Exam 2: Sub-Saharan Africa Flashcards
Where are the highest elevations in sub-Saharan Africa found?
along the eastern edge
What is an escarpment?
a steep slope or cliff that separates two areas that are relatively level but with different elevations
Does rainfall or temperature have more influence on vegetation belts?
rainfall?
What are the 3 main biomes?
Tropical forests, Savannas, Deserts
What makes people in this region highly vulnerable to environmental changes?
Most of the population is rural and derives their living from the land
What is desertification?
expansion of desert-like
conditions due to human-induced degradation
What are some potential threats the region faces due to climate change?
-African coast is only area expected to be at major risk of sea-level rise
* High temperatures may increase areas of vector-borne
diseases
* Wildlife populations are at risk
How does SSA’s population density compare to the US?
same/similar
What is the region’s total fertility rate? How does it compare to the TFR in other parts of the world?
-4.6
- significantly higher than other parts of the world
What are some reasons for high fertility in the region? How does urbanization affect family sizes?
- Women marry young and often have little formal education
- Urbanization results in smaller family sizes
What are zoonotic diseases?
infections that can spread between animals and humans
What region has most of the world’s malaria infections and deaths?
Sub-Saharan Africa
How is HIV typically transmitted in SSA? What are some major reasons for its spread?
*Mostly transmitted via unprotected heterosexual sex, the birth process, and breastfeeding
*Contributors to spread: seasonal male labor migration + lack of education and testing + disempowerment of women
Where was Ebola first identified?
first identified in 1976 along the banks of the Ebola
River in the DRC
Why is it difficult for many sub-Saharan African borrowers to get mortgages?
low income?
In what ways are colonial influences still evident in cities?
- British colonies with substantial white settlement
developed more highly segregated urban
settlement patterns with stricter building rules and
land law - Cities with significant white populations tended to
have larger investments in infrastructure (from
colonial states) and industrial development (from
the private sector)
For what different purposes are indigenous/trade/colonizer languages spoken?
Indigenous vs. trade (Swahili, Hausa) vs.
colonizers (mainly French, English, Afrikaans)
- When did Christianity arrive in NE Africa? When did European settlers and missionaries start showing up?
1600s
When was Islam introduced?
~1000 years ago by Berber traders from N. Africa
Why were Liberia and Sierra Leone created?
Liberia and Sierra Leone
were established as colonies for free Black people from the US and Nova Scotia/the British Caribbean, respectively
What gave European colonizers the upper hand in the 1880s? What was the “Scramble for Africa”?
- machine guns & antimalarials
-
What was the Berlin Conference?
- The Berlin Conference was held in 1884
- Divided continent into parts that were traded “like pieces in a game of Monopoly”
Which SSA country was the first to gain its independence from Europe?
Ghana? S. Africa
Was decolonization mostly a peaceful process? Was this the case everywhere?
- yes it was mostly peaceful but not everywhere
- Southern Africa was more violent, in Rhodesia & Angola & Mozambique
What was apartheid?
government-enforced racial segregation in S. Africa from 1948-1994
Did colonizing powers adequately prepare their former colonies for independence? How did the borders that were drawn up affect the situation?
-No
- Put people from different ethnic groups forced into the same state despite their diff. languages/religions/cultures
Why couldn’t the maps just be redrawn?
What is the difference between refugees and internally displaced persons?
- Refugees: people who flee their home states due to a well-founded fear of persecution
- Internally displaced persons: people who have fled from conflict but are still within
their country of origin
What are “blood diamonds” and how have they contributed to conflict in Liberia and Sierra Leone?
How do most countries in the region fare on the Human Development Index?
High poverty, very low rank
What are some contributing factors to poverty in SSA?
- Corruption/poor political and physical infrastructure
- Physical environment (infertile soils, erratic rainfall, lack of navigable
rivers) - Tropical diseases/limited public health resources
What are some signs of economic growth?
- Standards of living are rising
- Internet access is increasing/pioneer in mobile payments!
What are “industries without smokestacks”? What did the Economist video we watched say about
economic growth and education for girls
-no factories: tourism, horticulture, IT
