Modern Africa Political Issues Most African nations are less than 50 years old Leaders were not prepared (educated) for leadership positions Lasting racial division established by colonial powers still felt today Many nations were left with a white minority government and upper class leading to continued racial tensions periodically erupting into revolution and civil war Zimbabwe South Africa Economic Issues Agriculture European powers established commercial agriculture in Africa (cash crops) with little regard to environmental consequences (think peanuts) Most Africans do not have access to sufficient food Environmental degradation has led to deforestation, deforestation and soil infertility Most African nations produce one or two specialty crops, leading to further environmental difficulties and susceptibility economic stress from outside forces Economic Issues Mining Many African nations are home to mineral resources (gold, diamonds, oil, etc.) Mining these resources can be unsafe Profit from resources often held by select few This has led to acts of violence, slavery, and open warfare Economic Statistics for Sub-Saharan Africa Crude oil comprises more than half of total Africas exports In two thirds of SSA countries, one or two products are responsible for at least 60% of the countrys total exports In 2005 the richest 10% of African countries had 18.5 times the GDP per capita of the poorest 10% In 2005, 60.5% of total net foreign direct investments in SSA went to oil exporter countries South Africas and Nigerias GDP comprise 54% of total SSAs GDP In South Africa 10.7% of the people live under $1 per day; 70.8% do so in Nigeria. Social Issues Education Schools built and supported local communities Literacy rates increasing but still low by American standards Children often needed to help family work to survive Education Statistics for Sub-Saharan Africa Mali and Burkina Faso have the lowest adult literacy rate(24%) In Ethiopia there are 72 children per primary school teacher Thirty three percent of children who start first grade reaches grade five in Chad The lowest net primary enrolment ratio is found in Djibouti (33.3%) Social Issues Health Most Sub-Saharan Africans have very low life expectancy Mosquitoes, unclean water, malnutrition, and HIV kills millions of Africans every year Health Statistics for Sub-Saharan Africa In Sierra Leone two women die for every 100 live births In Swaziland more than one in every three year olds has contracted HIV (33.4%) Botswana has the lowest life expectancy (35 years) In the last decade, life expectancy has decreased 21 years in Botswana, 17 years in Lesotho, and 16 years in Swaziland. In Chad, 9% of the population has access to improved sanitation facilities In Sierra Leone 165 out of 1,000 children die before the age of one; 282 children per 1,000 die before the age of five Social Issues Religion Africa is home to varied religious traditions, including traditional tribal beliefs, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism Religious diversity has led to open conflict in areas where one religious group dominates another Ethiopia Sudan Environmental Issues Strip Mining Byproducts of mines are often toxic to the environment, enter watersheds and destroy croplands miles away from source Desertification Natural process, sped up by unsound agricultural practices Wrong plants Over-used soils Slash and Burn Agriculture Tropical rainforests are often cut down for two seasons or less worth of viable crop land Soil Degradation Leeching: minerals and nutrients are washed through the soil beyond the reach of roots Erosion: newly exposed soil is washed away by rainfall North Africa North Africa predominantly Arab and Muslim, but there are other ethnic groups (Berbers, etc.) and religions (Coptic Christians, etc.) Thousands of years of invasion (Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks, etc.) has led to cultural diffusion Mediterranean Sea acts as highway for both invasion and trade Egypt CIA Fact Book Modern Egypt is a predominantly Islamic nation (some Coptic Christians remain) with many laws based on Sharia The Nile River now controlled by the Aswan High Dam Less Silt = less fertile soil for fellaheen, who are mostly tenant farmers 42% of population now urban, 10 million in Cairo alone Algeria CIA Fact Book 90% of the population lives on the Mediterranean coast Phoenicians, Romans, and Berbers called this area home before Arab invasions later France colonized the area 75% Arab, 24% Berber Rural areas (not desert) made up of terrace farmers Urban areas home to souqs (marketplaces) and casbahs (older parts of the cities) West Africa West Africa is home to many unique cultures Less diffusion, more diversity Cultural diversity and colonial legacy has led some areas into brutal civil wars People trace their ancestry back many generations through a system of: Clan Lineage Kinship Nuclear Family Tribal heritage is kept alive within the family and through Griots (storytellers) Nigeria CIA Fact Book 130 million people, the amount of the US, largest in Africa Ethnically Diverse 200 spoken languages, 250 ethnic groups Hausa-Fulani : rural farmers and traders Yoruba : urban traders and craftsmen Igbo : rural farmers Religiously Diverse 50% Muslim 40% Christian 10% Traditional Religions Economically Diverse 90% of export income derived from oil 90% of owners and employees foreign Ghana CIA Fact Book Not in the same location as the historic Kingdom og Ghana (modern Ghana stole the name) Known as the Gold Coast for all the gold deposits in the area Great Britain colonized the area and used it to establish cocao plantations Ghana still dependent on cacao, this has led to many problems and caused the overthrow of first president, Kwame Nkrumah Mali Mali is almost entirely within the Sahara Desert and Sahel (southernmost tip in Savannah) Tombouctou (tim-buck-too) and Gao, once important centers of trade and learning, now within Sahara and Sahel due to desertification CIA Fact Book East Africa Also home to much cultural diversity Swahili language and culture predominant throughout Eastern Coast, but thousands of languages are spoken among thousands of distinct tribal groups Islam, Christianity, and traditional African religions also represented This, along with outside influences of Arab and colonial invasions has led to several instances of Genocide (Sudan, Rwanda) Ethiopia Geez: traditional Ethiopian language Christianity spread from Egypt and was cut off from outside world Ethiopian churches were sometimes carved out of the ground Ethiopian Christians believe they have the Ark Monastery: a place where monks live a spiritual life Islam came to Ethiopia after its spread from Muhammad About 94% of people are rural farmers with few conveniences Addis Ababa (the capital) is a large urban center with more than 3 million people CIA Fact Book Tanzania Home to the Eastern City-State trade centers that have been actively trading with the Arabian Peninsula and South Asia for hundreds of years There are more than 120 distinct ethnic groups in Tanzania, but Swahili is the official language second (lingua franca) so that everyone can communicate More recent reforms led to privatization, the sale of government owned industries They also led to development of a multiparty system of government CIA Fact Book Kenya CIA Fact Book Kenya in home to more than 40 distinct ethnic groups Kikuyu: largest ethnic group, they live in the highlands and grow cash crops Maasai: traditional, semi-nomadic farmers and herders Politically, Kenyans live by the policy of herambee, meaning lets pull together In traditional Kenyan culture, women are responsible for taking care of the children and maintaining the family farm As men move to cities (nearly 30% in the year 2000), women often stay behind with their children Sudan Sudan has been at civil war for more than 205years Beginning in 1983, the Sudanese government instituted sharia; native, tribal Sudanese rebelled Ethnic cleansing and genocide are a documented, ongoing problem Sudan Africas largest country, mainly agricultural For years, Muslims and Christians have fought. Recently, a genocide occurred in a region called Darfur. As a result, millions of people have fled Sudan as refugees. Central and Southern Africa Home to some of the wealthiest and poorest peoples of Africa Also home to some of the most violence (Apartheid) between white European descendents and those of African descent This violence continues today Also home to some of the highest HIV rates in the world Democratic Republic of Congo CIA Fact Book 3 rd largest nation in Africa 2/3 of people are farmers Most wealth gained through Diamond, gold, oil, and copper mining (etc.) Ongoing civil war since independence South Africa In 1652 Boers, (farmers) later called Afrikaners, settled in South Africa among indigenous peoples In 1902 Great Britain took over in order to gain control of the gold and diamond reserves The Afrikaners regained control after the British left and established a system of laws based on Apartheid (apartness) In 1990 Apartheid was overturned and in 1994 Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa The African National Congress remains in control though racial inequality is still an extreme problem in South Africa CIA Fact Book