Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa

by Aryeetey-Attoh, Samuel

• ISBN13: 9780133756845
• ISBN10: 013375684X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1996-10-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

This book is a study of the multi-faceted aspects of the physical and human geography of Sub-Saharan Africa. An introductory book, it is designed for those readers with little or no knowledge of geography to a variety of contemporary ideas, theories, and concepts in African geography, and their applicability to " real world" situations. Using extensive maps, photographs, and illustrations, this book covers such topics as the physical-environmental, socio-cultural, and developmental aspects of Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the region's prospects for global integration. For anyone interested in African geography and its socio-political climate.

Table of Contents

Preface	xvii
The Physical Environment	1	(34)
William Yaw Osei
Samuel Aryeetey-Attoh
Introduction	1	(1)
Physical Landscapes	2	(8)
The Plateau Continent	3	(1)
The Rift Valley System	4	(3)
Coastlines	7	(1)
Continental Shelf	8	(1)
Rivers	9	(1)
Drainage Basins	9	(1)
Climate	10	(11)
Pressure Systems and Wind Movement	10	(4)
Latitudinal Effect	14	(1)
Maritime Effect versus Continentality	15	(1)
Ocean Currents	15	(1)
Altitude	16	(1)
Lake Effect	17	(1)
Climatic Classifications	17	(4)
Vegetation	21	(7)
Vegetation Types	22	(1)
Rain Forest	22	(2)
Woodlands	24	(1)
Savanna Grassland	25	(2)
Sahel Shrubland	27	(1)
Desert and Semidesert	27	(1)
Mediterranean (Cape and Karoo and Shrubland)	27	(1)
Afro-Montane Vegetation	28	(1)
Soils	28	(4)
Soil Distribution	29	(3)
Conclusion	32	(1)
Key Terms	33	(1)
Discussion Questions	33	(1)
References	33	(2)
Human-Environmental Impacts: Forest Degradation and Desertification	35	(26)
William Yaw Osei
Introduction	35	(1)
Deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa	36	(10)
Definitions	36	(1)
Deforestation Trends	37	(3)
Causes of Deforestation	40	(1)
Agriculture	40	(2)
Logging	42	(1)
Fuel-Wood Consumption	43	(2)
Effects of Forest Degradation	45	(1)
Response Strategies to Deforestation	46	(4)
Desertification in Sub-Saharan Africa	50	(6)
Definition of Desertification	51	(1)
Spatial Coverage of Dry Lands in Sub-Saharan Africa	51	(1)
Causes of Desertification	52	(2)
Strategies to Combat Desertification	54	(2)
Conclusion	56	(1)
Key Terms	57	(1)
Discussion Questions	57	(1)
References	58	(3)
Historical Background of Sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities and Constraints	61	(25)
Ian E. A. Yeboah
Introduction	61	(1)
Indigenous Heritage of Sub-Saharan Africa	61	(8)
Sub-Saharan Africa: Cradle of Man	62	(1)
The Era of Ancient Civilization	62	(1)
Iron, Islam, and Medieval Civilizations	63	(2)
Bantu Migrations in Sub-Saharan Africa	65	(3)
The Era of Modern Kingdoms	68	(1)
Implications of the Indigenous Heritage of Sub-Saharan Africa	68	(1)
The Islamic Influence in Sub-Saharan Africa	69	(3)
The Spread of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa	69	(2)
Islam and the Indigenous Heritage	71	(1)
Islam and the Western Heritage	71	(1)
The Western Influence in Sub-Saharan Africa	72	(11)
The Period of Initial Contact	72	(2)
The Enslavement of Sub-Saharan Africans to the Americas	74	(1)
The Age of Land Exploration in Sub-Saharan Africa	74	(4)
The Colonial Period, 1884 to the 1960s	78	(1)
The Economic and Cultural Impacts of Colonialism	78	(2)
The Political and Social Impacts of Colonialism	80	(2)
Independence from the West	82	(1)
Conclusion	83	(1)
Key Terms	84	(1)
Discussion Questions	84	(1)
References	84	(2)
Culture, Conflict, and Change in Sub-Saharan Africa	86	(34)
Joseph Ransford Oppong
Introduction	86	(1)
Cultural Geography	87	(3)
Culture Change	88	(1)
Obstacles to Cultural Diffusion	89	(1)
Elements of African Culture	90	(9)
Religion in Sub-Saharan Africa	91	(1)
Christianity	91	(2)
Islam	93	(1)
Traditional Religions	94	(1)
Family and Kinship Relations	95	(1)
Language and Society	96	(1)
Niger-Kordofanian Family	97	(1)
Nilo-Saharan	97	(1)
Khoisan	97	(1)
Afro-Asiatic (Semitic-Hamitic)	98	(1)
Land Tenure	99	(3)
Family Land	99	(1)
Communal Land	100	(1)
Stool Land	101	(1)
State Land	101	(1)
Individual Private Ownership	101	(1)
Adornment, Dress Forms, and Symbolism in African Culture	102	(3)
Colonialism and Diffusion of Non-African Culture	105	(7)
Ethnic and Cultural Conflicts	112	(3)
Somalia's Clan Warfare: What Went Wrong in East Africa's Only Nation-State?	112	(1)
Liberia: Ethnic Politics	113	(1)
Sudan: Religious and Ethnic Conflict	114	(1)
Modernization and Cultural Conflict	115	(2)
Modernization and the Aged in Sub-Saharan Africa	115	(1)
Values and Expectations in African Society	116	(1)
Conclusion	117	(1)
Key Terms	117	(1)
Discussion Questions	118	(1)
References	118	(2)
Population Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa	120	(27)
Samuel Aryeetey-Attoh
Introduction	120	(1)
General Population Trends	120	(1)
Population Density and Distribution	121	(5)
The Dynamics of Population Change	126	(7)
Fertility Levels and Trends	127	(1)
Causes of High Fertility	128	(1)
Cultural Determinants of Fertility	129	(2)
Mortality Levels	131	(1)
Africa and the Demographic Transition	132	(1)
Age Composition and Dependency Burdens	133	(2)
International Migration and Refugee Issues	135	(5)
International Migration Trends	135	(2)
Refugee Migration	137	(3)
Government Policy and Family Planning	140	(3)
Sovereign Rights of Nations and Human Rights	141	(1)
Integrative Family Planning Policies	141	(1)
Community and Market-Based Strategies and Social Marketing	142	(1)
Female Empowerment	142	(1)
Effective Targeting of At-Risk Populations	143	(1)
Partnerships with NGOs and Private Sector	143	(1)
Programs for Refugees	143	(1)
Conclusion	143	(1)
Key Terms	144	(1)
Discussion Questions	144	(1)
References	145	(2)
Medical Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa	147	(35)
Joseph Ransford Oppong
Introduction	147	(1)
Disease Ecology of Sub-Saharan Africa	148	(11)
Disease Terminology	149	(1)
Endemic Diseases of Sub-Saharan Africa	150	(1)
Malaria	150	(1)
Trypanosomiasis	150	(1)
Yellow Fever	151	(1)
Schistosomiasis	151	(1)
River Blindness	152	(1)
Guinea Worm (Dracunculiasis)	153	(1)
AIDS, the African Catastrophe	153	(2)
Ebola	155	(2)
Sanitation and Health in Sub-Saharan Africa	157	(2)
The Health-Care System	159	(12)
Spatial Imbalance in Health Services	162	(2)
The Rainy Season Accessibility Problem	164	(1)
Health Facility Locational Strategies and Location-Allocation Models	164	(5)
Bypassing and Utlization of Health Facilities	169	(1)
Technology and Health Care	170	(1)
Drugs, Fake Drugs, and Health Care in Africa: Killers or Curers	170	(1)
African Traditional Medicine: Dangerous, Anachronistic, or a Panacea?	171	(4)
Colonialism and Traditional African Medicine	172	(2)
Strengths and Weaknesses of Traditional Medicine and Biomedicine	174	(1)
Economic Crisis and Health in Sub-Saharan Africa	175	(2)
The Bamako Initiative and Health in Sub-Saharan Africa	177	(1)
Conclusion	177	(1)
Key Terms	178	(1)
Discussion Questions	178	(1)
References	179	(3)
Urban Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa	182	(41)
Samuel Aryeetey-Attoh
Introduction	182	(1)
Historical Evolution of African Cities: Precolonial Cities	182	(4)
The Internal Structure of Cities	186	(9)
The Internal Structure of Accra, Ghana	191	(4)
Current Urbanization Trends in Sub-Saharan Africa	195	(6)
Components and Determinants of Urban Growth	199	(1)
Gender Migration	200	(1)
Urban-Rural Linkages	200	(1)
Consequences of Urban Growth	201	(10)
Urban Primacy	201	(1)
The Urban Informal Sector	202	(4)
Housing	206	(1)
Land Management	207	(1)
Infrastructure Provision, Service Delivery, and Urban Management	208	(1)
Water Supply and Sewage Disposal	209	(1)
Solid Waste Disposal	210	(1)
Public Transportation	211	(1)
Solutions to Problems in African Cities	211	(6)
Micro-Level Strategies: The Case for Effective Urban Management	211	(4)
Macro-Level Strategies: Regional Policies	215	(1)
New Towns	215	(1)
Growth Poles	216	(1)
Intermediate and Small Service Centers	217	(1)
Conclusion	217	(1)
Key Terms	218	(1)
Discussion Questions	218	(1)
References	219	(4)
Geography and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa	223	(39)
Samuel Aryeetey-Attoh
Introduction	223	(1)
Defining and Measuring Development in Sub-Saharan Africa	224	(9)
Economic Dimensions of Development	224	(4)
Human and Social Dimensions	228	(5)
Geographic Patterns of Dualism	233	(5)
International Dualism	233	(1)
Core-Peripheral Disparities in African Countries	234	(3)
Urban Dualism	237	(1)
Rural Dualism	237	(1)
Theoretical Explanations of Core-Peripheral Disparities	238	(7)
Effect of Colonialism	238	(1)
Economic Theories	239	(4)
Structural-Institutional Theories	243	(1)
Sociopsychological Theories	244	(1)
Development Strategies	245	(13)
Growth with Equity	245	(1)
Basic Needs Strategies	246	(1)
Intermediate or Appropriate Technology	247	(1)
Self-Reliance Strategy	247	(1)
Interdependent Development	248	(4)
Regional Integration and Pan Africanism	252	(3)
Structural Adjustment Programs	255	(2)
The Role of Nongovernmental Organizations	257	(1)
Conclusion	258	(1)
Key Terms	258	(1)
Discussion Questions	258	(1)
References	259	(3)
Geography and Gender in Sub-Saharan Africa	262	(24)
Ibipo Johnston-Anumonwo
Understanding the Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa from a Gendered Perspective	262	(3)
Geographic Scholarship of Gender in Africa	264	(1)
Mapping the World of African Women: What Counts?	264	(1)
Women and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa	265	(1)
Adverse Effects of Capitalist Development on African Women's Access to and Use of Productive Resources	265	(1)
Agriculture and Rural Environmental Degradation	266	(4)
Human-Induced and Environmental Influences on Agricultural Production	266	(2)
Unequal Allocation of Resources within the Household	268	(2)
Demographic Trends and Settlement Patterns: Geographical Contexts	270	(4)
Population, Fertility, and Mortality Trends	270	(2)
Displacement and Migration	272	(1)
Differential Access in Urban Settings	273	(1)
Geography and Gender Inequality	274	(4)
Change and Crisis	274	(3)
Structural Adjustment Programs and African Women	277	(1)
African Women as Agents of Change	278	(1)
Geopolitics and Women's Initiatives	278	(1)
Women's Role in Restoring the African Environment	279	(1)
Engendering the Geographic Study of Sub-Saharan Africa	279	(4)
Gender and Development: Rethinking the Connections	280	(1)
African Development: Recognizing and Empowering Women	281	(1)
A Gendered Agenda for Future Geographic Research	281	(2)
Key Terms	283	(1)
Discussion Questions	283	(1)
References	283	(3)
Agricultural Development in Sub-Saharan Africa	286	(39)
Godson Chintuwa Obia
Introduction	286	(1)
Farming Systems	287	(13)
Traditional Farming Systems	287	(1)
Shifting Cultivation	288	(3)
Rotational Bush Fallow	291	(2)
Permanent Farming	293	(1)
Pastoralism	293	(2)
Cash-Crop and Commercial Farming	295	(1)
Cash-Crop Production	296	(2)
Commercial Farming	298	(2)
Production Trends in Sub-Saharan Africa	300	(8)
Problems of Agricultural Production	308	(8)
Rural Infrastructure	308	(2)
Institutional Factors	310	(1)
Land Degradation	310	(1)
Inappropriate Technologies	311	(1)
Problems with the Green Revolution	312	(1)
Research and Development	313	(2)
Governments, International Agencies, and Agricultural Markets	315	(1)
Policy Options	316	(5)
Upgrading Rural Infrastructure	316	(1)
Education	317	(1)
Developing Appropriate Technologies	318	(1)
Developing Alternative Energy Sources	319	(1)
Agro-Based Industries	319	(1)
Community-Based Cooperatives	319	(1)
Integrated Rural Development	320	(1)
Conclusion	321	(1)
Key Terms	321	(1)
Discussion Questions	322	(1)
References	322	(3)
Industry, Business Enterprises, and Entrepreneurship in the Development Process	325	(20)
Barbara Elizabeth McDade
Introduction	325	(1)
Trends in Industry and Manufacturing	326	(3)
Problems with Industrial and Manufacturing Enterprises	329	(3)
Spatial Imbalance in Large-Scale Industries	329	(1)
Weak Inter- and Intra-Sectoral Linkages	330	(1)
Highly Protectionist Policies	330	(1)
Lack of Diversification and Expansion	331	(1)
Weak Institutional Capacity	332	(1)
Public versus Private Enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa	332	(4)
The Background to State-Owned Enterprises	332	(2)
Expanding the Private Sector in Sub-Saharan Africa	334	(2)
African Entrepreneurship and Small-Scale Industry	336	(6)
Characteristics of African Entrepreneurs	336	(1)
Small-Scale Enterprises	337	(5)
Conclusion	342	(1)
Key Terms	343	(1)
Discussion Questions	343	(1)
References	343	(2)
Political Landscape of Sub-Saharan Africa	345	(26)
Ian E. A. Yeboah
Samuel Aryeetey-Attoh
Introduction	345	(1)
Sub-Saharan Africa: A Landscape of Political Instability	346	(16)
Causes of Political Instability in Sub-Saharan Africa	350	(6)
Zaire: A Microcosm of Political Chaos	356	(2)
The Political Geography of Apartheid in South Africa	358	(4)
Scenarios for Political Stability in Sub-Saharan Africa	362	(2)
Is There Political Hope for Sub-Saharan Africa?	364	(2)
Conclusion	366	(2)
Key Terms	368	(1)
Discussion Questions	368	(1)
References	369	(2)
Index	371