Africa, whose history is full of secrets of mysteries in the distant past and bloody political events in the present, is a continent called the cradle of mankind. The huge mainland occupies one fifth of all the land on the planet, its lands are rich in diamonds and minerals. In the north, lifeless, harsh and hot deserts stretched out, in the south - virgin rainforests with many endemic species of plants and animals. It should be noted the diversity of peoples and ethnic groups on the continent, their number fluctuates around several thousand. Small tribes of two villages and large nations are the creators of the unique and inimitable culture of the “black” continent.
How many countries on the continent, where is Africa, geographical location and history of research, countries - all this you will learn from the article.
From the history of the continent
The history of the development of Africa is one of the most pressing issues in archeology. Moreover, if Ancient Egypt attracted scientists from the ancient period, the rest of the mainland remained in the “shadow” until the 19th century. The prehistoric era of the continent is the longest in the history of mankind. It was on it that the earliest traces of the presence of hominids living in the territory of modern Ethiopia were discovered. The history of Asia and Africa went in a special way, due to their geographical position, they were connected by trade and political relations even before the Bronze Age.
It is documented that the first trip around the continent was made by the Egyptian pharaoh Necho in 600 BC. In the Middle Ages, Europeans began to show interest in Africa, who actively developed trade with the eastern peoples. The first expeditions to a distant continent were organized by the Portuguese prince, just then Cape Boyador was discovered and the erroneous conclusion was made that it is the southernmost point of Africa. Years later, another Portuguese - Bartolomeo Diaz in 1487 opened the Cape of Good Hope. After the success of his expedition, other major European powers also reached Africa. As a result, by the beginning of the 16th century, all the territories of the western sea coast were discovered by the Portuguese, British and Spanish. Then began the colonial history of African countries and the active slave trade.
Geographical position
Africa is the second largest continent with an area of ​​30.3 million square meters. km It stretches from south to north at a distance of 8,000 km, and from east to west - 7,500 km. The mainland is characterized by a predominance of flat terrain. In the northwestern part there are Atlas mountains, and in the Sahara desert - the highlands of Tibesti and Akhaggar, in the east - Ethiopian, in the south - Draconian and Cape mountains.
The geographical history of Africa is closely connected with the British. Appearing on the mainland in the 19th century, they actively explored it, discovering natural objects stunning with their beauty and grandeur: Victoria Falls, lakes Chad, Kivu, Eduard, Albert, etc. On the territory of Africa is one of the largest rivers in the world - the Nile, which the beginning of time was the cradle of Egyptian civilization.
The mainland is the hottest on the planet, the reason for this is its geographical location. The whole territory of Africa is located in hot climatic zones and is crossed by the equator.
The mainland is exceptionally rich in minerals. The world knows the largest diamond deposits in Zimbabwe and South Africa, gold in Ghana, Congo and Mali, oil in Algeria and Nigeria, iron and lead-zinc ores on the northern coast.
The beginning of colonization
The colonial history of the countries of Asia and Africa has very deep roots dating back to the ancient era. The Europeans made their first attempts to subjugate these lands to themselves back in the 7-5 centuries. BC, when numerous settlements of the Greeks appeared on the shores of the continent. This was followed by a long period of Hellenization of Egypt as a result of the conquests of Alexander the Great.
Then, under the pressure of numerous Roman troops, almost the entire northern coast of Africa was consolidated. However, it underwent very little romanization, the indigenous Berber tribes simply plunged into the desert.
Africa in the Middle Ages
During the decline of the Byzantine Empire, the history of Asia and Africa made a sharp turn absolutely in the opposite direction from European civilization. The intensified Berbers finally destroyed the centers of Christian culture in North Africa, “clearing” the territory for new conquerors - Arabs, who brought Islam along with them and pushed the Byzantine Empire. By the seventh century, the presence in Africa of early European states had practically reduced to zero.
A cardinal turning point came only at the final stages of the Reconquista, when mainly the Portuguese and Spaniards conquered the Iberian Peninsula and turned their eyes to the opposite bank of the Strait of Gibraltar. In the 15-16 centuries they conducted an active conquest policy in Africa, capturing a number of strongholds. At the end of the 15th century they were joined by the French, British and Dutch.
The new history of Asia and Africa, due to many factors, has been closely linked. Trade south of the Sahara Desert actively developed by the Arab states led to the gradual colonization of the entire eastern part of the continent. West Africa has survived. Arab neighborhoods appeared, but Morocco’s attempts to subjugate this territory proved unsuccessful.
Race for africa
The colonial division of the continent from the second half of the 19th century until the outbreak of the First World War was called the "race for Africa." This time was characterized by fierce and intense competition of the leading imperialist powers of Europe for military operations and research in the region, which were ultimately aimed at seizing new lands. The process started especially strongly after the adoption at the Berlin Conference of 1885 of the General Act, which proclaimed the principle of effective occupation. The culmination of the partition of Africa was the military conflict between France and Britain in 1898, which occurred in the Upper Nile.
By 1902, 90% of Africa was under European control. Only Liberia and Ethiopia managed to defend independence and freedom. With the outbreak of World War I, the colonial race ended, as a result of which almost all of Africa was divided. The history of the development of the colonies went in different ways, depending on whose protectorate it was under. The largest possessions were in France and Great Britain, slightly less in Portugal and Germany. For Europeans, Africa was an important source of raw materials, minerals and cheap labor.
Year of independence
The year 1960 is considered a turning point when, one after another, young African states began to emerge from the rule of the metropolises. Of course, the process did not begin and did not end in such a short period. However, it was 1960 that was proclaimed “African.”
Africa, whose history did not develop in isolation from the whole world, was somehow or other, but also drawn into the Second World War. The northern part of the continent was affected by hostilities, the colonies were knocked out of their last forces to provide the metropolis with raw materials and food, as well as people. Millions of Africans took part in the hostilities, many of them subsequently “settled” in Europe. Despite the global political situation for the “black” continent, the years of war were marked by economic growth, this is the time when roads, ports, airfields and runways, enterprises and factories, etc. were being built.
The history of African countries received a new round after the adoption of the Atlantic Charter by England , which reaffirmed the right of peoples to self-determination. And although politicians tried to explain that it was about the peoples occupied by Japan and Germany, the colonies interpreted the document in their favor as well. In matters of independence, Africa was much ahead of more developed Asia.
Despite the uncontested right to self-determination, Europeans were in no hurry to “let go” of their colonies for free swimming, and in the first decade after the war, any advocacy of independence was brutally suppressed. A case in point was when the British in 1957 granted freedom to Ghana, the most economically developed state. By the end of 1960, half of Africa had gained independence. However, as it turned out, this still did not guarantee anything.
If you pay attention to the map, you will notice that Africa, whose history is very tragic, is divided into countries with clear and even lines. Europeans did not delve into the ethnic and cultural realities of the continent, simply dividing the territory at their discretion. As a result, many peoples were divided into several states, others united in one along with sworn enemies. After gaining independence, all this gave rise to numerous ethnic conflicts, civil wars, military coups and genocide.
Freedom was obtained, but nobody knew what to do with it. The Europeans left, taking with them everything that could be taken. Almost all systems, including education, healthcare had to be created from scratch. There were no cadres, no resources, no foreign policy ties.
Countries and dependent territories of Africa
As mentioned above, the story of the discovery of Africa began a long time ago. However, the invasion of Europeans and centuries of colonial regime led to the fact that modern independent states on the territory of the mainland were formed literally in the middle or second half of the twentieth century. It is difficult to say whether the right to self-determination brought prosperity to these places. Africa is still considered the most backward continent in development, with all the necessary resources for a normal life.
Currently, the continent is populated by 1,037,694,509 people - this is about 14% of the total population of the globe. The territory of the mainland is divided into 62 countries, but only 54 of them are recognized as independent by the international community. Of these, 10 are island states, 37 - with wide access to the seas and oceans, and 16 - inland.
In theory, Africa is a continent, but in practice, nearby islands are often attached to it. Some of them still belong to Europeans. Including French Reunion, Mayotte, Portuguese Madeira, Spanish Melilla, Ceuta, Canary Islands, English islands of St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha and Ascension.
The countries of Africa are conventionally divided into 4 groups depending on the geographical location: northern, western, southern and eastern. Sometimes the central region is also singled out separately.
North African countries
North Africa is called a very vast region with an area of ​​about 10 million m 2 , with the Sahara desert occupying most of it. It is here that the largest mainland countries are located: Sudan, Libya, Egypt and Algeria. There are eight states in the northern part, so South Sudan, SADR, Morocco, Tunisia should be added to those listed.
The recent history of the countries of Asia and Africa (the northern region) is closely interconnected. By the beginning of the 20th century, the territory was completely under the protectorate of European countries, they gained independence in the 50-60s. last century. Geographical proximity to another continent (Asia and Europe) and traditional long-standing trade and economic ties with it played a role. In terms of development, North Africa is in a much better position than South Africa. The exception, perhaps, is only Sudan. Tunisia has the most competitive economy on the whole continent, Libya and Algeria produce gas and oil that they export, Morocco produces phosphorites. The predominant share of the population is still employed in the agricultural sector. An important sector of the economy of Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco is developing tourism.
The largest city with more than 9 million inhabitants is Egyptian Cairo, the population of others does not exceed 2 million - Casablanca, Alexandria. Most of the North Africans live in cities, are Muslims and speak Arabic. In some countries, one of the official languages ​​is French. The territory of North Africa is rich in monuments of ancient history and architecture, natural objects.
It also plans to develop the ambitious European Desertec project - the construction of the largest solar power system in the Sahara desert.
West Africa
The territory of West Africa extends south of central Sahara, washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, in the east it is bounded by the Cameroon Mountains. There are savannas and tropical forests, as well as a complete lack of vegetation in the Sahel. Until the time when Europeans stepped on the shores, states such as Mali, Ghana and Songai already existed in this part of Africa. The Guinean region has long been called the “grave for whites” because of dangerous diseases unusual for Europeans: fever, malaria, sleeping sickness, etc. Currently, the group of Western African countries includes: Cameroon, Ghana, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Benin, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Liberia, Mauritania, Côte d´Ivoire, Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Senegal.
The recent history of African countries in the region is overshadowed by military clashes. The territory is torn apart by numerous conflicts between the English-speaking and French-speaking former European colonies. Contradictions lie not only in the language barrier, but also in worldviews, mentalities. There are hot spots in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Road traffic is very poorly developed and, in fact, is a legacy of the colonial period. West African countries are among the poorest in the world. While Nigeria, for example, has huge oil reserves.
East africa
A geographic region that includes countries east of the Nile River (with the exception of Egypt), anthropologists call the cradle of mankind. It was here, in their opinion, that our ancestors lived.
The region is extremely unstable, conflicts turn into wars, including very often civil ones. Almost all of them are formed on ethnic grounds. East Africa is populated by more than two hundred nationalities belonging to the four language groups. In the days of the colonies, the territory was divided without taking into account this fact, as already mentioned, cultural and natural ethnic borders were not respected. Conflict potential greatly inhibits the development of the region.
The following countries belong to East Africa: Mauritius, Kenya, Burundi, Zambia, Djibouti, Comoros, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, Mozambique, Seychelles, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Eritrea.
South Africa
The South African region occupies an impressive part of the mainland. It has five countries. Namely: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa. All of them united in the South African Customs Union, mining and trading mainly in oil and diamonds.
The recent history of Africa in the south is connected with the name of the famous politician Nelson Mandela (pictured), who devoted his life to the struggle for the freedom of the region from the metropolises.
South Africa, of which he was president for 5 years, is now the most developed country on the mainland and the only one that does not belong to the category of "third world". A developed economy allows it to occupy 30th place among all countries in the IMF. It has very rich reserves of natural resources. Also, one of the most successful development economies in Africa is the economy of Botswana. Livestock and agriculture are in the first place, and diamonds and minerals are being mined on a large scale.