countries in the globalizing world economy, as well as an impulse and indicator of economic growth and development in general.

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