World Regional GeographyWorld Regional Geography

February 24, 2010February 24, 2010

Reading: Marston Chapter 5

Pages 210-238, 243-260

Goode’s World AtlasPages 225-230

This Week:Map Quiz #2: Africa

Next Week:Midterm Exam

Introduction – North Africa & The Middle EastRwanda, following the 1994 genocide

Population DensityPopulation Density

Population CharacteristicsPopulation Characteristics

RegionRegionPopulationPopulation

(Millions)(Millions)Birth Birth RateRate

Death Death RateRate

Natural Natural IncreaseIncrease

(%)(%)

Net Net MigratioMigration Raten Rate

Projected Projected Pop. Change Pop. Change

(2050)(2050)

West West AfricaAfrica 297297 4040 1414 2.72.7 -1-1 +110%+110%East East

AfricaAfrica 313313 4040 1313 2.62.6 -1-1 +118%+118%Central Central AfricaAfrica 125125 4242 1414 2.82.8 00 +144%+144%

Southern Southern AfricaAfrica 5858 2424 1515 0.90.9 33 +17%+17%

• Differences between Southern Africa and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa

• Impact of HIV/AIDS• Stage of development / demographic transition

Population CharacteristicsPopulation Characteristics

RegionRegion IMRIMR TFRTFR % Pop % Pop <15<15

% Pop% Pop

>65>65Life Life

ExpectancyExpectancy MaleMale FemaleFemale

West West AfricaAfrica 8080 5.55.5 4444 33 5151 5050 52East East

AfricaAfrica 7676 5.45.4 4444 33 5151 5050 52Central Central AfricaAfrica 9595 6.16.1 4545 33 5151 4949 52

Southern Southern AfricaAfrica 4848 2.82.8 3333 55 5252 5050 53

RegionRegion HIV/AIDS %HIV/AIDS % % Urban% UrbanGNI PPPGNI PPP

(US$)(US$)

West West AfricaAfrica 2.52.5 4242 1,6001,600

East AfricaEast Africa 5.65.6 2222 1,0301,030Central Central AfricaAfrica 2.52.5 4141 1,6501,650

Southern Southern AfricaAfrica 18.518.5 5656 9,3809,380

Sub-Saharan African DiasporaSub-Saharan African Diaspora

• Out of Africa• To Europe• Brain drain

• Within Africa• Search for work• Circular migrations

• Refugees• 4.5 million• 1/3 of world total

Religion & LanguageReligion & Language

• Religion• Animistic

• Traditional beliefs

• Christianity• European missionaries• Colonialism

• Islam• North Africa / East Coast• Traders

• Languages• 800 living languages• 40 spoken by 1

million+

Importance of family• Respect for elders.• Reverence for ancestors.• Large families valued.

Land Tenure• Communal as opposed to individual ownership.• Inheritance from the past, responsibility to the

future.

Music, art, and storytelling• Artistic expression linked to reverence for elders

and educating the young.• Worldwide influence.

CultureCulture

Sub-Saharan Africa in the Sub-Saharan Africa in the World- SystemWorld- System

• 2 million years ago: Origin of humans

• 5,000 years ago: Trading societies

• 500 years ago: European exploration and economic colonialism begins

• 1882 – 1960s: European political colonialism

• 1960 – 1990: Independence

ColonialismColonialism

The system by which one country extends its political control to another territory to economically exploit the human and natural resources of the territory.

• 1483: Portuguese establish first European colony in Northern Angola.

• Coastal ports and scattered inland trading posts.

• Inland development• Southern Africa• Europeans lacked immunity to native diseases.

SlaverySlavery

• By 1700 nearly 50,000 slaves traded annually.• 9 million slaves sent to Americas between 1600 and 1870.• Approximately 1.5 million died en-route.

Scramble for AfricaScramble for Africa

Post-1950 increased interest in Africa.• Discovery and desire for

resources.• Improvements in treating

disease.

Berlin Conference • 13 European countries

meet to divide up Africa.• No African representation.• No respect for existing

cultural or ethnic boundaries.

Scramble for AfricaScramble for Africa

Colonial LegacyColonial Legacy

• Reoriented economies• Infrastructure geared for

export, internal linkages weak.

• Change in crops• Change in land tenure• Varying forms of colonial

control• Languages and financial

systems.

IndependenceIndependence

• 1957 through 1990

• Transitions• Peaceful and violent• Involvement of colonial

power varied by country

• Colonial borders became national borders.• Conflict resulting from

poorly drawn borders

GenocideGenocide

Article 2 of the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines genocide as:

Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group

• Killing members of the group. • Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of

the group.• Deliberately inflicting on the group living conditions

designed to bring about its physical destruction.• Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the

group. • Forcibly transferring children of the group to another

group.

Genocide in RwandaGenocide in Rwanda• Belgian colony until 1961

• Tutsi minority favored over. Hutu majority.

• Independence• Hutu majority seizes control.• Resentment and violence towards

Tutsis, many flea.

• 1990-1993 Civil War• Tutsis attempting to regain some

power (RPF).

• 1994 President killed• Hutus begin massacre of Tutsis and

moderate Hutus.• 800,000 die in 100 days.• Post-genocide many Hutus flea

fearing retribution.