Africa 5334607 225497091 2008-07-14T00:27:52Z Zahd 6768104 {{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}} {{otheruses}} <div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 0em 0em; width: 20em; text-align: right; font-size: 0.86em; line-height: normal;"><!-- start of floated right section --> <div style="border: 1px solid #ccd2d9; background: #f0f6fa; text-align: left; padding: 0.5em 1em; text-align: center;"><!-- start of slate grey box --> <big>'''Africa'''</big> <div align=center> [[Image:LocationAfrica.png|190px|A world map showing the continent of Africa. (See [[#Politics|''Politics'']] section for a clickable map of individual countries.)]] </div> {| style="background: transparent; text-align: left; table-layout: auto; border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0; font-size: 100%;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Area | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | {{km2 to sq mi|30221532|abbr=yes}} |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Population | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 922,011,000<ref>[http://esa.un.org/unpp/ "World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision"] [[United Nations]] (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, population division)</ref>(2005, [[List of continents by population|2nd]]) |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Density | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 30.51/km² (about 80/sq mi) |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Countries | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | {{Collapsible list |title=[[List of African countries|53]] |[[Algeria]] |[[Angola]] |[[Benin]] |[[Botswana]] |[[Burkina Faso]] |[[Burundi]] |[[Cameroon]] |[[Cape Verde]] |[[Central African Republic]] |[[Chad]] |[[Comoros]] |[[Congo]] |[[Côte d'Ivoire]] |[[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] |[[Djibouti]] |[[Egypt]] |[[Equatorial Guinea]] |[[Eritrea]] |[[Ethiopia]] |[[Gabon]] |[[Gambia]] |[[Ghana]] |[[Guinea]] |[[Guinea-Bissau]] |[[Kenya]] |[[Lesotho]] |[[Liberia]] |[[Libya]] |[[Madagascar]] |[[Malawi]] |[[Mali]] |[[Mauritania]] |[[Mauritius]] |[[Morocco]] |[[Mozambique]] |[[Namibia]] |[[Niger]] |[[Nigeria]] |[[Rwanda]] |[[São Tomé and Príncipe]] |[[Senegal]] |[[Seychelles]] |[[Sierra Leone]] |[[Somalia]] |[[South Africa]] |[[Sudan]] |[[Swaziland]] |[[Tanzania]] |[[Togo]] |[[Tunisia]] |[[Uganda]] |[[Western Sahara]] |[[Zambia]] |[[Zimbabwe]] }} |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Dependencies | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | {{Collapsible list |title=[[List of African dependencies|8]] |[[Mayotte]] | [[Réunion]] |[[Canary Islands]] |[[Ceuta]] |[[Madeira Islands]] |[[Melilla]] |[[Saint Helena]]}} |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Demonym | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | [[African]] |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Languages | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | [[African languages|African Languages]] and many others |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Time Zones | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | [[UTC-1]] ([[Cape Verde]]) to [[UTC+4]] ([[Mauritius]]) |} </div></div> '''Africa''' is the world's second-largest and second most-populous [[continent]], after [[Asia]]. At about 30.2 million km² (11.7 million [[square mile|sq&nbsp;mi]]) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the [[Earth]]'s total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area.<ref name=Sayre>Sayre, April Pulley. (1999) ''Africa'', Twenty-First Century Books. ISBN 0-7613-1367-2.</ref> With about 922 million people (as of 2005)<ref>[http://esa.un.org/unpp/ "World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision"] [[United Nations]] (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, population division)</ref> in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.2% of the world's [[human population]]. The continent is surrounded by the [[Mediterranean Sea]] to the north, the [[Suez Canal]] and the [[Red Sea]] to the northeast, the [[Indian Ocean]] to the southeast, and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the west. There are 46 countries including [[Madagascar]], and 53 including all the island groups. Africa, particularly central [[eastern Africa]], is widely regarded within the [[scientific community]] to be the origin of [[human]]s and the [[Hominidae]] tree (great [[ape]]s), as [[evidence]]d by the discovery of the earliest [[hominids]] and their possible ancestors, as well as later ones that have been dated to around seven million years ago – including ''[[Sahelanthropus tchadensis]]'', ''[[Australopithecus africanus]]'', ''[[Australopithecus afarensis|A. afarensis]]'', ''[[Homo erectus]]'', ''[[Homo habilis|H. habilis]]'' and ''[[Homo ergaster|H. ergaster]]'' – with the earliest ''[[Homo sapiens]]'' (human) found in [[Ethiopia]] being dated to ca. 200,000 years ago.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.utah.edu/unews/releases/05/feb/homosapiens.html|title=Homo sapiens: University of Utah News Release: Feb. 16, 2005<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> Africa straddles the [[equator]] and encompasses numerous climate areas; it is the only continent to stretch from the northern [[temperate]] to southern temperate zones.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visualgeography.com/continents/africa.html |title=Africa. General info |last=Visual Geography |first= |date= |accessdate=2007-11-24 }}</ref> Because of the lack of natural regular [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] and [[irrigation]] as well as [[glacier]]s or mountain [[aquifer]] systems, there is no natural moderating effect on the climate except near the coasts. {{Fact|date=October 2007}} ==Etymology== [[Afri]] was the name of several peoples who dwelt in [[North Africa]] near [[Carthage]]. Their name is usually connected with [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] ''afar'', "dust", but a 1981 theory<ref>[http://michel-desfayes.org/namesofcountries.html Names of countries], Decret & Fantar, 1981</ref> has asserted that it stems from a [[Berber language|Berber]] word ''ifri'' meaning "cave", in reference to cave dwellers. In Roman times, Carthage became the capital of [[Africa Province]], which also included the coastal part of modern [[Libya]]. The Roman suffix "-ca" denotes "country or land".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.consultsos.com/pandora/africa.htm|title=Consultos.com etymology}}</ref> The later Muslim kingdom of [[Ifriqiya]], modern-day [[Tunisia]], also preserved a form of the name. Other etymologies that have been postulated for the ancient name "Africa": :*the 1st century Jewish historian [[Flavius Josephus]] (''Ant. 1.15'') asserted that it was named for [[Epher]], grandson of [[Abraham]] according to Gen. 25:4, whose descendants, he claimed, had invaded Libya. :*the [[Latin]] word ''aprica'', meaning "sunny", mentioned by [[Isidore of Seville]] (sixth century) in ''[[Etymologiae]]'' XIV.5.2 :*the [[Greek language|Greek]] word ''aphrike'', meaning "without cold." This was proposed by historian [[Leo Africanus]] (1488–1554), who suggested the Greek word ''phrike'' (φρίκη, meaning "cold and horror"), combined with the [[privative]] prefix [[alpha privative|"a-"]], thus indicating a land free of cold and horror. :*Massey, in 1881, derived an etymology from the Egyptian ''af-rui-ka'', "to turn toward the opening of the Ka." The [[Ka]] is the energetic double of every person and "opening of the Ka" refers to a womb or birthplace. Africa would be, for the Egyptians, "the birthplace."<ref>[http://gerald-massey.org.uk/massey/cmc_nile_genesis.htm 'Nile Genesis: the opus of Gerald Massey']</ref> The [[Irish language|Irish]] female name ''Aifric'' is sometimes [[Anglicisation|Anglicised]] as ''Africa'', but the [[personal name]] is unrelated to the [[geonym]]. ==Geography== {{main|Geography of Africa}} [[Image:Africa satellite orthographic.jpg|thumb|150px|A composite satellite image of Africa]] Africa is the largest of the three great southward projections from the main mass of the Earth's exposed surface. Separated from [[Europe]] by the [[Mediterranean Sea]], it is joined to Asia at its northeast extremity by the [[Suez Canal|Isthmus of Suez]] (transected by the [[Suez Canal]]), 163&nbsp;km (101&nbsp;miles) wide.<ref>Drysdale, Alasdair & Gerald H. Blake. (1985) ''The Middle East and North Africa'', Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0-19-503538-0.</ref> ([[Geopolitics|Geopolitically]], [[Egypt]]'s [[Sinai Peninsula]] east of the Suez Canal is often considered part of Africa, as well. <ref>[http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/index.html?Parent=africa&Rootmap=&Mode=d Atlas - Xpeditions @ nationalgeographic.com:]</ref> <ref>[http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/reference/international/africa/referencemap_image_view The Atlas of Canada - Africa:]</ref>) From the most northerly point, [[Ras ben Sakka]] in [[Tunisia]] (37°21' N), to the most southerly point, [[Cape Agulhas]] in [[South Africa]] (34°51'15" S), is a distance of approximately 8,000&nbsp;km (5,000&nbsp;miles);<ref>Lewin, Evans. (1924) ''Africa'', Clarendon press.</ref> from [[Cap-Vert|Cape Verde]], 17°33'22" W, the westernmost point, to [[Ras Hafun]] in [[Somalia]], 51°27'52" E, the most easterly projection, is a distance of approximately 7,400&nbsp;km (4,600&nbsp;miles).<ref name=MW>(1998) ''Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary (Index)'', Merriam-Webster. pp. 10–11. ISBN 0-87779-546-0.</ref> The coastline is 26,000&nbsp;km (16,100&nbsp;miles) long, and the absence of deep indentations of the shore is illustrated by the fact that Europe, which covers only 10,400,000&nbsp;km² (4,010,000 square miles) – about a third of the surface of Africa – has a coastline of 32,000&nbsp;km (19,800&nbsp;miles).<ref name=MW /> Africa's largest country is [[Sudan]], and its smallest country is the [[Seychelles]], an [[archipelago]] off the east coast.<ref name=Hoare>Hoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publications. p. 11. ISBN 0-7534-5569-2.</ref> The smallest nation on the continental mainland is [[The Gambia]]. According to the ancient [[Ancient Rome|Romans]], Africa lay to the west of [[Egypt]], while "Asia" was used to refer to [[Anatolia]] and lands to the east. A definite line was drawn between the two continents by the geographer [[Ptolemy]] (85–165 AD), indicating [[Alexandria]] along the [[Prime Meridian]] and making the [[Suez Canal|isthmus of Suez]] and the [[Red Sea]] the boundary between [[Asia]] and Africa. As [[Europe]]ans came to understand the real extent of the continent, the idea of ''Africa'' expanded with their knowledge. ===Climate, fauna, and flora=== The climate of Africa ranges from [[tropical climate|tropical]] to [[subarctic]] on its highest peaks. Its northern half is primarily [[desert]] or [[arid]], while its central and southern areas contain both [[savanna]] [[plain]]s and very dense [[jungle]] ([[rainforest]]) regions. In between, there is a convergence where vegetation patterns such as [[sahel]], and [[steppe]] dominate. Africa boasts perhaps the world's largest combination of density and "range of freedom" of [[wild animal]] populations and diversity, with wild populations of large [[carnivore]]s (such as [[lion]]s, [[hyena]]s, and [[cheetah]]s) and [[herbivore]]s (such as [[African buffalo|buffalo]], [[deer]], [[elephant]]s, [[camel]]s, and [[giraffe]]s) ranging freely on primarily open non-private plains. It is also home to a variety of jungle creatures (including [[snake]]s and [[primate]]s) and [[aquatic ecosystem|aquatic life]] (including [[crocodile]]s and [[amphibian]]s)(see also: [[Fauna of Africa]]). ==History== {{main|History of Africa|African empires}} [[Image:Afryka 1890.jpg|right|thumb|right|300px|1890 map of Africa]] Africa is considered by most [[paleoanthropologist]]s to be the [[cradle of Humankind|oldest inhabited territory]] on Earth, with the [[human]] [[species]] [[mitochondrial Eve|originating]] from the continent. During the middle of the twentieth century, [[Anthropology|anthropologists]] discovered many [[fossil]]s and evidence of human occupation perhaps as early as 7 million years ago. Fossil remains of several species of early apelike humans thought to have [[Evolution|evolved]] into modern man, such as ''[[Australopithecus afarensis]]'' ([[radiometrically dated]] to approximately 3.9–3.0&nbsp;million years [[Before Christ|BC]]),<ref>Kimbel, William H. & Yoel Rak & Donald C. Johanson. (2004) ''The Skull of Australopithecus Afarensis'', Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0-19-515706-0.</ref> ''[[Paranthropus boisei]]'' (c. 2.3–1.4&nbsp;million BC)<ref>Tudge, Colin. (2002) ''The Variety of Life.'', Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-860426-2.</ref> and ''[[Homo ergaster]]'' (c. 600,000–1.9&nbsp;million BC) have been discovered.<ref name=Sayre /> The [[Ishango bone]], dated to about 25,000 years ago, shows [[tally stick|tallies]] in [[mathematical notation]]. Throughout humanity's [[prehistory]], Africa (like all other continents) had no [[nation state]]s, and was instead inhabited by groups of [[hunter-gatherers]] such as the [[Khoi]] and [[Bushmen|San]].<ref>Sertima, Ivan Van. (1995) ''Egypt: Child of Africa/S V12 (Ppr)'', Transaction Publishers. pp. 324–325. ISBN 1-56000-792-3.</ref><ref>Mokhtar, G. (1990) ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. II, Abridged Edition: Ancient Africa'', University of California Press. ISBN 0-85255-092-8.</ref><ref>Eyma, A. K. & C. J. Bennett. (2003) ''Delts-Man in Yebu: Occasional Volume of the Egyptologists' Electronic Forum No. 1'', Universal Publishers. p. 210. SBN 1-58112-564-X.</ref> At the end of the [[Ice Age]]s, estimated to have been around 10,500 BC, the Sahara had again become a green fertile valley, and its African populations returned from the interior and coastal highlands in [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]{{Fact|date=November 2007}}. However, the warming and drying climate meant that by 5000 BC the Sahara region was becoming increasingly dry and hostile. The population trekked out of the Sahara region towards the Nile Valley below the [[Second Cataract]] where they made permanent or semi-permanent settlements. A major climatic recession occurred, lessening the heavy and persistent rains in Central and [[Eastern Africa]]. Since this time dry conditions have prevailed in Eastern Africa, and increasingly during the last 200 years, in [[Ethiopia]]. The domestication of cattle in Africa preceded agriculture and seems to have existed alongside hunter-gathering cultures. It is speculated that by 6000 BC cattle were already domesticated in North Africa.<ref>Diamond, Jared. (1999) "Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York:Norton, pp.167.</ref> In the Sahara-Nile complex, people domesticated many animals including the pack ass, and a small screw horned goat which was common from Algeria to [[Nubia]]. The first known example of the domestication of plants for agricultural purposes on the continent occurred in the [[Sahel]] region circa 5000 BC, when [[sorghum]] and African [[rice]] began to be cultivated. Around this time, and in the same region, the [[guinea fowl]] became domesticated. In the year 4000 BC the climate of the Sahara started to become drier at an exceedingly fast pace.<ref name="O'Brien">O'Brien, Patrick K. (General Editor). Oxford Atlas of World History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. pp.22–23</ref> This climate change caused lakes and rivers to shrink significantly and caused increasing [[desertification]]. This, in turn, decreased the amount of land conducive to settlements and helped to cause migrations of farming communities to the more tropical climate of [[West Africa]].<ref name="O'Brien" /> By 3000 BC agriculture had arisen independently in both the tropical portions of [[West Africa]], where African [[Yam (vegetable)|yams]] and oil palms were domesticated, and in [[Ethiopia]], where [[coffee]] and [[teff]] became domesticated. No animals were independently domesticated in these regions, although domestication did spread there from the [[Sahel]] and [[Nile]] regions.<ref>Diamond, Jared. (1999) "Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York:Norton, pp.100.</ref> Agricultural crops were also adopted from other regions around this time as pearl [[millet]], [[cowpea]], [[groundnut]], [[cotton]], [[watermelon]] and [[Calabash|bottle gourds]] began to be grown agriculturally in both West Africa and the Sahel Region while finger millet, [[peas]], [[lentil]] and [[flax]] took hold in Ethiopia.<ref>Diamond, Jared. (1999) "Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York:Norton, pp.126–127.</ref> In this period the international phenomenon known as the [[Beaker culture]] began to impact upon western North Africa. Named for the distinctively shaped grave ceramics, the Beaker culture is associated with the emergence of a warrior mentality. North African rock art of this period largely depicts animals, but also places a new emphasis on the human figure, equipped with weapons and adornments. People from the [[African Great Lakes|Great Lakes Region of Africa]] settled along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea to become the proto-Canaanites who dominated the lowlands between the Jordan River, the Mediterranean and the Sinai Desert. The [[Bantu expansion]] was a millennia-long series of migrations of the original proto-Bantu language group. By the 1st millennium BC [[ironwork]]ing had been introduced in Northern Africa and quickly spread across the Sahara into the northern parts of sub-Saharan Africa<ref>Martin and O'Meara. "Africa, 3rd Ed." Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1995. http://princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/history1.htm#Irontechnology</ref> and by 500 BC metalworking began to become commonplace in West Africa. Ironworking was fully established by roughly 500 BC in many areas of East and West Africa, although other regions didn't begin iron working until the early centuries AD. Copper objects from Egypt, North Africa, Nubia and Ethiopia dating from around 500 BC have been excavated in West Africa, suggesting that trans-saharan trade networks had been established by this date.<ref name="O'Brien" /> ===Early civilisations in Northern Africa=== [[Image:SFEC EGYPT ABUSIMBEL 2006-003.JPG|thumb|upright|Colossal statues of [[Ramesses II]] at[[Abu Simbel]], Egypt, date from around 1400 BC.]] At about 3300 BC, the historical record opens in Africa with the rise of literacy in the [[Pharaohs|Pharaonic]] civilisation of [[Ancient Egypt]]. One of the world's earliest and longest-lasting civilizations, the Egyptian state continued, with varying levels of influence over other areas, until 343 BC.<ref>Hassan, Fekri A. (2002) ''Droughts, Food and Culture'', Springer. p. 17. ISBN 0-306-46755-0.</ref><ref>McGrail, Sean. (2004) ''Boats of the World'', Oxford University Press. p. 48. ISBN 0-19-927186-0.</ref> Egyptian influence reached deep into modern-day Libya, north to Crete and Palestine, and south to the kingdoms of [[Aksum]] and[[Nubia]]. An independent centre of [[civilisation]] with trading links to [[Phoenecia]] was estblished on the north-west African coast at [[Carthage]].<ref>Fage, J. D. (1979) ''The Cambridge History of Africa'', Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-21592-7.</ref><ref>Oliver, Roland & Anthony Atmore. (1994) ''Africa Since 1800'', Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-42970-6.</ref> Following the conquest of North Africa's Mediterranean coastline by the [[Roman Empire]], the area was integrated economically and culturally into the Roman system. Roman settlement occurred in modern Tunisia and elsewhere along the coast. [[Christianity]] spread across these areas from Palestine via Egypt, also passing south, beyond the borders of the Roman world into [[Nubia]] and by at least the 6th century into [[Ethiopia]]. In the early seventh century, the newly formed Arabian Islamic [[Caliphate]] expanded into Egypt, and then into North Africa. In a short while the local Berber elite had been integrated into Muslim Arab tribes. When the Ummayad capital Damascus fell in the eight century, the Islamic center of the Mediterranean shifted from Syria to [[Qayrawan]] in North Africa. Islamic North Africa had become diverse, and a hub for mystics, scholars, jurists and philosophers. During the above mentioned period, Islam spread to sub-Saharan Africa, mainly through trade routes and migration.<ref name =Ayoub>{{cite book | last = Ayoub | first = Mahmoud M. | title = Islam: Faith and History | publisher = Oneworld | date = 2004 | location = Oxford | pages = 76, 92–3, 96–7 }}</ref> ===Sub-Saharan Africa=== The eastern region of sub-Saharan Africa is the scientifically agreed upon location of the origin of modern humans ~200,000 years ago. For, although Ethiopia is sometimes described as Northeast African due to its historical ties with this region, it is technically below the Sahara (i.e. it is sub-Saharan). Notably, modern humans are now thought to have exited sub-Saharan Africa ~60,000 years ago by way of the Horn of Africa rather than through Northeast Africa/Egypt. Furthermore, those who remained in sub-Saharan Africa also likely spread out during this time to populate other regions of the continent (Tishkoff, 2006). For example, the click speakers ([[Khoisan]]), most of whom are currently located in the desert regions of southern Africa, are thought to have once occupied East Africa in large numbers (Tishkoff, 2006). In addition, due to what is called the [[Sahara pump theory]] effect, those who migrated north and westward from East Africa likely did so due to the fact that the animals that they hunted had gradually spread into the cyclically fertile regions of the Sahara. Humans therefore occupied this region when it was livable. During these times, there was abundant food and water such that population numbers soared. However, during the Sahara's dry cycles (which, like the wet cycles, lasted thousands of years), its occupants were gradually forced to abandon the area by migrating either northward towards the Mediterranean, or southward towards sub-Saharan Africa. It is postulated that those innovative individuals who held on, spending generations in the marginally desertifying regions of the Sahara (i.e. the [[Sahel]]), may have developed adaptations to both the heat as well as the reflection of the intense African UV light against the region's light colored sands (which amplifies the effect of the light/radiation in a way analogous to a mirror or water) (Kingdon, 1997). First, their bodies became elongated and thin so that heat could easily escape. In addition, their [[skin color]] became extremely dark brown compared to their relatively light brown counterparts among the click speakers of East and Southern Africa. In fact, to this day, the Sahel region contains some of the tallest and darkest skinned people on earth. Some such individuals were eventually forced to leave the Sahel altogether by going south into the initially rainforest-occupied regions of sub-Saharan Africa. In these areas, it was actually disadvantageous to have a long Sahelian body size. In fact, the typical body size was extremely small (i.e. 'pygmy' sized), perhaps in order to ward off the effects of sleeping sickness transmitted by tropical insects. This transition occurred in waves each time the cyclically fertile Sahara pumped people into sub-Saharan Africa by way of its dry spells. It is notable that during the latest Saharan dry spell (which started ~5,000 years ago), those who migrated southward brought with them a new way of life that involved agriculture and animal husbandry (Diamond, 1997). These individuals, in order to utilize the land for their crops, cleared much of West Africa of its tropical forests. This caused certain insects that had once inhabited the forest canopy to occupy lower regions where humans dwelled. Such interactions likely led to the spread of malaria, and the accompanying genetic accommodations associated with it, among humans (ex [[sickle cell anemia]]) (Tishkoff, 2000). These tall individuals also intermixed with the short original inhabitants of these regions (the results of prior cycles of the Saharan pump) to produce the individuals of intermediate height currently occupying sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, the pressure from the desiccating Sahara in the north, in conjunction with growing population numbers due to agriculture, eventually resulted in the relatively recent mass migration of West African (Nigeria/Cameroon) derived Bantu language speakers into the southern and eastern regions of sub-Saharan Africa ~2-3,000 years ago. The advanced technology (and large numbers) of these groups forced the original click speaking occupants of these regions to either move into more marginal areas (such as the Kalahari desert) or intermix with and/or assimilate the lifestyles of the dominant culture (Diamond, 1997). It should also be noted that fertile land is extremely scarce in sub-Saharan Africa relative to other regions (Reader, 1998). This led to intense Bantu competition with the hunter-gathering click speakers. It also likely resulted in the support of relatively small population numbers in this region compared to more fertile areas of the globe. This low population density is likely to have had a direct negative impact upon the degree to which sub-Saharan Africans could organize large numbers of workers and citizens in order to establish 'civilizations' and accompanying monuments/technology analogous to that in other regions. In this sense, the kingdoms and other more organized agricultural ways of life that did occur in this region did so against the odds. Regardless of these limited victories, it is arguable that the resulting overall social and technological 'stagnation' of sub-Saharan Africa relative to other nearby regions may have rendered its occupants very vulnerable to enslavement by more 'advanced' neighboring groups (ex Arabs and Europeans). Furthermore, a lack of the development and technology to attain the material wealth of many of these areas rendered human manpower (i.e. slaves) the biggest commodity to be taken by the victors of war. Thus slavery within Africa was also prevalent following the advent of agriculture. This existing system was later capitalized upon by Arab and European slave traders (although it is arguable that slavery within sub-Saharan Africa was less dehumanizing than in non sub-Saharan African regions). After the [[Sahara]] most recently became a desert, it did not present a totally impenetrable barrier for travellers between north and south due to the application of animal husbandry towards carrying water, food, and supplies across the desert. Prior to the introduction of the [[camel]]<ref>Stearns, Peter N. (2001) ''The Encyclopedia of World History'', Houghton Mifflin Books. p. 16. ISBN 0-395-65237-5.</ref> the use of oxen for desert crossing was common, and trade routes followed chains of [[Oasis|oases]] that were strung across the desert. It is thought that the camel was first brought to Egypt after the [[Persian Empire]] conquered Egypt in 525 BC, although large herds did not become common enough in North Africa to establish the [[trans-Saharan trade]] until the eighth century AD.<ref>McEvedy, Colin (1980) ''Atlas of African History'', p. 44. ISBN 0-87196-480-5.</ref> The [[Sanhaja]] [[Berbers]] were the first to exploit this. Pre-colonial Africa possessed perhaps as many as 10,000 different states and polities<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/01/11/DI2006011101372.html |title=The Fate of Africa - A Survey of Fifty Years of Independence|accessdate=2007-07-23 |format=html |work=washingtonpost.com }}</ref> characterised by many different sorts of political organisation and rule. These included small family groups of hunter-gatherers such as the [[Bushmen|San]] people of southern Africa; larger, more structured groups such as the family clan groupings of the [[Bantu]]-speaking people of central and southern Africa, heavily-structured clan groups in the [[Horn of Africa]], the large Sahelian Kingdoms, and autonomous city-states such as those of the [[Yoruba]] in West Africa, and the [[Swahili people|Swahili]] coastal trading towns of [[East Africa]]. By the 9th century AD a string of dynastic states, including the earliest [[Hausa]] states, stretched across the sub-saharan savannah from the western regions to central Sudan. The most powerful of these states were [[Ghana Empire|Ghana]], [[Gao]], and the [[Kanem-Bornu Empire]]. Ghana declined in the 11th century but was succeeded by the [[Mali Empire]] which consolidated much of western Sudan in the 13th century. Kanem accepted Islam in the 11th century. [[Image:SONGHAI empire map.PNG|thumb|right|300px|The Songhai Empire, c. 1500]] Following the breakup of Mali a local leader named [[Sonni Ali]] (1464–1492) founded the [[Songhai Empire]] in the region of middle Niger and the western Sudan and took control of the trans-Saharan trade. Sonni Ali seized [[Timbuktu]] in 1468 and [[Jenne]] in 1473, building his regime on trade revenues and the cooperation of Muslim merchants. His successor [[Askiya Mohammad]] Ture (1493–1528) made Islam the official religion, built mosques, and brought Muslim scholars, including al-Maghili (d.1504), the founder of an important tradition of Sudanic African Muslim scholarship, to Gao.<ref name="multiple">Ira M. Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies, Cambridge 1988</ref> By the 11th century some [[Hausa]] states - such as [[Kano]], [[jigawa]], [[Katsina]], and [[Gobir]] - had developed into walled towns engaging in trade, servicing [[camel train|caravans]], and the manufacture of goods. Until the 15th century these small states were on the periphery of the major Sudanic empires of the era, paying tribute to Songhai to the west and Kanem-Borno to the east. In the forested regions of the West African coast, independent kingdoms grew up with little influence from the Muslim north. [[Ife]], historically the first of these [[Yoruba]] city-states, established government under a priestly king, or ''Oni''. Ife was noted as the religious and cultural centre of the region, and for its unique naturalistic tradition of bronze sculpture. The Ife model of government was adapted at [[Oyo Empire|Oyo]], where a member of its ruling dynasty controlled several smaller city-states. By the 15th century the Oyo Empire had cut off the mother city from the savanna. Yorubaland established a community in the Edo-speaking area east of Ife at the beginning of the 14th century. This developed into the [[Benin Empire]]. By the 15th century Benin had become an independent trading power, blocking Ife's access to the coastal ports. Benin, which may have housed 100,000 inhabitants at its height, spread over twenty-five square kilometres, and was enclosed by three concentric rings of earthworks. By the late 15th century Benin was in contact with [[Portugal]]. At its apogee in the 16th and 17th centuries, Benin encompassed parts of southeastern Yorubaland and the western [[Igbo]]. Between the seventh and fifteenth centuries, the [[Arab slave trade]] emerged, which by the twentieth century would eventually take as many as 18 million slaves from Africa to parts of the Muslim world.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/blackhistory/article-24156 Welcome to Encyclopædia Britannica's Guide to Black History], [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1523100.stm Focus on the slave trade], [[BBC]]</ref> This was as voluminous as the later [[Atlantic slave trade]].<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=5t5ERBlosqUC&pg=PA25&dq=%22muslim+slave+trade%22&sig=XSpyahikSAcJv9wxLcLOJxylVL4 ''Transformations in Slavery: A History of Slavery in Africa''] p 25 by Paul E. Lovejoy]</ref> In 1418, the fifth expedition by Chinese admiral [[Zheng He]] reached Africa's east coast. The two later Zheng He voyages, the last in 1432, also sailed to East Africa. The Chinese traveled at least as far as Malindi in Kenya. In 1482, the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] established the first of many trading stations along the coast of Ghana at [[Elmina]]. The chief commodities dealt in were slaves, gold, ivory and spices. The European discovery of the Americas in 1492 was followed by a great development of the [[slave trade]], which, before the Portuguese era, had been an overland trade almost exclusively,<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/blackhistory/article-24159 Historical survey > The international slave trade], [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]</ref> and never confined to any one continent.<ref>Oliver, Roland. (1977) ''The Cambridge History of Africa'', Cambridge University Press. p. 453. ISBN 0-521-20981-1.</ref> In [[West Africa]], the decline of the [[Atlantic slave trade]] in the 1820s caused dramatic economic shifts in local polities. The gradual decline of slave-trading, prompted by a lack of demand for slaves in the [[New World]], increasing [[abolitionism|anti-slavery]] legislation in Europe and America, and the [[Royal Navy|British navy's]] increasing presence off the West African coast (see [[West Africa Squadron]]), obliged African states to adopt new economies. The largest powers of West Africa: the [[Asante Confederacy]], the [[Dahomey|Kingdom of Dahomey]], and the [[Oyo Empire]], adopted different ways of adapting to the shift. Asante and Dahomey concentrated on the development of "legitimate commerce" in the form of [[palm oil]], [[cocoa]], [[timber]] and [[gold]], forming the bedrock of West Africa's modern export trade. The Oyo Empire, unable to adapt, collapsed into civil wars.<ref>Simon, Julian L. (1995) ''State of Humanity'', Blackwell Publishing. p. 175. ISBN 1-55786-585-X.</ref> In Southern Africa, (centered on modern day [[Zimbabwe]]) the ancient civilization of the empire of [[Great Zimbabwe]]. This is thought to have had trading routes extending widely across the region. In sum, contemporary sub-Saharan Africans are the descendants of those early modern humans who happened to have remained in the eastern regions of sub-Saharan Africa ~60,000 years ago following the (likely unintentional) migration and isolation of the small group of hunter-gatherers that would go on to populate the rest of the world. Starting in east Africa, the ancestors of this group ultimately went on to populate virtually all habitable regions of the entire continent. It is arguable that those who stayed on the landmass that is now called Africa initially faced less hardship to the extent that they were likely more familiar with their African terrain and fauna than the small group of migrants who were forced to adapt to various new surroundings. However, pre-Holocene (hunter-gatherer) sub-Saharan Africans faced challenges of their own; especially in terms of fluctuating conditions in the Sahara region (see [[Saharan pump theory]]). Furthermore, tens of thousands of years after the small group of migrants out of Africa had multiplied and populated much of the non-African world (i.e. following the advent of the [[Holocene]]), people began to establish agriculture as a way of life. The first to accomplish this transition during the Holocene (a time of relative abundance in terms of climate) were the occupants of the [[Fertile Crescent]] (i.e. [[the Middle East]]). Such behavior in this fertile and easily accessible land gave rise to large concentrations of people living in one area (i.e. civilizations). Hence huge monuments were erected and intricately complex cultural traditions were innovated and recorded. However, when an agricultural tradition became established in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that was, at that time, effectively isolated from the rest of the world due to the desiccated Sahara, it gave rise to relatively less enduring cultural relics. Much of this is due to the fact that the soil of most of sub-Saharan Africa is fairly sterile relative to that in the Fertile Crescent and elsewhere (Reader, 1998). Therefore, it was difficult to feed the huge concentrations of people needed to establish monuments and exchange/generate innovative ideas that are characteristic of most 'civilizations'. Notably, it should be acknowledged that when the Sahara was sustainably breached by way of technology (such as travel through the Red Sea, various animal husbandry practices, as well as later by the ships of Europeans), increased exchange occurred among larger concentrations of people (i.e. with first Mediterraneans, then West-Asian Arabs, then Europeans), many sub-Saharan Africans easily fell in step with 'foreign' groups. In this way, Ethiopia (Axum) became an ancient superpower before the birth of Christ. In addition, Sahelian trade centers such as Ghana, Mali and Songhai thrived under the influence of West Asian-derived Islamic groups during the European [[Dark Ages]]. Furthermore, within the context of later trade with Europeans, several empires arose (such as those at Oyo and Benin) that were on track to parallel those of these northerners on their own terms had their autonomy been respected. Unfortunately, by the late 1800s, several European countries opted to [[colonize]] Africa rather than continue to interact with its inhabitants as independent, self-determining beings. Thus, instead of European technology being gradually incorporated into the cultures of the diverse autonomous African empires over time by way of increased exposure and exchange (as had been more the case in most of the interactions with Mediterraneans and West-Asian Arabs), it was forcefully imposed upon sub-Saharan Africans by way of combat and subordination. This interrupted and/or destroyed the development of these Western-influenced African empires, which may have grown to rival Axum as well as the Arab-influenced Sahelian empires of the [[Dark Ages]] in their grandure and complexity. Today, much of sub-Saharan Africa sits under the thumb of the West socially, culturally, and economically. It is arguable that this was the inevitable outcome of the [[Industrial Revolution]], a change in manpower needs resulting from the growth of capitalist interest and control. Whatever the causes, as of the turn of the 21st century, it seems apparent that, by way of an arbitrary event in the distant past that resulted in the ancestors of contemporary Africans remaining in the (relatively agriculturally sterile and isolated) homeland of humanity (while others migrated to more fertile and accessible regions), the bulk of the inhabitants of this continent have been misunderstood, reviled, and subordinated essentially due to a lack of material culture that no group could have produced under their circumstances. ===Pre-colonial exploration=== In the mid-nineteenth century, European [[List of explorers|explorers]] became interested in exploring the heart of the continent and opening the area for trade, mining and other commercial exploitation. In addition, there was a desire to convert the inhabitants to [[Christianity]]. The central area of Africa was still largely unknown to Europeans at this time. [[David Livingstone]] explored the continent between 1852 and his death in 1873; amongst other claims to fame, he was the first European to see the [[Victoria Falls]]. A prime goal for explorers was to locate the source of the [[River Nile]]. Expeditions by [[Richard Francis Burton|Burton]] and [[John Hanning Speke|Speke]] (1857–1858) and Speke and [[James Augustus Grant|Grant]] (1863) located [[Lake Tanganyika]] and [[Lake Victoria]]. The latter was eventually proven as the main source of the Nile. With subsequent expeditions by [[Samuel Baker|Baker]] and [[Henry Morton Stanley|Stanley]], Africa was well explored by the end of the century and this was to lead the way for the [[colonization]] which followed. ===Colonialism and the "scramble for Africa"=== {{Unreferencedsection|date=March 2007}} {{main|Colonization of Africa}} [[Image:ColonialAfrica.png|thumb|right|300px|Map showing European territorial claims on the African continent in 1914]] In the late nineteenth century, the European [[Imperialism|imperial]] powers engaged in a major [[scramble for Africa|territorial scramble]] and occupied most of the continent, creating many [[colony|colonial]] nation states, and leaving only two independent nations: [[Liberia]], an independent state partly settled by [[African American]]s; and [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Orthodox Christian]] [[Ethiopia]] (known to Europeans as "Abyssinia"). Colonial rule by Europeans would continue until after the conclusion of [[World War II]], when all colonial states gradually obtained formal independence. [[Colonialism]] had a destabilising effect on a number of ethnic groups that is still being felt in African politics. Before European influence, national borders were not much of a concern, with Africans generally following the practice of other areas of the world, such as the Arabian Peninsula, where a group's territory was congruent with its military or trade influence. The European insistence of drawing borders around territories to isolate them from those of other colonial powers often had the effect of separating otherwise contiguous political groups, or forcing traditional enemies to live side by side with no buffer between them. For example, although the [[Congo River]] appears to be a natural geographic boundary, there were groups that otherwise shared a [[language]], [[culture]] or other similarity living on both sides. The division of the land between [[Belgium]] and [[France]] along the river isolated these groups from each other. Those who lived in Saharan or [[Sub-Saharan Africa]] and traded across the continent for centuries often found themselves crossing borders that existed only on European maps. In nations that had substantial European populations, for example [[Rhodesia]] (now [[Zimbabwe]]), [[Angola]], [[Mozambique]], [[Kenya]] and [[South Africa]], systems of second-class citizenship were often set up in order to give Europeans [[political power]] far in excess of their numbers. In the [[Congo Free State]], personal property of King [[Leopold II of Belgium]], the native population was submitted to inhumane treatment, and a near slavery status assorted with forced labor. However, the lines were not always drawn strictly across racial lines. In [[Liberia]], citizens who were descendants of American slaves had a political system for over 100 years that gave ex-slaves and natives to the area roughly equal [[legislative power]] despite the fact the ex-slaves were outnumbered ten to one in the general population. Europeans often altered the local balance of power, created ethnic divides where they did not previously exist, and introduced a cultural dichotomy detrimental to the native inhabitants in the areas they controlled. For example, in what are now [[Rwanda]] and [[Burundi]], two ethnic groups [[Hutu]]s and [[Tutsi]]s had merged into one culture by the time German colonists had taken control of the region in the nineteenth century. No longer divided by ethnicity as intermingling, intermarriage, and merging of cultural practices over the centuries had long since erased visible signs of a culture divide, [[Belgium]] instituted a policy of racial categorization upon taking control of the region, as racially based categorization and philosophies were a fixture of the European culture of that time. The term Hutu originally referred to the agricultural-based [[Bantu]]-speaking peoples that moved into present day Rwanda and Burundi from the West, and the term Tutsi referred to Northeastern cattle-based peoples that migrated into the region later. The terms described a person's economic class; individuals who owned roughly 10 or more cattle were considered Tutsi, and those with fewer were considered Hutu, regardless of ancestral history. This was not a strict line but a general rule of thumb, and one could move from Hutu to Tutsi and vice versa. The Belgians introduced a racialized system; European-like features such as fairer skin, ample height, narrow noses were seen as more ideally [[Hamitic]], and belonged to those people closest to Tutsi in ancestry, who were thus given power amongst the colonised peoples. Identity cards were issued based on this philosophy. [[Tunisia]] was the first country in Africa to gain independence, doing so in 1956. The decades-long struggle for independence from France was led by [[Habib Bourguiba]], founder of the Republic of Tunisia. ===Post-colonial Africa=== Today, Africa contains 53 independent and sovereign countries, most of which still have the borders drawn during the era of European colonialism. Since colonialism, African states have frequently been hampered by instability, corruption, violence, and [[authoritarianism]]. The vast majority of African nations are [[republic]]s that operate under some form of the [[presidential system]] of rule. However, few of them have been able to sustain [[Democracy|democratic]] governments, and many have instead cycled through a series of [[Coup d'état|coups]], producing [[military dictatorship]]s. A number of Africa's post-colonial political leaders were military generals who were poorly educated and ignorant on matters of governance. Great instability, however, was mainly the result of marginalization of other ethnic groups and graft under these leaders. For [[Divide and rule|political gain]], many leaders fanned ethnic conflicts that had been exacerbated, or even created, by colonial rule. In many countries, the [[Armed force|military]] was perceived as being the only group that could effectively maintain order, and it ruled many nations in Africa during the 1970s and early 1980s. During the period from the early 1960s to the late 1980s, Africa had more than 70 coups and 13 presidential [[assassination]]s. Border and territorial disputes were also common, with the European-imposed borders of many nations being widely contested through armed conflicts. [[Cold War]] conflicts between the [[United States]] and the [[Soviet Union]], as well as the policies of the [[International Monetary Fund]], also played a role in instability. When a country became independent for the first time, it was often expected to align with one of the two [[superpower]]s. Many countries in [[Northern Africa]] received Soviet military aid, while many in Central and Southern Africa were supported by the [[United States]], [[France]] or both. The 1970s saw an escalation, as newly independent [[Angola]] and [[Mozambique]] aligned themselves with the Soviet Union, and the West and [[South Africa]] sought to contain Soviet influence by funding insurgency movements. There was a major famine in Ethiopia [[1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia| Ethiopian famine of 1984–85]], when hundreds of thousands of people starved. Some said that Marxist/Soviet polices made the situation worse. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/703958.stm|title=BBC: 1984 famine in Ethiopia}}</ref><ref>Robert G. Patman, ''The Soviet Union in the Horn of Africa'' 1990, ISBN 0521360226, pp. 295–296</ref><ref>Steven Varnis, ''Reluctant aid or aiding the reluctant?: U.S. food aid policy and the Ethiopian Famine Relief'' 1990, ISBN 0887383483, p.38</ref> Since 2003 there has been an ongoing conflict in Darfur which has become a humanitarian disaster. See [[Darfur war]]. AIDS has also been a prevalent issue in post-colonial Africa. See article [[AIDS in Africa]]. ==Politics== <!-- Replace template hack with new ImageMap (see m:Extension:ImageMap) // {{Africa Labelled Map|float=right}} // Source image: [[Image:BlankMap-Africa.png]] (can't use [[Image:Blank_Map-Africa.svg]] - image maps apparently don't work well with SVG.) Keeping the same size as the original is necessary --> {{Africa countries imagemap}} The [[African Union]] (AU) is a federation consisting of all of Africa's states except [[Morocco]]. The union was formed, with [[Addis Ababa]] as its headquarters, on [[June 26]] [[2001]]. In July 2004, the African Union's [[Pan-African Parliament]] (PAP) was relocated to [[Midrand]], in South Africa, but the [[African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights]] remained in [[Addis Ababa]]. There is a policy in effect to decentralise the African Federation's institutions so that they are shared by all the states. The African Union, not to be confused with the AU Commission, is formed by an [[Act of Union]] which aims to transform the [[African Economic Community]], a federated commonwealth, into a state, under established international conventions. The African Union has a parliamentary government, known as the [[Assembly of the African Union|African Union Government]], consisting of legislative, judicial and executive organs, and led by the African Union President and Head of State, who is also the President of the [[Pan African Parliament]]. A person becomes AU President by being elected to the PAP, and subsequently gaining majority support in the PAP. President [[Gertrude Ibengwe Mongella]] is the Head of State and Chief of Government of the African Union, by virtue of the fact that she is the President of the Pan African Parliament. She was elected by Parliament in its inaugural session in March 2004, for a term of five years. The PAP consists of 265 legislators, five from each constituent state of the African Union. Over 21% of the members are female.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} The powers and authority of the President of the African Parliament derive from the [[Union Act]], and the [[Pan African Parliament|Protocol of the Pan African Parliament]], as well as the inheritance of presidential authority stipulated by African treaties and by international treaties, including those subordinating the Secretary General of the [[OAU]] Secretariat (AU Commission) to the PAP. The government of the AU consists of all-union (federal), regional, state, and municipal authorities, as well as hundreds of institutions, that together manage the day-to-day affairs of the institution. Failed state policies, inequitable global trade practices, and climatic conditions (especially drought) have resulted in many widespread [[famine]]s, and significant portions of Africa remain with distribution systems unable to disseminate enough food or water for the population to survive. What had before colonialism been the source for 90% of the world's gold has become the poorest continent on earth, its former riches enjoyed by those on other continents. The spread of [[disease]] is also rampant, especially the spread of the [[HIV]] and the associated [[AIDS]], which has become a deadly [[pandemic]] on the continent. There are clear signs of increased networking among African organisations and states. In the civil war in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] (former [[Zaire]]), rather than rich, non-African countries intervening, neighbouring African countries became involved (see also [[Second Congo War]]). Since the conflict began in 1998, the estimated death toll has reached 4 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1198921,00.html|title=The Deadliest War In The World}}</ref> Political associations such as the [[African Union]] offer hope for greater co-operation and peace between the continent's many countries. Extensive human rights abuses still occur in several parts of Africa, often under the oversight of the state. Most of such violations occur for political reasons, often as a side effect of civil war. Countries where major human rights violations have been reported in recent times include the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Sierra Leone]], [[Liberia]], [[Sudan]], [[Zimbabwe]], and [[Côte d'Ivoire]]. ===Country name changes=== {{see also|Africanization}} Numerous African countries have undergone name changes during the previous century as the result of consolidations and [[secession]]s, territories gaining [[sovereignty]], and [[regime change]]s. {|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 90%" |- ! Previous name !! Year !! Current name |- | [[Portuguese West Africa]] | 1975 | [[Angola]], Republic of |- | [[Dahomey]], Republic of | 1975 | [[Benin]], Republic of |- | [[Bechuanaland]], Protectorate | 1966 | [[Botswana]], Republic of |- | [[Republic of Upper Volta|Upper Volta]] | 1984 | [[Burkina Faso]] |- | [[Oubangui-Chari]] | 1960 | [[Central African Republic]] |- | [[Zaire]], Republic of | 1997 | [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]], Democratic Republic of the |- | [[Middle Congo]] | 1960 | [[Republic of the Congo|Congo]], Republic of the |- | [[Ivory Coast]], The | 1985 | [[Côte d'Ivoire]], Republic of |- | [[History of Djibouti|Afars and the Issas]], Territory of | 1977 | [[Djibouti]], Republic of |- | [[Spanish Guinea]] | 1968 | [[Equatorial Guinea]], Republic of |- | [[Abyssinia]] | 1941 | [[Ethiopia]], Federal Democratic Republic of |- | [[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast]] | 1957 | [[Ghana]], Republic of |- | [[French West Africa]] (part of) | 1958 | [[Guinea]], Republic of |- | [[Portuguese Guinea]] | 1974 | [[Guinea-Bissau]], Republic of |- | [[Basutoland]], Territory of | 1966 | [[Lesotho]], Kingdom of |- | [[Nyasaland]] Protectorate | 1964 | [[Malawi]], Republic of |- | [[French Sudan]] | 1960 | [[Mali]], Republic of |- | [[South West Africa]] | 1990 | [[Namibia]], Republic of |- | [[German East Africa]] / [[Ruanda-Urundi]] | 1962 | [[Rwanda]], Republic of / [[Burundi]], Republic of |- | [[British Somaliland]] / [[Italian Somaliland]] | 1960 | [[Somalia]] Republic |- | [[Zanzibar]] / [[Tanganyika]] | 1964 | [[Tanzania]], United Republic of |- | [[Buganda]] | 1962 | [[Uganda]], Republic of |- | [[Northern Rhodesia]] | 1964 | [[Zambia]], Republic of |- | [[Southern Rhodesia]] | 1980 | [[Zimbabwe]], Republic of |} ==Economy== {{main|Economy of Africa}} [[Image:RECs of the AEC.png|thumb|right|347px|[[African Economic Community]] map]] Although it has abundant [[natural resource]]s, Africa remains the world's [[poverty|poorest]] and most [[Human Development Index|underdeveloped]] continent, due largely to the effects of: [[tropical diseases]], the [[African slave trade|slave trade]], [[Corruption Perceptions Index|corrupt governments]], failed [[central planning]], the international trade regime and [[geopolitics]]; as well as widespread [[human rights]] violations, the negative effects of [[History of colonialism|colonialism]], [[despotism]], [[illiteracy]], [[superstition]], tribal savagery and military conflict (ranging from [[war]] and [[civil war]] to [[guerrilla]] warfare to [[genocide]]).<ref> Richard Sandbrook, The Politics of Africa's Economic Stagnation, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1985 passim </ref> According to the [[United Nations]]' Human Development Report in 2003, the bottom 25 ranked nations (151st to 175th) were all African nations.<ref>[http://hdr.undp.org/], [[United Nations]]</ref> Widespread [[poverty]], [[illiteracy]], [[malnutrition]] and inadequate water supply and sanitation, as well as poor health, affect a large majority of the people who reside in the African continent, where 36.2% of the population is living on under $1 per day. Africa is by far the world's poorest inhabited continent, and on average, in 2003 it was poorer than it was in 1973.<ref>[http://www.un.org/Depts/rcnyo/newsletter/survs/ecasurv2004.doc Economic report on Africa 2004: unlocking Africa’s potential in the global economy], (Substantive session 28 June-23 July 2004) [[United Nations]]</ref> Some areas, notably [[Botswana]] and [[South Africa]], have experienced economic success. The latter has a wealth of [[natural resource]]s, being the world's leading producer of both [[gold]] and [[diamond]]s, and having a well-established legal system. South Africa also has access to financial capital, numerous markets, skilled labor, and first world infrastructure in much of the country and has one of the major [[stock exchange]]s of the continent, the [[Johannesburg Stock Exchange]]. Over a quarter of Botswana's budget (also a major diamond producer) goes toward improving the infrastructure of [[Gaborone]], the nation's capital, largest city, and one of the world's fastest growing cities. Other African countries are making comparable progress, such as [[Ghana]], [[Cameroon]] and [[Egypt]]. On the other hand, 80% of [[Zimbabwe]]ans are unemployed. Two million of the country's residents have fled to Botswana and South Africa. Inflation rates, which fluctuate wildly, average out to more than 1000% a year, and the Zimbabwean dollar has depreciated against the U.S. dollar from 38 to 1 in 1999 to more than 5,000 to 1. Hunger and starvation are widespread, and consumer shortages abound. Since 1998, Zimbabwe's per capita gross domestic product has slid from about $700 to less than $200. Death rates have skyrocketed, and school attendance has plummeted. Once a country with a strong economy for [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]'s standards, natural resources and a tolerant society, Zimbabwe is now one of the poorest and most bitterly divided countries in the continent, brought to ruin in less than two decades. [[Nigeria]] sits on one of the largest proven oil reserves in the world and has the highest population among nations in Africa, with one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. From 1995 to 2005, economic growth picked up, averaging 5% in 2005. However, some countries experienced much higher growth (10+%) in particular, [[Angola]], [[Sudan]] and [[Equatorial Guinea]], all three of which have recently begun extracting their [[petroleum]] reserves or have expanded their [[oil extraction]] capacity. {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:85%" ! [[Country]] ! [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|Total GDP (nominal) in 2007]]<ref>Source: [http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/GDP.pdf]</ref><br />(billion US$) ! [[List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita|GDP (PPP) per capita in 2007]]<ref name=ICP>Source: [http://siteresources.worldbank.org/ICPINT/Resources/ICPreportprelim.pdf]</ref><br />(US$) ! [[List of countries by Human Development Index|HDI in 2005]]<ref>Source: [http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_complete.pdf]</ref> |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Algeria}} | {{Nts|114.73}} | {{Nts|5985}} | {{Nts|0.733}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Angola}} | {{Nts|44.03}} | {{Nts|3533}} | {{Nts|0.446}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Benin}} | {{Nts|4.78}} | {{Nts|1390}} | {{Nts|0.437}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Botswana}} | {{Nts|10.33}} | {{Nts|16450}} | {{Nts|0.654}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Burkina Faso}} | {{Nts|6.21}} | {{Nts|1140}} | {{Nts|0.370}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Burundi}} | {{Nts|0.81}} | {{Nts|372}} | {{Nts|0.413}} |- | style="t.ext-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Cameroon}} | {{Nts|18.32}} | {{Nts|1995}} | {{Nts|0.532}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Cape Verde}} | {{Nts|1.14}} | {{Nts|2831}} | {{Nts|0.736}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Central African Republic}} | {{Nts|1.49}} | {{Nts|726}} | {{Nts|0.384}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Chad}} | {{Nts|6.54}} | {{Nts|1749}} | {{Nts|0.388}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Comoros}} | {{Nts|0.40}} | {{Nts|1063}} | {{Nts|0.561}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Democratic Republic of the Congo}} | {{Nts|8.54}} | {{Nts|309}} | {{Nts|0.411}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Republic of the Congo}} | {{Nts|7.39}} | {{Nts|3621}} | {{Nts|0.548}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Côte d'Ivoire}} | {{Nts|17.48}} | {{Nts|1575}} | {{Nts|0.432}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Djibouti}} | {{Nts|0.76}} | {{Nts|1964}} | {{Nts|0.516}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Egypt}} | {{Nts|107.48}} | {{Nts|5051}} | {{Nts|0.708}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Equatorial Guinea}} | {{Nts|8.56}} | {{Nts|12895}} | {{Nts|0.642}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Eritrea}} | {{Nts|1.09}} | {{Nts|774}} | {{Nts|0.483}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Ethiopia}} | {{Nts|13.32}} | {{Nts|806}} | {{Nts|0.406}} |- | style="t.ext-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Gabon}} | {{Nts|9.55}} | {{Nts|14083}} | {{Nts|0.677}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Gambia}} | {{Nts|0.51}} | {{Nts|1326}} | {{Nts|0.502}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Ghana}} | {{Nts|12.91}} | {{Nts|1225}} | {{Nts|0.553}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Guinea}} | {{Nts|3.32}} | {{Nts|1074}} | {{Nts|0.456}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Guinea-Bissau}} | {{Nts|0.30}} | {{Nts|484}} | {{Nts|0.374}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Kenya}} | {{Nts|21.19}} | {{Nts|1359}} | {{Nts|0.521}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Lesotho}} | {{Nts|1.48}} | {{Nts|1415}} | {{Nts|0.549}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Liberia}} | {{Nts|0.63}} | {{Nts|357}} | {{Nts|0.331}} (in 1993) N/A |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Libya}} | {{Nts|50.32}} | {{Nts|12277}} | {{Nts|0.818}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Madagascar}} | {{Nts|5.50}} | {{Nts|1068}} | {{Nts|0.533}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Malawi}} | {{Nts|2.23}} | {{Nts|785}} | {{Nts|0.437}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Mali}} | {{Nts|5.93}} | {{Nts|1027}} | {{Nts|0.380}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Mauritania}} | {{Nts|2.66}} | {{Nts|1691}} | {{Nts|0.550}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Mauritius}} | {{Nts|6.45}} | {{Nts|11152}} | {{Nts|0.804}} |- | style="t.ext-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Morocco}} | {{Nts|57.31}} | {{Nts|3547}} | {{Nts|0.646}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Mozambique}} | {{Nts|7.61}} | {{Nts|830}} | {{Nts|0.384}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Namibia}} | {{Nts|6.37}} | {{Nts|4547}} | {{Nts|0.650}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Niger}} | {{Nts|3.54}} | {{Nts|667}} | {{Nts|0.374}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Nigeria}} | {{Nts|114.69}} | {{Nts|1892}} | {{Nts|0.470}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Réunion}} ([[France]]) | {{Nts|15.98}}<ref name=Reunion>{{fr_icon}} {{cite web|url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/insee_regions/reunion/rfc/docs/ter2007_11_1_resultats_economiques.pdf|title=11.1 - RÉSULTATS ÉCONOMIQUES|author=[[INSEE]] Réunion|accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref> | {{Nts|19233}} (nominal)<ref name=Reunion /> | {{Nts|0.850}} (in 2003)<ref>Source: [http://www.temoignages.re/article.php3?id_article=18997]</ref> |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Rwanda}} | {{Nts|2.49}} | {{Nts|899}} | {{Nts|0.452}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Sao Tome and Principe}} | {{Nts|0.12}} | {{Nts|1460}} | {{Nts|0.654}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Senegal}} | {{Nts|8.94}} | {{Nts|1676}} | {{Nts|0.499}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Seychelles}} | {{Nts|0.75}} | {{Nts|16642}} | {{Nts|0.843}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Sierra Leone}} | {{Nts|1.44}} | {{Nts|692}} | {{Nts|0.336}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Somalia}} | {{Nts|0.06}}<ref name=ICP /> | {{Nts|600}} | {{Nts|0.221}} (in 1993) N/A |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|South Africa}} | {{Nts|254.99}} | {{Nts|9761}} | {{Nts|0.674}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Sudan}} | {{Nts|37.57}} | {{Nts|2249}} | {{Nts|0.526}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Swaziland}} | {{Nts|2.65}} | {{Nts|4384}} | {{Nts|0.547}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Tanzania}} | {{Nts|12.78}} | {{Nts|1018}} | {{Nts|0.467}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Togo}} | {{Nts|2.21}} | {{Nts|806}} | {{Nts|0.512}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Tunisia}} | {{Nts|30.30}} | {{Nts|6461}} | {{Nts|0.766}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Uganda}} | {{Nts|9.32}} | {{Nts|939}} | {{Nts|0.505}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Zambia}} | {{Nts|10.91}} | {{Nts|1175}} | {{Nts|0.434}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | {{flagcountry|Zimbabwe}} | {{Nts|5.01}} | {{Nts|188}} | {{Nts|0.513}} |} ==Demographics== {{Unreferencedsection|date=March 2007}} {{main|African people|Demographics of Africa}} The last 40 years have seen a rapid increase in population; hence, this population is relatively young. In some African states half or more of the population is under 25 years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.overpopulation.org/Africa.html|title=Africa Population Dynamics}}</ref> Speakers of [[Bantu languages]] (part of the Niger-Congo family) are the majority in southern, central and East Africa proper. But there are also several [[Nilotic]] groups in East Africa, and a few remaining [[Indigenous peoples of Africa|indigenous]] Khoisan ('[[Bushmen|San']] or '[[Bushmen]]') and [[Pygmy]] peoples in southern and central Africa, respectively. Bantu-speaking Africans also predominate in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, and are found in parts of southern Cameroon and southern Somalia. In the [[Kalahari Desert]] of Southern Africa, the distinct people known as the Bushmen (also "San", closely related to, but distinct from "[[Khoikhoi|Hottentots]]") have long been present. The San are physically distinct from other Africans and are the indigenous people of southern Africa. Pygmies are the pre-Bantu indigenous peoples of central Africa. The peoples of [[North Africa]] comprise two main groups; [[Berber people|Berber]] and [[Arabic language|Arabic]]-speaking peoples in the west, and [[Egyptians]] in the east. The [[Arab]]s who arrived in the seventh century introduced the [[Arabic language]] and [[Islam]] to North Africa. The Semitic [[Phoenicia]]ns, the European [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]], [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] and [[Vandals]] settled in North Africa as well. Berbers still make up the majority in [[Morocco]], while they are a significant minority within [[Algeria]]. They are also present in [[Tunisia]] and [[Libya]]. The [[Tuareg]] and other often-nomadic peoples are the principal inhabitants of the Saharan interior of North Africa. [[Nubians]] are a [[Nilo-Saharan]]-speaking group (though many also speak Arabic), who developed an ancient civilisation in northeast Africa. During the past century or so, small but economically important colonies of [[Demographics of Lebanon#The Lebanese Diaspora|Lebanese]] and [[Overseas Chinese|Chinese]] have also developed in the larger coastal cities of [[West Africa|West]] and [[East Africa]], respectively. Some [[Ethiopia]]n and [[Eritrea]]n groups (like the [[Amhara people|Amhara]] and [[Tigray-Tigrinya people|Tigrayans]], collectively known as "[[Habesha people|Habesha]]") speak [[Semitic languages]]. The [[Oromo]] and [[Somali people|Somali]] peoples speak [[Cushitic]] languages, but some Somali clans trace their founding to legendary Arab founders. [[Sudan]] and [[Mauritania]] are divided between a mostly Arabized north and a native African south (although the "Arabs" of Sudan clearly have a predominantly native African ancestry themselves). Some areas of East Africa, particularly the island of [[Zanzibar]] and the Kenyan [[Lamu Island|island of Lamu]], received Arab Muslim and [[Southwest Asia]]n settlers and merchants throughout the [[Middle Ages]] and in antiquity. Beginning in the sixteenth century, Europeans such as the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] and [[Netherlands|Dutch]] began to establish [[trading post]]s and [[Fortification|forts]] along the coasts of western and southern Africa. Eventually, a large number of Dutch augmented by French [[Huguenot]]s and [[Germans]] settled in what is today [[South Africa]]. Their descendants, the [[Afrikaner]]s and the [[Coloured]]s, are the largest European-descended groups in Africa today. In the nineteenth century, a second phase of colonisation brought a large number of French and [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] settlers to Africa. The Portuguese settled mainly in Angola, but also in Mozambique. The French settled in large numbers in [[Algeria]] where they became known collectively as ''[[Pied-noir|pieds-noirs]]'', and on a smaller scale in other areas of North and West Africa as well as in Madagascar. The British settled chiefly in South Africa as well as the colony of [[Rhodesia]], and in the highlands of what is now [[Kenya]]. Germans settled in what is now [[Tanzania]] and [[Namibia]], and there is still a population of German-speaking white Namibians. Smaller numbers of European soldiers, businessmen, and officials also established themselves in administrative centers such as [[Nairobi]] and [[Dakar]]. Decolonisation during the 1960s often resulted in the mass emigration of European-descended settlers out of Africa – especially from Algeria, Angola, Kenya and Rhodesia. However, in South Africa and Namibia, the white minority remained politically dominant after independence from Europe, and a significant population of Europeans remained in these two countries even after [[liberal democracy|democracy]] was finally instituted at the end of the [[Cold War]]. South Africa has also become the preferred destination of white Anglo-Zimbabweans, and of migrants from all over southern Africa. European colonisation also brought sizeable groups of [[Asian people|Asians]], particularly people from the [[Indian subcontinent]], to British colonies. Large [[Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin|Indian communities]] are found in South Africa, and smaller ones are present in Kenya, Tanzania, and some other southern and East African countries. The large Indian community in [[Uganda]] was expelled by the dictator [[Idi Amin]] in 1972, though many have since returned. The islands in the [[Indian Ocean]] are also populated primarily by people of Asian origin, often mixed with Africans and Europeans. The [[Malagasy people]] of [[Madagascar]] are a [[Austronesian people]], but those along the coast are generally mixed with Bantu, Arab, Indian and European origins. Malay and Indian ancestries are also important components in the group of people known in South Africa as [[Cape Coloured]]s (people with origins in two or more races and continents). ==Languages== {{Unreferencedsection|date=March 2007}} {{main|African languages}} [[Image:African_language_families_en.svg|right|300px|thumb|Map showing the distribution of African language families and some major African languages. [[Afro-Asiatic languages|Afro-Asiatic]] extends from the [[Sahel]] to [[Southwest Asia]]. [[Niger-Congo languages|Niger-Congo]] is divided to show the size of the [[Bantu languages|Bantu sub-family]].]] [[Image:Official LanguagesMap-Africa.png|right|300px|thumb|Many African countries today have more than one [[official language]].]] By most estimates, Africa contains well over a thousand [[language]]s (some have estimated over two thousand), most of African origin and a few of European origin. Africa is the most [[Multilingualism|polyglot]] continent in the world; it is not rare to find individuals there who fluently speak not only several African languages, but one or two European ones as well. There are four major [[language family|language families]] native to Africa. * The [[Afro-Asiatic languages|''Afro-Asiatic'']] languages are a language family of about 240 languages and 285 million people widespread throughout the [[Horn of Africa]], [[North Africa]], the [[Sahel]], and [[Southwest Asia]]. * The [[Nilo-Saharan languages|''Nilo-Saharan'']] language family consists of more than a hundred languages spoken by 30 million people. Nilo-Saharan languages are spoken by [[Nilotic]] tribes in [[Chad]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Kenya]], [[Sudan]], [[Uganda]], and northern [[Tanzania]]. * The [[Niger-Congo languages|''Niger-Congo'']] language family covers much of Sub-Saharan Africa and is probably the largest language family in the world in terms of different languages. A substantial number of them are the [[Bantu languages]] spoken in much of sub-Saharan Africa. * The [[Khoisan languages|''Khoisan'']] languages number about fifty and are spoken in Southern Africa by approximately 120,000 people. Many of the Khoisan languages are [[endangered language|endangered]]. The [[Khoikhoi|Khoi]] and [[Bushmen|San]] peoples are considered the original inhabitants of this part of Africa. Following [[colonialism]], nearly all African countries adopted [[official language]]s that originated outside the continent, although several countries nowadays also use various languages of native origin (such as [[Swahili]]) as their official language. In numerous countries, [[English language|English]] and [[French language|French]] (see [[African French]]) are used for communication in the public sphere such as government, commerce, education and the media. [[Arabic language|Arabic]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Afrikaans]] and [[Malagasy]] are other examples of originally non-African languages that are used by millions of Africans today, both in the public and private spheres. ==Culture== {{Unreferencedsection|date=March 2007}} {{main|Culture of Africa}} African culture is characterised by a vastly diverse patchwork of social values, ranging from extreme [[patriarchy]] to extreme [[matriarchy]], sometimes in tribes existing side by side. Modern African culture is characterised by conflicted responses to [[Arab nationalism]] and [[European imperialism]]. Increasingly, beginning in the late 1990s, Africans are reasserting their identity. In [[North Africa]] especially the rejection of the label [[Arab]] or [[Europe]]an has resulted in an upsurge of demands for special protection of indigenous [[Amazigh]] languages and culture in Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. The re-emergence of [[Pan-Africanism]] since the fall of [[apartheid]] has heightened calls for a renewed sense of African identity. In South Africa, intellectuals from settler communities of European descent increasingly identify as African for cultural rather than geographical or racial reasons. Famously, some have undergone ritual ceremonies to become members of the [[Zulu]] or other community. Much of the traditional African cultures have become impoverished as a result of years of neglect and suppression by colonial and neo-colonial regimes. There is now a resurgence in the attempts to rediscover and revalourise African traditional cultures, under such movements as the [[African Renaissance]] led by [[Thabo Mbeki]], [[Afrocentrism]] led by an influential group of scholars including [[Molefi Asante]], as well as the increasing recognition of traditional spiritualism through decriminalization of [[Vodou]] and other forms of spirituality. In recent years African traditional culture has become synonymous with rural poverty and subsistence farming. Urban culture in Africa, now associated with Western values, is a great contrast from traditional African urban culture which was once rich and enviable even by modern Western standards. African cities such as [[Loango]], [[M'banza Congo]], [[Timbuktu]], [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]], [[Meroe]] and others had served as the world's most affluent urban and industrial centers, clean, well-laid out, and full of universities, libraries, and temples. The main and most enduring cultural fault-line in Africa is the divide between traditional [[pastoralism|pastoralists]] and [[agriculture|agriculturalists]]. The divide is not, and never was based on economic competition, but rather on the colonial racial policy that identified pastoralists as constituting a different race from agriculturalists, and enforcing a form of [[apartheid]] between the two cultures beginning in the 1880s and lasting until the 1960s. Although European colonial powers were largely industrial, many of the administrators and philosophers, whose writings provided rationale for colonialism, applied quasi-scientific eugenics policies and racist politics on Africans in experiments of misguided social engineering. Most of the racial recategorisation of Africans to fit European stereotypes was contradictory and incoherent. However, because their legalism and laws that emanated from these policies were backed by police force, the scientific establishment and economic power, Africans reacted by either conforming to the new rules, or rejecting them in favour of Pan-Africanism. All across Africa communities and individuals were measured by colonial eugenics boards and reassigned identities and ethnicities based on [[pseudoscience]]. The schools taught that in general Africans who resembled Europeans in some physical or cultural aspect were superior to other Africans and deserved more privileges. The easiest way to divide Africans was along economic lines. Pastoralists, agriculturalists, hunter-gatherers and Westernised Africans, all formed distinctly identifiable cultures each of which came to play a different and disfiguring role in Africa's modern politics. The Westernised Africans, specifically [[Senegal]]ese and Sudanese Nubians from urban centers such as Dakar and Khartoum, were used to serve as the bulk of colonial troops against the rural Africans. Pastoralists were radicalised by the wholesale confiscation of grazing lands in favour of plantations. Agriculturalists came into conflict for land and water with pastoralists after the traditional sharing arrangements had been destroyed by colonial policies. [[Image:Nassarius shellbeads South Africa.jpg|thumb|right|190px|75,000 year old ''[[Nassarius]]'' shell beads found in [[Blombos Cave]], [[South Africa]]]] In addition, a growing body of speculative anthropology and [[race science]] made false claims about the superiority and inferiority of Africans with different cultural and economic backgrounds. The vast majority of the scholarship on Africa was extraneous and catered to the demand for exotic and outlandish representations of Africa. The enforcement of the government decrees and policies tended to produce effects that confirmed the prejudices of the European colonialists. [[African art]] and [[African architecture|architecture]] reflect the diversity of African cultures. The oldest existing examples of art from Africa are 75,000 year old [[bead]]s made from ''[[Nassarius]]'' shells that were found in [[Blombos Cave]]. The [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] in [[Egypt]] was the [[world's tallest structure]] for 4,000 years until the completion of [[Lincoln Cathedral]] around 1300. The stone ruins of [[Great Zimbabwe]] are also noteworthy for their architecture, and the complex of [[monolithic church]]es at [[Lalibela]], Ethiopia, of which the [[Church of St. George, Lalibela|Church of St. George]] is representative, is regarded as another marvel of engineering. === Music and dance === {{Unreferencedsection|date=March 2007}} {{main|Music of Africa}} The [[music of Africa]] is one of its most dynamic art forms. Egypt has long been a cultural focus of the Arab world, while remembrance of the rhythms of sub-Saharan Africa, in particular West Africa, was transmitted through the [[Atlantic slave trade]] to modern [[samba]], [[blues]], [[jazz]], [[reggae]], [[rap music|rap]], and [[rock and roll]]. The 1950s through the 1970s saw a conglomeration of these various styles with the popularization of [[Afrobeat]] and [[Highlife]] music. Modern music of the continent includes the highly complex choral singing of southern Africa and the dance rhythms of [[soukous]], dominated by the [[music of the Democratic Republic of Congo]]. Recent developments include the emergence of [[African hip hop]], in particular a form from [[Senegal]] blended with traditional [[mbalax]], and [[Kwaito]], a South African variant of [[house music]]. [[Afrikaans]] music, also found in South Africa, is idiosyncratic being composed mostly of traditional [[Boer music]], while more recent immigrant communities have introduced the music of their homes to the continent. Indigenous musical and dance traditions of Africa are maintained by oral traditions and they are distinct from the music and dance styles of [[North Africa]] and [[Southern Africa]]. [[Arab]] influences are visible in North African music and dance and in Southern Africa western influences are apparent due to [[colonisation]]. Many African languages are [[tone language]]s, in which pitch level determines the meaning. This also finds expression in African musical melodies and rhythms. A variety of musical instruments are used, including [[drum]]s (most widely used), [[bell (instrument)|bells]], [[musical bow]], [[lute]], [[flute]], and [[trumpet]]. African dances are important mode of communication and dancers use gestures, [[mask]]s, [[costume]]s, [[body painting]] and a number of visual devices. With [[urbanisation]] and [[modernisation]], modern African dance and music exhibit influences assimilated from several other cultures. ===Legends of Africa=== {{main|Legends of Africa}} Africa has a wealth of history which is largely unrecorded. Many [[Mythology|myths]], [[fable]]s and [[legend]]s abound. === Sports === 53 African countries have [[football (soccer)|football]] teams in the [[Confederation of African Football]], while Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, and Ghana have advanced to the knockout stage of recent [[FIFA World Cup]]s. South Africa will host the [[2010 FIFA World Cup|2010 World Cup tournament]], and will be the first African country to do so. [[Cricket]] is also popular in some African nations, with [[South Africa national cricket team|South Africa]] and [[Zimbabwe national cricket team|Zimbabwe]] holding [[Test cricket|Test]] status and [[Kenya national cricket team|Kenya]] also being a significant force in [[One Day International|One-Day International cricket]]. The three countries jointly hosted the [[2003 Cricket World Cup]]. A number of African nations, especially Ethiopia, Kenya, and Morocco, have fielded world-class [[Long-distance track event|long-distance runners]] such as [[Abebe Bikila]] and [[Cosmas Ndeti]]. [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]] hosted and won the [[1995 Rugby World Cup]] and also won the [[2007 Rugby World Cup]]. ===Religion=== {{main|Religion in Africa}} Africans profess a wide variety of religious beliefs<ref name=stanford>[http://library.stanford.edu/africa/religion.html "African Religion on the Internet"], [[Stanford University]]</ref> and statistics on religious affiliation are difficult to come by since they are too sensitive a topic for governments with mixed populations.<ref name=NYT>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00EEDC1030F932A35752C1A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1 Rising Muslim Power in Africa Causing Unrest in Nigeria and Elsewhere</ref> Estimations from World Book Encyclopedia claim that there are 150 million African Muslims and 130 million African Christians, while Encyclopedia Britannica estimates that approximately 46.5% of all Africans are Christians and another 40.5% are Muslims with roughly 11.8% of Africans following indigenous [[African traditional religion|African religions]]. A small number of Africans are [[Hindu]], [[Bahá'í Faith|Baha'i]], or have beliefs from the [[Judaism|Judaic tradition]]. Examples of [[Jews and Judaism in Africa|African Jews]] are the [[Beta Israel]], [[Lemba]] peoples and the [[Abayudaya]] of Eastern Uganda. Indigenous Sub-Saharan African religions tend to revolve around a [[Pantheon (gods)|pantheon]] of deities, and often involve [[animism]] and [[ancestor worship]]. A common thread in traditional belief systems was the division of the [[Spirit world (spiritualism)|spiritual world]] into "helpful" and "harmful" spiritual beings. Helpful [[Spiritual being|spirits]] include ancestor spirits who can be called upon to help their descendants, and more powerful spirits that protect entire communities from natural disaster or attacks from enemies. Harmful spirits include the [[soul]]s of murdered victims who were buried without the proper [[Funeral|funeral rites]], and spirits used by hostile spirit [[Medium (spirituality)|mediums]] to cause illness among their enemies. While the effect of these early forms of worship continues to have a profound influence, belief systems have evolved as they interact with other religions. The formation of the [[Old Kingdom]] of [[Egypt]] in the [[third millennium BC]] marked the earliest known complex religious system on the continent, and one of the earliest in the world. Around the ninth century, [[Carthage]] (in present-day [[Tunisia]]) was founded by the Phoenicians, and went on to become a major cosmopolitan center where [[deity|deities]] from neighboring Egypt, [[Ancient Rome|Rome]] and the [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscan city-states]] were worshipped. Today, many Jewish peoples also live in North Africa, particularly in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. The founding of the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria]] is traditionally dated to the mid-first century, while the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Church]] and the [[Eritrean Orthodox Church]] officially date from the fourth century. These are thus some of the first established [[Christianity|Christian]] churches in the world. At first, Christian Orthodoxy made gains in modern-day Sudan and other neighbouring regions. However, after the spread of Islam, growth was slow and restricted to the highlands. Many Sub-Saharan Africans were converted to [[Western Christianity]] during the colonial period. In the last decades of the twentieth century, various sects of [[charismatic movement|Charismatic Christianity]] rapidly grew. A number of Roman Catholic African bishops were mentioned as possible [[Pope|papal]] candidates in 2005, the most prominent of those being Nigerian [[Francis Arinze|Cardinal Francis Arinze]]. African Christians appear to be more socially conservative than their co-religionists in much of the industrialized world, which has quite recently led to tension within [[Religious denomination|denominations]] such as the [[Anglican Communion|Anglican]] and [[Methodism|Methodist Churches]]. The [[African Initiated Church]]es have experienced significant growth in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. [[Islam in Africa]] largely began when Arab Muslims conquered North Africa between 640 and 710, beginning with Egypt. They settled in Mogadishu, Melinde, Mombasa, Kilwa, and Sofala, following the sea trade down the coast of [[East Africa]], and diffusing through the Sahara desert into the interior of Africa—following in particular the paths of Muslim traders. Muslims were also among the Asian peoples who later settled in British-ruled Africa. During colonial times, Christianity had success in converting those who followed traditional religions but had very little success in converting Muslims, who took advantage of the urbanization and increase in trade to settle in new areas and spread their faith. As a result, [[Islam]] in sub-Saharan Africa probably doubled between 1869 and 1914.<ref>Bulliet, Richard, Pamela Crossley, Daniel Headrick, Steven Hirsch, Lyman Johnson, and David Northrup. The Earth and Its Peoples. 3. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. ISBN 0-618-42770-8</ref> Islam continued this tremendous growth into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Today, backed by gulf oil cash, Muslims have increased success in proselytizing. Most experts agree that Islam is spreading faster than any other faith in East and West Africa.<ref name=NYT/> According to other estimates, Islam has a growth rate that is twice as fast as Christianity in Africa as a whole.<ref>http://www.newsfromafrica.org/newsfromafrica/articles/art_10733.html Islam making in-roads in Zambia</ref> ==Territories and regions== {{main|Regions of Africa|List of African countries}} The countries in this table are categorised according to the [[UN geoscheme|scheme for geographic subregions]] used by the United Nations, and data included are per sources in cross-referenced articles. Where they differ, provisos are clearly indicated. <!--{{editnote | NOTE: If you have arguments or evidence to the contrary, please provide them on the talk page and await until the consensus supports making proposed edits. Thank you!--> <!--this table is needed to keep the continental map thumbnails to the right, and not overlap the table--> {|align=right | [[Image:Africa-regions.png|thumb|200px|[[subregion|Regions]] of Africa: {{legend|#0000FF|[[North Africa|Northern Africa]]}} {{legend|#00FF00|[[West Africa|Western Africa]]}} {{legend|#FF00FF|[[Central Africa|Middle Africa]]}} {{legend|#FFC000|[[East Africa|Eastern Africa]]}} {{legend|#FF0000|[[Southern Africa]]}}]] |- |- |[[Image:topography of africa.png|thumb|left|200px|Physical map of Africa.]] |- |[[Image:Satellite Photo of Africa.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Satellite photo of Africa.]] |} <!--end thumbnails--> <!--begin country info tables--> {| border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse" |- bgcolor="#ECECEC" ! Name of region<ref>Continental regions as per [[:Image:United Nations geographical subregions.png|UN categorisations/map]].<br /></ref> and<br />territory, with [[flag]] ! [[List of countries by area|Area]]<br />(km²) ! [[List of countries by population|Population]]<br />([[1 July]] [[2002]] est.) ! [[List of countries by population density|Population density]]<br />(per km²) ! [[Capital]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Eastern Africa]]''': |- | {{flagicon|Burundi}} [[Burundi]] | align="right" | 27,830 | align="right" | 6,373,002 | align="right" | 229.0 | [[Bujumbura]] |- | {{flagicon|Comoros}} [[Comoros]] | align="right" | 2,170 | align="right" | 614,382 | align="right" | 283.1 | [[Moroni, Comoros|Moroni]] |- | {{flagicon|Djibouti}} [[Djibouti]] | align="right" | 23,000 | align="right" | 472,810 | align="right" | 20.6 | [[Djibouti City|Djibouti]] |- | {{flagicon|Eritrea}} [[Eritrea]] | align="right" | 121,320 | align="right" | 4,465,651 | align="right" | 36.8 | [[Asmara]] |- | {{flagicon|Ethiopia}} [[Ethiopia]] | align="right" | 1,127,127 | align="right" | 67,673,031 | align="right" | 60.0 | [[Addis Ababa]] |- | {{flagicon|Kenya}} [[Kenya]] | align="right" | 582,650 | align="right" | 31,138,735 | align="right" | 53.4 | [[Nairobi]] |- | {{flagicon|Madagascar}} [[Madagascar]] | align="right" | 587,040 | align="right" | 16,473,477 | align="right" | 28.1 | [[Antananarivo]] |- | {{flagicon|Malawi}} [[Malawi]] | align="right" | 118,480 | align="right" | 10,701,824 | align="right" | 90.3 | [[Lilongwe]] |- | {{flagicon|Mauritius}} [[Mauritius]] | align="right" | 2,040 | align="right" | 1,200,206 | align="right" | 588.3 | [[Port Louis]] |- | {{flagicon|Mayotte}} [[Mayotte]] ([[France]]) | align="right" | 374 | align="right" | 170,879 | align="right" | 456.9 | [[Mamoudzou]] |- | {{flagicon|Mozambique}} [[Mozambique]] | align="right" | 801,590 | align="right" | 19,607,519 | align="right" | 24.5 | [[Maputo]] |- | {{flagicon|Réunion}} [[Réunion]] ([[France]]) | align="right" | 2,512 | align="right" | 743,981 | align="right" | 296.2 | [[Saint-Denis, Réunion|Saint-Denis]] |- | {{flagicon|Rwanda}} [[Rwanda]] | align="right" | 26,338 | align="right" | 7,398,074 | align="right" | 280.9 | [[Kigali]] |- | {{flagicon|Seychelles}} [[Seychelles]] | align="right" | 455 | align="right" | 80,098 | align="right" | 176.0 | [[Victoria, Seychelles|Victoria]] |- | {{flagicon|Somalia}} [[Somalia]] | align="right" | 637,657 | align="right" | 7,753,310 | align="right" | 12.2 | [[Mogadishu]] |- | {{flagicon|Tanzania}} [[Tanzania]] | align="right" | 945,087 | align="right" | 37,187,939 | align="right" | 39.3 | [[Dodoma]] |- | {{flagicon|Uganda}} [[Uganda]] | align="right" | 236,040 | align="right" | 24,699,073 | align="right" | 104.6 | [[Kampala]] |- | {{flagicon|Zambia}} [[Zambia]] | align="right" | 752,614 | align="right" | 9,959,037 | align="right" | 13.2 | [[Lusaka]] |- | {{flagicon|Zimbabwe}} [[Zimbabwe]] | align="right" | 390,580 | align="right" | 11,376,676 | align="right" | 29.1 | [[Harare]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Central Africa|Middle Africa]]''': |- | {{flagicon|Angola}} [[Angola]] | align="right" | 1,246,700 | align="right" | 10,593,171 | align="right" | 8.5 | [[Luanda]] |- | {{flagicon|Cameroon}} [[Cameroon]] | align="right" | 475,440 | align="right" | 16,184,748 | align="right" | 34.0 | [[Yaoundé]] |- | {{flagicon|Central African Republic}} [[Central African Republic]] | align="right" | 622,984 | align="right" | 3,642,739 | align="right" | 5.8 | [[Bangui]] |- | {{flagicon|Chad}} [[Chad]] | align="right" | 1,284,000 | align="right" | 8,997,237 | align="right" | 7.0 | [[N'Djamena]] |- | {{flagicon|Republic of the Congo}} [[Republic of the Congo|Congo]] | align="right" | 342,000 | align="right" | 2,958,448 | align="right" | 8.7 | [[Brazzaville]] |- | {{flagicon|Democratic Republic of the Congo}} [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] | align="right" | 2,345,410 | align="right" | 55,225,478 | align="right" | 23.5 | [[Kinshasa]] |- | {{flagicon|Equatorial Guinea}} [[Equatorial Guinea]] | align="right" | 28,051 | align="right" | 498,144 | align="right" | 17.8 | [[Malabo]] |- | {{flagicon|Gabon}} [[Gabon]] | align="right" | 267,667 | align="right" | 1,233,353 | align="right" | 4.6 | [[Libreville]] |- | {{flagicon|São Tomé and Príncipe}} [[São Tomé and Príncipe]] | align="right" | 1,001 | align="right" | 170,372 | align="right" | 170.2 | [[São Tomé]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Northern Africa]]''': |- | {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Algeria]] | align="right" | 2,381,740 | align="right" | 32,277,942 | align="right" | 13.6 | [[Algiers]] |- | {{flagicon|Egypt}} [[Egypt]]<ref>[[Egypt]] is generally considered a [[transcontinental nation|transcontinental country]] in Northern Africa (UN region) and Western Asia; population and area figures are for African portion only, west of the [[Suez Canal]].</small><br /></ref> | align="right" | 1,001,450 | align="right" | 70,712,345 | align="right" | 70.6 | [[Cairo]] |- | {{flagicon|Libya}} [[Libya]] | align="right" | 1,759,540 | align="right" | 5,368,585 | align="right" | 3.1 | [[Tripoli]] |- | {{flagicon|Morocco}} [[Morocco]] | align="right" | 446,550 | align="right" | 31,167,783 | align="right" | 69.8 | [[Rabat]] |- | {{flagicon|Sudan}} [[Sudan]] | align="right" | 2,505,810 | align="right" | 37,090,298 | align="right" | 14.8 | [[Khartoum]] |- | {{flagicon|Tunisia}} [[Tunisia]] | align="right" | 163,610 | align="right" | 9,815,644 | align="right" | 60.0 | [[Tunis]] |- | {{flagicon|Western Sahara}} [[Western Sahara]]<ref name="Western Sahara">[[Western Sahara]] is disputed between the [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic]], who administer a [[Free Zone (region)|minority]] of the territory, and Morocco, who [[military occupation|occupy]] [[Southern Provinces|the remainder]].</small><br /></ref> | align="right" | 266,000 | align="right" | 256,177 | align="right" | 1.0 | [[El Aaiún]] |- | colspan=5 | ''Spanish and Portuguese territories in Northern Africa'': |- | {{flagicon|Canary Islands}} [[Canary Islands]] ([[Spain]])<ref>The [[Spain|Spanish]] [[Canary Islands]], of which [[Las Palmas de Gran Canaria]] are [[Santa Cruz de Tenerife]] are co-capitals, are often considered part of Northern Africa due to their relative proximity to [[Morocco]] and [[Western Sahara]]; population and area figures are for 2001.<br /></ref> | align="right" | 7,492 | align="right" | 1,694,477 | align="right" | 226.2 | [[Las Palmas de Gran Canaria]],<br />[[Santa Cruz de Tenerife]] |- | {{flagicon|Ceuta}} [[Ceuta]] (Spain)<ref>The [[Spain|Spanish]] [[exclave]] of [[Ceuta]] is surrounded on land by Morocco in Northern Africa; population and area figures are for 2001.<br /></ref> | align="right" | 20 | align="right" | 71,505 | align="right" | 3,575.2 | — |- | {{flagicon|Madeira}} [[Madeira Islands]] ([[Portugal]])<ref>The [[Portugal|Portuguese]] [[Madeira Islands]] are often considered part of Northern Africa due to their relative proximity to Morocco; population and area figures are for 2001.<br /></ref> | align="right" | 797 | align="right" | 245,000 | align="right" | 307.4 | [[Funchal]] |- | {{flagicon|Melilla}} [[Melilla]] (Spain)<ref>The [[Spain|Spanish]] [[exclave]] of [[Melilla]] is surrounded on land by Morocco in Northern Africa; population and area figures are for 2001.<br /></ref> | align="right" | 12 | align="right" | 66,411 | align="right" | 5,534.2 | — |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Southern Africa]]''': |- | {{flagicon|Botswana}} [[Botswana]] | align="right" | 600,370 | align="right" | 1,591,232 | align="right" | 2.7 | [[Gaborone]] |- | {{flagicon|Lesotho}} [[Lesotho]] | align="right" | 30,355 | align="right" | 2,207,954 | align="right" | 72.7 | [[Maseru]] |- | {{flagicon|Namibia}} [[Namibia]] | align="right" | 825,418 | align="right" | 1,820,916 | align="right" | 2.2 | [[Windhoek]] |- | {{flagicon|South Africa}} [[South Africa]] | align="right" | 1,219,912 | align="right" | 43,647,658 | align="right" | 35.8 | [[Bloemfontein]], [[Cape Town]], [[Pretoria]]<ref>[[Bloemfontein]] is the judicial capital of [[South Africa]], while [[Cape Town]] is its legislative seat, and [[Pretoria]] is the country's administrative seat.<br /></ref> |- | {{flagicon|Swaziland}} [[Swaziland]] | align="right" | 17,363 | align="right" | 1,123,605 | align="right" | 64.7 | [[Mbabane]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Western Africa]]''': |- | {{flagicon|Benin}} [[Benin]] | align="right" | 112,620 | align="right" | 6,787,625 | align="right" | 60.3 | [[Porto-Novo]] |- | {{flagicon|Burkina Faso}} [[Burkina Faso]] | align="right" | 274,200 | align="right" | 12,603,185 | align="right" | 46.0 | [[Ouagadougou]] |- | {{flagicon|Cape Verde}} [[Cape Verde]] | align="right" | 4,033 | align="right" | 408,760 | align="right" | 101.4 | [[Praia]] |- | {{flagicon|Côte d'Ivoire}} [[Côte d'Ivoire]] | align="right" | 322,460 | align="right" | 16,804,784 | align="right" | 52.1 | [[Abidjan]], [[Yamoussoukro]]<ref>[[Yamoussoukro]] is the official capital of [[Côte d'Ivoire]], while [[Abidjan]] is the ''[[de facto]]'' seat.<br /></ref> |- | {{flagicon|Gambia}} [[The Gambia|Gambia]] | align="right" | 11,300 | align="right" | 1,455,842 | align="right" | 128.8 | [[Banjul]] |- | {{flagicon|Ghana}} [[Ghana]] | align="right" | 239,460 | align="right" | 20,244,154 | align="right" | 84.5 | [[Accra]] |- | {{flagicon|Guinea}} [[Guinea]] | align="right" | 245,857 | align="right" | 7,775,065 | align="right" | 31.6 | [[Conakry]] |- | {{flagicon|Guinea-Bissau}} [[Guinea-Bissau]] | align="right" | 36,120 | align="right" | 1,345,479 | align="right" | 37.3 | [[Bissau]] |- | {{flagicon|Liberia}} [[Liberia]] | align="right" | 111,370 | align="right" | 3,288,198 | align="right" | 29.5 | [[Monrovia]] |- | {{flagicon|Mali}} [[Mali]] | align="right" | 1,240,000 | align="right" | 11,340,480 | align="right" | 9.1 | [[Bamako]] |- | {{flagicon|Mauritania}} [[Mauritania]] | align="right" | 1,030,700 | align="right" | 2,828,858 | align="right" | 2.7 | [[Nouakchott]] |- | {{flagicon|Niger}} [[Niger]] | align="right" | 1,267,000 | align="right" | 10,639,744 | align="right" | 8.4 | [[Niamey]] |- | {{flagicon|Nigeria}} [[Nigeria]] | align="right" | 923,768 | align="right" | 129,934,911 | align="right" | 140.7 | [[Abuja]] |- | {{flagicon|Saint Helena}} [[Saint Helena]] ([[United Kingdom|UK]]) | align="right" | 410 | align="right" | 7,317 | align="right" | 17.8 | [[Jamestown, Saint Helena|Jamestown]] |- | {{flagicon|Senegal}} [[Senegal]] | align="right" | 196,190 | align="right" | 10,589,571 | align="right" | 54.0 | [[Dakar]] |- | {{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} [[Sierra Leone]] | align="right" | 71,740 | align="right" | 5,614,743 | align="right" | 78.3 | [[Freetown]] |- | {{flagicon|Togo}} [[Togo]] | align="right" | 56,785 | align="right" | 5,285,501 | align="right" | 93.1 | [[Lomé]] |- style=" font-weight:bold; " | Total | align="right" | 30,368,609 | align="right" | 843,705,143 | align="right" | 27.8 |} <!--end country info table + refs--> ==See also== {{portal|Africa|Africa satellite orthographic.jpg}} * [[List of African countries by population]] * [[Urbanization in Africa]] *[[List of topics related to Black and African people]] {{Africa topics}} ==Notes== {{reflist|2}} ==References== * "Africa". ''[http://www.columbiagazetteer.org/ The Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online]''. 2005. New York: Columbia University Press. == Bibliography == *{{cite book | last = Asante | first = Molefi | authorlink = Molefi Asante | title = The History of Africa | publisher = Routledge | location = USA | year = 2007 | isbn = 0415771390 }} *{{cite book | last = Clark | first = J. Desmond | authorlink = J. Desmond Clark | title = The Prehistory of Africa | publisher = Thames and Hudson | location = London | year = 1970 | isbn = 9780500020692 }} *{{cite book | last = Crowder | first = Michael | authorlink = Michael Crowder | title = The Story of Nigeria | publisher = Faber | location = London | year = 1978 | isbn = 9780571049479 }} *{{cite book | last = Davidson | first = Basil | authorlink = Basil Davidson | title = The African past; chronicles from antiquity to modern times | publisher = Penguin | location = Harmondsworth | year = 1966 | id = {{OCLC|2016817}} }} *{{cite book | last = Gordon | first = April A. | authorlink = April A. Gordon | coauthors = Donald L. Gordon | title = Understanding contemporary Africa | publisher = Lynne Rienner Publishers | location = Boulder | year = 1996 | isbn = 9781555875473 }} *{{cite book | last = Khapoya | first = Vincent B. | authorlink = Vincent B. Khapoya | title = The African experience: an introduction | publisher = Prentice Hall | location = Upper Saddle River, NJ | year = 1998 | isbn = 9780137458523 }} * [[Korotayev]], A. & Khaltourina D. (2006) [http://urss.ru/cgi-bin/db.pl?cp=&lang=en&blang=en&list=14&page=Book&id=37485 ''Introduction to Social Macrodynamics: Secular Cycles and Millennial Trends in Africa.''] Moscow: URSS. ISBN 5484005604 ==External links== {{sisterlinks}} {{wikiatlas|Africa}} <!-- DO NOT ADD SPAM HERE --> ;News * [http://www.bankresearch.org/economicpolicyblog/2006/02/equatorial_guin.html West Africa has the second wealthiest country in the world] * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtOJRSFj5V4 Truth About Africa] * [http://allafrica.com/ allAfrica.com] current news, events and statistics * [http://www.democracynow.org/2008/1/23/corporations_reaping_millions_as_congo_suffers Failed Economic History] ;History * [http://library.stanford.edu/africa/history/hisking.html Africa South of the Sahara] * [http://www.africankingdoms.com/ African Kingdoms] * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index_section10.shtml BBC Story of Africa Kingdoms] * [http://gerald-massey.org.uk/massey/cmc_nile_genesis.htm] ;Directories * [http://www.loc.gov/rr/amed/ Library of Congress - African & Middle Eastern Reading Room] * [http://dmoz.org/Regional/Africa/ Open Directory Project - Africa] directory category * [http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/ Stanford University - Africa South of the Sahara] * [http://www.afrika.no/index/ The Index on Africa] directory from The Norwegian Council for Africa * [http://www.aluka.org/ Aluka - Digital library of scholarly resources from and about Africa] ;Environment * [http://www.na.unep.net/AfricaAtlas/ AFRICA: Atlas of Our Changing Environment] ([[UNEP]]). ;Politics * [http://www.africaaction.org/index.php ''Africa Action''] Africa Action is the oldest organization in the United States working on African affairs. It is a national organization that works for political, economic and social justice in Africa. * [http://www.libcom.org/history/africa.php Working class history in Africa]—people's and grassroots histories {{Wikisource1911Enc|Africa}} ;Sports * [http://www.cafonline.com/index.php Confederation of African Football; in English and French] ;Tourism * {{wikitravel}} {{Africa}} {{Continents of the world}} {{Regions of the world}} [[Category:Africa|*]] [[Category:Continents]] [[Category:Titular Sees of the Coptic Orthodox Church]] [[af:Afrika]] [[als:Afrika]] [[am:አፍሪቃ]] [[ang:Affrica]] [[ar:أفريقيا]] [[an:Africa]] [[arc:ܐܦܪܝܩܐ]] [[frp:Africa]] [[as:আফ্ৰিকা]] [[ast:África]] [[az:آفریقا]] [[bm:Afrika]] [[bn:আফ্রিকা]] [[zh-min-nan:Hui-chiu]] [[ba:Африка]] [[be:Афрыка]] [[be-x-old:Афрыка]] [[bcl:Aprika]] [[bar:Afrika]] [[bo:ཧྥི་ཀྲོའུ་གླིང་]] [[bs:Afrika]] [[br:Afrika]] [[bg:Африка]] [[ca:Àfrica]] [[ceb:Aprika]] [[cs:Afrika]] [[ny:Africa]] [[cy:Affrica]] [[da:Afrika]] [[pdc:Afrikaa]] [[de:Afrika]] [[nv:Łizhiní Bikéyah]] [[dsb:Afrika]] [[dz:ཨཕ་རི་ཀ་]] [[et:Aafrika]] [[el:Αφρική]] [[es:África]] [[eo:Afriko]] [[ext:África]] [[eu:Afrika]] [[fa:آفریقا]] [[fo:Afrika]] [[fr:Afrique]] [[fy:Afrika]] [[ff:Afirik]] [[fur:Afriche]] [[ga:An Afraic]] [[gan:非洲]] [[gv:Yn Affrick]] [[gd:Afraga]] [[gl:África]] [[gu:આફ્રિકા]] [[zh-classical:阿非利加洲]] [[hak:Fî-chû]] [[ko:아프리카]] [[haw:‘Apelika]] [[hi:अफ़्रीका]] [[hsb:Afrika]] [[hr:Afrika]] [[io:Afrika]] [[ig:Africa]] [[ilo:Africa]] [[id:Afrika]] [[ia:Africa]] [[ie:Africa]] [[iu:ᐊᑉᕆᖄ/apriqaa]] [[xh:IAfrika]] [[is:Afríka]] [[it:Africa]] [[he:אפריקה]] [[jv:Afrika]] [[pam:Africa]] [[kn:ಆಫ್ರಿಕಾ]] [[ka:აფრიკა]] [[csb:Afrika]] [[kk:Африка]] [[kw:Afrika]] [[rw:Afurika]] [[ky:Африка]] [[sw:Afrika]] [[kg:Afelika]] [[ht:Afrik]] [[ku:Efrîqa]] [[lad:Afrika]] [[lo:ອາຟຣິກກາ]] [[la:Africa]] [[lv:Āfrika]] [[lb:Afrika]] [[lt:Afrika]] [[lij:Africa]] [[li:Afrika]] [[ln:Afríka]] [[jbo:frikytu'a]] [[hu:Afrika]] [[mk:Африка]] [[mg:Afrika]] [[ml:ആഫ്രിക്ക]] [[mt:Afrika]] [[mr:आफ्रिका]] [[ms:Afrika]] [[mn:Африк]] [[my:အာဖရိက]] [[nah:Africān]] [[nl:Afrika]] [[nds-nl:Afrika]] [[ne:अफ्रीका]] [[ja:アフリカ]] [[pih:Afreka]] [[no:Afrika]] [[nn:Afrika]] [[nrm:Afrique]] [[nov:Afrika]] [[oc:Africa]] [[om:Afrikaa]] [[uz:Afrika]] [[pag:Afrika]] [[pap:Afrika]] [[pms:Àfrica]] [[nds:Afrika]] [[pl:Afryka]] [[pt:África]] [[kaa:Afrika]] [[crh:Afrika]] [[ksh:Affrika]] [[ro:Africa]] [[qu:Afrika]] [[ru:Африка]] [[se:Afrihkká]] [[sm:Aferika]] [[sa:अफ्रीका]] [[sg:Afrîka]] [[sco:Africae]] [[stq:Afrikoa]] [[sq:Afrika]] [[scn:Àfrica]] [[simple:Africa]] [[ss:Í-Afríka]] [[sk:Afrika]] [[cu:Афрїка]] [[sl:Afrika]] [[szl:Afrika]] [[so:Afrika]] [[sr:Африка]] [[sh:Afrika]] [[su:Afrika]] [[fi:Afrikka]] [[sv:Afrika]] [[tl:Aprika]] [[ta:ஆப்பிரிக்கா]] [[kab:Tafriqt]] [[te:ఆఫ్రికా]] [[tet:Áfrika]] [[th:ทวีปแอฟริกา]] [[vi:Châu Phi]] [[tg:Африқо]] [[tpi:Aprika]] [[to:ʻAfelika]] [[tr:Afrika]] [[tk:Afrika]] [[uk:Африка]] [[ur:افریقہ]] [[vec:Àfrica]] [[fiu-vro:Afriga]] [[wa:Afrike]] [[wo:Afrig]] [[yi:אפריקע]] [[yo:Afrika]] [[zh-yue:非洲]] [[diq:Afrika]] [[bat-smg:Afrėka]] [[zh:非洲]]