Natural conditions and resources. East African countries

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………… 3

1 General economic and geographical characteristics of African countries... 4

2 Colonization of Africa…………………………………………………………….... 6

3 Natural conditions and resources of Africa………………………………. 9

4 Mining regions of Africa……………………………….. 11

5 Economy: sectoral and territorial structure, location

Africa in the world………………………………………………………………………………. 12

6 Problems and difficulties of African states………………….. 16

7 Integration processes……………………………………………. 16

8 External economic relations………………………………………………………... 17

9 Subregions of Africa…………………………………………………………….. 18

9.1.1 North Africa…………………………………………….. 18

9.1.2 Economic assessment of Egypt………………………………… 18

9.2.1 Tropical Africa…………………………………………... 20

9.2.2 Economic assessment of Angola……………………………….. 21

9.3.1 South Africa……………………………... 24

9.3.2 Economic assessment of South Africa…………………………………. 24

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………… 30

List of sources used……………………………………. 31

Introduction

Africa covers an area of 29.2 million km². The length from north to south is 8 thousand km, from west to east in the northern part - 7.5 thousand km. A feature of the EGP 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 poorly indented, which is unfavorable for the construction of large ports. There are 55 states in Africa, of which three are monarchies, one (Nigeria) is a federal republic, the rest are republics. 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).

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

The continent is crossed almost in the middle by the equator and lies entirely between the subtropical zones of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The originality of its shape - the northern part is 2.5 times wider than the southern part - determined the difference in their natural conditions. At the base of most of the continent lies a Precambrian platform, 2/3 covered by sedimentary rocks (at the base in the north). The topography of Africa is characterized by stepped plateaus, plateaus, and plains. The highest elevations are confined to the outskirts of the continent. Africa is exceptionally rich in mineral resources, although they are still poorly studied. Among other continents, it ranks first in reserves of manganese, chromite, bauxite, gold, platinum, cobalt, diamond, and phosphorite ores. There are also great resources of oil, natural gas, graphite, and asbestos.

1 General economic and geographical characteristics of African countries

The continent occupies 1/5 of the globe's land mass. In terms of size (30.3 million square kilometers with islands), it is second only to Asia among all parts of the world. The region includes 55 countries.

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

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

To assess the EGP of African countries, different criteria can be used. One of the main criteria 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 continent has so many countries located far from the seas. Most inland countries are the most backward.

Africa's mineral resources are unevenly distributed. There are countries where the lack of raw materials hinders their development. Africa's land resources are significant. However, extensive farming and rapid population growth have led to catastrophic soil erosion, which reduces crop yields. This, in turn, aggravates the problem of hunger, which is very relevant in Africa.

The agroclimatic resources of Africa are determined by the fact that it is the hottest continent and lies entirely within the average annual isotherm of +20"C.

In terms of water resources, Africa is significantly inferior to Asia and South America. The hydrographic network is distributed extremely unevenly.

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

In terms of growth rates, Kenya-4, 1% (first place in the world), Tanzania, Zambia, and Uganda stand out. This high birth rate is explained by the centuries-old traditions of early marriage and large families, religious traditions, as well as the increased level of healthcare. Most countries on 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 is high and is still growing (40-50%). This increases the “demographic burden” on the working-age population. The population explosion in Africa is exacerbating many problems in the regions, the most important of which is the food problem. Many problems are also associated with the ethnic composition of the African population, which is very diverse. There are 300-500 ethnic groups. According to the linguistic principle, 1/2 of the population belongs to the Niger-Kordofanian family, 1/3 to the Afro-Asian family, and only 1% are residents of European origin. An important feature of African countries is the discrepancy between political and ethnic boundaries as a consequence of the colonial era of the development of the continent. A legacy of the past is that the official languages of most African countries are still the languages of the former metropolises - English, French, 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.”

After gaining independence, African countries began to make efforts to overcome centuries-old 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 has accelerated. The restructuring of the sectoral and territorial structure of the economy began. The greatest successes along this path have been achieved in the mining industry, which now accounts for 1/4 of the world's production volume. In the extraction of many types of minerals, Africa has an important and sometimes monopoly place in the foreign world. It is the extractive industry that primarily determines Africa’s place in the MGRT. The manufacturing industry is poorly developed or absent altogether. But some countries in the region have a higher level of manufacturing industry - South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco.

The second branch of the economy that determines Africa's place in the world economy is tropical and subtropical agriculture. It also has a pronounced export orientation. But overall, Africa is lagging behind in its development. It ranks last among the regions of the world in terms of industrialization and agricultural productivity.

2 Colonization of Africa

African colonies at the end of the 19th century: the most extensive and richest possessions were those of Great Britain. The colonial empire of France was not inferior in size to the British, but the population of its colonies was several times smaller, and its natural resources were poorer. Most of the French possessions were located in Western and Equatorial Africa, and a considerable part of their territory was in the Sahara, the adjacent semi-desert Sahel region and tropical forests. Belgium owned the Belgian Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in 1971-1997 - Zaire), Italy - Eritrea and Italian Somalia, Spain - the Spanish Sahara (Western Sahara), Germany - German East Africa (now the mainland of Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi), Cameroon, Togo and German South West Africa (Namibia).

The main incentives that led to the heated battle of European powers for Africa are considered economic. Indeed, the desire to exploit Africa's natural resources and people was of paramount importance. But it cannot be said that these hopes were immediately realized. The south of the continent, where the world's largest deposits of gold and diamonds were discovered, began to generate huge profits. But before income could be received, large investments were first necessary to explore natural resources, create communications, adapt the local economy to the needs of the metropolis, suppress the protest of the indigenous people and find effective ways to force them to work for the colonial system. All this took time.

Another argument of the ideologists of colonialism was not immediately justified. They argued that the acquisition of colonies would open up many jobs in the metropolises themselves and eliminate unemployment, since Africa would become a large market for European products and enormous construction of railways, ports, and industrial enterprises would begin there. If these plans were implemented, it was more slowly than expected and on a smaller scale.

The First World War was to a large extent a battle for the redistribution of Africa, but it did not have a particularly strong impact on the lives of most African countries. Military operations were carried out only on the territory of the German colonies. They were conquered by the Entente troops and after the war, by decision of the League of Nations, were transferred to the Entente countries as mandated territories: Togo and Cameroon were divided between Great Britain and France, German South-West Africa went to the Union of South Africa (SA), part of German East Africa - Rwanda and Burundi - was transferred to Belgium, the other - Tanganyika - to Great Britain. With the acquisition of Tanganyika, an old dream of the British ruling circles came true: a continuous strip of British possessions arose from Cape Town to Cairo.

After the end of the war, the process of colonial development in Africa accelerated. Colonies increasingly turned into agricultural and raw materials appendages of the metropolises. Agriculture became increasingly export-oriented. An increasing number of colonies became monoculture countries. On the eve of the Second World War, in many countries between two-thirds and 98% of the value of all exports came from a single crop. In Gambia and Senegal, groundnuts became such a crop, in Zanzibar - cloves, and in Uganda - cotton. Some countries had two export crops: in the Ivory Coast and Togo - coffee and cocoa, in Kenya - coffee and tea, etc. In Gabon and some other countries, valuable forest species have become a monoculture.

In West Africa, as well as in most parts of East and Central Africa, export products were produced mainly on the farms of Africans themselves. European plantation production did not take root there due to climatic conditions difficult for Europeans. The main exploiters of African producers were foreign companies. Exported agricultural products were produced on farms owned by Europeans located in the Union of South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, parts of Northern Rhodesia, Kenya, and South West Africa.

During the Second World War, military operations in Tropical Africa were carried out only on the territory of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Italian Somalia. Hundreds of thousands of Africans were mobilized into the metropolitan armies. Even more people had to serve the troops and work for military needs. Africans fought in North Africa, Western Europe, the Middle East, Burma, and Malaya.

1960 went down in history as the “Year of Africa”. 17 new African states appeared on the world map. Most of them are French colonies and UN trust territories.

The year 1960 changed the entire situation on the African continent. The dismantling of the remaining colonial regimes has become inevitable.

3 Natural conditions and resources of Africa

Africa is a continent of great economic opportunity, characterized by a variety of natural conditions, rich mineral reserves, and 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 moist equatorial forests. Africa accounts for 10% of the world's forest area, accounting for 17% of the world's timber reserves - one of Africa's main exports.

The largest desert in the world - the Sahara - contains huge reserves of fresh water, 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 of the world's proven energy reserves is increasing. There are more reserves of phosphorites, chromites, titanium, and tantalum here than in any part of the world. The reserves of bauxite, copper, manganese, cobalt, uranium ores, diamonds, rare earth metals, gold, etc. are of global importance. The main areas of concentration of mineral resources potential are: the “copper belt” of Africa, stretching from the Katanka region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through 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); zone of the Atlas Mountains and the coast of North-West Africa (cobalt, molybdenum, lead, zinc, iron ore, mercury, phosphorites); North Africa (oil, gas of the coast and shelf of the Mediterranean Sea).

Africa is exceptionally rich in natural resources. Fuel raw materials are available in depressions and coastal areas. 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 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.

Table 1 - Classification of African countries according to the degree of their wealth in mineral resources

Countries rich in various mineral resources

Countries rich in one or two types of minerals

Mineral-poor countries

South Africa – gold, platinum, diamonds, uranium, iron, chromite, manganese ores, coal, asbestos.

Zaire – cobalt, manganese, copper, tin, zinc-lead ores.

Guinea– gold, diamonds, bauxite, iron ore, oil.

Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon and others – oil and natural gas.

Liberia, Mauritania, Algeria– ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, uranium, diamonds, iron ore.

Ghana– bauxite.

Zambia, Morocco– cobalt.

Zambia- copper.

Nigeria- tin.

O. Madagascar– mica and graphite.

North African countries– phosphites, lead and zinc.

Botswana– lithium, chromite.

Tanzania, Morocco– manganese.

Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan.

4 Mining regions of Africa

Over the past decades, Africa has emerged as one of the world's largest mineral producers. Africa's share in the world mining industry is 1/4, but in the production of diamonds, gold, cobalt, manganese ores, chromites, uranium concentrates, and phosphites it is much larger. A lot of copper and iron ore, bauxite, oil and natural gas are also mined. Africa dominates the market for such “20th century metals” as vanadium, lithium, beryllium, tantalum, niobium, and germanium. 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. This especially applies to countries such as Algeria, Libya, Guinea, Zambia, Botswana, where the mining industry provides more than 9/10 of all exports.

Africa has very favorable natural conditions for the development of the mining industry.

In total, there are seven main mining regions in Africa.

1. The Atlas Mountains region is distinguished by 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 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. Western Guinea region - rich in oil, gas, and metal ores.

6. Zaire-Zambia 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, and 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, gases and bauxite.

5 Economy: sectoral and territorial structure, location

Africa in the world

African countries have not yet managed to change the colonial type of sectoral territorial structure of the economy, although the rate of economic growth has accelerated somewhat. The colonial type of sectoral structure of the economy is distinguished by the predominance of small-scale, consumer agriculture, weak development of the manufacturing industry, and lagging 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, platinum group metals, etc.). The manufacturing industry is represented by light and food industries, there are no other industries, with the exception of a number of areas near the availability of raw materials and on the coast (Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Zambia, Zaire).

The second branch of the economy that determines Africa's place in the world economy is tropical and subtropical agriculture. Agricultural products account for 60-80% of GDP. The main cash crops are coffee, cocoa beans, peanuts, dates, tea, natural rubber, sorghum, and spices. Recently, grain crops have begun to be grown: corn, rice, wheat. Livestock farming plays a subordinate role, with the exception of countries with arid climates. Extensive cattle breeding predominates, characterized by a huge number of livestock, but low productivity and low marketability. The continent is not self-sufficient in agricultural products.

Monocultural specialization and the low level of economic development of 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 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 continent's trade turnover is with developed Western countries

The leading role in foreign economic relations of African countries belongs to foreign trade. Exports are dominated by mining and agricultural raw materials, while imports are dominated by finished products. Oil is exported by Algeria, Nigeria, Libya, iron ores - Liberia, Mauritania, diamonds and gold - South Africa, copper - Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, phosphates - Morocco, uranium - Niger, Gabon, cotton - Egypt, Sudan, Tanzania, coffee - Ethiopia, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Uganda, Angola and others, peanuts - Senegal, Sudan, olive oil - Tunisia, Morocco.

Typical for African countries is a low level of national income, the predominance of commodity-export production in agriculture, and the spread of monoculture. The continent's foreign trade retains its mineral and agricultural raw material specialization.

The following features are typical for the African economy:

a) diversity;

b) low level of economic development;

c) the agricultural nature of the economy of most countries;

d) a sharp distinction in agriculture between commodity-export production, subsistence and small-scale farming serving local needs;

e) the spread of monoculture in agriculture;

f) predominance of the mining industry in industrial production;

g) maintaining the colonial character in foreign trade.

Significant features of the economic location of most African countries are the concentration of economic activity in several centers and a significant gap in the levels of population, development and economic development of individual territories and countries.

Comparatively economically developed in Africa are the territories adjacent to the capitals - cities that became important economic centers back in the colonial period, as well as to the ports through which raw materials are exported and where they are partially processed (Casablanca region in Morocco, Lagos in Nigeria, Alexandria in Egypt, Mombasa in Kenya, etc.). Significant industrial and economic centers arose in areas of mineral extraction (copper belt centers in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, industrial centers associated with oil and gas fields in Algeria and Libya, industrial areas of South Africa).

Africa is a global supplier of many types of tropical plant raw materials: cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, spices, etc. At the same time, agriculture in developing countries does not provide food for the local population due to the lag in most countries of the production of basic food crops from the rate of population growth. More than 1/3 of the continent's area is used in African agriculture. About 7% of the continent's area is occupied by arable land and perennial crops, and 24% by pastures. and oil palm (tropics), olive (subtropics). In some areas, coffee (coffee) and chocolate (cocoa) trees are grown. Plantation farming in Africa is quite developed, but less so than in Latin America and Southeast Asia. In the tropical zone, only isolated isolated areas of plantations arose.

The network of communications on the mainland is underdeveloped, especially in the interior regions. Rail transport is represented mainly by single-track lines connecting ports with inland areas or connecting navigable sections of rivers. Modern highways are available only near capital or industrial cities. Transport retains its colonial type: railways run from the areas where raw materials are extracted to the port of their export. Rail and sea modes of transport are relatively developed. In recent years, other types of transport have also developed - road (a road was built across the Sahara), air, pipeline.

Most continental countries are characterized by the presence of “dirty” industries, as well as fuel and communication (construction of communication routes, development of communications) problems.

6 Problems and difficulties of African states

Most African states have developed bloated, unprofessional and ineffective bureaucracies. Given the amorphous nature of social structures, the only organized force remained the army. The result is endless military coups. Dictators who came to power appropriated untold wealth for themselves. 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 scope 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, and output per capita was declining.

The formation of statehood was extremely complicated by the absolute artificiality of state borders. Africa inherited them from its colonial past. They were established during the division of the continent into spheres of influence and have little to do with ethnic boundaries. The Organization of African Unity, created in 1963, aware that any attempt to correct a particular border could lead to unpredictable consequences, called for these borders to be considered immutable, no matter how unfair they may be. But these borders have nevertheless become a source of ethnic conflicts and the displacement of millions of refugees.

7 Integration processes

A characteristic feature of integration processes in Africa is their high degree of institutionalization. Currently, there are about 200 economic associations of various levels, scales and orientations 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 Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), etc. is of interest. The extremely low performance 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 - compared to 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 considered as a tool and basis for the formation of a self-sufficient and self-developing economy, relying on its own strengths and in opposition 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 as an impulse and indicator of economic growth and development in general.

8 External 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 enormous 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 45 government revenues to the budget of African countries. About 80% of the continent's trade is with developed Western countries.

9 Subregions of Africa

9.1.1 North Africa

North Africa(area - 10 million km2, population - 150 million people). The northern part of this subregion is adjacent to Southern Europe and South-West Asia and has access to sea routes, while the southern part forms the sparsely inhabited desert and semi-desert spaces of the Sahara. The main centers of manufacturing industry, the main regions of subtropical agriculture and almost the entire population are concentrated in the coastal zone. Large cities - Cairo, Alexandria, Tunis, Algiers, Casablanca.

9.1.2 Economic assessment of Egypt

Nationalization - the basis of the Egyptian economy, according to the 1971 constitution, are the principles of socialism. Major nationalization steps were taken after 1961 to limit the private sector and weaken the influence of capitalists. By the early 1970s, almost all important sectors of the economy were already controlled by the government, including large industry, banking, finance, cotton trading, and foreign trade.

Taxation - the income tax rate is progressive. The goal is to achieve equality in income distribution. There is a direct income tax.

Trade unions are largely governed by the government. Workers receive a share of the profits earned by corporations and elect their representatives on the board of directors. Trade unions are also represented in the National Assembly.

Investment Policy - In the early 1970s, the Egyptian government began a campaign to increase foreign investment in the country's economy and began receiving financial assistance from wealthy Arab states. Although Arab aid was suspended after the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, the subsequent return of several Western and Japanese corporations increased the potential for further foreign investment in the country's economy.

Wages and standard of living - the general standard of living in Egypt is quite low; and the country's economic resources are limited. The rural population, especially landless agricultural laborers, have the lowest standard of living in the country. Industrial and urban workers in general have a higher standard of living. The highest wages are in the oil industry.

Resources - About 96 percent of Egypt's territory is desert. The lack of forests, meadows and pastures increases the pressure on arable land, which accounts for approximately 3 percent of the country's territory. There are natural resources. The country produces oil, phosphates, manganese, and iron ore. There are also proven reserves of chromium, uranium and gold.

Agriculture - one of the main goods produced in the country - cotton - occupies more than one fifth of arable land (in summer) and is a significant part of exports. Egypt is one of the world's main producers of "long cotton" (2.85 centimeters or more in length), producing approximately one-third of the world's crop. Other major crops include grains (corn), rice, wheat, millet and beans.

Industry - the priority direction of development after the signing of an agreement with the USSR in 1964 was the development of heavy industry. The main source of electricity is the 12 turbines of the Aswan Dam hydroelectric power station, which have a capacity of approximately 2,000,000 kilowatts and are capable of producing 10,000,000,000 kilowatt hours per year. The power of thermal plants is approximately 45 percent of the capacity of the Aswan Dam.

The country produces oil (Morgan, Ramadan) and has natural gas deposits. Egypt has several oil refineries, two of which are located in Suez. The first of the oil pipelines, which linked the Gulf of Suez and the Mediterranean near Alexandria, opened in 1977. This Suez-Mediterranean pipeline, known as "Sumed", can carry up to 80,000,000 tons of oil per year.

Finance - Egypt's banking system is built around the Central Bank of Egypt. In 1961, all banks operating in Egypt were nationalized, and their activities were concentrated within five commercial banks created in addition to the Central Bank.

Trade - imports account for approximately one-third, exports approximately one-tenth of the gross national product. Almost two-thirds of imports consist of raw materials, minerals, chemical products and capital goods (machinery); more than one quarter are food industry products. More than half of exports consist of oil and petroleum products, cotton and cotton products. Agricultural exports include rice, onions, garlic, and citrus fruits. Italy and France are among Egypt's largest markets. The United States is the main source of Egyptian imports.

9.2.1 Tropical Africa

Tropical Africa- located south of the Sahara (territory - 20 million km2, population - over 500 million). The most backward part of the entire developing world (there are 29 least developed countries). The population belongs to the Negroid race. The most complex ethnic composition is in West and East Africa. The only subregion where agriculture remains the main sphere of material production. Industry: There is one large region of mining industry - the copper belt in Zaire and Zambia. Transport is poorly developed. Desertification, deforestation, and depletion of flora and fauna are occurring at a rapid pace. The main region of drought and desertification is the Sahel zone.

The main sector 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 majority of the region's amateur population and creates the bulk of the total national income. In many countries of Tropical Africa, agriculture occupies a leading place in exports, providing a significant portion of foreign exchange earnings. In the last decade, an alarming picture has been observed with the growth rate of industrial production, which allows us to talk about the actual deindustrialization of the region. If in 1965-1980 they (on average per year) amounted to 7.5%, then in the 80s only 0.7%; a drop in growth rates took place in the 80s in both the mining and manufacturing industries. For a number of reasons, the mining industry plays a special role in ensuring the socio-economic development of the region, but this production is also decreasing 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, Sinegal) its share in GDP reaches or exceeds 20%.

9.2.2 Economic assessment of Angola

Angola is an agricultural country with a relatively developed industry by African standards, the basis of which is the oil and mining industries. GNP in 2000 amounted to 3.079 million dollars (5%).

The country's economy is based on agriculture, oil (Angolan has an estimated 13 billion barrels of undeveloped oil), gas, diamonds and minerals. The mining industry accounts for up to half of GNP: oil fields are developed and diamonds are mined.

The gross national product remains quite low due to more than 20 years of civil war.

More than 2/3 of the workforce is employed in agriculture. Cassau, sweet potatoes, corn, and beans are grown for the domestic market. Coffee, cotton, tobacco, sisal, sugar cane are grown for export, and palm oil is produced. Livestock farming is developed throughout the country; cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, and poultry are raised.

The timber industry is developed; in the eastern regions of Angola (provinces of Lunda South and Moxico), as well as in Cabinda, valuable species of wood (black, mahogany and yellow wood) are harvested, which is exported. In the Benguela region, eucalyptus trees are grown in tree nurseries.

Before gaining independence, Angola had a fairly developed fishing fleet, but during the war the catch gradually began to decline. According to UN estimates, fish stocks in the economic zone of Angola amount to about 1 million tons. In 1998, national companies and vessels from Spain, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, China and Russia caught 202 thousand tons. fish, in 1999 - 240 thousand tons. Enterprises in the light, food and manufacturing industries are operating at 20-30% capacity.

The country's foreign exchange earnings are mainly provided by the export of oil, gas and petroleum products, the share of which in total exports is more than 90% ($3.8 billion). In 1998, diamonds worth $800 million were mined. Angola's external debt is $9.5 billion. (1999), including Russia - 2.9 billion, Portugal - 1.2 billion, Brazil - 1 billion, France - 300 million.

Export composition:

Oil 90%, diamonds, petroleum products, gas, coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, wood, cotton. In 2000, the export volume amounted to $8 billion.

Export geography:

USA 63%, Benelux 9%, China, Chile, France.

Import composition:

Machines and electrical equipment, spare parts and components for machines, medicines, food, textiles, weapons and ammunition. In 2000, the volume of imports amounted to 2.5 billion dollars.

Import geography:

Portugal 20%, USA 17%, South Africa 10%, Spain, Brazil, France.

Length of roads:

72 thousand km, of which about 6 thousand are paved. Length of the railway: about 3300 km. There are four railways in the country (owned mainly by English and Belgian companies).

Main ports:

Luanda, Lobito, Cabinda, Namibe. There are national and foreign companies operating ocean and coastal (only between the ports of Angola) transportation. Airports: international - Luanda, 13 local.

A promising export product is granite, especially black (exports since 1995 amounted to 5 thousand cubic meters per year). Developments are underway to extract phosphates and uranium.

In 1998, the balance of payments deficit amounted to $600 million. Inflation exceeded 800%. 60% of the working population are unemployed. Annual per capita income - $273.

In the future, foreign companies, with the support of the Angolan government, plan to invest about $17 billion in the development of the country's industry over the next seven years.

The projects include the development of deep-sea fields, the drilling of about 300 mines, the construction of an oil refinery and a natural gas liquefaction plant.

The present government is also making efforts to attract potential investors in tourism development.

Industrial projects:

The government plans to sell some of the state-owned enterprises to private hands. The newly acquired cement factory has tripled its capacity and output. Industrial development projects include the possibility of acquiring three pharmaceutical plants in Luanda, Benguela and Dondo and the rehabilitation of a fish processing factory in Namib. In the future, there is also the construction of a steel complex, a shipyard, a seaport in the province of Cabinda, an assembly line for military trucks and a brewery.

9.3.1 South Africa

South Africa(South Africa) is the only economically developed country on the continent. According to all indicators of economic development, it ranks 1st in Africa. South Africa accounts for 2/5 of industrial output, 4/5 of steel production, 73 of railway lengths. d., 1/2 of Africa's car park. The continent's largest industrial region is the Witwatersrand, where the capital Pretoria is located.

In accordance with the racist policy of apartheid, 10 “independent black states” or Bantustans were created on the site of the former reservations. Apartheid has now been officially abolished, but the backwardness of the Bantustans remains.

9.3.2 Economic assessment of South Africa

Today, South Africa represents one of the most promising markets among all third world countries. The economy of the Republic of South Africa, this economic giant on the scale of the African continent, contains a unique combination of socio-economic factors inherent in both developed countries and third world countries. The presence of a developed economic infrastructure, a wide technological base, highly qualified managerial and engineering personnel, as well as a large market for fairly cheap skilled and unskilled labor have made South Africa extremely attractive and profitable for free enterprise and investment of foreign capital. Major international investment companies highlight South Africa as an emerging market with the most favorable conditions for foreign investment.

The recent global financial crisis, which had such a strong impact on a number of third world countries, only underlined the strength and dynamism of the South African economy. Among the fundamental factors determining the socio-economic situation in the country, the South African government’s increased attention to the issues of supporting the constant growth of the country’s exports, investment in fixed assets, dynamics of consumption growth and real incomes of the population stands out first. The South African government is called upon to provide the most favorable conditions for the external development of the country's economy, maintaining a positive balance of payments and foreign trade of South Africa. This is expressed, first of all, in the creation of a legal framework that strongly supports free enterprise and long-term investment.

Thanks to the economic reforms of the GEAR program, the economic situation since the end of 1996 has been characterized by constantly increasing GDP growth (at least 3%), low inflation rates, a stable exchange rate, and a tendency to improve budgetary indicators at all levels. Favorable domestic market conditions and increasing investment volumes have been factors stimulating economic growth and stability of the South African economy.

Along with economic transformation, reflected in fiscal and tax reforms, the South African government is encouraging investment and employment through the restructuring and privatization of state-owned enterprises.

Another priority area for the South African government is resolving issues related to unemployment and issues of redistribution of income of the population, which is expressed, first of all, in the creation of additional jobs for low-skilled workers and the implementation of special subsidy programs.

The main components of the South African economy:

· Rich raw material base;

· In terms of reserves of a number of minerals, such as gold, platinum group metals, manganese, aluminoglucates, South Africa ranks first in the world;

· Most of the South African deposits are unique in terms of the conditions and scale of occurrence of resources;

· Availability of the widest range of mined minerals;

· Large agricultural sector;

· South Africa is not only self-sufficient in agricultural products, but is also one of only six countries in the world that is able to export agricultural products on a regular basis;

· Developed financial market, characterized by clarity and reliability of banking and insurance services;

· The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is one of the 15 largest in the world;

· Widespread use of advanced technologies in the banking sector, such as Internet technologies;

· Availability of an extensive network of well-organized telecommunication services;

· Providing all types of telecommunications services and Internet services;

· The market for mobile services and IP technologies in South Africa demonstrates one of the highest rates of development in the world;

· Telcom, a South African telecommunications company with a backbone network, is constantly increasing the share of the fiber optic component, which allows increasing the speed and quality of telecommunications services;

· Modern transport infrastructure.

The number of railways and roads exceeds the average of other African countries by 15 and 10 times, respectively.

· The presence of large commercial ports that guarantee South Africa access to all maritime destinations: Asia, Europe, America and other countries of the African continent.

· Availability of a powerful energy base.

· A constant excess of electricity produced over consumed electricity guarantees the future supply of an ever-increasing number of consumers.

· Electricity consumption prices available throughout South Africa are among the lowest in the world.

· Progressive legislation aimed at attracting foreign capital.

· Attracting investment and introducing advanced technologies occurs in all significant sectors of the South African economy.

The average return on investment has been growing steadily since 1992, which was made possible by a significant increase in average labor productivity (labor productivity growth in 1997 was 4.32%, in 1998 - 4.56%).

South Africa is one of the world's 25 largest exporters. Income from foreign trade reaches 50% of GDP, with exports exceeding imports.

South Africa's main trading partners are the USA, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Canada, and foreign trade turnover with these countries is increasing.

South Africa is one of the few countries with a unique dual system of ownership (public and private) of mineral resources. The restructuring of state-owned enterprises, in which there is a redistribution of property rights from the state to private owners of enterprises, is especially noticeable in the mining industry. Another trend, most noticeable in this sector of the economy, is the merger of the largest companies and monopolization of the market. Thus, more than 90% of diamond production in South Africa is controlled by branches of the South African monopoly De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd.

South Africa is a world leader in the mining of gold, platinum group metals, and occupies a leading global position in the mining of diamonds and coal. The share of production of enterprises related to the direct processing of minerals, including metal production, is approximately 14% of GDP. The share of mineral exports in South Africa's total exports, despite a gradual decline, currently stands at more than 33%.

Mechanical engineering is the largest sector of the South African economy, the main component of which is automobile and machine tool manufacturing enterprises owned by major foreign corporations.

Buses, trucks, trailers and semi-trailers, as well as spare parts for them, with a total number of more than 200 items, 159 of which are produced by the NAACAM company, come off the conveyors of factories owned by leading automobile corporations in the USA, Japan, and Western Europe. Component parts are supplied not only to the country’s assembly plants, but also to the markets of the USA, South America, Europe, the Far East and Africa.

In addition, in South Africa there are a number of enterprises for the production of sea and river vessels, railway cars and locomotives, aircraft, components and some special instruments. This sector of the economy is dominated by a group of enterprises led by Dorbyl Ltd.

Conclusion

Despite its enormous natural and human potential, Africa continues to remain the most backward part of the world economy. Therefore, the main task of the current stage is to accelerate socio-economic transformations that contribute to solving complex demographic, food and environmental problems.

List of sources used

1Maksakovsky, V.P. Economic and social geography of the world: textbook. for 10th grade general education Institutions / V.P. Maksakovsky. – 16th ed., rev. – M.: Education, 2008. – 398 p.

2 Maksakovsky, V.P. Geographical picture of the world. In 2 books. Book II: Regional characteristics of the world. – 2nd ed., stereotype. – M.: Bustard, 2005. – 480 p.

3 Economic analysis of countries [Electronic resource] - Access mode: http: // www.profishop.lv, free. - Cap. from the screen.

4 School.LV[Electronic resource] / Lessons / Economic geography - Access mode: http: // www.http://shkola.lv/index.php?mode=lsntheme&themeid=199&subid=303, free. - Cap. from the screen.

The second largest continent on the planet. Second in terms of population. A continent with truly colossal reserves of minerals and other natural resources. The birthplace of humanity. Africa.

Third part of the world

In the minds of the ancient Greeks, there were only two parts of the world - Europe and Asia. In those days, Africa was known as Libya and belonged to one or the other. Only the ancient Romans, after the conquest of Carthage, began to call their province in what is now Northeast Africa by this name. The remaining known territories of the southern continent were named after Libya and Ethiopia, but later only one remained. Then Africa became the third part of the world. Europeans and then Arabs developed only the lands of the north of the continent; the more southern parts were separated by the grandiose Sahara desert, the largest in the world.

After the start of the European colonial takeover of the rest of the world, Africa became the main supplier of slaves. Colonies on the territory of the mainland itself did not develop, but served only as assembly points.

The beginning of independence

The situation began to change a little since the nineteenth century, when slavery was abolished in many countries. Europeans turned their attention to their possessions on the continent of Africa. The natural resources of the controlled lands exceeded the potential of the colonial states themselves. True, development took place in the most populated areas of Northern and Southern Africa. The remaining territories of almost virgin nature were considered as an opportunity for an exotic holiday. The largest-scale safaris were organized on this continent, which caused the mass extinction of large predators, rhinoceroses and elephants. After World War II, almost all African countries achieved their independence and began to fully exploit their potential. But this did not always lead to positive consequences; sometimes the natural conditions and resources of Africa deteriorated significantly due to their irrational use by humans.

The abundance and scarcity of water resources

The largest rivers in Africa are located in the center and west of the continent. These rivers - Congo, Niger, Zambezi - are among the deepest and largest rivers in the world. The northern part of the continent is almost completely deserted and the drying up rivers there are filled with water only during the rainy season. The longest river in the world, the Nile, is unique. It begins in the central part of the continent and crosses the largest desert in the world - the Sahara, without losing its fullness. Africa is considered the continent with the least endowment with water resources. This definition applies to the entire continent, being an average indicator. After all, the central part of Africa, having an equatorial and subequatorial climate, is endowed with water in abundance. And the northern desert lands suffer from an acute lack of moisture. After independence, African countries began a boom in hydraulic engineering, with dams and reservoirs being built in the thousands. In general, Africa's natural water resources rank second in the world after Asia.

African lands

The situation with African land resources is similar to water ones. On the one hand (northern) side it is a practically uninhabited and uncultivated desert. On the other hand, fertile and well-moistened soils. True, the presence of huge areas of tropical forests, the territories of which are not used for agriculture, also makes its own adjustments. But that's Africa. Natural land resources here are very significant. In terms of the ratio of cultivated land to population, Africa is twice as large as Asia and Latin America. Although only twenty percent of the continent's entire territory is used for agriculture. As already noted, Africa's natural resources are not always used rationally. and subsequent soil erosion threaten the advance of desert into the still fertile lands. Countries in the central part of the continent should be especially concerned.

Forest spaces

The location of Africa means that it has large forest areas. Seventeen percent of the world's forests are located on the African continent. The eastern and southern lands are rich in dry tropical forests, while the central and western lands are rich in humid forests. But the use of such enormous reserves leaves much to be desired. Forests are being cut down without being restored. This is due to the presence of valuable tree species and, the saddest thing, for their use as firewood. Almost eighty percent of the energy in countries in western and central Africa comes from burning trees.

General characteristics of mineral resources

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is considered the richest country on the continent and one of the richest in the world. Coal mining is traditionally developed here. Its deposits are almost superficial, so the cost of production is very low. Eighty percent of the electricity generated at local thermal power plants uses this cheap coal. The country's wealth is provided by deposits of platinum, gold, diamonds, manganese, chromites and other minerals. Oil is probably one of the few minerals that South Africa is not rich in. The natural resources of the center of the continent and especially its north, on the contrary, are endowed with significant reserves of hydrocarbons.

Natural resources of North Africa

The sedimentary rocks of the north of the continent are rich in oil and gas deposits. Libya, for example, has about three percent of the world's reserves. In Morocco, Northern Algeria and Libya there are zones of phosphorite deposits. These deposits are so rich that more than fifty percent of all the world's phosphorites are mined here. Also in the Atlas Mountains region there are large reserves of zinc, lead, as well as cobalt and molybdenum.

GENERAL ECONOMIC AND GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICA COUNTRIES

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

General review. Geographical position.

The continent occupies 1/5 of the globe's land mass. In terms of size (30.3 million km 2 - including 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 suffered 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). Western Sahara (Saharan Arab Republic) is under the auspices of the UN.

To assess the EGP of African countries, different criteria can be used. 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 continent has so many countries located far from the seas. Most inland countries are the most backward.

Natural conditions and resources.

The continent is crossed almost in the middle by the equator and lies entirely between the subtropical zones of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The uniqueness of its shape - the northern part is 2.5 times wider than the southern part - 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 topography of Africa is characterized by stepped plateaus, plateaus, and plains. The highest elevations are confined to the outskirts of the continent.

Africa is exceptionally rich minerals, although they have been poorly studied so far. Among other continents, it ranks first in reserves of manganese, chromite, bauxite, gold, platinum, cobalt, diamond, and phosphorite ores. There are also great resources of oil, natural gas, graphite, and asbestos.

Africa's share in the global 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, there are seven main mining regions in Africa. Three of them are in North Africa and four are in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Atlas Mountains region is distinguished by 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 and titanium ores, phosphorites, etc.
The region of the Algerian and Libyan parts of the Sahara is distinguished by the largest oil and gas fields.
The Western Guinea region is characterized by a combination of gold, diamonds, iron ores, and graphites.
The East Guinea 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, and silver. Congo (formerly Zaire) is the world's main producer and exporter of cobalt.
Africa's largest mining region 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 mineral resources are unevenly distributed. There are countries where the lack of raw materials 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, aggravates the problem of hunger, which is very relevant in Africa.

Agroclimatic resources Africa is determined by the fact that it is the hottest continent and lies entirely within the average annual isotherm of +20°C. But the main factor determining differences in climatic conditions is precipitation. 30% of the territory is arid regions occupied by deserts, 30% receives 200-600 mm of precipitation, but is subject to droughts; equatorial regions suffer from excess moisture. Therefore, on 2/3 of Africa, sustainable agriculture is possible only through 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 extent of utilization of the huge hydropower potential of rivers (780 million kW) is small.

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

Population.

Africa stands out worldwide for having the highest population reproduction rates. 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 especially in terms of growth rates - 4, 1% (first place in the world), Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda. This high birth rate is explained by the centuries-old traditions of early marriage and large families, religious traditions, as well as the increased level of healthcare. Most countries on the continent do not pursue an active demographic policy.

The population explosion in Africa is exacerbating many problems in 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 increase in food production (1.9%).

Many problems are also associated with the ethnic composition of the African population, which is very diverse. There are 300-500 ethnic groups. Some of them have already formed into large nations, but most are still at the level of nationalities, and vestiges of the tribal system remain.

Linguistically, 1/2 of the population belongs to the Niger-Kordofanian family, 1/3 to the Afro-Asian family and only 1% are residents of European origin.

An important feature of African countries is the discrepancy between political and ethnic boundaries as a consequence of the colonial era of the development of the continent. As a result, many united peoples found themselves on different sides of the border. This leads to interethnic conflicts and territorial disputes. The latter concern 20% of the territory. Moreover, 40% of the territory is not demarcated at all, and only 26% of the length of the borders run along natural boundaries that partially coincide with ethnic boundaries.

A 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 of 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 areas in the world. Rarely populated in tropical rain forests. But there are also quite significant population clusters, especially on the coasts. The population density in the Nile Delta reaches 1000 people/km 2 .

General characteristics of the farm.

The greatest successes along this path have been achieved in the mining industry, which now accounts for 1/4 of the world's production volume. In the extraction of many types of minerals, Africa has an important and sometimes monopoly place in the foreign world. The bulk of the extracted fuel and raw materials is exported to the world market and accounts for 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 absent altogether. But some countries in the region have a higher level of manufacturing industry - South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco.

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

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

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

the predominance of small-scale extensive agriculture;
underdeveloped manufacturing industry;
a strong lag in transport - transport does not provide connections between internal regions, 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 imbalances that remain from the colonial past. On the economic map of the region, only isolated centers of industry (mainly metropolitan areas) and highly commercial agriculture are identified.

The one-sided agricultural and raw material direction of economic development in 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, usually a 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.
(to enlarge the image, click on the picture)

External economic relations.

About 80% of the continent's trade is with developed Western countries.

Despite its enormous natural and human potential, Africa continues to remain the most backward part of the world economy.

The video lesson is devoted to the topic “Natural resource potential and general characteristics of the African economy.” From the lesson you will learn what resources the continent is rich in and what is special about their use. The teacher will tell you in detail about the specifics of the economy of African countries. As additional material, the lesson covers three topics: “Monoculture”, “South African Republic” and “Trans-African Highways”.

Topic: Africa

Lesson: Natural resource potential and general characteristics of the African economy

Africa is exceptionally rich in mineral resources, although they are still poorly studied. Among other continents it ranks first in reserves of the following natural resources:

1. Manganese ore.

2. Khromitov.

3. Bauxite.

4. Gold.

5. Platinum.

6. Cobalt.

7. Almazov.

8. Phosphorites.

There are also great resources of oil, natural gas, graphite, and asbestos. Africa's share in the global mining industry is 1/4. Almost all extracted raw materials and fuel are exported from Africa to economically developed countries.

Rice. 1. Diamond mining in Africa ()

Central Africa has large reserves of forest and water resources.

In addition, Africa's 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, aggravates the problem of hunger, which is very relevant in Africa.

Rice. 3. Map of desertification in Africa ()

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

After gaining independence, African countries began to make efforts to overcome centuries of backwardness. The restructuring of the sectoral and territorial structure of the economy began. The greatest successes along this path have been achieved in the mining industry, which now accounts for 1/4 of the world's production volume.

Despite certain successes, most regions of Africa are still characterized by a colonial type of economy.

The main features of the colonial type of economy:

1. The predominance of small-scale agriculture.

2. Poor development of the manufacturing industry.

3. Significant backlog of transport.

4. Limitation of the non-productive sphere to trade and services only.

5. Monocultural specialization.

Africa exports bananas, coffee, tea, dates, citrus fruits and other agricultural products.

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

Rice. 4. Map of mining areas in Africa ()

Mining areas of Africa:

1. The Atlas Mountains region is distinguished by 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 and titanium ores, phosphorites, etc.

3. The region of the Algerian and Libyan parts of the Sahara is distinguished by its largest oil and gas fields.

4. The Western Guinea region is characterized by a combination of gold, diamonds, iron ores, and graphites.

5. The East Guinea 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, and silver. Congo (formerly Zaire) is the world's main producer and exporter of cobalt.

Africa is divided into 5 regions or 2 large regions (North Africa and Tropical Africa).

Rice. 5. Map of African regions ()

Each region differs in the composition and distribution of the population, natural and climatic conditions, resources, and economic specialization. Tropical Africa (Sub-Saharan Africa) is the least industrialized, least urbanized region of the world, and the most backward region of the world.

Rice. 6. Map of Tropical Africa ()

Monocultural specialization- narrow specialization of the country's economy in the production of one, usually a raw material or food product, intended mainly for export.

Rice. 7. Monocultures of African countries ()

Republic of South Africa. This country ranks first in Africa in many indicators of economic development. South Africa accounts for the lion's share of Africa's GDP, manufacturing output and vehicle fleet. South Africa is distinguished by the development of the mining industry, the extraction of gold, diamonds, iron ores, etc.

Trans-African highways: Maghreb, which connects all the countries of North Africa from Morocco to Egypt (Rabat - Cairo) and runs along the Mediterranean coast; Trans-Saharan Railway Algiers (Algeria) - Lagos (Nigeria); Trans-African highway Lagos - Mombasa (Kenya), or the West - East highway, etc.

Homework

Topic 8, P. 1, 2

1. What resources is Africa richest in?

2. What is monoculture?

Bibliography

Main

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Additional

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Literature for preparing for the State Exam and the Unified State Exam

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3. The optimal bank of tasks for preparing students. Unified State Exam 2012. Geography: Textbook / Comp. EM. Ambartsumova, S.E. Dyukova. - M.: Intellect-Center, 2012. - 256 p.

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Materials on the Internet

1. Federal Institute of Pedagogical Measurements ( ).

2. Federal portal Russian Education ().

3. Electronic version of the journal Geography ().

The natural conditions of Africa are very unique.

This continent is located in almost equal parts in the northern and southern hemispheres, and they lie mainly in tropical latitudes. But due to the combination of natural conditions, Africa can be divided into several zones. Tropical evergreen forests (hylaea) dominate in its central and western equatorial parts, along the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea and in the Congo Basin.

To the north and south of the Giles grow “monsoon” forests, which shed their leaves during the dry season. These forests give way to savanna, which makes up about 30% of Africa's area. A significant part of the continent is occupied by semi-deserts and typical deserts: in North Africa it is the Sahara Desert, in South Africa it is the Kalahari and Namib semi-deserts. The natural conditions of Africa are favorable for farming. Africa is the birthplace of the banana, yam root, ground nut (peanut), ground beans, pearl millet (sorghum), Ethiopian bread (teff), coffee tree, oil and date palms, rubber vine (landolfia). In hot climates, cotton is grown on irrigated soils

Africa is also rich in minerals. The reserves of bauxite, copper, manganese, cobalt, uranium ores, diamonds, metals, gold, etc. are of global importance. The main areas of concentration of mineral resources potential are: the “copper belt” of Africa, which stretches from the Katanga region to the Democratic Republic of the Congo through Zambia to East Africa (deposits of copper, uranium, cobalt, platinum, gold, manganese); Guinean part of West Africa (stores of bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, oil); zone of the Atlas Mountains and the coast of North-West Africa (cobalt, molybdenum, lead, zinc, iron ore, mercury, phosphorites); North Africa (oil, gas of the coast and shelf of the Mediterranean Sea). The leading place belongs to the mining and metallurgical industries.

From the manufacturing industries - light and food. Promising industries are metallurgy, mechanical engineering and the chemical industry. very profitable. This is due to the presence of a wide front of maritime boundaries, natural harbors and the position between three oceans. Land borders pass along conventional lines, rivers and lakes, facilitating the development of trade and economic ties. The longest river system on the globe is located there - the Mississippi with a tributary of the Missouri, and the largest accumulation of fresh water is located in the Great American Lakes region.

USA. About half of the main territory (contiguous states) is mountain ranges, plateaus and plateaus of the Cordillera; The eastern edge of the Cordillera belt is formed by the ridges of the Rocky Mountains, more than 4000 m high, and the western edge by the Coast Ranges, stretching along the Pacific coast. In the east of the country there are the Appalachian cities. Between the Cordillera and the Appalachians there are vast inland plains (Central, Great). Along the coasts of the Atlantic approx. and his Mexican Hall. - Atlantic and Mexican lowlands. The highest point in the country is Mount McKinley (6193 m) in Alaska. The climate is mostly temperate and subtropical continental. The main rivers are the Mississippi with tributaries of the Missouri and Ohio, Columbia, Colorado, and Yukon. In the northeast is the Great Lakes system. Population 320 million people. Many natural resources, including energy and raw materials. High-tech production. Scientific research is developed. Well-developed service sector, competitive industry The world's largest exporter of goods. Transnational companies such as Ford, General Motors and Exxon. Leading software manufacturer. Good higher education system

CANADA It occupies the northern part of the mainland and the adjacent islands, including the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the islands of Newfoundland, and Vancouver. It borders with the USA, there is a border with Russia along the Arctic Circle. Area 9976 thousand km2 (in terms of territory it is the second country in the world after Russia). Capital is Ottawa.