Historically, Africa has been divided into two natural sub-regions: Tropical Africa and North Africa. But Tropical Africa still separately includes Central, Western, Eastern and Southern Africa.

North Africa: characteristics and features

This region is adjacent to Southwest Asia and Southern Europe and covers an area of ​​about 10 million km2. North Africa has access to the sea routes from Europe to Asia, and part of this region forms the sparsely populated expanses of the Sahara desert.

In the past, this region formed the ancient Egyptian civilization, and now North Africa is called Arab. This is due to the fact that most of the population speaks Arabic and the main religion of the region is Islam.

The cities of North Africa are subdivided into two parts: the old part of the city is located on a hill and surrounded by protective walls, and the new part of the city is modern and stylish buildings.

North Africa is the center of the manufacturing industry, especially its coastal strip. Therefore, almost the entire population of this part of Africa lives here. Also North Africa is a region of subtropical agriculture.

Tropical Africa: characteristics of a backward region

This region is called "black Africa", as the bulk of the population belongs to the Negroid race. The ethnic composition of Tropical Africa is diverse, the population of South and Central Africa speaks closely related languages, but still they differ from each other. Swahili is the most widely spoken language.

The population of Tropical Africa is 650 million people, and the area is 20 million km2. This region is recognized as the most backward from the developing world, as it contains 29 countries that are considered the least developed in the world. .

This is due to the fact that the main industry is agriculture, which does not contribute to the development of such a large area and population of the region. It is noteworthy that the soil is cultivated in the absence of a plow, and agricultural activities are carried out by women and children.

Animal husbandry is not very developed, but there are regions in which hunting and fishing are practiced, mainly equatorial forests. Most of the population of Tropical Africa lives in rural areas, as people work either on plantations or on farms.

The life of the population is connected with subsistence farming, which is the basis of their life. In addition to Christianity and Islam in Tropical Africa, traditional beliefs are developed - belief in the spirits of nature, fetishism and the cult of ancestors. This region of Africa is called the least industrialized and least urbanized.

Only eight countries have millionaire cities: Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Luanda in Angola, Dakar in Senegal and Nairobi in Kenya. This region is characterized by environmental degradation, desertification, depletion of flora and fauna and deforestation.

In one of the desert regions of Tropical Africa, the "Sahel tragedy" occurred - due to the lack of precipitation for ten years, the Sahel became a scorched earth zone. Since 1974, droughts began to recur, subsequently killing millions of people and reducing the number of livestock.

The division of Africa into sub-regions: two main ones.

The economic zoning of Africa has not yet taken shape. In educational and scientific literature, it is usually divided into two large natural and cultural-historical subregions: North Africa and Tropical Africa (or “Sub-Saharan Africa”). As part of Tropical Africa, in turn, it is customary to distinguish Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa(but without South Africa).

North Africa: the image of the territory.

The total area of ​​North Africa is about 10 million km 2, the population is about 200 million people. The position of the sub-region is primarily determined by its Mediterranean "facade", thanks to which North Africa actually neighbors with Southern Europe and South-West Asia and gets access to the main sea route from Europe to Asia. The “rear” of the region is formed by the sparsely inhabited spaces of the Sahara.

North Africa is the cradle of ancient Egyptian civilization, whose contribution to world culture you already know. In ancient times, Mediterranean Africa was considered the granary of Rome; traces of underground drainage galleries and other structures can still be found among the lifeless sea of ​​sand and stone. Many coastal towns trace their origins to ancient Roman and Carthaginian settlements. The Arab colonization of the 6th-12th centuries had a huge impact on the ethnic composition of the population, its culture, religion and way of life. Northern Africa is still called Arab today: almost all of its population speaks Arabic and professes Islam.

The economic life of North Africa is concentrated in the coastal zone. Here are the main centers of the manufacturing industry, the main areas of subtropical agriculture, including those on irrigated lands. Naturally, almost the entire population of the region is concentrated in this zone. The countryside is dominated by adobe houses with flat roofs and earthen floors.

Cities also have a very characteristic appearance. Therefore, geographers and ethnographers distinguish a special, arabic city, which, like other eastern cities, is characterized by a division into two parts - the old and the new.

The core of the old part of the city is usually a kasbah - a fortification (citadel) located on an elevated place. Kasbah is surrounded by a close ring of other quarters of the old city, built up with low houses with flat roofs and blank fences of yards. Their main attraction is the colorful oriental bazaars. This whole old city, often surrounded by protective walls, is called medina, which in Arabic means "city" (see figure 78). Already outside the medina is a new, modern part of the city.

All these contrasts are most pronounced in the largest cities, the appearance of which acquires not only national, but also cosmopolitan features. Probably, first of all, this applies to Cairo - the capital and largest city of Egypt, an important political, cultural and religious center of the entire Arab world. Cairo is exceptionally well located at the point where the narrow Nile valley merges into the fertile Delta, the premier cotton-growing region where the world's finest long-staple cotton is grown. This area was called delta by Herodotus, who noticed that in configuration it resembles the ancient Greek letter "delta" (see the map in the atlas). In 1969, Cairo celebrated its 1000th anniversary.

The southern part of the subregion is very sparsely populated. The agricultural population is concentrated in the oases, where the main consumer and commercial crop is the date palm. On the rest of the territory, and even then not on the whole, only nomadic camel breeders live. and in the Algerian and Libyan parts of Saxara there are oil and gas fields.

Only along the Nile Valley does a narrow "band of life" wedged into the kingdom of the desert far to the south. Of great importance for the development of the entire upper Egypt was the construction, with the economic and technical assistance of the USSR, of the Asyyan hydroelectric complex on the Nile. . (Task 7.)

Exercise 1.

Using Table 1 in the "Appendices", plot the countries of Africa that gained political independence after the Second World War on a contour map. Indicate the dates of independence and compare in this respect the countries of North and Tropical Africa.

Using the "visiting card" on the flyleaf of the textbook, select the appropriate "pairs" of countries in Africa and foreign Europe, approximately equal in size to the territory.

Task 2.

Using the maps of the atlas and tables 3-5 of the "Appendices", classify the countries of Africa according to the degree of their wealth in minerals. Make a table in the following form:

Draw conclusions about the provision of these countries with raw materials and fuel for the development of heavy industry

Additional task (difficult).

Using the same sources, determine the main territorial combinations of minerals. Oxapacterize the composition of the fossils in each of them; try to connect it with the tectonic structure of the territory. Plot combinations of minerals on a contour map.

Task 3.

Using figures 7, 8 and 9, tables 6, 7 and 8 in the "Appendices" and maps of the atlas, specify and complete the characteristics of land, water and agro-climatic resources of Africa contained in the text of the textbook.

Task 4.

Using Table 3, quantify the "urban explosion" in Africa. What conclusions can be drawn from these calculations?

Task 5.

Analyze figure 77. Using the economic map of Africa in the atlas, indicate specifically which ore, non-metallic minerals, food products and types of agricultural raw materials determine the monocultural specialization of each of the countries indicated in the graph.

Task 6.

According to the physical and economic maps of Africa in the atlas, determine: 1) the main areas of the mining industry in Africa and their specialization, 2) the main areas of commercial agriculture and their specialization, 3) the trans-African transport routes. Also use the drawings of topic 5 of the textbook.

Additional task (creative!).

Using the atlas maps, make a table in your notebook "Zone specialization of export and consumer crops in Africa" ​​in the following form:

Draw all possible conclusions from the analysis of this table.

Task 7 (creative!).

Using the text of the textbook and the plan of Cairo in the atlas, prepare a message on the topic "Cairo - the Arab city of North Africa." Use additional sources of information as well.

Additional task (for fun).

Imagine that you have taken a journey down the Nile from Aswan to the mouth. Describe your trip in a letter to a friend. Try to create a colorful image of this area.

Task 8 (creative!).

What do you think should be done to prevent a recurrence of the "Sahel tragedy" in the future? Give a rationale for your "project".

Additional task (for fun).

In his novel Five Weeks in a Balloon, Jules Verne recounted a journey through Africa in a hot air balloon. "Repeat" the route of this trip. In what countries are and what are the areas of Africa described by the writer today?

Task 9 (final).

1. (Work in a notebook.) Compare the countries of North, Tropical Africa and South Africa according to some indicators characterizing their population and economy. Determine the similarities and differences. Arrange the necessary data in the form of a table.
2. Compare the major extractive industries in North Africa and Southwest Asia. What conclusion can be drawn from this comparison?
3. Compare the main export crops of Tropical Africa and South Asia. What conclusion can be drawn from this comparison?
4. For class demonstration, prepare a small album entitled “Geography of Africa on Postage Stamps.”

Block of self-control and mutual control
Answer the questions:
1. Why is the shift of the population to the coasts of the oceans and seas in Africa less pronounced than in overseas Asia?
2. Why is the Congo River not used for the export of industrial products from the Common Belt?
3. Why is Cairo called "the diamond button that fastens the delta"?
4. Why is Senegal called the "Peanut Republic"?

Are the following statements correct:
1. Most African countries achieved independence in the second half of the 20th century.
2. Africa is the region with the highest birth rate and the highest death rate in the world.
3. African countries are characterized by high rates of urbanization.
4. Nigeria's main mineral is bauxite.

Choose the correct answer:
1. The largest country in Africa by population ... (Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa).
2. The most important types of minerals in North Africa are ... (coal, iron ore, bauxite, oil, natural gas, phosphorites).
3. The least developed countries in Africa include ... (Algeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Niger, Somalia, South Africa).
4. The main export crops of Tropical Africa are ... (wheat, millet, cotton, citrus fruits, peanuts, coffee, cocoa, natural rubber, sisal).

Can you:
1. Put the following countries, mentioned in the text and on text maps, on the contour map of the world from memory: Libya, Algeria, Sudan, Ghana, Congo, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Madagascar?
2. Show on the map the following cities mentioned in the text and on maps: Cairo, Kinshasa, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Lagos, Dakar, Luanda, Johannesburg?
3. Explain the meaning of the following concepts and terms: monoculture, subsistence economy, apartheid?
4. Indicate which of the following countries are the main producers and exporters of cocoa: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Angola?

Identify the countries to which the following statements apply:
1. A country located on an island with an area of ​​​​600 thousand km 2.
2. Countries located "inside" the territory of South Africa.
3. A country lying on the middle course of the Niger River and not having access to the seas.
4. Country whose capital is the city of Nairobi.
5. A country where 98% of the population is concentrated in a territory that occupies less than 4% of its total area.

Fill in the gaps in the following phrases:
1. The copper belt stretches from Zambia to the southeastern part ....
2. ... - the largest producer and exporter of oil in Africa, a member of OPEC
3. South Africa produces... all of Africa's manufacturing products.

Methodical keys to topic 8

What needs to be remembered
1. The political map and the peoples of Africa. (Geography, grade 7.)

2. Features of the physical and geographical position, relief, minerals, climate, waters, soils and vegetation of Africa, natural zones within it.
(Geography, grade 7.)

3. Ancient Egypt. (History, grade 5.)

4. The main content of the national liberation struggle of the peoples of Africa in the late XIX - early XX century. (History, grade 8.)

5. Material of part 1 of this textbook.

6. Concepts and terms: colony, bantustan, platform, desert, savannah, equatorial forest, kimberlite pipe, national park.

What you need to know
Topic Leading Ideas 8.
The transformation of the socio-economic structure of Africa requires great efforts on the part of both the African peoples and the entire world community.

Main scientific knowledge of topic 8:
1. Characteristic features of the economic and geographical position, geography of natural conditions and resources, population, industry, agriculture, environmental problems of Africa.

2. The concept of monoculture.

3. The image of the territory of North Africa.

4. The image of the territory of Tropical Africa.

5. Brief overview of South Africa.

6. Keywords of the theme: 1) colonial type of sectoral structure of the economy, 2) monoculture, 3) Arab city type.

What you need to know
1. Using a textbook and an atlas, independently obtain the necessary knowledge for characterization.

2. To carry out a comparative description of industries, regions and cities.

3. Prepare a summary of the report on a given topic.

Maksakovskiy V.P., Geography. Economic and social geography of the world 10 cells. : studies. for general education institutions

Sub-regions of North and Tropical Africa. South Africa

Africa is a part of the world with an area of ​​\u200b\u200bwith islands of 30.3 million km 2, this is the second place after Eurasia, 6% of the entire surface of our planet and 20% of the land.

Geographical position

Africa is located in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres (most), a small part in the Southern and Western. Like all large fragments of the ancient mainland Gondwana, it has a massive outline, large peninsulas and deep bays are absent. The length of the continent from north to south is 8 thousand km, from west to east - 7.5 thousand km. In the north it is washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, in the northeast by the Red Sea, in the southeast by the Indian Ocean, in the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Africa is separated from Asia by the Suez Canal, from Europe by the Strait of Gibraltar.

Main geographical features

Africa lies on an ancient platform, which determines its flat surface, which in some places is dissected by deep river valleys. On the coast of the mainland there are few lowlands, the northwest is the location of the Atlas Mountains, the northern part, almost completely occupied by the Sahara desert, is the Ahaggar and Tibetsi highlands, the east is the Ethiopian highlands, the southeast is the East African plateau, the extreme south is the Cape and Draconian mountains The highest point in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 m, Masai plateau), the lowest is 157 meters below sea level in Lake Assal. Along the Red Sea, in the Ethiopian Highlands and to the mouth of the Zambezi River, the world's largest fault in the earth's crust stretches, which is characterized by frequent seismic activity.

Rivers flow through Africa: Congo (Central Africa), Niger (West Africa), Limpopo, Orange, Zambezi (South Africa), as well as one of the deepest and longest rivers in the world - the Nile (6852 km), flowing from south to north (its sources are on the East African plateau, and it flows, forming a delta, into the Mediterranean Sea). The rivers are high-water only in the equatorial zone, due to the large amount of precipitation there, most of them are characterized by high flow speed, have many rapids and waterfalls. In lithospheric faults filled with water, lakes were formed - Nyasa, Tanganyika, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest after Lake Superior (North America) - Victoria (its area is 68.8 thousand km 2, length 337 km, max depth - 83 m), the largest salty drainless lake is Chad (its area is 1.35 thousand km 2, located on the southern outskirts of the largest desert in the world, the Sahara).

Due to the location of Africa between two tropical zones, it is characterized by high total solar radiation, which gives the right to call Africa the hottest continent on Earth (the highest temperature on our planet was recorded in 1922 in El Azizia (Libya) - +58 C 0 in the shadow).

On the territory of Africa, such natural zones are distinguished as evergreen equatorial forests (the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, the Congo depression), in the north and south turning into mixed deciduous-evergreen forests, then there is a natural zone of savannahs and light forests, extending to Sudan, East and South Africa, to Sevre and southern Africa savannas are replaced by semi-deserts and deserts (Sahara, Kalahari, Namib). In the southeastern part of Africa there is a small zone of mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains - a zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs. The natural zones of mountains and plateaus are subject to the laws of altitudinal zonation.

African countries

The territory of Africa is divided among 62 countries, 54 are independent, sovereign states, 10 are dependent territories belonging to Spain, Portugal, Great Britain and France, the rest are unrecognized, self-proclaimed states - Galmudug, Puntland, Somaliland, the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). For a long time, the countries of Asia were foreign colonies of various European states and only by the middle of the last century gained independence. Africa is divided into five regions based on geographic location: North, Central, West, East and South Africa.

List of African countries

Nature

Mountains and plains of Africa

Most of the African continent is a plain. There are mountain systems, uplands and plateaus. They are presented:

• the Atlas Mountains in the northwestern part of the continent;
• the Tibesti and Ahaggar uplands in the Sahara Desert;
• Ethiopian highlands in the eastern part of the mainland;
• Dragon Mountains in the south.

The highest point in the country is Mount Kilimanjaro, with a height of 5,895 m, belonging to the East African Plateau in the southeastern part of the mainland ...

Deserts and savannas

The largest desert zone of the African continent is located in the northern part. This is the Sahara Desert. On the southwestern side of the continent is another smaller desert, the Namib, and from it, inland to the east, is the Kalahari Desert.

The territory of the savanna occupies the main part of Central Africa. In terms of area, it is much larger than the northern and southern parts of the mainland. The territory is characterized by the presence of pastures typical for savannahs, low shrubs and trees. The height of grassy vegetation varies depending on the amount of precipitation. It can be almost desert savannas or tall grasses, with grass cover from 1 to 5 m in height...

Rivers

On the territory of the African continent is the longest river in the world - the Nile. Its direction of flow is from south to north.

In the list of major water systems of the mainland, Limpopo, Zambezi and the Orange River, as well as the Congo, which flows through the territory of Central Africa.

On the Zambezi River is the famous Victoria Falls, 120 meters high and 1,800 meters wide...

lakes

The list of large lakes of the African continent includes Lake Victoria, which is the second largest freshwater reservoir in the world. Its depth reaches 80 m, and its area is 68,000 square kilometers. Two more large lakes of the continent: Tanganyika and Nyasa. They are located in the faults of the lithospheric plates.

There is Lake Chad in Africa, which is one of the world's largest endorheic relict lakes that have no connection with the oceans ...

Seas and oceans

The African continent is washed by the waters of two oceans at once: the Indian and the Atlantic. Also off its coast are the Red and Mediterranean Seas. From the Atlantic Ocean in the southwestern part of the water form the deep Gulf of Guinea.

Despite the location of the African continent, coastal waters are cool. This is influenced by the cold currents of the Atlantic Ocean: the Canary in the north and the Bengal in the southwest. From the Indian Ocean, the currents are warm. The largest are Mozambique, in the northern waters, and Needle, in the southern ...

Forests of Africa

Forests from the entire territory of the African continent make up a little more than a quarter. Here are subtropical forests growing on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains and the valleys of the ridge. Here you can find holm oak, pistachio, strawberry tree, etc. Coniferous plants grow high in the mountains, represented by Aleppo pine, Atlas cedar, juniper and other types of trees.

Closer to the coast there are forests of cork oak, in the tropical region evergreen equatorial plants are common, for example, mahogany, sandalwood, ebony, etc...

Nature, plants and animals of Africa

The vegetation of the equatorial forests is diverse, there are about 1000 species of various tree species: ficus, ceiba, wine tree, olive palm, wine palm, banana palm, tree ferns, sandalwood, mahogany, rubber trees, Liberian coffee tree, etc. . It is home to many species of animals, rodents, birds and insects living right on the trees. On earth live: bush pigs, leopards, African deer - a relative of the okapi giraffe, large apes - gorillas ...

40% of the territory of Africa is occupied by savannas, which are huge steppe areas covered with forbs, low, thorny shrubs, milkweed, and stand-alone trees (tree-like acacias, baobabs).

Here there is the largest accumulation of such large animals as: rhinoceros, giraffe, elephant, hippopotamus, zebra, buffalo, hyena, lion, leopard, cheetah, jackal, crocodile, hyena dog. The most numerous animals of the savannah are such herbivores as: bubal (antelope family), giraffe, impala or black-fifth antelope, various types of gazelles (Thomson, Grant), blue wildebeest, and in some places there are rare jumping antelopes - springboks.

The vegetation of deserts and semi-deserts is characterized by poverty and unpretentiousness, these are small thorny shrubs, separately growing bunches of herbs. In the oases, the unique Erg Chebbi date palm grows, as well as plants that are resistant to drought conditions and the formation of salts. In the Namib Desert, unique velvichia and nara plants grow, the fruits of which feed on porcupines, elephants and other animals of the desert.

Of the animals, various species of antelopes and gazelles live here, adapted to the hot climate and capable of traveling great distances in search of food, many species of rodents, snakes, and turtles. Lizards. Among mammals: spotted hyena, common jackal, maned sheep, Cape hare, Ethiopian hedgehog, gazelle dorcas, saber-horned antelope, Anubis baboon, wild Nubian donkey, cheetah, jackal, fox, mouflon, there are permanently living and migratory birds.

Climatic conditions

Seasons, weather and climate of African countries

The central part of Africa, through which the equator line passes, is in a low pressure area and receives sufficient moisture, the territories to the north and south of the equator are in the subequatorial climatic zone, this is a zone of seasonal (monsoonal) moisture and arid desert climate. The extreme north and south are in the subtropical climate zone, the south receives precipitation brought by air masses from the Indian Ocean, the Kalahari Desert is located here, the north has the minimum amount of precipitation due to the formation of a high pressure area and the peculiarities of the movement of the trade winds, the largest desert in the world is the Sahara, where the amount Precipitation is minimal, in some areas it does not fall at all ...

Resources

African Natural Resources

In terms of water resources, Africa is considered one of the least prosperous continents in the world. The average annual volume of water is only enough to meet primary needs, but this does not apply to all regions.

Land resources are represented by large areas with fertile lands. Only 20% of all possible land is cultivated. The reason for this is the lack of the proper volume of water, soil erosion, etc.

The forests of Africa are a source of timber, including species of valuable varieties. The countries in which they grow, the raw materials are exported. Resources are misused and ecosystems are slowly being destroyed.

In the bowels of Africa there are deposits of minerals. Among those sent for export: gold, diamonds, uranium, phosphorus, manganese ores. There are significant reserves of oil and natural gas.

Energy-intensive resources are widely represented on the continent, but they are not used due to the lack of proper investments...

Among the developed industrial sectors of the countries of the African continent, one can note:

• the mining industry that exports minerals and fuels;
• the oil refining industry, distributed mainly in South Africa and North Africa;
• chemical industry specializing in the production of mineral fertilizers;
• as well as the metallurgical and engineering industries.

The main agricultural products are cocoa beans, coffee, corn, rice and wheat. In the tropical regions of Africa, oil palm is grown.

Fishing is poorly developed and accounts for only 1-2% of the total volume of agriculture. The indicators of animal husbandry are also not high, and the reason for this is the infection of livestock with tsetse flies ...

culture

The peoples of Africa: culture and traditions

About 8,000 peoples and ethnic groups live on the territory of 62 African countries, which in total is about 1.1 billion people. Africa is considered the cradle and ancestral home of human civilization, it was here that the remains of ancient primates (hominids) were found, which, according to scientists, are considered the ancestors of people.

Most of the peoples in Africa may number from several thousand people to several hundred living in one or two villages. 90% of the population are representatives of 120 peoples, their number is more than 1 million people, 2/3 of them are peoples with more than 5 million people, 1/3 - peoples with more than 10 million people (this is 50% of the total population of Africa) - Arabs , Hausa, Fulbe, Yoruba, Igbo, Amhara, Oromo, Rwanda, Malagasy, Zulu...

There are two historical and ethnographic provinces: North African (the predominance of the Indo-European race) and Tropical-African (the majority of the population is the Negroid race), it is divided into such areas as:

• West Africa. The peoples who speak Mande (Susu, Maninka, Mende, Wai), Chadian (Hausa), Nilo-Saharan (Songhai, Kanuri, Tubu, Zagawa, Mawa, etc.), Niger-Congo languages ​​(Yoruba, Igbo, Bini, nupe, gbari, igala and idoma, ibibio, efik, kambari, birom and jukun, etc.);
• Equatorial Africa. Inhabited by Buanto-speaking peoples: Duala, Fang, Bubi (Fernandese), Mpongwe, Teke, Mboshi, Ngala, Komo, Mongo, Tetela, Cuba, Kongo, Ambundu, Ovimbundu, Chokwe, Luena, Tonga, Pygmies, etc.;
• South Africa. Rebellious-speaking peoples, and speaking Khoisan languages: Bushmen and Hottentots;
• East Africa. Bantu, Nilotic and Sudanese groups of peoples;
• North East Africa. The peoples speaking Ethio-Semitic (Amhara, Tigre, Tigra.), Cushitic (Oromo, Somalis, Sidamo, Agau, Afar, Konso, etc.) and Omotian languages ​​(Ometo, Gimirra, etc.);
• Madagascar. Malagasy and Creoles.

In the North African province, the main peoples are considered to be Arabs and Berbers, belonging to the South European minor race, mainly practicing Sunni Islam. There is also an ethno-religious group of Copts, who are direct descendants of the Ancient Egyptians, they are Monophysite Christians.

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Primitiveness and modernity are combined here, and instead of one capital - three. The article below discusses in detail the EGP of South Africa, the geography and features of this amazing state.

General information

The state known in the world as the Republic of South Africa, the local population used to call Azania. This name arose during the segregation policy and was used by the indigenous African population as an alternative to the colonial one. In addition to the national name, there are 11 official names of the country, which is associated with a variety of state languages.

The EGP of South Africa is much more profitable than that of many other states on the continent. This is the only African country that is included in. People come here for diamonds and impressions. Each of the nine provinces of South Africa has its own landscape, natural conditions and ethnic composition, which attracts a huge number of tourists. The country has eleven national parks and many resorts.

The presence of three capitals, perhaps, adds to the uniqueness of South Africa. They divide among themselves various state structures. The government of the country is located in Pretoria, so the city is considered the first and main capital. The judicial branch, represented by the Supreme Court, is located in Bloemfontein. Cape Town is home to the parliament building.

EGP South Africa: briefly

The state is located in southern Africa, washed by the Indian and Atlantic oceans. In the northeast, South Africa's neighbors are Swaziland and Mozambique, in the northwest - Namibia, the country shares its northern border with Botswana and Zimbabwe. Not far from the Dragon Mountains is the enclave of the Kingdom of Lesotho.

In terms of area (1,221,912 sq. km), South Africa is in 24th place in the world. It is about five times the size of the UK. The description of the EGP of South Africa will not be complete without a description of the coastline, the total length of which is 2798 km. The mountainous coast of the country is not strongly dissected. In the eastern part is the bay of St. Helena and there are also bays and bays of St. Francis, Falsbay, Algoa, Walker, Dining Room. is the southernmost point of the continent.

Wide access to two oceans plays an important role in the EGP of South Africa. Along the coast of the state there are sea routes from Europe to Southeast Asia and the Far East.

Story

The GWP of South Africa has not always been the same. Its changes were influenced by various historical events in the state. Although the first settlements appeared here at the beginning of our era, the most significant changes in the EGP of South Africa over time occurred from the 17th to the 20th century.

The European population, represented by the Dutch, Germans and French Huguenots, began to populate the territory of South Africa in the 1650s. Prior to that, Bantu, Khoi-Koin, Bushmen, and others lived on these lands. The arrival of the colonists caused a series of wars with the local population.

Since 1795, Great Britain has become the main colonizer. The British government pushes the Boers (Dutch peasants) to the Orange Republic and the Transvaal province, abolishes slavery. In the 19th century, wars began between the Boers and the British.

In 1910, the Union of South Africa was created, consisting of the British colonies. In 1948, the National Party (Boer) wins the elections and establishes an apartheid regime that divides the population into blacks and whites. Apartheid deprives the black population of almost all rights, even citizenship. In 1961, the country became the independent Republic of South Africa and eventually abolished the apartheid regime.

Population

The Republic of South Africa is home to approximately 52 million people. The EGP of South Africa has significantly influenced the ethnic composition of the country's population. Thanks to its favorable location and rich natural resources, the territory of the state attracted Europeans.

Now in South Africa, almost 10% of the population is made up of ethnic white Europeans - Afrikaners and Anglo-Africans, who are descendants of colonial settlers. represent the Zulu, Tsonga, Sotho, Tswana, Xhosa. They are about 80%, the remaining 10% are mulattoes, Indians and Asians. Most Indians are the descendants of workers brought to Africa to grow cane.

The population professes various religious beliefs. Most of the inhabitants are Christians. They support Zionist churches, Pentecostals, Dutch Reformers, Catholics, Methodists. Almost 15% are atheists, only 1% are Muslims.

There are 11 official languages ​​in the republic. The most popular among them are English and Afrikaans. Literacy among men is 87%, among women - 85.5%. In the world, the country ranks 143rd in terms of education.

Natural conditions and resources

All types of landscapes and different climatic zones are represented in the Republic of South Africa: from subtropics to deserts. The Dragon Mountains, located in the eastern part, smoothly turn into a plateau. Monsoon and subtropical forests grow here. In the south are located. On the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, the Namibia desert is located, along the northern bank of the Orange River stretches part of the Kalahari Desert.

There are significant reserves of mineral resources on the territory of the country. Gold, zirconium, chromites, diamonds are mined here. South Africa has reserves of iron, platinum and uranium ores, phosphorites, and coal. The country has deposits of zinc, tin, copper, as well as rare metals such as titanium, antimony and vanadium.

Economy

Features of the EGP of South Africa have become the most important factor for the development of the country's economy. 80% of metallurgical products are produced on the continent, 60% are in the mining industry. South Africa is the most developed country on the mainland, despite this, the unemployment rate is 23%.

Most of the population is employed in the service sector. About 25% of the population works in the industrial sector, 10% is agriculture. The financial sector, telecommunications, and the electric power industry are well developed in South Africa. The country has huge reserves of natural resources; the extraction and export of coal are best developed.

Among the main branches of agriculture are animal husbandry of goats, sheep, birds, cattle), winemaking, forestry, fishing (hake, sea bass, anchovies, moquel, mackerel, cod, etc.), crop production. The republic exports more than 140 types of fruits and vegetables.

The main trading partners are China, the USA, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, India and Switzerland. Among the African economic partners are Mozambique, Nigeria, Zimbabwe.

The country has a well-developed transport system, a favorable tax policy, developed banking and insurance business.

• The world's first successful heart transplant was performed in Cape Town by surgeon Christian Barnard in 1967.
• The largest depression on Earth is on the Vaal River in South Africa. It was formed as a result of the fall of a giant meteorite.
• The Cullinan diamond weighing 621 was found in 1905 in a South African mine. It is the largest gemstone on the planet.

• This is the only country in Africa that does not belong to the Third World.
• It was here that gasoline was first produced from coal.
• About 18,000 native plants grow on the territory of the country and 900 species of birds live.
• South Africa is the first country to voluntarily give up its existing nuclear weapons.
• The largest number of fossils is found in the Karoo region of South Africa.

Conclusion

The main features of the EGP of South Africa are the compactness of the territory, wide access to the oceans, location next to the sea route connecting Europe with Asia and the Far East. Most of the residents are employed in the service sector. Due to the large reserves of natural resources in South Africa, the extractive industry is well developed. The country's population is only 5% of the total population of Africa, however, the country is the most developed on the continent. Due to its economic position, South Africa has a fairly strong position in the world.