Sub-Saharan Africa Flashcards
Landforms
Raised platform or plateau
Cliffs along coast make it difficult and limited connections to the rest of the world, Cape Town is an exception.
Africa continues to break apart along its eastern flank
Climate
Most of the region has tropical climate
Most rain fall comes by way of the inter tropical convergence zone
Vegetation
Tropical wet climates that support equatorial rainforests are bordered on the north, east, and south by seasonally wet/dry subtropical woodlands. These then give way to moist tropical savanna’s or steppes (large area of flat unforested grassland) where tall grasses and trees intermingle in a semi arid environment.
Deforestation
CO2 contribution
Trees absorb CO2 removing it from the atmosphere and storing it as biomass also known as carbon sequestration
Climate change vulnerability
Already very hot Right at the equator Glaciers melting, meaning less water Increase in malaria (28 degrees) Lakes shrinking 40% of export earnings come from cutting down trees
Commercial agriculture
Crops grown for cash rather than family
Substance agriculture
Farming that provides food for only the family and usually done on small farms
Water resources
Much of the region is seasonally dry
600 year drought in Cape Town for 3 years in a row
They made a day 0 to when they would run out of water, reduced usage to avoid day 0
Irrigation projects
They want to dam the Nile river for agricultural regions
Mali and Niger feed over 26 million people
Power and politics
Slavery; 25 million people became slaves
Trans Atlantic slavery mercantilism; Europeans extract primary resources and people
Colonialism
1910 South Africa became independent
1948 segregation, apartheid, carrying identification cards
1994 Nelson Mandela, first national election where blacks could participate in and first black president
South Africa richest in country
No countries are full democracies
Free elections, low voter turn outs
Mercantilism
Europeans extract primary resources and people
Colonialism
Europeans acquiring full or partial control over another country.
Weaken and divide tribal groups
Remove strong leaders and put weak people in power
Ethnic rivalry
Africa’s democracy held back by the civil war
Cold War geopolitics
Refugee crisis, escaping genocide
Economic Issues
Poverty; 30 of the worlds 35 poorest countries
Fastest growing economies; Ghana 8% GNI growth. A lot of room to grow already so poor. Lots of young people. Labour is less expensive . Getting more educated
Emerging urban middle class
Could go into debt if economy crashes while growing
Resource commodities: commodity based economies (raw materials)
Challenges with global prices for raw material trade because they don’t set prices
Increase mineral resources, ppl working in bad conditions
Historical perspective
-Colonial Era; mercantilism existed to benefit colonies. 22% black S. Africans graduate high school
-Political Independence; structural adjustment phase. Informal economy.
-Present Era of Diverse Globalization; other countries bring in investments increasing in jobs and infrastructure.
China is biggest trade partner. Worry about China making decisions for Africa
Regional and local economic development (IGAD) command more power charge moves
