african economics
DESCRIPTION
African Economics. Africa’ largest economy Most productive farms Largest diamond exporter The only African country that is highly developed. Most developed rail system with sizeable inter – connecting routes. 25% of the continent’s total trade while the rest make up 5 %. South Africa. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
African Economics
South Africa
• Africa’ largest economy• Most productive farms• Largest diamond exporter• The only African country that is highly developed.• Most developed rail system with sizeable inter –
connecting routes.• 25% of the continent’s total trade while the rest make up 5
%
Agriculture
• Subsistence Farming is the prevailing type• Commercial farming and mining were not introduced
until colonialism• Many countries are dependent on one or two cash crops.• Livestock is raised in almost every country.• It is considered a measure of wealth.
Agricultural problems
• Little productive farmland• Unfavorable climate• Poor soil• Dense vegetation• Overuse of the land• Large plots of land used for growth of commercial crops
rather than food crops.
Crops
• Cash Crops:• Peanuts• Cacao• Cotton• Tea• Coffee: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIqwQdZutfw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEN4hcZutO0
• Crops to eat:• Sweet potatoes• Yams • Rice• Wheat• Plantains
Mining
• Major mineral producer• Provides half of the world’s diamonds• Bulk of minerals by South Africa, Dem. Rep. of the
Congo, Zimbabwe, and Zambia• Petroleum: Nigeria, Libya, and Algeria
Manufacturing
• The least developed of all continents• Development of hydroelectric power has been a step
toward industrialization• Most are Cottage Industries: small workshops, weaving,
handicrafts, leather working
Lack of progress
• Poverty• Lack of capital investment• Shortage of skilled workers• Political instability• Poor transportation systems
• LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE
Fishing
• Africa’s potential fish catch is enormous, but most lack modern fleets and equipment so their catch is small.
Transportation
• Modern transportation is poorly developed
• Few railways, and they do not extend inland
• Paved roads are only in major cities• Used less because they are unusable
during rain• Water routes are used but there are
few natural harbors, and many rapids• Inefficient air lines• Radio is the most popular form of
mass communication• Fastest growing cellular phone market
in the world.http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2011/jul/24/uganda-mobile-phone-development-video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkpBcFDjk7Y
Digital Dumping Ground
Trade
• Most important trading nations: South Africa and Nigeria• Petroleum ranks as their major export• Food imports are important because of the failure of
agricultural output.
Rural vs Urban
• What does Rural mean?
• What does Urban mean?
Fastest Growing African cities
African city facts
• Much of the growth of cities this century will take place in Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa.
• Already the region has about 200 million people living in slums, the highest number in the world.
• by early 2040, a billion people alone are expected to live in the continent’s cities.
• Staggeringly, by 2030, the continent will no longer be majority rural, a projection which is due in part to agricultural reform and more economic opportunity in cities. In fact, urbanization is happening faster in Africa than in anywhere else in the world.
More Facts
• Africa is also experiencing less of a “brain drain” and more of a “brain gain” than it has in recent years.
• Many of Africa’s major cities are coastal.• “The West African coastline is retreating by between 20m
and 30m every year,” according to a recent BBC News story, due to Global Warming.
• it will be key for cities to figure out how to handle rapid urban expansion and much-needed economic growth, while creating more environmentally-friendly cities and reducing their carbon footprint at the same time.
Lagos, Nigeria
Johannesburg, South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa
Slums of Nairobi, Kenya
60% of Africans live in Slum Conditions
Dar esalaam
Kenya
• Kenya is suffering from overpopulation. There is not enough farmland available to feed the growing number of people.
• one of the highest rates of population growth in the world. According to the latest census, 44 percent of the population is under the age of 15.
• The number of unemployed youths could rise to 14 million in the next two years.
• “We cannot live here any more,” says a Samburu shepherd as he points to pastures in northern Kenya in which every blade of green has been eaten bare. “There are too many animals and too many people.
Rural Africa
• Poverty in Africa is predominantly rural. More than 70 per cent of the continent’s poor people live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for food and livelihood, yet development assistance to agriculture is decreasing.
• Lack of organization and infrastructure make it difficult to get to markets.