West and Central Africa. Chapter 26

Transcription

1 West and Central Africa Chapter 26

2 The Sahel The Sahel extends across Africa and separates the Sahara to the north from the tropical grasslands to the south. Sahara was not always a desert. Over time the climate grew drier and people migrated north toward the Mediterranean Sea or south toward the Sahel.

3 Trade Links Merchants from the north crossed the desert to trade salt with southern merchants. -The Sahel trade routes became a bridge between the Mediterranean and the rest of Africa. The chiefs began taxing traders for passing through their kingdoms.

4 Sahel Today Many people support themselves by farming. Dry climate and poor soil. Grow crops during the short rainy season. Because of poor soil they use shifting agriculture. -Shifting agriculture is when a site is farmed until the soil is no longer useful so farmers move on to a new area. Others herd camels, cattle, and sheep. Overgrazing can become a problem. -Overgrazing harms the Sahel by destroying the plants that hold the sandy soil in place.

5 Desertification When there is a drought, areas of the Sahel might lose all vegetation which is known as desertification. The savanna turns to desert and it is very hard to reverse. People flee to other cities as a result.

6 Coastal Countries Because of location, the coastal countries have 2 advantages over those of the Sahel. 1. Wetter climate-allows successful farming and growth of trees. 2. Access to sea-natural harbors offer great economic potential.

7 Economy Export only a few products and raw materials. Main 2 are peanuts and cocoa beans. Exports total less than imports. Like many African countries, these are in massive debt. -Africa as a whole needs about 9 billion a year to pay off interest on debts. -West Africa pays an enormous part of this. West Africans have learned that the government alone can do little to improve economic conditions. New economic approach is its grass-roots beginnings. -Grass roots means the effort begins with ordinary citizens.

8 Cultural Roles Women grow crops and work in agriculture. They also run the markets where food is bought and sold, and they are becoming owners of small business. Children help grow and harvest crops. The Asante (group of people in Southern Ghana) believe that if children respect and honor them after death, they will live on in the spirit world. -Ancestor worship-honoring the spirits of the dead. -Animism-belief that ordinary things of nature ( sky, rivers, trees) contain gods or spirits.

9 Nigeria Of the coastal nations, Nigeria has the most varied climate and vegetation regions. English is official language but about 180 languages are spoke here. Christianity and Islam are both big here. Because of vast differences in governing policies, Muslims have moved north and Christians south. -Religious conflict hurts the already messy democracy.

10 Nigeria In 1980s, oil was producing most of country s income. -Economic disaster when gas prices fell. Leaders turned for help to World Bank and International Monetary fund (2 agencies of the United Nations that give loans to countries) Nigeria followed the structural adjustment program (a set of guidelines that is supposed to make a country s economy work better) that the world bank suggested. -A country cannot borrow money without following the guidelines.

11 Central Africa The largest river in the region is the Congo River. -Great living highway that provides food, water, and transportation for much of the region. Kinshasa is a major world city with more than 6 million people. -Many found wealth by working in the city s businesses or in the national government. -International popular music known as Afro Pop is a blend of African, rock, and pop rhythms.

12 African Financial Community Most West and Central African countries belong to an African financial community known as CFA. -Uses a currency called CFA franc. -Has value on international markets because it can be exchanged for the French franc.

13 Resources Rivers have potential for creating hydroelectric power. -Once a river is dammed for hydropower, fishing and farming are never the same. -River is not allowed to renew itself. Rainforests are going through deforestation. Democratic Republic of the Congo has more cobalt than any country in the world. -It also has 1/3 of the world s industrial diamonds.