Africa geography lesson at 11. The economic situation of Africa presentation for a lesson in geography (Grade 11) on the topic

Provision of African countries with mineral resources

African agriculture

Practical task: using the maps of the atlas, make a table in your notebook

"Zonal specialization of export and consumer crops in Africa".

Monoculture countries in Africa

Africa provides 2/3 of world exports of cocoa beans, 1/2 of sisal and coconut kernels, 1/3 of coffee and palm oil, 1/10 of tea, a significant share of peanuts and peanut butter, dates and spices.

TOPIC: general characteristics African economies

Target: To identify the features of the economy of African countries, the position of the region in the MGRT;

To form an idea of some features of the development of subregions

Africa; consider the causes that influenced economic backwardness

Mainland. Continue work on preparing students for the exam, consolidating skills

Test work.

Equipment: lesson presentation,economic map of Africa, atlases, handouts.

During the classes.

Organizing time.

Homework review:

Which country in Africa has the largest population?

A country located on an island with an area of 600 sq. km.

Countries that lie on the territory of South Africa.

The country lying on the middle course of the riverNiger landlocked.

A country where 98% of the population is concentrated in the territory occupying 4% of its area.

List and reveal the problems of African cities. Describe the urbanization of the mainland.

“Why is the proportion of children and adolescents in the age structure of the population of Spain significantly lower than in the age structure of the population of Algeria? (from the exam) "

Give an assessment of the population of subregions of the mainland, explain the reason for the differences in population density. “Why is there a high population density in the Nile River Valley? One of the reasons is favorable natural conditions. Indicate at least two more reasons (from the USE options).

Why is the increased population density along the coasts of the oceans and seas less pronounced in Africa than in Foreign Asia?

Why is the population policy in Africa not carried out or not working?

Exploring a new topic:

Conversation: What can you say about the level of development of most African countries?

There are currently 53 sovereign states in Africa.

Relate to developing, poor countries; economically developed-South Africa

Africa has: the world's lowest share of manufacturing

Minimum per capita income (examples)

The most backward structure of the economy

What are the reasons for backwardness? (long colonial past)

Working with the textbook, p.279: Name the distinctive features of the colonial structure of the economy.

a) the predominance of a low-commodity, low-productive economy;

B) poor development of the manufacturing industry

B) a strong backlog of transport

D) limiting the non-productive sphere mainly to trade and services

E) the one-sidedness of the development of the economy, which manifests itself most often in the predominance of one industry Agriculture or industry. For example, in monoculture.

Monocultural (mono-commodity) specialization- narrow specialization of the country's economy in the production of one, as a rule, raw or food product destined mainly for export. Writing in a notebook.

Work with the textbook p.280. Monoculture countries in Africa

Measures to overcome backwardness in the economy:

Nationalization of natural resources;

agrarian reform;

Economic planning;

Personnel training.

The main task of the peoples of Africa is to gain economic independence, eliminate the one-sided agrarian-raw material structure of the economy and create a harmonious economy (development of the manufacturing industry and diversified agriculture).

The solution of these problems is hampered by the economic policy of the Western powers and the activities of transnational corporations. The American states have a large external debt.

The production structure of the economy of the African region:

agriculture - 20%, industry - 35%, services - 45%.

Atlas work.Name the most developed countries (except South Africa).

It should be noted that the proportion industrial production increased due to:

A) strengthening the primary processing of mineral raw materials in the African countries themselves

B) the development of "dirty industries" removed from developed countries - metallurgy, the chemical industry.

C) creation of export light and food industries

Despite the agrarian nature of the economy of the vast majority of African countries, they import food, which reflects the backwardness of the agricultural sector.

INDUSTRY Atlas work.

Where are the main industrial regions of Africa located?

The industry is characterized imbalance between the development of mining and manufacturing, light and heavy industries. Africa is the world's largest producer of minerals.

For which types of mineral raw materials does Africa occupy a leading place in world production? To which countries is it exported? What impact does this have on the African economy?

In total, in Africa, one can distinguish7 main mining and industrial areas.

Atlas task:Determine the main types of raw materials and fuel extracted in each mining area.Appendix to lesson number 1.

What branches of the manufacturing industry have received the most development in these countries?

Ferrous metallurgy and mechanical engineering - only in some countries there is a noticeable number of enterprises (South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana)

Copper smelter - Zambia, Zaire

Aluminum - Cameroon, Ghana

Light industry, mainly cotton

Logging (Gabon, Congo, Cameroon, Ghana); fishing and processing.

The economic development of African countries also depends on the energy base (it is now weak). Africa accounts for 2% of the world's generated energy, 1/3 of which is generated by hydroelectric power plants. Aswan HPP - Nile River - 3.5 million kW; Quebrabassa - the Zambezi River - 3.6 million kW (Mozambique, but the energy it produces is intended mainly for South Africa); the Inga project - the lower reaches of the Congo River (section 26 km long), energy is supplied to Kinshasa and the mining and industrial region of Shaba (part of the Copper Belt), the power of the hydroelectric power station in the section can be increased to 30 million kW.

Agriculture.

Think, what are the features of agriculture in backward, developing countries?

Agriculture is the basis of the African economy, characterized by great backwardness. In tropical Africa, the main tools are hoes, pointed sticks. More advanced tools can be found only in large, high-commodity farms. Small application and mineral fertilizers. In tropical Africa, a shifting, slash-and-burn system of agriculture dominates, in which large tracts of land are excluded from agricultural production for many years.

Thus: unsustainable farming system

Low technical equipment

Unregulated grazing

Growing a crop in the same area leads to the developmentenvironmental problems. Name them.

development of soil erosion, deforestation, desertification(Sahel -extensive natural area in sub-Saharan Africa; violation of the ecological balance in it for reasons: an increase in natural population growth, a rapid increase in plowing of land and livestock, deforestation (the use of wood and charcoal as fuel) Sahel problem - drought and famine,the population is turning into ecological refugees. Measures to prevent such tragedies: protection, restoration of natural fodder resources, improvement of livestock breeding and farming methods. But the implementation of the plan is hampered by a lack of funds.

The scourge of African agriculture is natural disasters (droughts, floods), plant diseases,pests (locusts).As a result, in Africa, the average yield of cereals and cotton is 2-3 times lower than the world average. The food problem, especially in the face of rapid population growth, remains very acute in Africa.

What are the agro-climatic resources of African countries? How did natural conditions affect the sectoral structure of agriculture, its location?

Africa's defining place in the world economy is tropical and subtropical agriculture. It also has a pronounced export orientation. In the structure of agriculture, export and consumer crops are distinguished.

Working with the table (Appendix No. 2)Familiarize yourself with the zonal specialization of export and consumer crops in Africa.

Atlas work.Highlight the specialization and location of animal husbandry.

The oldest agricultural industry in Africa is the breeding of domestic animals. In a number of countries (South Africa, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Somalia), extensive pasture animal husbandry plays an important role. Livestock products (wool, leather, skins) are exported very limitedly, livestock breeding is low-productive.

Africa's backward agriculture is in need of a radical overhaul.

Transport

By most indicators - the last place. The leaders in the structure of domestic cargo turnover are railways, transport is technically backward. There are 5 transcontinental highways. South Africa occupies the 1st place in terms of the overall level of transport development.

Ports: Richards Bay (South Africa) - universal, cargo turnover 90 million tons.

Alexandria (Egypt); Casablanca (Morocco)

The Suez Canal was opened on November 17, 1869 (it allowed sea vessels with a draft of 8 m), it was deepened and widened more than once.

Marine: Liberia provides "cheap" (or convenient, false) flags.

"Why is Liberia one of the world's leading merchant maritime tonnage?" (from the exam)

Foreign economic relations

1. Foreign trade

2. Capital import

3. Freight operations (Liberia)

4. Export of labor (to European), and in some countries (oil refining) its import.

Import - 1/3 of machinery and equipment; fuel, industrial raw materials, semi-finished products and foodstuffs.

Trading partners- Western European developed countries (former metropolises)

Modern Africa is an arena of active, interethnicpolitical and economic integration.To solve the problems of the continent, several organizations were created: AfDB - African Development Bank

ECA - United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

YOU – East African Community

ECOSAG - Economic Community of West African States

UAE - Organization of African Unity

3. Fixing. Testing on the topic "Africa".

4. Homework pp. 278-281 textbook; questions on page 282.

Testing for the lesson "Economy of Africa".

IN 1

A1 Desertification effect:

A) only human c) only natural factors

B) natural disasters d) natural and anthropogenic factors

A2 The main indicator of public health of the population is:

A) life expectancy c) natural growth

B) population d) sex and age structure

A3 Why is the Congo River full of water throughout the year:

A) in the river basin all year round heavy rains fall

b) it originates in the highlands

C) its flow is not regulated by dams and dams

D) the water level in the river is maintained by a system of reservoirs

A4 In what climatic zone of Africa are constantly high temperatures and a lot of precipitation: a) in the subtropical c) equatorial

B) tropical d) subequatorial

Q1 Which of the following African countries does not produce oil?

A) Ethiopia B) Algeria E) Angola G) Nigeria

B) Tunisia D) Somalia E) Libya

IN 2 Match each type of mineral with the country that specializes in

On their prey:

Minerals country

1) oil A) Morocco

2) copper ores B) Zambia

3) phosphorites B) South Africa

D) Algeria

Q3 Which two features of the colonial type of sectoral structure of the economy are named correctly?

A) The predominance of high-value agriculture

B) Weak development of the manufacturing industry

C) Lack of monocultural specialization

D) The predominance of trade and services in the non-manufacturing sector.

С1 Why is the balance of external migration of the population positive in Nigeria, and in the neighboring country

Niger - negative?

C2 Identify the country by description: “This country, belonging to the group of economically developed countries, is washed by the waters of two oceans. Most of its territory is occupied by a flat plateau, which is bordered by mountains from the south and east. Its subsoil is rich in various minerals. In the extraction of diamonds, gold, platinum, uranium, iron ores, this country occupies one of the first places in the world. Its population is distinguished by a complex ethnic composition. Among other countries of the continent, it stands out for its high proportion of people of European origin.

Testing for the lesson "Economy of Africa"

IN 2

A1 Precipitation is significantly higher in South East Africa than in South West Africa.

In addition to the presence of mountains and winds, this is due to:

A) with the proximity of the ocean d) with the presence of large rivers

B) with the existence of a warm current near the eastern shores and a cold one near the western

B) with all the above factors

A2 Red-yellow ferralitic soils are common in

A) in the zone of equatorial forests c) dry steppes

B) forest-steppes d) deserts

A3 In the eastern part of the mainland is:

A) the largest plateau on Earth c) the largest lowland on Earth

B) the largest mountain range on Earth d) the largest fault on Earth

A4 What feature of the historical development of Africa has had the greatest impact on its modern

Appearance a) Africa-mainland of ancient civilizations

B) Africa has gone through all stages of socio-economic development

B) colonial history

D) rich in minerals

B1 Choose the correct statements:

A) The industry of North Africa gravitates towards coastal areas

B) The main agricultural crops of North Africa are olives, cereals,

Cotton

C) Subsistence, consumer agriculture is the main branch of tropical

Africa

D) South Africa is rich in platinum, gold, coal, oil.

Write your answer in alphabetical order.

IN 2 Establish a correspondence between each of the indicators characterizing certain types transport, and the country

For which this indicator is typical.

Transport indicator country

1. Takes a leading place in the world in terms of tonnage A. South Africa

Maritime Merchant Fleet B. Maghreb

2. motorway passing along the route B. Liberia

Ancient caravan routes G. Algiers

3. Has 40% of the entire rail network in D. Nigeria

Africa

4. runs a transcontinental gas pipeline

Write in the table the letters corresponding to the selected answers.

Q3 Select the countries where Africa's largest urban agglomerations are located:

A) Egypt B) South Africa

B) Algeria D) Nigeria

C1 What factors contributed to the transformation of South Africa into one of the largest exporters of coal?

One of the factors is the presence large reserves coal. List at least two other factors.

C2 Identify country by description:

“This is a developing country located in two parts of the world. In industry, the electric power industry is developed (the largest hydroelectric power station on the continent was built here), oil production, light and food industry. The traditional branch of agriculture is irrigated labor-intensive agriculture, specializing in the cultivation of rice, cotton, and citrus crops. The sea coast, ancient historical, cultural, architectural monuments are the basis for the development of international tourism.

Keys to the final testing on the topic "Economy of Africa".

Profitable EGP

Reducing coal production in developed countries (or in old industrial areas)

Growing demand for coal in the developed world

С2- Egypt

AFRICA VISIT

"Business card" of the region

Teacher Kuznetsov N.K.

Africa Africa- the second largest continent after Eurasia, washed by the Mediterranean Sea from the north, the Red Sea from the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean from the west and the Indian Ocean from the east and south.

Africa- the second largest continent after Eurasia, washed by the Mediterranean Sea from the north, the Red Sea from the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean from the west and the Indian Ocean from the east and south.

Atlantic Ocean

Indian Ocean

Africa is the birthplace of mankind Africa is the birthplace of the greatest ancient civilization of the Earth - Ancient Egypt Africa has the largest desert in the world - the Sahara

Africa is home to one of the longest rivers in the world, the Nile.

Jordan

Mediterranean Sea

Africa occupies 20% of the Earth's land area (30.3 million km2), 56 states(with islands). - more than 1 billion people.

South Sudan

(Juba) -2011

Regions of Africa

Sev. Africa

Severn. Africa
Western Africa
Center. Africa
Eastern Africa
South Africa

Africa before the 1950s

Exercise. On a contour map, plot any 10 countries in Africa that gained political independence after the Second World War. Indicate the date of independence and the metropolitan country. Why is 1960 called the Year of Africa?

Year of receipt

independence

Country - metropolis

Libya
Morocco
Tunisia
Sudan
Guinea
Côte d, Yvoire
Burkina Faso
Gabon
Benin
Cameroon
Congo (DRC)
Congo
Mauritania
Madagascar
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
Somalia
Sierra Leone
Tanzania

DE, VB

Germany, FR, WB

Germany

Year of receipt

independence

Country - metropolis

Algeria
Burundi
Rwanda
Uganda
Kenya
Zambia
Malawi
Gambia
Botswana
Lesotho
Mauritius
Swaziland
Eq. Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Mozambique
Cape Verde
Sao Tome
Comoros
Angola
Seychelles
Djibouti
Zimbabwe
Namibia
Eritrea

Germ. Belgium

Portugal.

Germ, South Africa

Italy (since 1950 part of Ethiopia)

Table. African countries that gained independence after World War II.

Liberation from colonization

Animal world of Africa

Flora of Africa

Riches of Africa

The wealth of Africa - in terms of reserves and gold production - 1st place in the world At present (2015) OPEC includes 12 states, of which 4 are African: Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Angola

Riches of Africa

Tourism in Africa

In the village of the pygmies

In the land of the pyramids

Diving in the Red Sea

Photo safari in nature reserves

Homework

Topic 8, part 1 to the population

Lesson #11 ___________________

Lesson topic: General characteristics of Africa

The purpose of the lesson: educational -

to study the common features of the GWP and GWP of African countries,

find out the history of the development of African countries,

assess the natural resource potential and level of development of the African continent as a whole and individual states,

describe the people of africaved - to study general information and the level of development of the African continent;

developing –

develop the ability to work with maps and statistical materials,

develop problem solving skills

form students' own opinionstowards negative social phenomena based on the identified problems of the population of the region,

to promote the development of interest among students in the study of this topic through independent learning activities;

educating - to educate students' political outlook, tolerance, interest in the subject.

Lesson type: study of new material (technology "Creating a problem situation").

Equipment: political map of the world, atlas, map of mineral resources, video, presentation, computer, projector, screen

During the classes.

Organizational moment.

Good afternoon guys! I want to start today's lesson with wonderful lines calling for perseverance, diligence, joy of life, and creativity. Let them be our motto:

You don't know - find out

You can - keep it up

Do not be afraid of the steep path!

Try it

Look for

do it,

reach

So that your life becomes a song!

II . Actualization of knowledge and definition of the topic of the lesson.

SLIDE 1

Teacher: we have already studied 2 regions. Remember which ones?

(Suggested answer: Overseas Europe, Overseas Asia and Australia)

There is still a lot of interesting things ahead of us, three regions have not yet been studied.

I bring to your attention a short video clip. And you yourself will understand which region we will study in the next lessons (view video) (suggested answer: we will study the Africa region).

Teacher: formulate the topic of the lesson (suggested answer: general characteristics of Africa).

SLIDE 2

So, let's write in the notebook the topic of the lesson: "General characteristics of Africa" (recording the topic on the board and in the notebook).

What do you know from 7th grade about Africa? (random student responses)

Teacher: remember the 10 centers of the world economy (Theme 4 P.3 in the GEF textbooks - page 115)

Student answer: foreign Europe, North America, CIS, Japan, China, India, Mexico, Brazil, Persian Gulf countries, NIS countries (list)

SLIDE 3

Is there such a center in Africa?

- Teacher: So, in Africa there is not a single center of the world economy. What is the conclusion?

the expected answer of the students is the conclusion: there are no developed countries or centers in Africa, which means that all African countries (except South Africa) are developing. By all indicators, Africa lags noticeably behind other large regions, and this gap is even increasing.

problem situation modeling.

Teacher: indicate the problem that suggests itself from the output (student answers)

Problematic question: why is Africa to this day the most backward region of the world?

Africa is the most backward region to the present day. Let's try to find the reasons for the lag.

Teacher: in order to solve this problem, it is necessary to remember what determines the level of economic development of any region, that is, what should we find out about the Africa region? (corrects students' statements and posts a plan for studying the material)

SLIDE 4

Natural resource potential

Population

History of the region.

Based on the plan, formulate the goals and objectives of our lesson?

III. Learning new material.

SLIDE 5 (background)

The numbers are posted on the board.

1.Common features

1) the region Africa and mainland Africa + adjacent islands - occupies 1st place in terms of area (30.3 million km 2, for comparison, Asia 27.7 million km 2, Europe - 5.4 million km 2) and 2nd place in terms of population (1 billion people in 2010, after Asia 4.1 billion people).

Task at the blackboard for 2 people: determine the length of Africa using a degree grid in kilometers. Answer: length: s-th about 8 thousand km, s-v about 7.5 thousand km

2) By what criteria can these countries differ from each other?

(suggested answer: by area, by number, etc.).

Assignment: look in the textbook for a business card "of countries and determine in Africa:

1 option; 3 largest countries by area (Answer: Algeria, DR Congo, Sudan)

Option 2: 3 largest countries by population (answer: Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia)

Additional information: Algeria and DR Congo are in the top 10 countries by area

And the area of Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Ethiopia is 2.5 times larger than S France (the largest European state)

2) The total number of states in Africa (information on each desk)

- 55 sovereign (with islands) states,

10 holdings (or dependencies):

O. St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan - de - Cunha (Great Britain)

British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago, metropolitan Britain)

Mayotte (France) - Reunion (France) - Eparce Islands (France)

French Southern Territories (France)

Ceuta and Melilla (enclaves in Morocco, metropolitan Spain)

Canary Islands (Spain) - Madeira (Portugal) - Azores (Portugal)

3 self-proclaimed unrecognized states on the site of the state of Somalia: in the northern part of Somaliland, in the eastern part - Pauntland, in the central part - Galmudug

3) Characterization of the EGP and GWP of Africa.

B) The main features of the EGP (work with the description plan).

Teacher: Before you is a plan for characterizing the EGP. Think about the characteristics of the EGP of Africa (student responses).

Teacher: Listening to the opinions of students, concretizes the answers

SLIDE 6

1) Proximity to foreign Europe and Asia.

2) Position at the intersection of the main sea transport routes from Europe to Asia and America (via the Suez Canal)

3) Coastal position of most countries of the continent.

4) Proximity to the markets of raw materials and sales of products.

5) The possibility of trade with the countries of the world through two oceans and the Mediterranean Sea, the development of maritime transport

6) the countries of the central part have no access to the seaand are located at a distance of 1.5 thousand km from the coast , removed from centers of economic power, such as 15 states in Africa(give examples)

7) Features state borders (according to DT-1 p. 298) - conditional.

40% of borders are not demarcated

44% - along parallels and meridians

30% - along arcuate and curved lines

26% - along natural boundaries coinciding with ethnic boundaries

8) If the borders of states are not formed, then territorial disputes often arise (1/5 of the entire territory is the area of territorial disputes (For example, Ethiopia and Somalia, Morocco and Western Sahara, Chad and Libya)

SLIDE 7

Teacher distinguish positive and negative. traits, what traits more? What conclusion can be drawn about the EGP of the region?

Estimated student responses: in general, the PGP of Africa is beneficial, contributes to the development of the economy

PROJECTOR OFF

C) GWP: work with calling card textbook: all the states of R, with the exception of Swaziland, Lesotho, Morocco, the republics are mostly presidential. However, military, dictatorial political regimes often hide under the republican form of government.

All unitary states, with the exception of 4 states ( Republic of South Africa, Federal State of Nigeria, Ethiopia, Comoros with capital Moroni).

Modern Africa is an arena of active, interethnic political and economic integration. To solve the problems of the continent, several organizations were created:

HANG CARDS (entry in the transcript notebook)

AfDB- African Development Bank

YOU– East African Community

ECOSAG- Economic Community of West African States

COMMONWEALTH,UK led

UAE- Organization of African Unity, which includes 53 states (formed in 1963), it was modified in 2002. to the African Union.

4. Natural conditions and resources (drawing up a table and independent work of children).

1 pair - studies mineral resources (work with text p. 287, appendix table 3, 4, 5 p. 403, additional text 2 p. 298)

2 pair - land resources (work with text p. 287, table 6 p. 404, atlas)

3rd pair - agro-climatic resources (work with text p. 287)

4 pair - forest resources (work with text p. 287, appendix table 8 p. 405)

5 pair - hydropower resources (work with text, appendix table 7, additional text 3 p. 298).

6 para - water resources

7 para - recreational resources

Slides captions:

Africa Geography teacher Abzalova A.R.

Africa is a continent located south of the Mediterranean and Red Seas, east of the Atlantic Ocean and west of the Indian Ocean. It is the second largest continent after Eurasia. Africa is also called the part of the world, consisting of the mainland Africa and adjacent islands. The area of Africa is 29.2 million km², with islands - about 30.3 million km², thus covering 6% of the total surface area of \u200b\u200bthe Earth and 20.4% of the land surface. The length from north to south is 8 thousand km, from west to east in the northern part - 7.5 thousand km. On the territory of Africa there are 55 states, 4 unrecognized states and 5 dependent territories (islands).

The population of Africa is about a billion people. Africa is considered the ancestral home of mankind: it was here that the oldest remains of early hominids and their probable ancestors were found, including Sahelanthropus tchadensis, Australopithecus africanus, A. afarensis, Homo erectus, H. habilis and H. ergaster.

The African continent crosses the equator and several climatic zones; it is the only continent that stretches from the northern subtropical climate zone to the southern subtropical one. Due to the lack of permanent rainfall and irrigation - as well as glaciers or aquifers of mountain systems - there is practically no natural regulation of the climate anywhere except the coasts.

The study of the cultural, economic, political and social problems of Africa is the science of African studies.

Extreme points Northern - Cape Blanco (Ben Secca, Ras Engel, El Abyad) Southern - Cape Agulhas Western - Cape Almadi Eastern - Cape Ras Hafun

The relief is mostly flat, in the northwest are the Atlas Mountains, in the Sahara - the Ahaggar and Tibesti highlands. In the east - the Ethiopian Highlands, to the south of it the East African Plateau, where the volcano Kilimanjaro (5895 m) is located - the highest point on the mainland. To the south are the Cape and Dragon Mountains. The most low point(157 meters below sea level) is located in Djibouti, this is the salt lake Assal. The deepest cave is Anu Ifflis, located in the north of Algeria in the Tell Atlas mountains.

Minerals Africa is known primarily for its richest deposits of diamonds (South Africa, Zimbabwe) and gold (South Africa, Ghana, Mali, Republic of the Congo). There are large oil fields in Nigeria and Algeria. Bauxites are mined in Guinea and Ghana. The resources of phosphorites, as well as manganese, iron and lead-zinc ores are concentrated in the zone of the northern coast of Africa.

Inland waters In Africa, there is the second longest river in the world - the Nile, flowing from south to north. Other major rivers are the Niger in the west, the Congo in central Africa, and the Zambezi, Limpopo and Orange rivers in the south. The largest lake is Victoria. Other large lakes are Nyasa and Tanganyika, located in lithospheric faults. One of the largest salt lakes is Lake Chad, located on the territory of the state of the same name.

Climate Africa is the hottest continent on the planet. The reason for this is the geographical location of the continent: the entire territory of Africa is located in hot climatic zones. It is in Africa that the hottest place on Earth is located - Dallol, and the highest temperature on Earth (+58.4 ° C) was recorded. Central Africa and the coastal regions of the Gulf of Guinea belong to the equatorial zone, there is abundant rainfall throughout the year and there is no change of seasons. To the north and south of the equatorial belt are subequatorial belts. Here, humid equatorial air masses dominate in summer (rainy season), and in winter - dry air of tropical trade winds (dry season). To the north and south of the subequatorial belts are the northern and southern tropical belts. They are characterized by high temperatures with low rainfall, which leads to the formation of deserts. To the north is the largest desert on Earth, the Sahara Desert, to the south, the Kalahari Desert. The northern and southern extremities of the mainland are included in the corresponding subtropical belts.

Fauna and flora The flora of the tropical, equatorial and subequatorial zones is diverse. Ceiba, pipdatenia, terminalia, combretum, brachistegia, isoberlinia, pandanus, tamarind, sundew, pemphigus, palm trees and many others grow everywhere. The savannas are dominated by low trees and thorny shrubs (acacia, terminalia, bush).

Desert vegetation, on the other hand, is sparse, consisting of small communities of grasses, shrubs, and trees growing in oases, highlands, and along waters. Salt-resistant halophyte plants are found in the depressions. In the least watered plains and plateaus, species of grasses, small shrubs and trees that are resistant to drought and heat grow. The flora of the desert regions is well adapted to the irregularity of rainfall. This is reflected in a wide variety of physiological adaptations, habitat preferences, the creation of dependent and related communities, and reproduction strategies. Perennial drought-resistant grasses and shrubs have an extensive and deep (up to 15-20 m) root system. Many of the herbaceous plants are ephemera, which can produce seeds in three days after sufficient moisture and sow them within 10-15 days after that.

In the mountainous regions of the Sahara desert, there is a relict Neogene flora, often related to the Mediterranean one, and many endemics. Among the relic woody plants growing in mountainous areas are some types of olive, cypress and mastic tree. There are also species of acacia, tamarisks and wormwood, doom palm, oleander, date palm, thyme, ephedra. Dates, figs, olive and fruit trees, some citrus fruits, and various vegetables are cultivated in the oases. Herbal plants that grow in many parts of the desert are represented by the genera triostnitsa, field grass and millet. Coastal grasses and other salt-tolerant grasses grow along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Various combinations of ephemera form seasonal pastures called ashebs. Algae are found in water bodies. In many desert areas (rivers, hamads, partially accumulations of sand, etc.), there is no vegetation cover at all. The vegetation of almost all areas has been strongly affected by human activities (grazing, gathering useful plants, procuring fuel, etc.).

A remarkable plant of the Namib Desert is tumboa, or Welwitschia (Welwitschia mirabilis). It grows two giant leaves slowly growing all its life (over 1000 years), which can exceed 3 meters in length. The leaves are attached to a stem that resembles a huge cone-shaped radish with a diameter of 60 to 120 centimeters, and sticks out of the ground for 30 centimeters. Welwitschia roots go down to a depth of 3 m. Welwitschia is known for its ability to grow in extremely dry conditions, using dew and fog as the main source of moisture. Welwitschia - endemic to the northern Namib - is depicted on the state emblem of Namibia. In slightly wetter areas of the desert, another well-known Namibian plant is found - nara (Acanthosicyos horridus), (endemic), which grows on sand dunes. Its fruits constitute a food base and a source of moisture for many animals, African elephants, antelopes, porcupines, etc.

From prehistoric times in Africa preserved the largest number members of the megafauna. The tropical equatorial and subequatorial zones are inhabited by a variety of mammals: okapi, antelopes (duikers, bongos), pygmy hippopotamus, brush-eared pig, warthog, galago, monkeys, flying squirrels (spine-tailed), lemurs (on the island of Madagascar), viverras, chimpanzees, gorillas, etc. Nowhere in the world is there such an abundance of large animals as in the African savanna: elephants, hippos, lions, giraffes, leopards, cheetahs, antelopes (cannes), zebras, monkeys, secretary bird, hyenas, African ostrich, meerkats. Some elephants, Kaffa buffaloes and white rhinoceroses live only in reserves.

Reptiles and amphibians of the tropical equatorial and subequatorial zones - mamba (one of the most poisonous snakes in the world), crocodile, python, tree frogs, poison dart frogs and marbled frogs.

In humid climates, the malarial mosquito and tsetse fly are common, causing sleeping sickness in both humans and mammals.

Political division There are 57 countries in Africa, of which 3 are self-proclaimed and unrecognized. Most of them were colonies of European states for a long time and gained independence only in the 1950s and 1960s. Before that, only Egypt (since 1922), Ethiopia (since the Middle Ages), Liberia (since 1847) and South Africa (since 1910) were independent; in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), until the 80-90s of the 20th century, the apartheid regime, which discriminated against the indigenous (black) population, continued. Currently, many African countries are ruled by regimes that discriminate against the white population. According to the research organization Freedom House, in recent years, in many African countries (for example, in Nigeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Congo (Kinshasa) and Equatorial Guinea), there has been a trend of retreat from democratic achievements towards authoritarianism. In the north of the continent are the territories of Spain (Ceuta, Melilla, Canary Islands) and Portugal (Madeira), farthest away from the Azores.

African Union On September 9, 1999, on the initiative of Muammar Gaddafi, at the meeting of the heads of African states in Sirte (Libya), the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was created, uniting 53 African states. This organization on July 9, 2002 was officially transformed into the African Union. The President of the African Union is elected for a year by the head of one of the African states. The African Union has its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The objectives of the African Union are: to promote the political and socio-economic integration of the continent; promotion and protection of the interests of the continent and its population; achieving peace and security in Africa; promoting the development of democratic institutions, wise leadership and human rights. The African Union does not include Morocco - in protest against the admission of Western Sahara, which Morocco considers its territory. The last, tenth summit of the African Union was held on January 25 - February 2, 2008.

General economic and geographical characteristics of African countries A feature of the geographical position 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 slightly indented, which is unfavorable for the construction of large ports. Africa is exceptionally rich in natural resources. Especially large are the reserves of mineral raw materials - ores of manganese, chromites, bauxites, etc. Fuel raw materials are available in depressions and coastal regions. 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 Democratic Republic of the 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. In Africa, there are quite large land resources, but soil erosion has become catastrophic due to improper processing. Water resources across Africa are distributed extremely unevenly. Forests occupy about 10% of the territory, but as a result of predatory destruction, their area is rapidly declining.

In Africa, the most high rates natural population growth. The natural increase in many countries exceeds 30 persons per 1,000 inhabitants per year. A high proportion of children's ages (50%) and a small proportion of older people (about 5%) remain. African countries have not yet succeeded in changing the colonial type of industry and territorial structure economy, although the pace economic growth somewhat accelerated. The colonial type of the sectoral structure of the economy is distinguished by the predominance of small-scale, consumer agriculture, the weak development of the manufacturing industry, and the lag in the 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, platinoids, etc.). The manufacturing industry is represented by light and food industries, other industries are absent, with the exception of a number of areas near the availability of raw materials and on the coast (Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

The second branch of the economy, which determines Africa's place in the world economy, is tropical and subtropical agriculture. Agricultural products make up 60-80% of GDP. The main cash crops are coffee, cocoa beans, peanuts, dates, tea, natural rubber, sorghum, spices. Recently, grain crops have been grown: corn, rice, wheat. Animal husbandry plays a subordinate role, with the exception of countries with arid climates. Extensive cattle breeding prevails, characterized by a huge number of livestock, but low productivity and low marketability. The continent does not provide itself with agricultural products.

Transportation also retains a colonial type: railways go from raw material extraction areas to the port, while the regions of one state are practically not connected. Relatively developed rail and sea modes of transport. In recent years, other types of transport have also been developed - automobile (a road has been laid across the Sahara), air, and pipeline. 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).

Population The population of Africa is about 1 billion people. Population growth on the continent is the highest in the world in 2004, it was 2.3%. Over the past 50 years, the average life expectancy has increased - from 39 to 54 years. The population consists mainly of representatives of two races: the Negroid south of the Sahara, and the Caucasoid in northern Africa (Arabs) and South Africa (Boers and Anglo-South Africans). The most numerous people are the Arabs of North Africa. During the colonial development of the mainland, many state borders were drawn without taking into account ethnic characteristics, which still leads to interethnic conflicts. The average population density in Africa is 30.5 people/km², which is significantly less than in Europe and Asia. In terms of urbanization, Africa lags behind other regions - less than 30%, but the rate of urbanization here is the highest in the world, many African countries are characterized by false urbanization. The largest cities on the African continent are Cairo and Lagos.

AFRICA

The second largest continent (after Eurasia), washed by the Mediterranean Sea from the north, the Red Sea from the north, the Atlantic Ocean from the west and the Indian Ocean from the east and south.

Africa is the part of the world that consists of the mainland Africa and the surrounding islands.

The area of Africa is 29.2 million km², with islands - approx. 30.3 million km².

On the territory of Africa there are 54 states, 5 unrecognized states and 5 dependent territories. The most developed country of South Africa, the rest are developing.

The population of Africa is approx. 1 billion people.

Africa is considered the ancestral home of humanity: it was here that the oldest remains of early hominids and their probable ancestors were found, including Sahelanthropus tchadensis, Australopithecus africanus, A. afarensis, Homo erectus, H. habilis (Skillful Man) and H. ergaster (H. working).

Territory – 30,221,532 km²

Population – 1,032,532,974 (2011) people

Density – 30.51 people/km²

Includes – 54 states

extreme points

Northern – m. Blanco (Ben Secca)

South - metro station Igolny

Western - m. Almadi

Eastern - m. Ras Hafun

origin of name

Initially, the inhabitants of ancient Carthage called the word "afri" people who lived near the city - from the Phoenician afar - "dust". After the conquest of Carthage, the Romans named the province Africa. Later, all known regions of this continent began to be called Africa, and then the continent itself.

Another theory says that the name of the people "Afri" comes from the Berber ifri - "cave", referring to the cave dwellers.

"Africa" came from the ancient language of Ta-Kem (Egypt): "Afros" is a foam country. This is due to the collision of several currents that form foam as they approach the continent in the Mediterranean Sea.

Latin aprica means "sunny".

Greek αφρίκη - "without cold". The word φρίκη ("cold" and "horror"), combined with the negative prefix α-, denotes a country where there is neither cold nor horror.

Relief

For the most part it is flat, the Atlas Mountains are located in the northwest, and the Ahaggar and Tibesti highlands are located in the Sahara. To the east is the Ethiopian Highlands, to the south of it is the East African Plateau, where the volcano Kilimanjaro (5895 m) is located - the highest point on the mainland. To the south are the Cape and Dragon Mountains. The lowest point (-157 m) is located in Djibouti - this is the salt lake Assal.

Minerals

The richest deposits of diamonds (South Africa, Zimbabwe) and gold (South Africa, Ghana, Mali, DRC).

Large oil fields in Nigeria and Algeria.

Bauxites are mined in Guinea and Ghana.

The resources of phosphorites, manganese, iron and lead-zinc ores are concentrated on the northern coast.

Inland waters

One of the longest rivers in the world is located - the Nile (6852 km), flowing from the south to the north. Other major rivers are the Niger in the west, the Congo in the center and the Zambezi, on which the airway is located. Victoria, Limpopo and Orange in the south.

The largest lake is Victoria (average depth is 40 m, the largest is 80 m). Other large lakes are Nyasa and Tanganyika, located in lithospheric faults. One of the largest salt lakes is Chad, located on the territory of the state of the same name.

Climate

The hottest continent on the planet. The reason is the geographical location of the mainland: the entire territory of Africa is located in hot climatic zones and the mainland is crossed by the equator. Africa is home to the hottest place on Earth, Dallol, and has recorded the highest temperature on Earth (in Tripoli, +58.4°C).

The center belongs to the equatorial belt, there is abundant rainfall throughout the year and there is no change of seasons.

To the north and south of the equator are subequatorial belts. Humid equatorial air masses dominate here in summer (rainy season), and in winter - dry air of tropical trade winds (dry season).

To the north and south of the subequatorial belts are the northern and southern tropical belts. They are characterized by high temperatures with low rainfall, which leads to the formation of deserts.

The northern and southern extremities of the mainland are included in the corresponding subtropical belts.

To the north is the largest Sahara desert on Earth, to the south is the Kalahari desert, to the southeast is the Namib desert.

Fauna and flora

The flora of the tropical, equatorial and subequatorial zones is diverse. Ceiba, pipdatenia, terminalia, combretum, brachistegia, isoberlinia, pandanus, tamarind, sundew, pemphigus, palm trees and many more grow everywhere. etc. Low trees and thorny bushes (acacia, terminalia, bush) predominate in the savannahs.

Desert vegetation is sparse, consisting of small communities of grasses, shrubs, and trees growing in oases, highlands, and along waters. The flora of the desert regions is well adapted to the irregularity of rainfall. Perennial drought-resistant grasses and shrubs have an extensive and deep (up to 15–20 m) root system. Many of the herbaceous plants are ephemera, which can produce seeds in 3 days after sufficient moisture and sow them within 10 to 15 days after that.

A notable Namib desert plant is Welwitschia mirabilis. It grows 2 giant leaves, slowly growing throughout its life (more than 1000 years), which can exceed 3 m in length. The leaves are attached to a stem that resembles a huge cone-shaped radish with a diameter of 60 to 120 cm, and sticks out of the ground for 30 cm. Velvichia roots go into the ground to a depth of 3 m. fog as the main source of moisture. Welwitschia - endemic to the northern Namib - is depicted on the state emblem of Namibia.

The tropical, equatorial and subequatorial zones are inhabited by a variety of mammals: okapi, antelopes (duikers, bongos), pygmy hippopotamus, bushy-eared pig, warthog, galago, monkeys, flying squirrels, lemurs (on Madagascar), viverras, chimpanzees, gorillas, etc. Nowhere there is no such abundance of large animals in the world as in the African savanna: elephants, hippos, rhinos, lions, giraffes, leopards, cheetahs, antelopes (cannes), zebras, hyenas, African ostrich.

Among the birds, jaco, turaco, guinea fowl, hornbill, marabou predominate.

Reptiles and amphibians of the tropical equatorial and subequatorial zones - mamba (one of the most poisonous snakes in the world), crocodile, python, tree frogs, poison dart frogs and marble frogs.

In humid climates, the malarial mosquito and tsetse fly are common, causing sleeping sickness in both humans and mammals.

Political division

The total number of states and dependent territories in Africa is 62 (of which 54 are independent). This includes 10 island, 15 inland and 37 states with wide access to the seas and oceans.

Most of them were colonies of European states for a long time and gained independence only in the 1950s and 1960s. 20th century Currently, many African countries are ruled by regimes that discriminate against the white population.

In the north of the continent are the territories of Spain (Ceuta, Melilla, Canary Islands, Minor Sovereign Territories) and Portugal (Madeira).

In 1963, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was created, uniting 53 African states. On July 9, 2002, this organization was transformed into the African Union. Morocco is not part of the African Union - in protest against the adoption of Zap. Sahara, which Morocco considers its territory.

The chairman of the African Union is elected for a period of 1 year by the head of one of the African states. The administration is located in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

Tasks of the African Union:

Political and socio-economic integration;

Protecting the interests of the continent and its population;

Peace and Security in Africa.

Total EHC of African countries

A feature of the GP of 15 countries is the lack of access to the sea. In countries facing the ocean, the coastline is slightly indented, which is unfavorable for the construction of large ports.

Africa is exceptionally rich in natural resources. Especially large are the reserves of mineral raw materials - ores of manganese, chromites, bauxites, etc.

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 Democratic Republic of the Congo; manganese ores - in South Africa and Zimbabwe; platinum, iron ores and gold - in RSA; diamonds - in the Congo, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Ghana; phosphorites - in Morocco, Tunisia; uranium - in Niger, Namibia.

Africa has large land resources, but soil erosion has become catastrophic due to improper processing. Forests cover approx. 10% of the territory, but as a result of predatory destruction, their area is rapidly declining.

African countries have not yet succeeded in changing the colonial type of sectoral and territorial structure of the economy.

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, platinoids, etc.). The manufacturing industry is represented by light and food industries.

The second sector of the economy that determines Africa's place in the world economy is tropical and subtropical agriculture. Agricultural products make up 60-80% of GDP. The main cash crops are coffee, cocoa beans, peanuts, dates, tea, rubber, sorghum, and spices. Recently, grain crops have been grown - corn, rice, wheat. Animal husbandry is extensive, characterized by a huge number of livestock, but low productivity and low marketability. The continent does not provide itself with agricultural products.

Transport retains the colonial type: railroads go from the areas of extraction of raw materials to the port, while the regions of one state are practically not connected. Relatively developed rail and sea modes of transport. In recent years, other types of transport have been developed - automobile (a road has been laid across the Sahara), air, and pipelines.

Population

Population approx. 1 billion people Population growth on the continent is the highest in the world - 2.3%. Over the past 50 years, life expectancy has increased from 39 to 54 years.

The population consists of representatives of 2 races - Negroid south of the Sahara and Caucasoid in northern Africa (Arabs) and RSA (Boers and Anglo-South Africans).

The most numerous people are the Arabs of North Africa.

During the colonial development of the mainland, many state borders were drawn without taking into account ethnic characteristics, which still leads to interethnic conflicts.

The average population density is 30.5 people/km².

Urbanization - less than 30%, but the rate of urbanization is the highest in the world, many African countries are characterized by false urbanization. The largest cities on the African continent are Cairo (Egypt) and Lagos (Nigeria).

African languages are divided into 32 families. There are 7 isolated and 9 unclassified languages.

Indo-European languages became widespread due to the era of colonial rule: English, Portuguese, French are official in many countries. in Namibia since the beginning of the 20th century. there is a compact community that speaks German as the main language.

The most widely spoken language, Arabic, is used in N., W., and E. Africa as a first and second language. Many African languages include a significant amount of loanwords from Arabic.

Islam and Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism, and to a lesser extent Orthodoxy) predominate among world religions. Buddhists and Hindus live in East Africa (many of them come from India).

Africa section

The race for Africa or the fight for Africa is a period of intense competition among a number of European imperialist powers for holding research work and military operations, ultimately aimed at capturing new territories in Africa.

By 1902, European powers controlled 90% of Africa. In Africa, only Liberia (US patronized) and Ethiopia retained their independence.

The colonial division of Africa ended in the year of the outbreak of the First World War (07/28/1914 - 11/11/1918).

After the Second World War, the process of decolonization of Africa quickly began. 1960 was declared the Year of Africa - the year of the liberation of the largest number of colonies. In this year, 17 states gained independence. Most of them are French colonies: Cameroon, Togo, Malagasy Republic, Congo, Dahomey, Upper Volta, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Mali. The largest country in Africa in terms of population, Nigeria, which belonged to Great Britain, and the largest in terms of territory, the Belgian Congo, were proclaimed independent. British Somalia and Italian Somalia are merged into the Somali Democratic Republic.

Dates of independence for African countries:

1960 - Cameroon, Togo, Malagasy Republic, Congo, Dahomey, Upper Volta, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Mali, Belgian Congo, Somalia.

1961 - Sierra Leone, Tanganyika.

1962 - Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda.

1963 - Kenya, Zanzibar.

1964 - S. Rhodesia (=Republic of Zambia), Nyasaland (=Malawi).

1965 - Gambia.

1966 - Bechuanaland (=Republic of Botswana), Basutoland (=Kingdom of Lesotho).

1968 - Mauritius, Equatorial Guinea and Swaziland.

1973 - Guinea-Bissau.

1975 - Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde Islands, Sao Tome and Principe, 3 of 4 Comoros (Mayotte remained a French possession).

1977 - Seychelles, French Somalia (=Republic of Djibouti).

1980 - Southern Rhodesia (=Republic of Zimbabwe).

1990 - South West Africa (=Republic of Namibia).

The declaration of independence of Kenya, Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique and Namibia was preceded by wars, uprisings, guerrilla struggle. But for most African countries - without major bloodshed, with mass demonstrations and strikes, the negotiation process, UN decisions.

Due to the fact that the borders of African states during the “race for Africa” were drawn artificially, without taking into account the resettlement of various peoples and tribes, and the fact that African society was not ready for democracy, civil wars began in many African countries after gaining independence. Dictators came to power in many countries.