The spatial pattern of the distribution of population and economy in Africa is very specific; it was formed during the period of colonial rule. Its main features are also characteristic of other developing regions. modern world(see article ""). However, this is where they are most pronounced. Before mass European colonization in late XIX- early XX century. the main part of the population and economy of Africa was concentrated in the interior of the continent, where traditional agriculture was developed, supplemented by no less traditional animal husbandry, hunting and gathering. From the 15th century Europeans began to create their strongholds, trading posts on the coast. Colonization formed a plantation economy, areas for the extraction of minerals and logging. These new areas economic development gravitated towards sea ​​coast from where the produced raw materials were exported to Europe. Old ones began to expand and new ones were created seaports(and cities with them), laying began from them railways deep into the territory. The colonial administrations and services created by the Europeans were also located in coastal cities to facilitate communication with the mother countries. All this has led to a sharp increase in the role of coastal regions. The economy also developed in the interior regions: there were two large centers of extraction and processing of raw materials in Central Africa- "Copper Belt", as well as in the south around the city of Johannesburg.

In the second half of the XX century. the mining industry and plantation economy developed rapidly, but this did not change the existing spatial pattern.

The modern spatial pattern of the distribution of population and economy in Africa can be called not yet formed (even "immature"). In Africa, there is no single economic space, not only on the scale of the entire continent, but even individual countries. In any African country (as in most other developing countries), relatively developed and prosperous areas coexist with underdeveloped and completely backward ones. Very often they are poorly connected with each other by economic threads. The most developed regions and their centers, as a rule, are more attached to overseas countries (to which they supply raw materials) than to their backward regions.

Unlike developed countries in Africa, the population and economy are located in pockets, which are the economic core of underdeveloped territories. These economic "oases" are typical for Africa.

Weak relationship separate territories confirms and transport network Africa, which has a typical "colonial pattern". As a rule, railways and highways go from ports to the hinterland, where export products are produced, supplied by the agricultural sector, as well as mining and forestry.

Most African countries lack a network of urban settlements. There are few cities, and for the most part they are not "command centers" in socio-economic life. African urbanization is characterized only by high rates and the remaining low proportion of citizens (about 1/3 in the mid-90s), but also the hypertrophied role of the largest city (capital). The giant city suppresses all other cities, it is out of competition. The sprawling city is difficult to manage; socio-economic, environmental and other problems are deepening in it. AT African countries plans have been developed to move the capitals to the hinterland, which should stimulate the economic growth of these territories.

Let's mentally imagine Africa, its endless spaces, diverse landscapes. Surely since childhood Africa has been associated with huge deserts (Sahara), endless savannahs with giraffes, elephants and rhinos, wet forests full of exotic birds, snakes, trees that are entangled in vines. Indeed, Africa is diverse, but its nature is characterized by a kind of "duality" ("dualism"), expressed in complete opposite individual territories. On the mainland, this contrast is manifested in the neighborhood of areas suffering either from a lack of moisture or from its excess. Arid (arid) zones occupy about 60% of the continent's area. Almost everything else is waterlogged, in which excess moisture is felt all year round Or just one of the seasons. In Africa, there are very few areas with moderate moisture.

In arid zones, desertification (that is, gradual transformation into a desert) develops catastrophically. It covers about 80% of all arid lands. The onset of deserts occurs under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors, and the role of the latter is more significant. Due to the significant expansion of the areas of export crops, forests are being destroyed (in the 90s, about 1.3 million hectares annually). Forests are being destroyed as a result of the expansion of arable land and the use of firewood as domestic fuel. At the same time, not only trees are destroyed for firewood, but also shrubs, which previously held back the advancing sands. The sparse grassy vegetation in the transition zone between deserts and forests is destroyed by livestock (“overgrazing”, i.e., the maintenance of a much larger livestock than can naturally feed given territory). For example, in Ethiopia, the forested area in the XX century. dropped from 40% to 3%.

Africa is periodically hit by catastrophic droughts, leading to a sharp increase in the problem of hunger, as well as the flight of people from hungry lands.

If we turn to the tectonic and physical maps of the atlas, we can see that at the base of the mainland lie the most ancient rocks, which in some places come to the surface. physical map speaks of the predominance of hills, plateaus and highlands, i.e. mountainous terrain. The lowlands occupy a small area and are located mainly on the periphery of the mainland. It is logical to assume that most of Africa will be dominated by igneous rocks, and within the lowlands (which from a geological point of view were recently the bottom of the sea) - sedimentary. Therefore, the patterns of placement mineral resources on the mainland are quite simple: in terms of distribution area and significance, various ores (especially non-ferrous and rare), diamonds and other igneous minerals dominate. Sedimentary minerals are concentrated within the lowlands -, natural gas, phosphorites, bauxites and others.

Africa. Population placement

Population density.

The average population density of the continent is low - 17.7 people per 1 km 2 in 1984 (in Europe - 65.6 people per 1 km 2, in Asia - 64.3). Population distribution is influenced not only by natural conditions(for example, the desert expanses of the Sahara and the impenetrable humid equatorial forests), but also historical factors, primarily the consequences of the slave trade and colonial domination.

The highest population density (1984) is on the islands of Mauritius (497 people per 1 km 2), Reunion (214), Seychelles (162), Comoros (196), as well as in small states East Africa - Rwanda (217) and Burundi (159), the lowest - in Botswana, Libya, Namibia, Mauritania, Western Sahara (1-2 people per 1 km 2).

In the north and northeast of the continent, the narrow valley of the Nile is very densely populated, where 99% of the country's population is concentrated within Egypt and its density exceeds 1200 people per 1 km 2. The increased population density is also coastal zone countries of the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and partly Libya), in some areas - 100-200 people per 1 km 2. A relatively high population density (50-100 people per 1 km 2) is characteristic of the irrigated lands of Sudan (Gezira) and some mountainous areas Ethiopia.

Separate foci increased density population (100-200 people per 1 km 2) are also found south of the Sahara: a narrow coastal strip of Ghana, Togo, Benin and in the south-west of Nigeria (in the Yoruba settlement area), as well as territories on the left bank of the lower Niger and in the vicinity of the city of Niger. Kano in northern Nigeria, on elevated plateaus in Kenya (near Nairobi), Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, in the zone of the Copper Belt of Zambia, in the vicinity of Kinshasa in Zaire, in the mining and plantation regions of South Africa (near Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban), in the central highlands of Madagascar.

The population density of the Sahara is on average less than 1 person per 1 km2. In some of its regions (Tanezruft, Erg Shesh and Murzuk, partly in the Libyan Desert) there is no permanent population at all. In oases, the density of the settled agricultural population reaches 100-200 people per 1 km2. The nomadic population is located largely in the peripheral parts of the Sahara and in the few inland areas where there are convenient pastures for livestock. The semi-nomadic population lives in the neighborhood of oases.

To the south, in the Sahel zone, the density rural population ranges from 1 to 10, in some places up to 50 people per 1 km 2. In less arid areas of tall grass savannahs, in evergreen forests of the Guinean coast and other areas Tropical Africa the dominant shifting system of agriculture determines the dispersion rural settlements and in general about low density population - 1-5 people per 1 km 2. A high density (from 50 to 100 people per 1 km 2) is distinguished by the areas of cultivation of plantation crops in a number of countries West Africa(Ghana, BSC, Benin, Nigeria). In East Africa average density over 10, in some areas up to 100-200 people per 1 km 2. In South Africa, the dry steppes and semi-deserts of the Namib and Kalahari are very sparsely populated (less than 1 person per 1 km 2); high density of the population (from 30 to 100 people per 1 km 2), the coastal lowland, the territories where the authorities settle African population(), and especially the neighborhood major cities. In the central mining region of the Witwatersrand, the average density exceeds 100 people per km2.

Settlement on stilts.
Benin.

Somba huts.
Benin.

Elmolo huts.
Kenya.

Bazaar.
East Africa.

Village of diamond miners.
Angola.

Suto's dwelling.
Lesotho.

Lamu.
Kenya.

Luba village.
Zaire.

Encyclopedic reference book "Africa". - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Chief Editor An. A. Gromyko. 1986-1987 .

See what "Africa. Population distribution" is in other dictionaries:

Peoples. Ethnic composition Ethnic composition modern population Africa is different great complexity(see map of peoples). The continent is inhabited by several hundred large and small ethnic groups. 107 of them, numbering more than 1 million people each, ... ...

Placement of agriculture. Africa at the turn of the 1980s had 12% of the world's cultivated land, 26% of pastures and meadows, 14% of cattle and 24% of small ruminants. However, its share in the world production of the main species ... ... Encyclopedic reference book "Africa"

POPULATION MIGRATION- (from lat. migratio resettlement), movement of people (migrants) across the borders of certain territories. with a change of residence permanently or for more or less long time. Since M. n. consists of migratory flows, the concept of migration ... ...

Italy- Italian Republic, state in the south of Europe. In Dr. Rome Italy (Latin Italia) the territory where the Italians lived (Latin Itali, Russian also Italy, Italians); the ethnonym united all the tribes of the Apennine Peninsula, conquered by Rome in the 5th–3rd centuries. BC uh... Geographic Encyclopedia

WORLD POPULATION- POPULATION OF THE WORLD, at the beginning. 1985 (according to the UN) was 4.8 billion hours, to which they live in Europe, Asia, America, Africa, Australia and Oceania (inhabited land area 135.8 million km2). In total, there are 213 countries in the world that have a permanent us., ... ... Demographic Encyclopedic Dictionary

Europe- (Europe) Europe is a densely populated highly urbanized part of the world named after a mythological goddess, forming together with Asia the continent of Eurasia and having an area of ​​​​about 10.5 million km² (approximately 2% of total area Earth) and... Encyclopedia of the investor

1. What peoples live in Africa? Which of them are considered indigenous, which are aliens? What is the dominant population?

All the peoples of Africa can be attributed to two basic (Negroid and Caucasoid), and at least one transitional - the Ethiopian race. There is also the following division into language families: Afro-Asian: largest nations- Arabs, Oromo, Amhara. (North and East Africa, newcomers).; Berbers are local.

Niger-Congolese: the largest peoples are Kwa, Rwanda, Makua, Congo (local).

Nilo-Saharan family: the largest peoples are Luo, Kanuri, Dinka (local).

Austronesian family: the largest peoples are Merina, Antakarana (alien).

Indo-European family: the largest peoples are Afrikaans, Anglo-South Africans (alien).

2. What are the features of the distribution of the population in Africa?

Features of the distribution of the population in Africa:

1) the population is distributed unevenly

2) nai high density population along river banks (hot and arid climate on the mainland)

3) high density on the coasts of marine objects: the Gulf of Guinea, mediterranean sea, Red Sea, indian ocean(occupations of the population - fishing + history of settlement + marine transport routes to develop trade relations)

Workshop

1. Using the map (Fig. 71), name the states of Africa.

largest Algeria Libya Mali Chad Nigeria Morocco Egypt Somalia Madagascar Namibia Angola Tanzania Mozambique Ethiopia Sudan Kenya Democratic Republic Congo Gabon Cameroon Western Sahara South Sudan Republic of South Africa Botswana Mauritania

2. Name the countries that do not have access to the ocean.

Libya Mali Niger Chad Uganda South Sudan

Territories where the population density is less than 1 person/km2 are depicted on the map as territories without a permanent population.

Despite the fact that the territory of the Sahara is comparable to the territory of the United States, the population density (including the Nile Valley) is estimated at only 0.4 people per km² (2.5 million people in total).

4. Make a description of the population of Madagascar according to the plan (see appendix).

Country Description Plan Madagascar:

1. Geographical position. Madagascar is an island country, located on the island of the same name (4th largest in the world, 587 thousand km2.). Belongs to the East Africa region.

2. Natural resource potential. The main minerals are iron ore, copper, gold. Madagascar is quite well endowed water resources. Major rivers: Mananara, Manguru, Betsibuka, Sambiranu. Lakes: Alautra, Kinkuni. Half of the inhabitants profess the cult of ancestors, half - Catholicism. On the east coast are tropical forests.

3. Population: The population of Madagascar is 25 million. The inhabitants of the island are collectively called Malagasy. Main ethnic groups: Merina, Antakarana, Sihanaka, Antesaka and others. The level of urbanization is about 40%. Largest cities: Antananarivo (capital), Antsiranana, Tulear, Fianarantsoa.

4. Political system: presidential republic, unitary state.

5. Economy: Madagascar belongs to developing countries group of least developed countries. A poor state with a backward economy, which is based on the branches of the primary sector of the economy - Agriculture, fishing. The main trading partners are France, China, Republic of South Africa, Belgium, Algeria, South Korea.

Africa is a huge continent, the population of which is very uneven and does not at all correspond to its size. The reason for this is in the peculiarities of its history and geography. Most of the mainland is occupied by two deserts - the Kalahari and the Sahara, in which it is impossible for a person to live. In addition, long slave system and colonial domination also influenced the uneven distribution of residents.

Currently, there are about a billion people. A significant part of it is concentrated around the basins of the large Nile, Senegal, Niger, on the coasts of the Mediterranean and Nigeria is the most densely populated state, where one square kilometer accounts for about a thousand people.

The population of Africa is constantly increasing, and its inhabitants are getting younger. On the this moment Most Africans are under the age of 15. The process of population growth in Africa is much more intensive than on other continents. According to scientists, by the middle of this century, the population of Africa will be a quarter of total number inhabitants of the planet.

Representatives of the three equatorial, Caucasoid and Mongoloid live on this continent. The vast majority of the inhabitants belong to the representatives of indigenous peoples.

Caucasians make up the majority of the population North Africa- these are Arabs and Berbers who live in the territory of Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. Outwardly, they can be distinguished by dark skin, dark eyes and hair, a narrow nose, an elongated skull and an oval face.

South of the Sahara dominated by representatives of Negroids - an African offshoot equatorial race, which can differ significantly from each other in skin tone, skull size and shape, facial features, build and height.

For example, the highest Negroids are the Tutsi and Himni tribes, who live in the savannah in northern Africa. Their height averages 180-200 cm. And in another region of the continent, small pygmies live - their height does not exceed 150 cm.

In the western part of the mainland, stocky, athletic people are most often found, and distinguishing feature the inhabitants of the upper reaches of the Nile - very dark, almost blue-black skin color.

In the southern part of the mainland live tribes of Bushmen and Hottentots. They are distinguished by yellowish skin color and a flat face, therefore they resemble Mongoloids. These peoples are mostly short and thin-boned. Ethiopians are classified by many scholars as an intermediate race. Their skin is light, with a reddish tinge, and appearance speaks of proximity to the southern branch of the Caucasians. The inhabitants of Madagascar are Malagasy, they are a mixture of Mongoloids and Negroids.

The alien population of Africa, whose number is insignificant, is mainly Europeans, and they live in places with the most favorable climate. So, in the northern part of the mainland, along the Mediterranean coast, in the former one can meet many Europeans French descent. And in the very south of the mainland live white Afrikaners - the descendants of the Dutch and British who moved here several centuries ago.

Most have very ancient culture. In Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, crafts, construction, science, religion developed five or seven thousand years ago, and the architectural monuments of those times still amaze with their monumentality.

The population of Africa has come a long way of development and has made an invaluable contribution to global development. Now, after the end of a protracted period of colonial domination, African culture is beginning to develop again.

What are the features of population distribution in Africa

Answers:

The population of Africa is divided into two large parts: representatives of the Caucasian and Negroid races. The first live mainly in the north of the mainland, these are the Arabs inhabiting Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia. A small part of Caucasians are immigrants from European countries: Holland, Great Britain, living mainly in southern Africa. Indigenous people central and South Africa- representatives negroid race. There are many ethnic groups that differ in outward signs and cultural development. Pygmies living in the equatorial forests of the Congo Basin are small in stature and have a specific yellowish skin tone. Their way of life and culture remained the same as they were centuries ago. The Bantu people living in the western part of the mainland are much more civilized. Bushmen, inhabitants of the savannahs and deserts of southern Africa, are short and nomadic, following the herds of animals they hunt. In the history of the settlement of Africa, first of all, it is worth noting such a terrible phenomenon as the slave trade. More the developed countries(Portugal, England, Holland, USA) took away Africans, turning them into slaves. For the entire time of the slave trade, about 100 million people were taken out of the country, most of of which settled in the North and Central America. European states created their colonies in Africa, and in the middle of the 20th century only Egypt, Liberia, South Africa and Ethiopia were independent countries. Since 1960, the struggle for independence began, and in 1990 the last African colony - Namibia - became an independent country.