The geographical area extending in the western part of Africa in the equatorial and subequatorial strip includes the huge Congo depression, in the west it is adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea, in the north it includes the Azande plateau, in the south - the Lunda plateau and the plateaus of Angola continuing it.

In almost all countries of Central Africa, the official language is French. It is not surprising, because they were under French rule for a long time. In addition, the languages ​​​​of the most common nationalities are also in use, such as: Bantu, Fang, Teke, Kongo, Hausa and Masa. The economy rests not only on the rich subsoil of these lands and agriculture, but also on the export of timber.

There are thousands and thousands of animal species in Central Africa. Reptiles, mammals, birds. National parks: Virunga, Upemba, Garamba, Zakuma and Manza are considered one of the best reserves in the world in terms of the richness of flora and fauna.

A hot, humid climate is typical, and this region is also called the country of rivers. The largest river in the region is the Congo. The weather has its own characteristics, there are two main cycles: the so-called dry season and the rainy season, which replace each other every few months. Moreover, if you follow from north to south, the climatic conditions change markedly.

Ethnic composition of the population

The ethnic composition of the modern population of Africa is very complex. The continent is inhabited by several hundred large and small ethnic groups, 107 of which number more than 1 million people each, and 24 exceed 5 million people. The largest of them are: Egyptian, Algerian, Moroccan, Sudanese Arabs, Hausa, Yoruba, Fulbe, Igbo, Amhara.

Population placement

The average population density of the continent is low - about 30 people/km/sq. the distribution of the population is influenced not only by natural conditions, but also by historical factors, primarily the consequences of the slave trade and colonial domination.

Nature

The Congo depression has a flat, swampy bottom at an altitude of 300-500 m. The highest mountains are Adamawa in Cameroon (up to 3008 m) and the Cameroon volcanic massif (up to 4070 m). However, in general, Central Africa is characterized by a calm relief, without much fluctuation.

Equatorial Africa, the Congo depression, is distinguished by the densest network of full-flowing rivers in Africa, the largest of them is the Congo River (Zaire). The Ogove, Kwanza and other rivers also flow into the Gulf of Guinea. Vast areas are occupied by swamps.

In the equatorial climate zone, dense multi-tiered tropical rainforests grow. In the subequatorial belt - gallery forests, savannahs of various types are common in the watershed spaces. In the mouths of the rivers flowing into the Gulf of Guinea, mangroves are common.

The subcontinent Central Africa includes two physical and geographical countries - the North Guinea region and the Congo depression, which have a number of similar climate features. It is located in the middle of the mainland, washed by the waters of the Gulf of Guinea of ​​the Atlantic. In the north, the subcontinent borders on the plains of Sudan, in the east - on the East African Highlands, in the south - on South Africa. The border runs along the mountains and plateaus surrounding the Congo basin, and along the uplands and plateaus of the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea, where the dry season becomes very short (no more than 1-2 months).

The region is characterized by a hot, constantly humid climate of the equatorial type, which forms over most of its territory, a dense network of full-flowing rivers, and a predominance of tropical forests in the vegetation cover. The dominance of constantly humid climates is explained both by the circulation conditions and by the features of the underlying surface.

The subcontinent is located entirely within the ancient African platform, with a more or less stable tectonic regime, however, one of the faults, starting at the bottom, crosses the Biafra Bay and enters the mainland in the region of the Cameroon volcanic massif, then continuing to the northeast. There is a row here. The subsidence zone along the faults is called the Benue graben.

Central Africa has the richest forest resources and is well endowed. There are areas on the territory of the region where virgin forests are still preserved, but in large areas natural landscapes have experienced significant anthropogenic impact, especially as a result of irrational use of resources. Along the fringes of the subcontinent, tropical forests have in many cases given way to savannahs. With a significant similarity of natural conditions within the entire subcontinent, the physical and geographical countries included in its composition have a number of features.

North Guinea region

This physiographic country occupies the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea. In the north, the border with Sudan is climatic. To the north of it, in conditions typical of the subequatorial belt, savannahs dominate, to the south (within the region under consideration) there is practically no dry season and moist equatorial forests are widespread. In the southeast, the border with the Congo Basin runs along the eastern foot of the Adamawa Mountains. The states of West Africa, from Guinea to the northwest of Cameroon and the Central African Republic, are located on the territory of the region in whole or in their parts.

The formation of natural features is greatly influenced by air currents from the Gulf of Guinea. They flow from the northern periphery of the South Atlantic High as southeast trade winds, cross the equator and head towards the equatorial depression, which, over the warm Gulf of Guinea, maintains its position throughout the year, as it is maintained by the humid unstable state of the atmosphere. The equatorial year dominates here.

At the base of the North Guinean Upland, ancient rocks of the Precambrian basement (mainly quartzite-gneisses) occur, overlain in places by Paleozoic sandstones and shales. Only a narrow strip of coastal lowland - the subsidence zone - is composed of Quaternary sea sands from the surface.

The region is a system of plains and plateaus of different heights, in the west - layered, in the east - denudation, in some places strongly dissected.

Within the North Guinean Upland, altitudes from 200 to 1000 meters predominate. On the Futa-Jallon plateau and the Leono-Liberian Upland in the west and the Joye plateau in the east, individual massifs reach 1400-1900 meters, and in the Adamawa mountains - over 2000 meters. To the south, uplands and plateaus descend in steps to the coastal accumulative lowland. In the Adamawa Mountains, along the fault line, there are lava covers, extinct and an active volcanic massif of Cameroon with Fako peak (4070 meters).

The region is characterized by a hot, constantly humid climate.

Average monthly temperatures are 25-26°C, annual precipitation is 1500-4000 mm and up to 10,000 mm in the Cameroon massif (Debunja station). In winter, there is less rainfall than in summer, as the northeast monsoon from the Sahara occasionally penetrates here. This air goes over the equatorial one, and an inversion layer is formed that prevents convection.

Most of the rivers flow from the North Guinean Uplands. They are full-flowing, short and rapids. Alluvium is carried to the coastal lowland of the river. A lagoon-estuary type of coast with spits and dunes is formed here.

The largest river in the region, the Niger, originates in the Leono-Liberian Upland near the ocean, flows northeast, forms an inland delta within Sudan, then turns southeast, cuts through the North Guinea Upland and flows into the Gulf of Guinea, forming a vast delta . Such an unusual configuration of the valley is due to the fact that the upper course was originally an independent river flowing into an endorheic lake. Then the full-flowing river, which now represents the lower course of the Niger (the Couarra River - this is how the locals call it), intercepted the rivers of the Lake Chad basin, lowered the lake, and the modern Niger (“river in the country of black people”) was formed. There are two floods in the flow regime of the lower reaches of this river. The first is associated with the summer maximum precipitation. At this time, the former basin of the lake in the region of the inner delta is filled with water. Then, from this reservoir, flow begins to the lower Niger. This flood coincides with the decrease in precipitation in the region. are used for irrigation, local navigation, water supply, commercial fishing (according to some reports, up to 20 thousand tons of fish per year are caught here). A number of reservoirs have been created, the largest on the river. Volta (area - 8840 km 2, water volume - 148 km 3).

The soil and vegetation cover differs depending on moisture.

The low-lying shores are occupied by mangroves. Abundantly humid coastal areas and slopes of highlands and mountains are covered with moist equatorial forests, the best preserved in Liberia, where forests cover about 1/3 of the country's area. More than 600 species of trees grow in them, many vines and epiphytes, including an epiphytic cactus - the only plant from this family typical of America. Forests penetrate into the northern regions along the river valleys, in the watershed spaces, as the duration of the dry season increases, they are replaced by light forests and typical savannahs on red-brown and red soils dominated by baobabs, acacias, and along the border with forests - oil palm, and kigelia (sausage tree). It is possible that the savannas here are of anthropogenic origin. Forests can grow almost everywhere in their place, they are restored after destruction, but in a slightly different form: secondary forests are denser, stunted and poorer in species.

Numerous monkeys (including chimpanzees), elephants, bushy-eared pigs, a water dresser, a serval (from cats) are found in the forests. In open spaces, the animal world is common for savannahs.

The region has significant forest resources. 35 species with valuable wood are harvested. In addition, there is a kola tree in the forests, the fruits of which contain a tonic - theobromine, wine palm, oil palm - the main source of fat for the local population, etc. Oil palm has long been cultivated as one of the main agricultural crops of the region. In favorable agro-climatic conditions, they grow cocoa, coffee, bananas, pineapples, sugar cane, in the Niger Delta - rice.

The region has significant reserves of mineral raw materials - gold, diamonds, tin ores, bauxites. All of them are associated with crystalline basement rocks and ancient weathering crusts.

The nature of the region has been heavily modified by man. Slash-and-burn agriculture and deforestation for plantations of tropical crops have led to the degradation of vegetation cover. In Sierra Leone, only 4% of forested areas have survived, mainly in the mountains and in reserves. The species composition of vegetation and fauna is depleted. Soils are degrading. Primitive processing acts on their structure. Often, glandular shells are formed - cuirasses, which generally makes such areas unsuitable for agriculture. This process is especially characteristic of the western part of the region, where the destruction of wood for fuel has led to the fact that soil erosion has reached disaster proportions.

Protected area areas in the region are relatively small (compared to East Africa, for example) and unevenly distributed. In some countries (Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon) a more or less dense network of national parks and reserves has been created, and in a number of countries (Benin, Guinea) there are no protected areas.

Basin of the Congo

The physical-geographical country is located in the center of the continent on both sides of the equator within the Congo Basin with its surrounding uplifts. The borders (with Sudan - in the north, the East African Highlands - in the east, the plateaus and plateaus of South Africa - in the south) pass mainly along the watersheds of the Congo river system. In the west, the region faces the Atlantic Ocean. On its territory are such Central African countries as Zaire, Gabon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, most of the Central African Republic (CAR), southern Cameroon and northern Angola. Common to the region are the tectonic structure (it occupies one of the vast internal depressions of the African continent) and climatic conditions: equatorial prevails here throughout or most of the year, and hot and humid weather prevails.

The basin has a stepped relief.

Its bottom is located at heights of approximately 300-500 meters, and two levels can be traced: the lower surface, composed of alluvial sands, barely rises above the river's edge, the upper one (80-100 meters high, with sand and pebble deposits) rises above the lower one, forming a noticeable ledge with a series of low waterfalls (10-15 meters). The side of the basin rises in steps in the north to the Azande crystalline plateau (800-1000 meters), in the south - to the sandstone plateaus of Lund and Katanga (Shaba) 1300-1600 meters high. The eastern side is steep, the Mitumba crystalline ridges (1800-3300 meters) rise above it, bordering the Western rift zone. In the west, the basin is bounded by the South Guinea Upland - a strongly dissected protrusion of the Precambrian basement, which abruptly breaks off to a narrow coastal lowland. The Congo River, having cut through the hill, forms a series of waterfalls and rapids with a total drop of 320 meters.

The region is hot with a smooth course of temperatures (25-26°C) and an abundance of precipitation. Only in the north and south in the winter of the corresponding hemisphere is there a short dry season associated with the winter monsoon (trade wind).

The region has a dense network of rivers. The main river of the Congo Basin (Zaire) crosses the equator twice.

This second river in the world in terms of water content carries a quarter of Africa's total runoff to the ocean, but is distinguished by a small amount of suspended sediment (68 million tons, while the Amazon has 1 billion tons), since the bulk of alluvium is deposited on the bottom of its basin . The large forest cover of the basin and weak slopes at the very mouth of the river also play a role. The river system includes several lakes, the largest of which are the remains of the ancient Lake Busira, which occupied a significant part of the bottom of the basin. Flowing from the stepped sides of the basin and breaking through its elevated western edge, the Congo forms cascades of waterfalls. Within the central plains of the Congo, as a typical river of the equatorial type, it is similar to the Amazon. The river system has a fan-shaped structure. Large tributaries (Ubanga-Uele, Sanga, etc. - from the north, Kasai, Lomami, Kvanga, etc. - from the south) collect water from the sides of the basin. The flow maxima near the rivers of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres alternate, and therefore the water discharges in the main river fluctuate within insignificant limits.

Almost the entire space of the region is occupied by moist equatorial forests along the bottom of the basin and variable wet forests along the northern and southern sides.

Ficus, legume and palm, mulberry, sterculia, euphorbiaceae dominate here, among vines - orchids and ficus, epiphytes are represented mainly by ferns. On the slopes of hills on landslides, hylaea often form a "drunken forest". Along the outskirts, humid equatorial forests are replaced by seasonally wet ones in combination with tall grass savannahs. The forests are usually secondary, characterized by muzangi and oil palm. On waterlogged areas of the bottom of the basin, undersized sparse hylaea grow that can withstand periodic flooding (such as the Igapo of the Amazon). The trees in them have stilted roots. Hydromorphic soils form under them. In most of the territory, red-yellow ferralitic soils are common under forests and red under savannahs.

The primary hylaea preserved in the depths of the basin are inhabited by typical representatives of the African forest fauna.

Here there are chimpanzees and gorillas, a relative of giraffes - okapi, elephants, hippos, including pygmy ones. There are many birds, amphibians, a giant frog - goliath (body length up to 40 cm). As elsewhere in the rainforests, a large variety of insects. There is a tsetse fly - a carrier of a number of serious diseases that are dangerous for people and domestic animals.

Equatorial forests are one of the main riches of the region, a source of various raw materials: wood, tannins and medicinal substances, rosin, edible and industrial oils, fiber, spices. Forests have not yet been sufficiently studied, their potential is enormous. For the locals, the forest is the source of life. He provides food, drinking water, shelter. Known tribes of forest people - pygmies, whose whole life and biological characteristics are associated with the forest.

The region has large water resources. The Congo River and its tributaries are of transport importance in the areas between waterfalls and rapids.

The Congo Basin has a variety of minerals. The bowels are still poorly studied, but deposits of gold, diamonds, are already known. Deposits of copper, manganese, tin, cobalt ores are associated with outcrops of the crystalline basement along the outskirts of the region.

The region is unevenly populated. There are areas where there are practically no people. However, the anthropogenic impact on the forests of the Congo Basin is growing. In order to preserve them as an object that plays an important role in the overall zonal structure of the planet, it is necessary to solve a number of geographic and environmental problems:

- to drastically reduce the influence of people on it, first of all, logging;

- increase funding for the study of the specific features of gils;

- to increase the public sector in the ownership of forests;

- to increase the training of graduates, as there is a very strong shortage of personnel;

— increase the number of protected areas.

At present, a number of national parks and reserves have been created. The best known are Wonga-Wong in Gabon, Maika and Salonga in Zaire, and Odzala in the Congo. There are also several reserves.

The article contains background information about the Central African region. Gives an idea of ​​the level of economic development. Forms a picture of the prospects that are possible in Central Africa.

Central Africa

Central Africa is located in the western part of the continent and lies in the equatorial and subequatorial climatic zones.

In the West, equatorial Africa adjoins the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea. In the northern part is the Azande plateau. In the west, the highlands of southern Guinea can be observed. In the southern region lies the Lunda Plateau and the Angolan Plateau, which continues it. From the east, the region is bordered by a branch of the Western Rift of the East African system.

Rice. 1. Region on the map of the mainland.

The area of ​​the central African region is 7.3 million square meters. km. The population is approaching 100 million people.

The region is the "heart" of the mainland. It is also a major mineral resource "storage" of the world.

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In this area, the well-known "copper belt" is located. It passes through the southeast of Zaire and the Zambian region. In addition to copper, there are also cobalt, lead, zinc ore deposits.

In the expanses of the Equatorial part of the black continent, iron ore reserves, deposits of tin, uranium and diamonds are concentrated.

Recently, recently discovered oil fields in the territory of the Congo have been actively developed.

In this region, as almost everywhere else on the mainland, the economy is in a state of decline. Only Zaire and Zambia had non-ferrous metallurgy.

Rice. 2. Modern industry.

Economic reforms are hampered by the unstable political situation in the region. Armed civil conflicts are not uncommon here.

During the years of sovereignty of the region, the entire cycle of production was created, from ore mining to the subsequent smelting of high quality metals. Significant importance is given to the harvesting of tropical timber for export.

Rice. 3. Civil conflicts

The agricultural sector is focused mainly on the production of coffee and cocoa, tea and tobacco, as well as rubber and cotton.

Central African countries

Among the states of this macro-region, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a large and densely populated one.

List of states in the region:

• Cameroon;
• Gabon;
• Congo;
• Zaire;
• Angola;
• Central African Republic;
• Equatorial Guinea;
• Sao Tome;
• Principe.

What have we learned?

We learned which countries belong to equatorial Africa. The causes of weak and unstable economic development have been established. We got acquainted with historical facts that had an impact on the standard of living in the region. We found out when the countries of the central region gained independence.

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Africa Tur → References → WESTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA → Central Africa. Nature

Central Africa. Nature

The countries of Central Africa occupy a vast part of the African continent approximately between the Tropic of the North and 13°S. sh. Excluding the deserts and semi-deserts in the Republic of Chad in the north and the southern semi-desert regions of Angola, this territory roughly coincides with the natural region of Central, or Equatorial, Africa. Within the economic region of Central Africa, one can trace all the zonal differences of African nature - from the tropical deserts of the northern hemisphere to the semi-deserts of southern Africa.

Although the entire territory under consideration belongs to the ancient African platform, its geological structure and relief are rather heterogeneous. Sedimentary deposits of different ages predominate on the Precambrian base or outcrops of this crystalline basement to the surface. However, in many places, especially in the north, west, and east of the region, the Paleozoic and younger deposits of the platform have repeatedly been intruded by igneous rocks over the long geological history of Africa. Meso-Cenozoic tectonic movements and deep faults, which manifested themselves most clearly in East Africa, affected some parts of the platform in Central Africa as well. On its outskirts, for example, large outpourings of basalts occurred. Until now, several volcanoes have been active: Tuside (3265 m) in the north of the Republic of Chad in the highlands of Tibesti, Cameroon (4070 m) off the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, in the United Republic of Cameroon, volcanoes in the extreme east of Zaire, i.e. on the border of the Great African fault (rift), where even today there are significant eruptions and even the formation of new volcanic cones.

The tectonic structure of this part of Africa basically predetermines the main features of the relief. In the north of the region there is a depression (syneclise) of Chad, in the south - a depression of the Congo. They are separated by a powerful ledge of the crystalline basement - the Central African Shield, stretching from the Gulf of Guinea to the rift zone in the east. Huge ancient depressions are surrounded by uplands - mountains, plateaus and plateaus. In the north of the Chad basin, this is the already mentioned Tibesti highlands, in the east, a plateau with average heights of 600-1000 m (the highest point is 1310 m on the Ennedi plateau). The lowest part of this synecle is the Bodele depression (155 m), slightly higher (281 m) lies the depression of the lake. Chad.

More sublime is the multi-stage framing of the Congo Basin. The central part of this syneclise is a flat, heavily swampy plain 300–500 m above sea level. seas. The entire northern edge of the depression is the main watershed between the river basin. Congo and river basins. Nile and lake Chad. The average heights of the watershed are 800-1000 m. The same average heights are at the western edge of the Congo Basin, which separates it from the narrow coastal lowland of the Atlantic coast. Only the Adamawa Mountains in Cameroon rise to 2710 m, and near them rises the Cameroon volcanic massif. In the south of the Congo basin, the marginal plateaus are higher (average heights are 1500-1700 m). They form a watershed between the Congo and Zambezi river basins. The eastern border of the Congo Basin and the entire region coincides with the western branch of the Great African Rift - the Central African graben, in which lakes Tanganyika, Kivu, and others are located. Chains of volcanic mountains and individual volcanoes are located along this fault.

The bowels of Central Africa are rich in valuable and diverse minerals. However, the study of the region's interior is uneven: the least studied are its northern and western parts, the best is the southern (Zaire, Gabon, Cameroon), although there are still great opportunities for discovering new reserves. The countries of the region occupy a leading place in the capitalist world in the extraction of cobalt, industrial diamonds, copper, tin, and manganese. There are large deposits of rare earth and precious metals (gold, platinum, palladium), uranium ores, etc. The reserves of aluminum and iron ores are practically unlimited. Coastal and shelf oil fields are beginning to be developed, and prospective searches for oil are being carried out in continental regions.

The natural contrasts of the region are most clearly manifested in the climate. The northern part of the region belongs to the deserts and pre-deserts of the tropical zone (the climatic features of which basically correspond to the characteristics given in the review of the nature of West Africa). Climatically the most peculiar is the central part of the region, which lies to the north and south of the equator to about a latitude of 5°. This is the equatorial climate zone. Throughout the year, humid and hot equatorial air prevails here. In the central part of the Congo Basin, south of the equator, the average temperatures of the hottest month (March or April) are 25-28°, the coolest (August) 23-25°. Rain falls fairly evenly throughout the year, and throughout the equatorial zone the average annual precipitation is about 2000 mm or more. The wettest area, however, is located north of the equator and is located on the slopes of the Cameroon massif facing the ocean, where up to 10,000 mm of precipitation falls annually.

To the north and south of the equatorial zone are zones of subequatorial climate or equatorial monsoons. All of them are already characterized by two seasons - rainy and dry, which is caused by a periodic change of air masses penetrating here. The rainy season ("summer") is associated with the intrusion of moist air from the equatorial monsoon. The dry season ("winter") begins as the monsoon air is gradually replaced by the hot and dry air of the southeast trade wind. The farther from the equator, the stronger and longer the influence of the trade wind manifests itself, and the dry season increases from 2-3 to 5-7 months a year. Average annual precipitation in the same direction decreases from 1500 to 600 mm, respectively.

In subequatorial zones, annual temperature contrasts are also more noticeable, especially in elevated areas; during the dry season, the average monthly temperatures reach 25 ° (March), and in the rainy season - only 15-17 ° (July or August). In lowland areas and in the subequatorial zone, there are almost no temperature contrasts during the year.

The equatorial part of Central Africa abounding in precipitation, and especially the Congo Basin, the "heart of Africa", has a very dense network of full-flowing rivers. The largest river that carries water to the Atlantic Ocean, the Congo (Zaire), has a length of 4320 km, and the area of ​​​​its drainage basin is over 3.7 million square meters. km. The river drains much of Central Africa. The largest tributaries on the right are the Ubangi, on the left are the Kasai, and in total there are thousands of large and small rivers in the Congo basin alone. Vast areas are occupied by swamps.

In sharp contrast to this part of the region is the north of Central Africa. Closed internal pool of the lake. Chad receives water from permanent rivers only from the west and south (the Shari River from Logone). The northernmost regions are devoid of rivers with a permanent flow, so rivers such as Shari and Ubangi are extremely important as a transport route for the landlocked states of the region. The importance of the region's rivers as potential sources of electricity, the use of which has just begun, is also great.

The nature of the soil and vegetation cover in Central Africa is especially closely related to the conditions of moisture. In the equatorial climate zone, evergreen tropical rain forests are common, stretching from the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in Cameroon and Gabon to the borders with the East African Plateau. These are multilayer forests with an exceptionally large species diversity of trees, tree ferns and other plants. The exploitation of forests for harvesting the most valuable ornamental timber (ebony or ebony, species called mahogany, okume, sandalwood, etc.) everywhere leads to deep and often irreversible processes of degradation of the natural vegetation cover. Although even today the equatorial forests amaze the stranger with their splendor, most often they are secondary; only in certain areas, for example, Gabon and especially Zaire, virgin moist forests with giant trees of the upper tier, intertwined with vines, and palm trees in the lower tiers, have been preserved. Every year, the question of preserving at least limited areas of such forests for future generations becomes more and more acute.

In the subequatorial zones, tropical rainforests are preserved only in certain sections of the river valleys - these are gallery forests. On the watershed spaces, on the interfluve plateaus, savannas of various types are common, most often of secondary origin, that is, developed as a result of degradation, sometimes simply deforestation. Typical savannahs are widely developed - thickets of tall cereals, reaching 1.5 m or more, with individual deciduous or evergreen trees - baobabs, tree-like milkweeds, acacias, various palm trees, etc. The savannas of Central Africa are diverse in appearance. In some areas, it is more of a savanna forest with clumps of trees that lose their leaves in the dry season, but resemble real forests in the wet season. They are especially characteristic of the Congo-Zambezi watershed and some sections of the uplands of the northern framing of the Congo Basin.

In the drier parts of the region to the north and south of the zone of typical savannahs, the vegetation cover gradually thins out, the number of individual trees decreases, the composition of grasses in the herbage changes, and thickets of thorny xerophytic shrubs appear. In the south, dry savannahs pass predominantly into semi-deserts, and in the north, as noted, the region extends to the zone of tropical deserts of the Sahara.

Mangroves are developed along the low, tide-flooded shores of the Atlantic Ocean in the equatorial and subequatorial zones. Coastal areas in the southern part of Angola are occupied by semi-desert and desert landscapes.

The soil cover is equally diverse within the region. In the north, south of the desert zone, red-brown and reddish-brown soils of desert and dry savannas are typical. To the south, in the main more humid part of the region, various types of red-colored lateritic soils are developed. In the basin of the lake Chad and in the lowland wetlands of the Congo Basin are different variants of dark-colored tropical marsh soils.

The diverse fauna of the region can be briefly characterized by habitat types. The richest in large animals, especially mammals, savannas. This is the habitat of various ungulates - antelopes, gazelles, zebras, giraffes, etc. Elephants and rhinos, large predators, mainly live here. In Central Africa, as in West Africa, most of the large exotic African animals were subjected to very severe extermination, and their protection was, and still is, very weak. The fauna of the semi-desert regions is close to the fauna of the savannas, but poorer in terms of species and quantity, and therefore suffered more from hunting, poaching, and other, even indirect, influences of human activity.

The fauna of the forests is poorer in land animals, but it is distinguished by the diversity of animals that have adapted to life on trees. Therefore, deforestation greatly affects the composition of the animal world. In the forests of Central Africa, ungulates such as okapi are still numerous, but there are especially many wild pigs (boars, warthogs related to them, etc.). The number of monkeys is exceptionally large - from small long-tailed monkeys to rare chimpanzees and especially small gorillas.

Rivers in the zones of forests and savannas are the habitat of hippos (hippos) and crocodiles. In all natural areas that Central Africa covers, there are many reptiles. Among them are many poisonous snakes, pythons in the forests, etc. There are an extremely large number of birds, especially on lakes and rivers (flamingos, marabou, herons, storks, etc.). Quite rare now are ostriches in the savannas, large birds (such as parrots, hornbills, etc.) in the forests; many small birds in all habitats with plant food. As in other tropical regions of Africa, the world of insects is extremely diverse and numerous. Almost the entire territory of Central Africa is included in the zone of distribution of the tsetse fly and the widespread development of tropical malaria. There are many specific types of insects - pests of agriculture, and the problem of combating insects dangerous to humans and animals is typical for almost all countries of Central Africa.

The inland waters of the region are very promising for the development of fisheries; coastal countries of Central Africa, primarily Angola and Cameroon, have opportunities for sea fishing.

The natural conditions and natural resources of the region as a whole are characterized by considerable difficulties for the integrated development of the economies of the countries located here. In the dry parts of the region, there are great barriers to agricultural intensification. In areas of excessive moisture, large-scale reclamation measures are necessary for these purposes. In addition, everywhere in the humid tropics there is a serious threat of rapid degradation of natural landscapes under the influence of economic activity that is not balanced with the natural possibilities of self-protection of the environment. Therefore, for example, the issues of environmental protection, in particular from industrial pollution, in the conditions of the humid tropics of Central Africa are of particular importance in comparison with the conditions of most other spatial types of the natural environment.

The composition of the region. Economic - geographical location.
In terms of area, which covers almost 1/4 of the mainland, the region is second only to North Africa. However, only 1/7 of its population lives here. The region includes 9 states. Central Africa, occupying a central position on the mainland, borders on all other African regions: North, West, East and South Africa.
The countries of the region freed themselves from colonial dependence in 1950-1974. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was the possession of Belgium, Equatorial Guinea - Spain, Sao Tome and Principe - Portugal, other countries - colonies of France, almost all belonged to the former French Equatorial Africa.
Most of the countries of Central Africa are located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean or have access to it, which contributes to their economic development. The peculiarity of the region lies in the placement of an industrial region in its southeast " copper belt”, which by its economic importance far exceeds the seaside strip. Ugar and the Central African Republic (CAR) are landlocked, which is one of the most important reasons for their economic backwardness.
Transit transportation of inland countries through coastal states significantly influences the formation of the economic community of the states of the region.
All countries in the region are members of the UN, and Gabon is a member of OPEC.
Natural conditions. Central Africa occupies the western part of the mainland in equatorial and subequatorial latitudes, covers a large flat basin of the Congo, which in the west is adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea (the length of the coastal strip is 3099 km), in the north - to the Azande plateau, in the west - to the North Guinean Upland , in the south - to the Luanda plateau, in the east the region is bounded by a branch of the Western East African Plateau.
The relief is dominated by flat areas. The Congo depression has a flat, heavily waterlogged bottom at altitudes of 300-500 m, the height of the elevations that limit it reaches 500-1000 m in the north and west, 1500-1700 m and more in the rest of the territory. Only the mountain range of Cameroon reaches a height of 4070 m. The relief of the region does not have sharp elevation changes. Flat accumulative and layered plains are found in the Congo Basin and in the coastal strip. Slightly mountainous intersections with insular mountains predominate in places where crystalline rocks come out, table and table-stepped plateaus - in the rocks of the sedimentary cover.
The natural contrasts of the region most clearly affect the climate. On both sides of the equator, the equatorial climate dominates with constant humid air and autumn and spring maxima of precipitation, which falls up to 2000 mm per year, average temperatures reach +23 ... + 28 ° C. In the north and south of the equator there is a subequatorial climate zone with rainy summers and dry winters, the amount of precipitation decreases to 1000 mm, during the rainy period the temperature drops to + 15 ° C. The least precipitation (200 mm) is on the Atlantic coast.
The equatorial regions and especially the Congo depression have the densest network of full-flowing rivers in Africa, the largest of which is the Congo (Zaire). The rivers are rapids and have significant hydropower potential. Large areas are occupied by swamps. Large lakes are Ugar, Mai-Ndombe and Tumba.
Natural resources. The bowels of the region have not been studied enough. The most developed minerals are in the southeast and east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, exploration and development of the bowels of Gabon, Cameroon, Angola, and Congo are being actively carried out. At the end of the 70s of the XX century. Oil and gas fields have been discovered along almost the entire shelf zone of the Atlantic coast.
The well-known "Copper Belt" (DRC) is located in the region, in which, in addition to copper, cobalt, lead, and zinc are also of industrial importance. Gabon has unique reserves of manganese on the mainland. The bowels of Angola and Gabon are rich in oil. The DRC has huge diamond reserves and is one of the world's top diamond exporters. Central Africa contains significant deposits of rare earth and precious metals (gold, platinum, palladium), ores, aluminum and iron.
Resources for agriculture. The southern part of the Central African Republic, almost all of Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, large expanses of the DRC and part of Angola are occupied by massifs of humid equatorial and shifting humid forests. Intensive agriculture is complicated here, but there are very large forests and water resources. The rest of the territories are dominated by shrouds. The entire equatorial part of the region is the habitat of the tsetse fly, which causes great damage to livestock.
Hydropower resources. Having the densest and richest river network on the continent, Central Africa owns colossal hydropower resources, the total potential of which is up to 500 million kW (for the full use of river flow). Only in the lower reaches of the river. Congo (the first among the rivers in terms of hydropower resources) can build a cascade of power plants with a capacity of 25-30 million kW.
The use of the natural resource potential of the region is associated with some problems, especially in agriculture (the need for irrigation in dry areas and the implementation of land reclamation measures in areas with excessive moisture, which require significant funds). There is also a significant threat of rapid degradation of natural landscapes due to the use of outdated management methods, for example, the destruction of equatorial forests due to the clear-cut farming method.
In the equatorial belt, multi-tiered moist equatorial forests (hylaea) grow with a variety of trees and tree-like ferns, mostly secondary. The average forest cover of the region is 47%, the maximum is in Gabon (71%), Equatorial Guinea (65%), Sao Tome and Principe (61%), the minimum is in Chad (9%).
Population. In terms of population, the countries of Central Africa vary greatly. The most populated is the DRC, where the population is 10 times higher than in the Central African Republic, 12 times - Congo.
demographic features. The region, as well as throughout Africa, has a high annual natural population growth - an average of 2.9%. Life expectancy is below the African average. High infant mortality, especially in arid regions in the north, in the zone of equatorial forests. Despite this, the countries of the region are experiencing a “population explosion”. The number of children under 15 years old is quite large (43%) and the number of elderly people is small (4%). The number of men and women in the region is approximately the same (49.5 and 50.5%, respectively)
Racial composition. The majority of the population of the region belongs to the Negroid race. In some peoples (Tubu, Kanuri) of the northern regions, features of Caucasoids are noticeable.
In the equatorial forests of many countries live representatives of the so-called Negril small race - pygmies, whose height is 141-142 cm. They have light skin with a yellowish or reddish tint, narrow lips, and men have a thick beard. Representatives of the Khoisan race live in the south of the region - the Bushmen (curly hair, a wide nose with a low nose bridge, yellowish skin, very thin lips, often absent earlobe, average height - up to 150 cm).
Representatives of the Caucasoid race have been living in Central Africa for several centuries (most of them are in Angola), there are also many “colored”, mestizo populations here.
Ethnic composition. The population is ethnically diverse. Negroid peoples who speak Bantu languages ​​and belong to the Niger-Kordafan language family (DRC, Congo, Angola, Cameroon) predominate. On the periphery, the number of peoples of adjacent regions is increasing - Hausa and Fulbe in the west (Cameroon), Tubu in the north (Ugar). Several tens of thousands of Pygmies live in Cameroon, the Congo and the DRC, some of whom speak Bantu languages, and some speak the languages ​​of the Nilo-Saharan family. In all countries of the region, the official languages ​​of the former metropolitan countries are: French, Portuguese, Spanish.
Religious composition. Most peoples retain local traditional beliefs; widespread belief in the spirits of nature, the cult of ancestors, fetishism, magic and witchcraft. Representatives of local traditional cults live in all countries, most of all in the Central African Republic (up to 50%).
Islam is practiced in the north, extreme east, southeast. Only in Chad Muslims are almost 60% of the population, Cameroon - over 35%. Christianity is also widespread. In many countries, Catholics make up the vast majority of the population (in Equatorial Guinea - 90%, in Gabon and the Congo - 80% each, Cameroon and Angola - 55% each).
Placement of the population. The region is unevenly populated. Sparsely populated are the northern and southern regions, which border the deserts, and especially the center of the region, covered with equatorial forest. In the depths of massifs of equatorial forests, the average population density is 2-3 people/km2, in the industrial southeast of the DRC - 160 people/km2.
The level of urbanization is low. On average, urban residents make up 38%, the least of them in Chad - 21%. In some areas there is a significant concentration of cities and towns, for example, in the "Copper Belt" in the DRC. Almost everywhere except the DRC, the urban population is concentrated in one or two cities, including the capital. Most of the cities are relatively recent. The millionaire cities are Kinshasa (4.2 million), Luanda (2.1 million), Douala (1.3 million), Yaounde (1.1 million), Brazzaville (1 million).
Human Resources. The population is predominantly employed in agriculture - over 80% (more than the average for Africa). The migration of young men to areas of intensive development of the mining industry is high.
The socio-economic and cultural level of the population of Central Africa is very low. Most rural residents live in a patriarchal-communal structure, are engaged in heavy manual work, and do not have elementary living conditions.
Features of economic development and general characteristics of the economy
The countries of the region differ significantly in terms of economic development. The main source of livelihood for 80% of the population is agriculture and cattle breeding. The remoteness of large inland regions from the ocean, the main transport routes, is the reason for their economic isolation, complicates trade relations and involvement in the system of territorial division of labor.
The collapse of the colonial system was accompanied by the formation in most countries of a large-scale public sector of the economy. In Angola, numerous industrial enterprises, transport, communications, banking, land and its resources were nationalized or taken under state control. The state controls finance, the credit system, insurance, and foreign trade. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the state owns mineral, forest and land resources, and the leading industrial enterprises, banks, and insurance institutions have been nationalized here. In Cameroon, the public sector occupies a leading position in the fields of transport (the state owns 100% of the capital of companies in railway transport, 70% in air transport, 66% in maritime transport, and 65% in urban transport), communications, energy management and water supply; strengthened its position in agriculture. In the CAR, river transport and electricity generation have been nationalized. The economic policy of Chad and other countries is aimed at encouraging private entrepreneurship and attracting foreign capital. Private foreign capital is concentrated mainly in the mining and manufacturing industries, the production of consumer goods.
One of the largest volumes of the total GNP in the region is in Gabon (over $7.7 billion in 2000), with almost $6,000 per capita (the highest figure in the region). The basis of the country's economy is the extractive industry (oil and mining). Up to 70% of gross domestic investment comes from abroad. The foreign capital of most companies is French, American, South African.
The countries of the region are represented by extractive industries (oil, mining - copper, manganese, rare earth metals, diamond mining). Of the agricultural areas oriented to export are: the cultivation of oil palm, cotton, cocoa, bananas, sisal, coffee, rubber. Harvesting and export of tropical wood are widely developed.
The natural resource potential and peculiarities of the region's agriculture have led to the predominant development of the mining industry, food and timber processing areas. Many industrial enterprises of the region were created during the colonial period and are in need of radical modernization.
Mining areas. The leading place in the industry belongs to the mining areas and the partial processing of various types of natural raw materials. Oil production in the region reaches 58 million tons (Gabon, Angola, Cameroon), all of it is exported. Oil refineries operate in Gabon, DRC and Angola.
Gabon is one of the world's main suppliers of ores of manganese, uranium, and iron ore. Congo supplies potash salt, ores of non-ferrous and rare metals to the world market, CAR - uranium, DRC - one of the world's largest (3rd place) suppliers of industrial diamonds (13.5 million carats) and cobalt (70% of world production), gold, kyanite, limestone, marble are mined in Cameroon.
Energy. Hydroelectric power stations are the basis of the region's electric power industry. The largest of them have been built in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Cameroon, etc. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the world's largest HPPs, Inga, is being built. The most significant thermal power plants operate near large cities. Africa's only geothermal power plant has been built in Shabi (DRC). Wood fuel is widely used (mainly in river and rail transport, some industrial enterprises). Every year, the countries of the region generate 17,661 million kWh of electricity. Over 2/3 of it is consumed by the mining industry.
Metallurgy. The presence of a powerful mineral resource base led to the development of a full metallurgical cycle in the region, primarily in non-ferrous metallurgy. In Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cameroon, there are not only mining enterprises, but also plants for the smelting of high-quality metals.
Engineering. Machine-building enterprises are represented by small factories for the assembly of bicycles, motorcycles and cars in the DRC, radio equipment and electrical appliances, and agricultural implements in Cameroon. There are small shipbuilding and ship repair yards in Angola and the DRC.
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