Cheat sheet: General economic and geographical characteristics of African countries. EGP South Africa: description, characteristics, main features and interesting facts

Theme: “Africa. The composition of the territory. Economic and geographical position. Population".

Lesson Objectives:

1. To study the features of the EGP, the composition and population of African countries

2. To consolidate the ability to characterize countries according to a standard plan

3. Improve skills in working with the text of the textbook, thematic maps of the atlas and wall maps.

Lesson steps:

1.Explanation of the new material .

Demonstration of the political map of Africa from SDG No. 2 "Economic and social geography of the world". Entrance through the content to the section "Africa" ​​and then "political map".

Class task:

- look at the map, listen to the speaker's text and answer the questions :

How many countries are in Africa?

How many mainland and island countries?

How many countries are landlocked?

Using the text of the textbook on page 243, answer the question:

What are the features of the EGP of African countries? (write them in a notebook)

Class task:

Working with the political map of Africa and the business card on the flyleaf, highlight:

Largest countries in Africa by area

The largest countries by population

(write them in a notebook)

Consider the history of the formation of states.

A map is projected on the screen from the hyperlink "Africa's territorial division". The map is called "Obtaining state independence by the countries of Africa."

Assignment to the class on the map:

Which countries were not colonies?

Which countries had colonies in Africa?

When did African countries gain independence?

The screen displays countries and years of independence in chronological order.

What year is called the year of Africa?

Which states were the last to appear on the map of Africa?

A table is displayed on the screen, in which the state system of countries is indicated. Using her data, we answer the questions:

How many monarchies are there in Africa? Which? (write them in a notebook)

How many federal states? Which? (write them in a notebook)

The youngest state?

What are the majority of African countries in terms of political structure?

Now consider the population of Africa.

Work with the section "Population" of Africa. Access to it from the main field. After listening to the speaker's text, working with the "Population Density" map (access to it via a hyperlink) and the text of the textbook on page 247,we answer questions:

What is the total population of Africa?

Is the population distributed evenly across Africa? Compare where the density is more, where it is less, why?

We answer questions:

What type of reproduction do African countries belong to?

Which country has the highest birth rate? Mortality?

What is the average life expectancy in Africa?

What is a "population explosion"?

We answer questions:

Which countries have the highest number of people affected by AIDS, why?

We work with the text of the textbook, p.247. Let's find the characteristics of urbanization. Read the content and answer the questions:

What is an "urban explosion"?

Name the largest cities in Africa using the map in the atlas and the table "Urban agglomerations" of Africa, which is projected onto the screen (access via hyperlink). Write them down in a notebook.

Using the map "urbanization of the countries of the world" in the textbook p.69, name the most urbanized countries, the least urbanized and write them out in a notebook.

Africa is a multinational region.

We answer questions:

What races live in Africa, and in what part of it?

What do you think transition groups are?

What language group do the peoples of Africa belong to? We are looking for the answer to this question in the map of the atlas and on the map on the screen "Peoples of Africa" ​​(access via hyperlink).

Photographs of the population of Africa are projected on the screen (exit via hyperlink).

Working with the map "Religions of Africa" ​​(exit via hyperlink(, we answer the question:

What religions are practiced in Africa, why?

So, summing up the lesson, what can be said about the population of Africa?

1. It is multinational, which causes interethnic conflicts.

2. The second type of population reproduction is the “demographic explosion”.

3. Migration of the population to the cities - "urban explosion".

4. Most African countries are young, emerging economies, as they have recently gained independence.

Consolidation of the studied material : on test questions (exit through the menu on the main page of the theme "Africa").

Homework: topic 8, section 1.

By featuresEGP African countries can be divided into landlocked and inland. Most countries located far from the sea belong to the least developed countries of the world.

Forms of government . Almost all countries are republics, there are only three monarchies - Morocco,

Natural resources. Among the continents - 1st place in terms of reserves of ores of manganese, chromite, bauxite, gold, platinoids, cobalt, vanadium, diamonds, phosphorites. richest in country - South Africa.

Agro-climatic resources . 1/3 of the mainland is desert, 1/3 is characterized by a long dry season and is prone to droughts, the countries of the equatorial belt are characterized by excessive moisture.

Population. The countries are characterized by the highest rates of reproduction in the world. Ethnic composition - 300-500 nationalities. In North Africa, some of the ethnic groups have developed into large nations, but most are at the level of nationalities and tribes. The average density is 22 people/km2. Distribution is uneven. In the Sahara, vast expanses (the largest in the world) are uninhabited; in the tropical forest zone - very rare; the majority of people live on the coasts. Urbanization: level - 34%, rates - the highest in the world.Economy. After gaining independence, the countries began to overcome the age-old backwardness. The sectoral and territorial structures of the economy are being restructured.

Industry . Industries that determine the importance of the region in the international division of labor: a) mining (in the extraction of many types of minerals, Africa has a monopoly place in the world); b) tropical and subtropical agriculture with an export orientation. But despite this, Africa occupies the last place among the regions of the world in terms of industrialization and agricultural productivity. cultures.

Most countries keepcolonial type sectoral structure of the economy, characterized by: a) the predominance of consumer villages. farms; b) poor development of the manufacturing industry; c) limiting the non-productive sphere mainly to trade.

General characteristics of Africa.

Workshop - work in groups. Group #1.

According to the text (pp. 243-249), the drawings of the textbook, the “visiting card” of the countries on the flyleaf of the textbook and the maps of the atlas, determine:

EGP of African countries (general characteristics, features).

Answer the questions:

1) What changes and why have occurred on the political map of Africa after the Second World War?

2) Which countries are republics and which are monarchies? What are the administrative and state structures?

natural conditions.

1) Using the maps of the atlas and tables 2 and 4 of the textbook appendix, classify the countries of Africa according to the degree of their wealth in minerals. Give the classification in the form of a table:

Countries rich in diverse mineral resources

Countries rich in 1-2 types of minerals

Countries poor in mineral resources

3) Draw conclusions about land, water and agro-climatic resources (task 3 p. 256).

Homework: p. 243 - 249, assignment 6 p.257.

This piece of land is often referred to as the "new breath of Islamic civilization", or the main foothold of the modern. Indeed, these two subregions have a lot in common: Southwest Asia and North Africa. EGP, composition, socio-economic and cultural characteristics of the two regions will be considered in our article.

and Southwest Asia - what do they have in common?

Although they are located on different continents, they are perceived by many researchers as one large region. By and large, geographically they are separated only by a rather narrow and very salty Red Sea.

Why is North Africa and Southwest Asia so often singled out as one region? There are at least four very good reasons for this. Let's list them:

• the predominance in all countries of one group of peoples - the Arabs;
• common faith (Islam) and language (Arabic);
• The EGPs of North Africa and Southwest Asia share many common features;
• predominantly resource-based economies (not typical for all states).

The region we are considering at the junction of two continents is often also called the Arab or Arab-Muslim world. It covers the territories of more than two dozen countries with a total population of 350 million people.

Key cultural features of the sub-regions

At the very beginning, it is worth mentioning that these two regions became the cradle for many of the famous ancient civilizations of our planet (Minoan, Sumerian, Egyptian and others). It was here that centers were formed that for a long time produced ideas that radically changed our world. It would also not be superfluous to recall that within Southwest Asia and North Africa, three major religions of the Earth were born: Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

Separately, it should be said about the Muslim religion. She miraculously managed to spread her influence over vast territories, from to Southeast Asia. At the same time, Islam brought turmoil and division into the once whole peoples, dividing them into warring camps.

Natural resources of sub-regions and their use

What else do North Africa and Southwest Asia have in common? Nature has awarded many countries in these regions with the richest deposits of gas and oil. Alas, not all states have learned how to use these resources rationally.

Many countries are simply pumping "black gold", receiving super profits and not at all thinking about their development prospects in the near future. But not everyone does this. A striking example of a successful and progressive country is the United Arab Emirates (UAE for short).

North Africa and Southwest Asia on the modern political map of the world are 26 independent states. However, it would be a gross mistake to say that the boundaries of the macro-region we are considering coincide with the boundaries of these 26 countries. Moreover, its boundaries are very blurred and inconsistent.

What is special and unique about North Africa? The EGP of the subregion, its natural resources and economic structure will be discussed further. Which country in North Africa is the richest?

North Africa: PRG (briefly) and natural resources

The total area of ​​this subregion is about 10 million square kilometers. km. True, most of this territory is occupied by the hot and lifeless Sahara desert. North Africa is made up of seven countries (six of which are sovereign and one is partially recognized). It:

1. Morocco.
2. Libya.
3. Sudan.
4. Tunisia.
5. Algeria.
6. Egypt.
7. (SADR).

The North African PGP can generally be described as beneficial. The sub-region has a wide outlet to the Mediterranean and Red Seas, as well as to the Atlantic Ocean, which makes it possible to build constructive trade relations with the leading states of the planet.

The bowels of North Africa are extremely rich in various types of minerals. Thus, deposits of oil, gas, iron and manganese ore, uranium, gold and phosphorites are most actively developed here.

Characteristics of the EGP of North Africa: pros and cons

Any country or region has both its advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes there are more pluses, and sometimes more minuses.

The EGP of North Africa is distinguished by several beneficial aspects at once. Firstly, the region has a wide outlet to the Mediterranean Sea. Through it they border on the European Union, which gives them an excellent opportunity to build close trade, economic and other relations with the most developed states of our planet. In addition, the European Union is the world's largest market for the sale of products.

The second advantageous aspect of the region's EGP is the presence of powerful mineral resource bases both within North Africa and in its immediate vicinity.

There are also shortcomings in the economic and geographical position of the region. First of all, it is worth noting that the population of North Africa is distributed extremely unevenly (due to natural and climatic conditions). The region does not experience a shortage in its "hot spots". Military mutinies, revolutions and terrorist attacks have already become quite familiar to many countries in North Africa.

Conclusion

The EGP of North Africa and Southwest Asia is quite profitable and promising. The richest mineral resource base, good transport position and wide access to two oceans at once - all this lays good prerequisites for the intensive economic development of this macroregion.

It was here, at the junction of Africa and Eurasia, that many of the most ancient civilizations of the planet were born. It is also where two of the three world religions originated. Finally, it was in this region that important discoveries were made that changed our world.

General overview, geographical location

The mainland occupies 1/5 of the earth's land mass. In size (30.3 million km 2) of all parts of the world it is second only to Asia. 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, with the exception of Nigeria and South Africa, is unitary.

There is no other continent in the world that would suffer to the same extent from colonial oppression and the slave trade as Africa. The collapse of the colonial system began in the 1950s. in the north of the continent, the last colony - Namibia was liquidated in 1990. In 1993, a new state appeared on the political map of Africa - Eritrea (as a result of the collapse of Ethiopia).

Various criteria can be used to assess the economic and geographical position of African countries. One of the main criteria is the criterion that separates countries according to the presence or absence of access to the sea. Due to the fact that Africa is the most massive continent, no other of them has so many countries located far from the seas. Most of the inland countries are the most backward.

Natural conditions and resources

The continent is crossed almost in the middle by the equator and lies completely between the subtropical belts of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The peculiarity of its shape - the northern part is 2.5 times wider than the southern one - determined the difference in their natural conditions. In general, the mainland is compact: 960 km 2 of territory per 1 km of coastline.

The relief of Africa is characterized by stepped plateaus, plateaus, and plains. The most highly raised outskirts of the mainland.

Africa is exceptionally rich in minerals, although they are still poorly understood. Among other continents, it ranks first in terms of reserves of ores of manganese, chromite, bauxite, gold, platinum, cobalt, diamonds, and phosphorites. The resources of oil, natural gas, graphite, and asbestos are also great.

Africa's share in the world mining industry is 14%. 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, seven main mining regions can be distinguished in Africa. Three of these are in North Africa and four are in the Sahara.

Atlas Mountains stands out with reserves of iron, manganese, polymetallic ores, phosphorites (the world's largest phosphorite belt).

Egyptian mining region rich in oil, natural gas, iron and titanium ores, phosphorites, etc.

Region of the Algerian and Libyan parts of the Sahara has the largest oil and gas reserves.

West Guinea region characterized by a combination of gold, diamonds, iron ores, bauxites.

East Guinea region rich in oil, gas, metal ores.

Zaire-Zambian 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, silver.

Zaire is the world's leading 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 minerals are unevenly distributed. There are countries in which the lack of a resource base slows down 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, exacerbates the problem of hunger, which is very relevant for Africa.

Agro-climatic resources Africa is defined by the fact that it is the hottest continent. But at the same time, precipitation is the main factor determining differences in climatic conditions.

Water resources of Africa. In terms of their volume, Africa is significantly inferior to Asia and South America. The hydrographic network is distributed extremely unevenly. The degree of use of the huge hydropower potential of the rivers (780 million kW) is low.

African Forest Resources second only to the resources of Latin America and Russia. But its average forest cover is much lower, and as a result of deforestation, which exceeds natural growth, deforestation has assumed alarming proportions.

endowment

Africa stands out at the highest rate worldwide population reproduction. In 1960, 275 million people lived on the continent, in 1980 - 475 million people, in 1990 - 648 million people, in 2000 - 872 million people. In terms of population growth, Kenya stands out - 4.1% (first place in the world), Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda. Such a high birth rate is explained by centuries-old traditions of early marriages and large families, religious traditions, as well as an increased level of healthcare. Most countries of the continent do not pursue an active demographic policy.

Big consequences entails a change as a result population explosion age structure of the population: in Africa, the proportion of children is high and still growing (40 - 50%). This increases the "demographic burden" on the able-bodied population.

The population explosion in Africa exacerbates many of the problems of the regions, the most important of which is 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 growth in food production (1.9%).

Many problems are connected with the ethnic composition of the population of Africa, which is very diverse. 300 - 500 ethnic groups stand out. Some of them have already developed into large nations, but the majority are still at the level of nationalities, and remnants of the tribal system are also preserved.

An important feature of African countries is mismatch of 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 opposite sides of the border. This leads to inter-ethnic conflicts and territorial disputes. The latter cover 20% of the territory. Moreover, 40% of the territory is not demarcated at all, and only 26% of the length of the borders pass along natural boundaries, partially coinciding with ethnic boundaries.

It is a legacy of the past that the official languages ​​of most African countries are still the languages ​​of the former metropolitan countries - English, French, Portuguese.

The average population density in Africa (24 people / km 2) is several times less than in Europe and Asia. Africa is characterized by very sharp contrasts in settlement. For example, the Sahara contains the largest uninhabited territories in the world. Rare population in the zone of tropical rainforests. But there are also quite significant population groups, especially on the coasts. Even sharper contrasts are characteristic of individual countries.

In terms of urbanization, Africa still lags far behind other regions. However, the rate of urbanization here is the highest in the world.

General characteristics of the economy

After gaining independence, African countries began to make efforts to overcome economic 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 accelerated. The restructuring of the sectoral and territorial structure of the economy began.

The greatest progress along this path has been made in mining industry, component now in terms of production 1/4 of the world. In the extraction of many types of minerals, Africa has an important, and sometimes monopoly place in the world. The main part of the extracted fuel and raw materials is exported to the world market and provides 9/10 of the region's exports. It is the extractive industry that primarily determines Africa's place in the MGRT.

Manufacturing industry poorly developed or absent altogether. But some countries in the region are distinguished by 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 in general, Africa is still far behind in its development. It ranks last among the regions of the world in terms of the level of industrialization and crop productivity.

Most countries are characterized by a colonial type of sectoral structure of the economy. It is determined by: the predominance of low-commodity extensive agriculture; underdeveloped manufacturing industry; a strong backlog of transport - transport does not provide communication between the interior 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 disproportions remaining from the colonial past. On the economic map of the region, only separate centers of industry are distinguished, mainly metropolitan areas and areas of high-value agriculture.

The one-sided agrarian and raw material development of the economies of most countries is a brake on the growth of their socio-economic indicators.

Monocultural specialization - a narrow specialization of the country's economy in the production of one, as a rule, raw material or food product, intended mainly for export. The emergence of such specialization is associated with the colonial past of countries.

Foreign economic relations

Monocultural specialization and the low level of economic development of African states are manifested in their small share in world trade and the great 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 trade turnover of the continent falls on the developed countries of the West.

GENERAL ECONOMIC AND GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUNTRIES OF AFRICA

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

General review. Geographical position.

The mainland occupies 1/5 of the earth's land mass. In size (30.3 million km 2 - with 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 would suffer 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). Under the auspices of the UN are Western Sahara (Saharan Arab Republic).

Different criteria can be used to evaluate the GWP of African countries. One of the main criteria is separating countries by the presence or absence of access to the sea. Due to the fact that Africa is the most massive continent, no other of them has so many countries located far from the seas. Most of the inland countries are the most backward.

Natural conditions and resources.

The continent is crossed almost in the middle by the equator and lies completely between the subtropical belts of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The peculiarity of its shape - the northern part is 2.5 times wider than the southern one - determined the difference in their natural conditions. In general, the mainland is compact: there are 960 km 2 of territory per 1 km of coastline. The relief of Africa is characterized by stepped plateaus, plateaus, and plains. The highest uplifts are confined to the outskirts of the mainland.

Africa is exceptionally rich minerals, although they are still poorly studied. Among other continents, it ranks first in reserves of ores of manganese, chromite, bauxite, gold, platinum, cobalt, diamonds, and phosphorites. The resources of oil, natural gas, graphite, and asbestos are also great.

Africa's share in the world 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, seven main mining regions can be distinguished in Africa. Three of them are in North Africa and four are in sub-Saharan Africa.

1. The region of the Atlas Mountains stands out for its 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, titanium ores, phosphorites, etc.
3. The area of ​​the Algerian and Libyan parts of the Sahara is distinguished by the largest oil and gas fields.
4. The West Guinea region is characterized by a combination of gold, diamonds, iron ores, and graphites.
5. The East Guinean 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, silver. Congo (former 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 the inclusion of oil, gas and bauxite.

Africa's minerals are unevenly distributed. There are countries in which the lack of a raw material base 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, exacerbates the problem of hunger, which is very relevant for Africa.

Agro-climatic resources Africa is determined by the fact that it is the hottest continent, lies entirely within the average annual isotherms of + 20 ° C. But at the same time, precipitation is the main factor determining differences in climatic conditions. 30% of the territory - arid areas occupied by deserts, 30% - receive 200-600 mm of precipitation, but are subject to droughts; the equatorial regions suffer from an excess of moisture. Therefore, in 2/3 of the territory of Africa, sustainable agriculture is possible only through land 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 degree of use of the huge hydropower potential of the rivers (780 million kW) is low.

forest resources In terms of reserves, Africa is second only to the resources of Latin America and Russia. But its average forest cover is much lower, besides, as a result of logging, deforestation has assumed alarming proportions.

Population.

Africa stands out worldwide with the highest rates of population reproduction. 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 in terms of growth rates - 4, 1% (first place in the world), Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda. Such a high birth rate is explained by centuries-old traditions of early marriages and large families, religious traditions, as well as an increased level of healthcare. Most countries of 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's ages is high and still growing (40-50%). This increases the "demographic burden" on the able-bodied population.

The population explosion in Africa exacerbates many of the problems of 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 growth in food production (1.9%).

Many problems are connected with the ethnic composition of the population of Africa, which is very diverse. 300-500 ethnic groups stand out. Some of them have already formed into large nations, but most are still at the level of nationalities, and remnants of the tribal system are also preserved.

According to the linguistic principle, 1/2 of the population belongs to the Niger-Kordofan family, 1/3 to the Afro-Asiatic family, and only 1% are residents of European origin.

An important feature of African countries is the mismatch of political and ethnic boundaries as a result of the colonial era of the development of the continent. As a result, many united peoples found themselves on opposite sides of the border. This leads to inter-ethnic conflicts and territorial disputes. The latter cover 20% of the territory. Moreover, 40% of the territory is not demarcated at all, and only 26% of the length of the borders pass along natural boundaries, partially coinciding with ethnic boundaries.

The 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 in 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 territories in the world. Rare population and in the zone of tropical rainforests. But there are also quite significant clumps of population, especially on the coasts. The population density in the Nile Delta reaches 1000 people/km2.

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".

General characteristics of the economy.

After gaining independence, African countries began to make efforts to overcome centuries of 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 accelerated. The restructuring of the sectoral and territorial structure of the economy began.

The greatest success along this path has been achieved in the mining industry, which now accounts for 1/4 of the world's output in terms of production. In the extraction of many types of minerals, Africa holds an important, and sometimes even a monopoly, place in the foreign world. The main part of the extracted fuel and raw materials is exported to the world market and provides 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 non-existent. But some countries in the region are distinguished by a higher level of manufacturing industry - South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco.

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

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

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

It is defined:
• the predominance of low-commodity extensive agriculture;
• underdeveloped manufacturing industry;
• a strong backlog of transport - transport does not provide communications between the hinterland, 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 disproportions remaining from the colonial past. On the economic map of the region, only separate centers of industry (mainly metropolitan areas) and high-commodity agriculture stand out.

The one-sided agrarian and raw material development of the economy of 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, as a rule, 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.
(click on image to enlarge image)

Foreign 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 great 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 trade turnover of the continent falls on the developed countries of the West.

Despite the huge natural and human potential, Africa continues to be the most backward part of the world economy.

Africa is 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 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. On the territory of Africa there are 55 states, 5 unrecognized states and 5 dependent territories (islands).

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 the 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.
Africa has the highest rate of 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 the sectoral and territorial structure of the economy, although the pace of economic growth has 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, DRC).
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.
Transport also retains a colonial type: railways go from the regions 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 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).

Problems and difficulties of African states

Swollen, unprofessional and inefficient bureaucracies have emerged in most African states. Given the amorphous nature of social structures, the army remained the only organized force. The result is endless military coups. The dictators who came to power appropriated untold wealth. 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 room 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, output per capita was declining.
The formation of statehood was extremely complicated by the absolute artificiality of state borders. Africa inherited them from the colonial past. They were established during the division of the continent into spheres of influence and have little in common with ethnic boundaries. The Organization of African Unity, created in 1963, realizing that any attempt to correct this or that border could lead to unpredictable consequences, called for these borders to be considered unshakable, no matter how unfair they may be. But these borders have nevertheless become a source of ethnic conflict and the displacement of millions of refugees.
The main branch 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 predominant part of the region's able-bodied population and creates the bulk of the total national income. In many states of Tropical Africa, agriculture occupies a leading place in exports, providing a significant part of foreign exchange earnings. In the last decade, an alarming picture has been observed with the growth rates of industrial production, which allows us to speak about the actual deindustrialization of the region. If in 1965-1980 they (on average per year) amounted to 7.5%, then for the 80s only 0.7%, a drop in growth rates took place in the 80s both in the extractive and manufacturing industries. For a number of reasons, a special role in ensuring the socio-economic development of the region belongs to the mining industry, but even this production is reduced 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, Senegal) does its share in GDP reach or exceed 20%.

Integration processes

A characteristic feature of the integration processes in Africa is the high degree of their institutionalization. At present, there are about 200 economic associations of various levels, scales and directions 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 West African Economic Community (ECOWAS), the South African Development Community (SADC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), etc. The extremely low effectiveness 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 - in comparison with 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 seen as a tool and basis for the formation of a self-sufficient and self-developing economy, relying on its own forces and as opposed to the imperialist West. The approach is different, which, as mentioned above, represents integration as a way and way to include African countries in the globalizing world economy, as well as an impulse and indicator of economic growth and development in general.

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