Ch9  Sub Saharan Africa

1. Africa is the world's second largest continent and has some of the greatest mineral resources. What mineral resources are in the rocks underlying its diverse landscapes?

2. Describe the internal problems of sub Saharan Africa mentioned in the Challenges of the Present section.

3. How many different languages are spoken in Africa south of the Sahara?

4. Swahili is a trade language. from what linguistic sources does it combine elements?

5. What are some of the major religious allegiances that characterize the region?

6. How many African slaves are estimated to have been transported across the Atlantic to the US, Caribbean and Latin America?

7. When did European countries divide up Africa into French, British, German, Portuguese, Belgian, Italian and Spanish spheres of influence (colonies)?

8. Most of the wealth derived from exported products supported the growth of major industrial enterprises in the colonizing countries. What are some of the multinational corporations that grew out of these enterprises?

9. What was the problem with the borders of new African countries after independence? Explain the results.

10. Give examples of how the US and the USSR encouraged conflict in Africa during the Cold War.

11. From figure 9.7, which two countries saw the death rate increase between 1970 and 2000? What were the rates in 2000 for each country?

12. Describe the four areas of action necessary for Africa to develop that were ennumerated by France and the UK, the World Trade Organization and the IMF in the section titled Can Africa Claim the Twenty-First Century.

13. The Organization of African Unity changed to the African Union in 2001. In 2002 they asked the industrialized countries for $64 billion in aid. How much did the G8 offer in aid in 2002? By how much did the US increase its (domestic)  farm subsidies in 2002?

14. The region of the Sahel is likely to face the worst effects of global warming despite contributing the least to greenhouse gases. What steps are being taken by some countries in the region to modify their activities and reduce the impacts of the changes?

15. Describe Africa's Rift Valleys.

16. Why are the majority of soils in Africa poor?

17. Why do the economic benefits from the development of African resources seldom return to Africans?

18. What are the major environmental problems in Africa?

19. Name the countries that have been involved in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

20. Why are Chad, Central African Republic, Burundi and Rwanda among the world's poorest countries?

21. From the box on pages 386-387, how many displaced persons (internal refugees) does the UN estimate are in Rwanda as a result of the strife in 1994?

22. What lies behind the current conflicts in Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone?

23. What got in the way of the economic development of the newly independent West African Nations?

24. How many slaves are estimated to have been taken from East Africa to Arabia, Persia and China?

25. What are some of the differences between Ethiopia and Eritrea? 

26. What is the total fertility rate in Somalia?

27. From the point counterpoint on pages 404-405 list the factors that contribute to famine induced by human actions.

28. Describe apartheid in South Africa.

29. What percentage of Botswana's population is HIV positive?

30. What is the issue over land reform in parts of Southern Africa?