WORLD GEOGRAPHY
CHAPTER 22
“WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA”

I. NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS
A. Landforms and Rivers
1. Region primarily of plains and low hills
2. Two of Africa’s major rivers are the Niger and the Congo
3. Low coastal plain runs along the Atlantic shoreline
a. Most of the coastline is straight
b. Results in few natural harbors
B. Climates, Plants, and Animals
1. Entire region lies within tropics so most areas are warm all year
2. No major mountain ranges to break up climate pattern
a. Climate regions form bands that run east to west
b. Pattern is described as zonal
3. Arid environments
a. Northern part of region has an arid climate
b. Sahara extends into northern Niger, Mali and Mauritania
c. Along southern edge of the Sahara is region called Sahel
1. Receives 4”-8” of rainfall a year
2. Most people here are subsistence farmers
3. Combination of droughts and a growing population
have caused desertfication
a. Desert conditions have spread into semiarid
or marginal areas
b. Sahara is slowly expanding southward
4. Tropical environments
a. South of Sahel is region of tropical wet and dry climate
b. Area closest to equator has tropical wet climate where a
tropical rain forest is found
C. Natural Resources
1. Wide variety is found in this region due to tropical timber, good
soils for farming, and many minerals
2. Some countries are world leaders in the production and export of
certain farm or mining products
3. Nigeria is a major producer of oil (member of OPEC)
4. Political problems and poor transportation systems (infrastructure)
keep resources from being fully developed
5. Cote d’Ivoire is world’s leading producer of cocoa beans
II. HISTORY AND CULTURE
A. History
1. Great kingdoms once ruled large areas of region
a. One of earliest was Ghana
1. Trading state that exported gold and cloth to North
Africa
2. Also participated in the slave trade
3. Islam spread to region along trade routes
b. Mali replaced Ghana
1. City of Timbuktu developed here along the Trans-
Sahara trade route
2. Timbuktu became an important city of trade and education
2. The Colonial Era
a. As slave trade came to an end, Europeans realized that
climates and soils of region were good for growing many
products
b. Europeans sought political control over region
c. Many of people quit subsistence farming and started
working for wages such as on plantations
d. Effects are still felt today, especially borders
1. 1884: European powers met in Berlin to settle
colonial disputes in Africa
2. European powers divided continent amongst selves
3. Borders drawn are still largely borders seen today
4. When creating borders, Europeans ignored Africa’s
existing states, ethnic groups, and natural
environments
a. Some coloniest included many different
peoples who spoke different languages and
dialects
b. New borders blocked traditional migration and
trade routes
c. Created many landlocked countries
B. Culture
1. Societies in this region are very diverse
2. Three major cultural influences: traditional African cultures, Islam,
and European culture
3. People, Languages, and Settlement
a. People speak hundreds of different languages
b. Arabic is primarily spoken in northern part of region
c. Also hear French and English
d. Most people live in rural areas or small villages and rely
mainly on farming
4. Religion and Education
a. Islam is main religion in the Sahel
b. Many Christians live to the south between the Sahel and
the Atlantic coast
c. Many also practice traditional religions
d. Literacy rates are generally low as main obstacle to
education is poverty
1. Families need their children to work
2. Children learn about family and group traditions and
about growing crops or raising animals
5. Food, Traditions, and Customs
a. Most people produce their own food
b. Customs and traditons differ among many ethnic groups
III. THE REGION TODAY
A. Level of Development
1. Region of developing countries
a. People earn less and live shorter lives that in other parts of
the world
b. Also have lower levels of education
c. Some countries are better off than others
1. Gabon is one of richest in Africa because of oil
2. Landlocked Mali is among poorest in Africa
a. Lies in the Sahel region
b. Has few resources
2. Countries of region have dual economies
a. Some goods are produced for export
b. While another part of the economy produces goods and services for local people
3. Agriculture
a. In Sahel grasslands, people are nomadic herders
b. In tropical rain forest areas, people grow crops
c. Also find plantations and ranches
4. Economic Activities and Global Trade
a. Most countries export primary rather than secondary goods
(for example, Cote d’Ivoire exports cocoa beans, but the
manufacture of chocolate often takes place in developed
countries)
b. Many countries depend heavily on only a few main exports
which has two major disadvantages
1. Makes economies vulnerable to changes in the
price of their main exports
2. Export of primary goods is less profitable than the
export of manufactured goods
c. Most countries in region do not have adequate facilities to
process their primary products
5. Cities
a. Have experienced rapid urban population growth which
has caused housing shortages
b. Many people live in crowded shantytowns without
electricity or running water
c. Prosperous downtown areas which are similar to downtown
areas of European cities
1. Busy roads full of cars and buses
2. Tall buildings dominate the central city
B. Issues and Challenges
1. Economic development is probably most important
2. Population is growing rapidly and agricultural production has not
kept pace
3. Many countries have suffered wars and conflicts
4. Destruction of the natural environment
a. Lumber companies harvest tropical rain forests for timber
b. Grasslands are cleared for farming
c. In Sahel, desertification has degraded the land
5. One of most serious problems facing the region is disease, esp.
malaria and AIDS