The main issue of this article is the characteristics of Africa. The first thing you need to know is that Africa makes up one fifth of the land mass of our entire planet. This suggests that the mainland is the second largest, only Asia is larger than it.

The characteristics of Africa will be considered by us from different angles, we will get acquainted with countries, natural zones, belts, peoples and natural resources. Africa has more than 50 countries, 55 to be exact. It is customary to divide the mainland into the following regions:

• Northern.
• Tropical.

This is what school textbooks offer us, but scientific literature adheres to a slightly different division:

• Northern.
• South.
• Western.
• Eastern.
• Central.

Colonies and the slave trade

The characterization of Africa is impossible without mentioning the colonies and the slave trade. The continent we are considering suffered like no other from the colonial system. Its disintegration began only in the fifties, and the last colony was liquidated only in 1990, it had the name Namibia.

The characteristics of Africa, or rather the assessment of the EGP of countries, can be carried out according to different criteria, but we will take the main one - the presence or absence of access to the sea. Since Africa is a rather large continent, there are also a considerable number of them. They are less developed, now, after the collapse of the colonial system, all countries are sovereign states. But there are exceptions that adhere to the monarchical form:

• Morocco.
• Lesotho.
• Swaziland.

Natural resources

The general characteristics of Africa also provide for an analysis of the natural resources of this continent, with which it is very rich. Africa's main wealth is minerals. What is mined on the territory of this endless continent:

• Oil.
• Iron ore.
• uranium ore.
• Copper ore.
• Gold.
• Diamonds.
• Phosphorites.

So, what is the general characteristic of Africa? While it is very difficult to answer, we know that the mainland is rich in minerals and a large number of countries are located far from the sea, which slows down their development. In terms of the presence of minerals, South Africa stands out in particular; oil, gas and bauxites are not extracted here.

The country needs little water resources, as there are lakes such as:

• Victoria.
• Tanganyika.
• Nyasa.

Forest

Forest in Africa occupies more than ten percent of the total area of ​​countries. It is second only to Latin America and Russia. Now these are actively cut down, which leads to desertification of the territory. The characteristics of African countries, namely, the provision cannot be considered unambiguously, since there is a lot of heat, and moistening is uneven. The area of ​​forests covers approximately 8.3 million square kilometers. According to the degree and nature of the distribution of the forest, Africa is usually divided into regions:

• Northern (subtropics).
• Western (tropics).
• East (mountains and tropics).
• Southern (subtropics).

Population

In Africa, you can count about five hundred ethnic groups, this is the main distinguishing feature of the population of this continent. Some of them have grown into nations, while others remain at the level of nationalities. Most of the states of this continent are multinational, the borders between them are fuzzy (they do not separate one nationality from another), and this leads to interethnic conflicts.

As for natural increase, Africa has the highest birth rate, especially in some states:

• Kenya.
• Benin.
• Uganda.
• Nigeria.
• Tanzania.

Since both the birth rate and the death rate are high, young people predominate in the age structure. The peoples are unevenly settled, there are completely uninhabited territories (Sahara), but there are also places where the main population is concentrated, for example, Egypt. As for urbanization, it has historically developed so that it grows at a very small pace, now in Africa there are only twenty percent of million-plus cities.

Zones

Since the mainland has a relatively flat relief, and most of it is located between the tropics, zoning is clearly pronounced. What is the characteristic of African zones? First you need to divide the entire territory into parts. Next, a detailed description of the belts of Africa will be presented. So, the belts are distinguished:

• Equatorial.
• Subequatorial.
• Tropical.

It should also be noted that variable-moist forests, savannahs, light forests, deserts, semi-deserts, subtropical forests alternately diverge on both sides of the equatorial forests, but their location in relation to the south or north is not the same.

equatorial belt

This is a fairly large area, covering terrain from up to the depression in the Congo. A distinctive feature is the year-round predominance of equatorial air masses. The temperature is kept between 24 and 28 degrees, there are no changes in the seasons. Precipitation falls quite often and evenly over 365 days. Up to 2.5 thousand millimeters of precipitation falls per year.

The complete characterization of Africa under consideration is impossible without mentioning that this territory contains a humid equatorial forest. This happened thanks to the same daily precipitation. During the day in this area unbearable heat, which is relieved by the coolness of the evening, rain or thunderstorms.

subequatorial belt

• Rainy.
• Dry.

Since there is not enough rainfall, one can also observe such a phenomenon - dense forests are gradually replaced by sparse ones, and they, in turn, turn into savannahs. We have already mentioned that two seasons alternate, in one part the rains that brought air masses from the equator predominate, and in the other at this time there is a drought, since air masses from the tropics dominate there.

Tropics

The considered characteristic of the natural zones of Africa must necessarily contain a description of the tropical belt. This is what we will now begin. Immediately, we note that this belt can be divided into two zones:

• To the north of the subequatorial.
• South Africa.

A distinctive feature is dry weather, low precipitation. All this contributes to the formation of deserts and savannahs. Dry wind prevails here because of the remoteness from the sea, the deeper we go into the continent, the hotter the air and the drier the soil.

The largest desert in tropical latitudes is the Sahara. Since the air contains small grains of sand, and the temperature during the day rises above forty degrees, it is extremely difficult for a person to be here. Moreover, at night the temperature can drop by at least twenty degrees, or it can go into negative values.

Subtropics

The climate in this part is characterized by the change of seasons, hot in summer and rainy in winter. But in southeast Africa, a humid subtropical climate prevails, which contributes to an even distribution of precipitation. It should be noted that the subtropics are divided into two zones:

• southern;
• northern.

Why is climate change happening here? In summer, air masses blown from the tropical zone dominate here, and in winter - from temperate latitudes. The subtropics are distinguished by the fact that evergreen forests are located here. This territory is ennobled by people for agriculture, so it is almost impossible to see these latitudes in their original form.

Africa is the second largest continent after Eurasia, which is almost intersected by the equator in the middle and extends from it on both sides - south and north - to the subtropical latitudes of both hemispheres. Africa is bordered by the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The Mediterranean Sea separates it from Europe, the Red - from Asia. Africa includes the island of Madagascar and small islands located in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.
The history of the formation of the political map and the composition of the territory. Until the 50s of the XX century. Africa was a continent of colonial and dependent countries. France owned 37% of the African territory, where 26% of the population lived, Great Britain, respectively, 32% and 39%, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Germany also had colonies. In the 50s of the XX century. first countries gained independence. In the 60s, more than 40 countries already gained independence, in the 70s the process of liberation of the mainland from colonial oppression was almost completed. At present, there are 53 independent states on the continent, almost all of them are developing countries (Fig. 129). The possessions of Spain have been preserved - Ceuta, Melilla, the overseas department of France - about. Reunion. The status of Western Sahara, occupied by Morocco since 1976, must be determined by the UN. Most African countries are small, economically weak states with a small population and little developed natural resources. These countries are predominantly economically dependent on their former mother countries. The former British colonies remained in the Commonwealth system, the French - in the system of the Community of French-speaking countries. More than 30 African countries have become associate members of the European Union and actually play the role of its raw material appendage.
Natural resource potential. Africa is a continent of great economic opportunities, which is characterized by a variety of natural conditions, a wealth of mineral resources, the presence of significant land, water, plant and other resources. Africa is characterized by a slight dissection of the relief, which contributes to economic activity - the development of agriculture, industry, and transport. The location of most of the continent in the equatorial belt largely determined the presence of huge tracts of humid equatorial forests. Africa accounts for 10% of the world's forest area, accounting for 17% of the world's timber resources - one of the main African exports. The largest desert in the world - the Sahara - contains huge reserves of fresh water in its bowels, and large river systems are characterized by gigantic volumes of flow and energy resources. Africa is rich in minerals, which are resources for the development of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, and the chemical industry. Thanks to new discoveries, Africa's share in the proven world reserves of energy raw materials is increasing. There are more reserves of phosphorites, chromites, titanium, tantalum than in any part of the world. The reserves of bauxite, copper, manganese, cobalt, uranium ores, diamonds, rare earth metals, gold, etc. are of worldwide importance. Zambia to East Africa (deposits of copper, uranium, cobalt, platinum, gold, manganese); Guinean part of West Africa (deposits of bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, oil); the zone of the Atlas Mountains and the coast of Northwest Africa (cobalt, molybdenum, lead, zinc, iron ore, mercury, phosphorites); North Africa (oil, gas from the Mediterranean coast and shelf) (Fig. 130).

Rice. 129. Africa. State borders, cities

The regions of Africa are very different in natural features: moisture supply, soil types, vegetation cover. One element is common - a large amount of heat. Significant areas of deserts and equatorial

Rice. 130. Natural resources and industry in Africa

forests are unfavorable for agriculture. In deserts, agriculture is possible only if there are water sources around which oases are formed. In the equatorial forests, the farmer struggles with lush vegetation, and when it is destroyed, with erosion and excessive solar radiation, which negatively affects the condition of the soil. The best conditions for farming are in the highlands and savannahs with a favorable alternation of wet seasons. Most soils of the mainland have low natural fertility. 3/4 of the territory of the continent is covered with red and red-brown soils, a thin layer of which is poor in organic matter, is quite easily depleted and destroyed. Relatively fertile are the red and yellow soils of the subtropics, alluvial soils in other zones.
Population. More than 812 million people live in Africa, or 13% of the world's population. In the second half of the XX century. The population of the continent began to grow rapidly, and in the 1970s and 1980s, its growth rate turned out to be one of the highest in the world - 2.9-3.0% per year. African countries differ markedly in terms of population: Egypt, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo have a population of more than 40 million people each, and Nigeria - almost 120 million people.
Africa has a high birth rate. Thanks to the improvement of socio-economic conditions and medical care, mortality has decreased, especially among children. Decreasing mortality and high birth rates result in high population growth rates in most countries. The average population density on the continent is small and is about 22 people. per 1 km2. It is the highest on about. Mauritius (about 500 people per 1 km2), the lowest - in the Sahara and the countries of the Sahel zone. A significant concentration of the population remains in areas of developed agriculture (the Nile River Valley, the northern coast, Nigeria) or industrial activity (the "copper belt", industrial regions of South Africa). Despite the predominance of the rural population, Africa is characterized by high growth rates of the urban population - more than 5% per year. There are 22 millionaire cities on the continent.
Factors related to the uneven socio-economic development of individual countries have a significant impact on population migration. Industrial areas receive immigrants seeking work from neighboring countries. Military coups, constant struggle between ethnic and religious groups, military conflicts between countries lead to the appearance of a significant number of refugees in different parts of the mainland, at the end of the 20th century. they numbered from 7 to 9 million people.
Thus, the current demographic situation in African countries is very contradictory. The dynamics of population growth on the mainland due to relatively small emigration and migration is determined mainly by its natural movement. In different countries, the population is growing unevenly, the characteristics of the age and sex structure from an economic point of view remain unfavorable: insufficient number of able-bodied population, especially men, a high proportion of children and youth, short life expectancy (for men it is 49 years, for women - 52 years).

In recent years, AIDS-related deaths have taken on catastrophic proportions in a number of countries.
Questions and tasks What is the specificity and uniqueness of the geographical location of Africa? Where are the mining regions of Africa of world importance located? What population problems are most evident in African countries?

Africa freed itself from colonial dependence only at the end of the 20th century. Now there are 55 countries on the political map of this region, all of them are sovereign states.

The state system is dominated by republics, only three countries have a monarchical form of government: Morocco, Lesotho and Swaziland. Most African countries are quite large in area.

Of the features of the economic and geographical position of African countries, we can distinguish:

Lack of access to the sea of ​​most states;
Access to international sea routes through the Gulf of Guinea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Africa is extremely rich in natural resources.

Its main wealth is minerals. The region ranks first in the world in terms of reserves of most types of mineral raw materials. Oil and gas are mined here (Libya, Algeria, Nigeria), iron ore (Liberia, Mauritania, Guinea, Gabon), manganese and uranium ores (Gabon, Niger), bauxite (Guinea, Cameroon), copper ores (Zaire, Zambia), gold and diamonds (South Africa and West African countries), phosphorites (Nauru). South Africa is richest in minerals. There are almost all types of mineral resources (with the exception of oil, gas and bauxite).

African countries are well endowed with water resources. In addition to them, Africa has a whole system of lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika, Nyasa). However, water resources are unevenly distributed: there is an excess of moisture in the equatorial zone, and there are practically no rivers and lakes in the arid regions.
African countries are generally well endowed with land resources. However, as a result of erosion, a large amount of land is constantly withdrawn from agricultural circulation. The soils of Africa are not very fertile, and, in addition, demanding on agricultural technology.

In terms of forest area, Africa is second only to Russia and Latin America. Forests occupy 10% of the total area of ​​the region. These are humid equatorial forests. Currently, they are actively cut down, which leads to desertification of the territory.

The population of Africa is characterized by several specific features.

Here 300-500 ethnic groups stand out, and some of them have already formed into large nations (Arabs in North Africa), and some are still at the level of nationalities. In this regard, most states are multinational. In addition, the borders of colonial possessions were drawn without taking into account ethnic characteristics, which leads to ethnic conflicts.

Rapid population growth. Africa has the highest birth rate and natural increase in the world. The highest rates are in Kenya, Benin, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania.

The significant predominance of young people in the age structure of the population is associated with high birth and death rates. Extremely uneven population distribution. The average density is 2 times lower than the world average. Very sharp contrasts within countries. There are completely uninhabited territories (in the Sahara, in the zone of equatorial forests), and on the coast, in the valleys and deltas of the rivers, the concentration of the population is high (Egypt).

The region has a historically low level of urbanization. In Africa, only 20% of cities are millionaires, there are no urban agglomerations. However, there is now a high rate of urbanization, which leads to the uncontrolled growth of capitals due to the influx of rural residents.

At present, Africa's economy is the most backward part of the world economy (with the exception of South Africa). The countries of the continent act on the world market as major suppliers of minerals and agricultural products.

In the sectoral structure of the economy, the leading role belongs to the mining industry. For some types of minerals, Africa accounts for a significant part of world production: diamonds (96%), gold (76%), cobalt and chromium ores (67 - 68%), manganese ores (57%).

The extracted raw materials are mainly exported. Main exporters:

Oil - Nigeria, Libya, Algeria;
Medi - Zaire, Zambia;
Iron ores - Liberia, Mauritania;
Manganese ores - Gabon;
Phosphorites - Morocco;
Uranium ores - Niger, Gabon.

The manufacturing industry is represented mainly by light and food industries. In recent years, the share of metallurgy, mechanical engineering, and the chemical industry has increased. However, the range of types of manufacturing products is still very narrow, and heavy industry enterprises are concentrated in a small number of countries: in Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Zambia, Zaire and some others. Another sector of the economy that determines Africa's place in the world economy is agriculture. It employs up to 90% of the population of individual countries. The leading industry is crop production, in particular tropical and subtropical agriculture. It has an export orientation and often defines a monocultural specialization. For example: agriculture monoculture Senegal - peanuts, Ethiopia - coffee, Ghana - cocoa beans. Other export commodities include dates, tea, natural rubber, sorghum, spices, and cotton.

Main exporters:

Cotton - Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Mali, Tanzania;
Coffee - Ethiopia, Angola, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda;
Cocoa beans - Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria;
Peanuts - Senegal, Gambia, Sudan;
Olive oil - Tunisia, Morocco.

Animal husbandry plays a secondary role and is characterized by low productivity.

Agriculture relies on a backward production and technical base. The weak development of irrigation leads to droughts, and the use of slash-and-burn agriculture leads to land degradation, erosion, and desertification.

The transport system in Africa is not developed. The transport network was formed in accordance with the interests of the former colonizers to ensure the export of export goods. Therefore, transport routes are represented by "penetration lines" connecting the port of call with areas of export specialization (a raw material extraction area or a tropical farming area).

The call for raw materials required the organization, first of all, of sea and rail transport. Maritime transport continues to play a leading role in the transport system of the region. The largest ports in Africa: Alexandria, Dakar, Algiers, Casablanca, Lagos, Dar es Salaam.

Recently, other modes of transport have also developed. A highway across the Sahara has been built, major oil and gas pipelines have been laid in Algeria and Libya.

From the above, it follows that in Africa the colonial type of sectoral structure of the economy is still preserved. Its characteristic features:

The predominance of low-commodity, low-productive agriculture;
Weak development of the manufacturing industry;
Underdevelopment of the transport network;
Restriction of the non-productive sphere to trade and services.

The territorial structure of the economy of the countries of the region is characterized by disproportions in the location of the economy, separate centers of industry and high-value agriculture.

There are several sub-regions in Africa. They differ in their geographical, natural and cultural-historical features. The economic zoning of Africa has not yet taken shape.

The Republic of South Africa (SAR) is the only African country that belongs to the group of developed countries. In all indicators of economic development, it occupies the first place in Africa. It accounts for 25% of weapons and military equipment and 40% of industrial production. The economy is based on the mining industry. South Africa ranks first in the world in gold mining, second in diamond mining, and third in uranium ore mining. Metallurgy and mechanical engineering are highly developed.

- 37.59 Kb

Federal Agency of Railway Transport

Siberian State University of Communications

Department: "Customs"

Discipline: "Economic geography and regional studies of the world"

Theme: "Land Resources in Africa"

Performed:

Rahman Tatiana

Group: TD-111

Checked:

Associate Professor of the Department "Customs", Ph.D.

Kalmykov S. P.

Novosibirsk 2012

Introduction……………………………………………………………………….....3

1. Characteristics of the land resources of Africa……………………..……….4

2. Properties of land resources ………………………………………….……...5

3. Allocation of African land resources ……………………..……..…….5

4. Distribution of African land resources between the countries of the world……...6

Conclusion………………………………………………………………….……11

List of used literature and sources………….……………..…12

Introduction

Centuries-old practice shows that the main sources of viability and prosperity of any state are its land resources and the population living on them. At the same time, land resources should be understood not only as the territory (space) of the state, but also everything that is “above” and “under” this space. The provision of the country with land resources is the most important economic and political factor in the development of social production. The availability of land resources gives wide scope for the economic development of the regions of the world.
Land resources - the earth's surface, suitable for human habitation and for any kind of economic activity. Land resources are characterized by the size of the territory and its quality: relief, soil cover and a complex of other natural conditions.

Characteristics of land resources in Africa

Africa has the largest land fund - 30 million square kilometers.

Grassland dominates Africa's land mass. With a relatively high share of pasture land (about 20% of land is used), very low plowing of the territory (about 10%). Indicators of the specific provision of arable land are at an average level and amount to 0.3 hectares. Field agrolandscapes are common in the northern and southern outskirts of Africa and in Ethiopia. Due to the presence of the tsetse fly in equatorial Africa, the watersheds were first developed, and the valleys, the refuge of the tsetse fly, are almost deserted and occupied by gallery forests. Huge territories in Africa belong to the category of other lands (44%), which are represented by deserts.

In Africa, there are quite large land resources, but soil erosion has become catastrophic due to improper processing.

Inappropriate and uncontrolled land use is the main cause of land degradation and depletion in Africa. Current land use often does not take into account the actual potential, productivity and constraints on land use, as well as their spatial diversity. In many regions, poverty and malnutrition have already become a chronic problem. One of the main dangers is the destruction and degradation of agricultural and environmental resources. Although techniques for increasing production and conserving land and water resources have already been developed, they are not widely or systematically applied. A systematic approach is needed to identify land use forms and production systems that are sustainable for each specific type of soil and climate zone, including the creation of economic, social and organizational mechanisms for their implementation.

Land resource properties

In Africa, with a relatively high proportion of grazing land (about 20% of land is used), very low plowing of the territory (about 10%). Indicators of the specific provision of arable land are at an average level and amount to 0.3 ha. In Africa, the northern and southern outskirts of the mainland are most plowed.

Due to the arid climate in Africa, pasturelands dominate, which are less suitable for cultivation.

The land resources of Africa make it possible to provide food for the population of foreign countries, since many different crops (corn, cotton, wheat, etc.) grown in African countries are exported.

Africa's land use productivity varies considerably. For example, almost all soils in Nigeria are acidic. In a number of areas in the east of the country, intensive leaching of soils formed on sandstones has led to the formation of so-called "acid sands", which are easily cultivated, but quickly depleted. The soils of the far north were formed from desert sands and are easily destroyed. They differ sharply from the fertile soils that have developed on heavy loams in the floodplains of many rivers, in the cocoa belt and in the Niger Delta. In some densely populated areas, intensive farming and grazing have caused soil erosion. And if we turn to the Republic of South Africa, it will be noticeable that, having not such large areas of land suitable for agriculture, it uses them as productively as possible, while doing this in such a way that the soil is not subject to erosion.

The areas of agricultural land in individual countries are determined by the level of development of the population of countries, the level of technologies available to them for the development and use of land resources. Therefore, some undeveloped states of Africa, not using the available land, sell them for insignificant amounts to China and European countries.

Allocation of land resources of Africa

Natural resources are unevenly distributed in Africa. In African countries, the ratio of arable land and pastures in agricultural land is different. In general, the land fund on the continent makes up 21% of all land resources, arable land accounts for 15%, meadows and pastures are located on 24% of the territory, 18% are forests and 22% are other lands (deserts).

Consider the percentage distribution of land resources in some African countries. In South Africa, arable land occupies 12.1%, perennial plantings - 0.79%, other lands account for 87.11% (2011), in Ethiopia, respectively - 10.01%; 0.65%; 89.34%. In Namibia - arable lands make up 0.99% of the territory, perennial plantations 0.01%, other lands 99%, in Libya 98.78% of other lands and only 1.22% of perennial plantations and arable lands. The situation is similar in the Central African Republic, the situation is excellent in Uganda, where almost 30.5% of the state's territory is occupied by arable land and perennial plantations.

Thus, we see that arable lands and pastures are located mainly in countries located on the outskirts of the mainland, its northern part is mainly occupied by desert, and forests are located in the central part.

Distribution of land resources in Africa between the countries of the world

The crisis that has engulfed Europe has given reason to think that such a negative impact on the economy could lead to food shortages. And, in general, this threat is real for states dependent on agricultural imports. As it turned out, the solution to the problem is quite simple: since 2009, some states of the Asian region began to buy land outside their borders. Something similar could be observed before, but now such actions have acquired a really wide scope.

Africa is considered the most attractive in terms of low-cost transactions for the sale of land. And the reason for this is low prices, the lack of land legislation that protects the rights and interests of the local population, as well as low production costs that attract potential buyers so much. For example, back in 2009, an Ethiopian company bought large land areas in Africa for less than $1.50. True, soon the cost of land increased to about 7 US dollars. And this is at a time when in Brazil 1 hectare of land costs about 5-6 thousand US dollars.

Moreover, according to local land agents, it is possible to negotiate with some representatives of this or that tribe for a bottle of "fire water".

Since 2009, according to research conducted by the Auckland Institute, the total area of ​​land bought or leased in Africa by foreign companies is more than 60 million hectares - much more than the area of ​​individual states. And if we take into account that earlier the area of ​​land sold did not exceed 4 million hectares, it becomes obvious that the rumors about a new stage of the "struggle for Africa" ​​are reliable. But, if until the end of the 20th century only European states, and later also the United States, took part in this struggle, then at this stage this list looks much more impressive, and the states of the Asian region set the tone for the entire struggle.

Among the countries of the Middle East participating in the division of the African land market, one can single out Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Due to a certain geographical location, the areas of agricultural territories are quite insignificant. However, greater financial opportunities contribute to solving this problem beyond their borders. So, for example, the government of Saudi Arabia even made the purchase of foreign land a part of the state program. Moreover, all sorts of support is provided to companies involved in buying up land, provided, of course, that a significant part of the crop from them will be sent to Saudi Arabia.

A prime example of benefiting from buying up cheap land is Sheikh Mohammed al-Amoudi, whose company has already bought or leased for a long period several thousand hectares of land where rice, wheat, flowers and vegetables are grown. Over time, the company plans to increase the number of purchased land.

And the results were not long in coming: already in the early spring of 2009, a magnificent celebration was organized in Riyadh, timed to coincide with the harvest of the first crop of wheat and rice harvested on Ethiopian plantations. The cost of this agricultural project is estimated at US$100 million.

Representatives of other countries of the Asian region are also engaged in buying up land with no less activity. The most active is China, which continues to strengthen its position in Africa in all areas. Such a program also found the support of the official authorities, and this is understandable. The fact is that about 20 percent of the total population of our planet lives in China, while only 7 percent of agricultural land adapted for growing agricultural products. Moreover, a significant part of them is in extremely poor condition due to excessive anthropogenic influence, and, as a result, they cannot produce enough crops for the country. That is why the policy of buying up large areas of land abroad has become commonplace. In the Congo alone, the PRC owns about 3 million hectares of land that was acquired for the production of palm oil. For a similar purpose, 2 million hectares were bought in Zambia. And almost 1 million hectares were purchased for rice cultivation in Mozambique and Tanzania.

More than 100 Indian agricultural companies are engaged in buying land, which over the past few years have bought several hundred thousand hectares in Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Senegal and other countries of the African continent. These areas mainly grow rice, corn, sugarcane, lentils, as well as the most quickly paid off crop - flowers. The leading Indian company operating in Africa is Karaturi Global, which is also the world's largest rose grower. It is this company that owns about 1 million hectares of land in Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania.

Western companies are also not far behind. Their main activity is related to investment funds. Among them, Swedish and British companies are the most active. Swedish companies own 100,000 hectares of land in Mozambique. They grow products intended for the production of biofuels. British companies own plantations in Tanzania for similar purposes.

The unprecedented activity in the sphere of buying up African lands, which has been observed in the past three years, has already received the name of a new stage in the colonization of the Black Continent. But representatives of companies involved in the purchase of African territories, fundamentally disagree with such statements. They claim that with their multibillion-dollar financial investments they contribute to the development of agriculture in the poorest continent. They create new enterprises and purchase the latest equipment, thus creating a large number of jobs. Foreign investors are fully supported by the leaders of African states, while noting that only those lands that are not used and not owned by farmers are provided for sale.

But in reality, the situation looks a little different. So, for example, in Ethiopia alone, where representatives of Indian companies are active, about 300,000 local people were resettled, and only 20,000 of them were able to get a job in new farms. And they are considered very lucky, because even the little money they receive as wages exceeds the average income in the country.

It is not surprising that the inhabitants of some states are trying to resist such a large-scale purchase of land by foreigners, but the results have not yet been observed.

In total, foreigners have already occupied about 50 million hectares of land in Africa, and by 2030 this figure will grow to 100 million hectares.

Given the fact that the most common problem of local conflicts is the struggle for access to a source of water and a small plot of land that can feed, it’s scary to even imagine what a new redistribution of land in Africa could turn out to be. Analysts predict that the result could be such a strong food insecurity, which will be worse than terrorism.

Introduction……………………………………………………………………….....3
1. Characteristics of the land resources of Africa……………………..……….4
2. Properties of land resources ………………………………………….……...5
3. Allocation of African land resources ……………………..……..…….5
4. Distribution of African land resources between the countries of the world……...6
Conclusion………………………………………………………………….……11
List of used literature and sources………….……………..…12

The African continent is rich in various types of natural resources. Some people believe that you can have a good rest here by going on a safari, while others make money on mineral and forest resources. The development to the mainland is carried out comprehensively, therefore, all types of natural benefits are valued here.

Water resources

Despite the fact that a significant part of Africa is covered by deserts, many rivers flow here, the largest of which are the Nile and the Orange River, the Niger and the Congo, the Zambezi and the Limpopo. Some of them flow in deserts and are fed only by rainwater. The most famous lakes of the continent are Victoria, Chad, Tanganyika and Nyasa. In general, the continent has small reserves of water resources and is poorly supplied with water, therefore it is in this part of the world that people die not only from numerical diseases, hunger, but also from dehydration. If a person gets into the desert without water supplies, most likely, he will die. The exception will be the case if he is lucky enough to find an oasis.

Soil and forest resources

Land resources on the hottest continent are quite large. Of the total amount of soil that is available here, only a fifth is cultivated. This is due to the fact that a huge part is subject to desertification and erosion, so the land here is infertile. Many territories are occupied by tropical forests, so it is impossible to engage in agriculture here.

In turn, forest areas are of great value in Africa. The eastern and southern parts are covered with dry tropical forests, while wet ones cover the center and west of the mainland. What is worth noting is that here the forest is not valued, but cut down irrationally. In turn, this leads not only to the degradation of forests and soil, but also to the destruction of ecosystems and the emergence of environmental refugees, both among animals and among people.

Minerals

A significant part of Africa's natural resources are minerals:

• fuel - oil, natural gas, coal;
• metals - gold, lead, cobalt, zinc, silver, iron and manganese ores;
• non-metallic - talc, gypsum, limestone;
• precious stones - diamonds, emeralds, alexandrites, pyropes, amethysts.

Thus, Africa is home to the world's vast wealth of natural resources. These are not only fossils, but also wood, as well as world-famous landscapes, rivers, waterfalls and lakes. The only thing that threatens the exhaustion of these benefits is anthropogenic influence.