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Information about Subsaharan Africa

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A political map showing national divisions in relation to the ecological break (Sub-Saharan Africa in green)


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A geographical map of Africa, showing the ecological break that defines the sub-Saharan area


Sub-Saharan Africa is the term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara desert. Geographically, the demarcation line is the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.

Since around 4,000 years before present[1], the north and sub-Saharan regions of Africa have been separated by the extremely harsh climate of the sparsely populated Sahara, forming an effective barrier interrupted by only the Nile River. The peoples south of the Sahara (excluding the Nile Valley) developed in relative isolation from the rest of the world. The modern term sub-Saharan corresponds with the standard representation of North as above and South as below. Tropical Africa and Equatorial Africa are alternative modern labels, used for the distinctive ecology of the region. However, if strictly applied, this term would exclude South Africa, most of which lies outside the Tropics.

History

In 19th Century Europe and the Western world, the area was sometimes referred to as "Black Africa." This was partly due to the skin color of its inhabitants and partly because much of it had not been fully mapped or explored by Westerners. Some object to the usage of the term, such as cultural writer and filmmaker Owen 'Alik Shahadah.

Critique of the term

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The G8's Greater Middle East includes Sub-Saharan African countries
Some object to the usage of the term and see it is as misleading and a racist colonial way of viewing Africa. [2][3][4][5] Academic and cultural writer Owen 'Alik Shahadah states "...This barrier of sand hence confined Africans to the bottom of this make-believe location, which exists neither linguistically, ethnically, politically or physically...Somalia and Djibouti are part of the same political Islamic alignment just like many so-called Arab countries." (See Arab League). Others such as P. Godfrey Okoth, Department of History University of California, states that European travelers and geographers created the concept of "two Africa’s," sets up the removal of African contribution to world civilization.[5][5]

Economies

Generally, sub-Saharan Africa is the poorest region in the world, suffering from the effects of economic mismanagement, local corruption, inter-ethnic conflict and the legacy of colonialism and slavery. The region contains many of the least developed countries in the world. (See Economy of Africa.) Sub-Saharan Africa, especially East Africa, is regarded by some geneticists as being the birthplace of the human race (the genus Homo). Mitochondrial Eve, from whom all humans alive are descended, is thought to have lived in present day Ethiopia or Tanzania. Sub-Saharan Africa has been the site of many empires and kingdoms, including the Axum, Wagadu (Ghana Empire), Mali, Nok, Songhai, Kanem, Bornu, Benin and Great Zimbabwe.

Up to and including October 2006 many governments face difficulties in implementing policies aimed at mitigating the effects of the AIDS-pandemic due to lack of technical support despite a number of mitigating measures. [1]

The population of sub-Saharan Africa was 750 million in 2005. [2]

Health care

In 1987, Bamako was the location of a WHO conference known as the Bamako Initiative that helped reshape the health policy of sub-Saharan Africa.[6] The new strategy dramatically increased accessibility through community-based healthcare reform, resulting in more efficient and equitable provision of services. A comprehensive approach strategy was extended to all areas of health care, with subsequent improvement in the health care indicators and improvement in health care efficiency and cost.[7][8]

Nations of sub-Saharan Africa

There are 42 countries located on the sub-Saharan African mainland and 6 island nations. According to this classification scheme, the countries of sub-Saharan Africa are:

Central Africa

East Africa

Southern Africa

West Africa

Island nations

Territories

Notes

1. ^ [3]
2. ^ Shahadah, Owen 'Alik, Linguistics for a new African reality, first published at the Cheikh Anta Diop conference in 2005, retrieved July 152007
3. ^ Nehusi, Kimani, Mental Enslavement, From Medew Netjer to Ebonics, retrieved July 172007
4. ^ Muhammad, Andrew, Andrew Muhammad, chapter Hidden History, Free Your Mind, retrieved July 152007
5. ^ Okoth, P. Godfrey The Truman Administration and the Decolonization of Sub-Saharan Africa Journal of Third World Studies, retrieved July 152007: The idea of "Sub-Saharan Africa," is, therefore, 'a myth or misleading. It cannot be accepted as it tantamount to the balkanization of Africa, thereby denying Africa its rightful role in contributing to world civilization
6. ^ User fees for health: a background. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
7. ^ Implementation of the Bamako Initiative: strategies in Benin and Guinea. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
8. ^ Manageable Bamako Initiative schemes. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.

External links

Political maps of Sub-Saharan Africa

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See also
Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30,221,532 km² (11,668,545 sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area, and 20.4% of the total land area.
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Sahara (Arabic: الصحراء الكبرى, aṣ-ṣaḥrā´ al-koubra, "The Great Desert", (
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Demarcation is the act of creating a boundary around a place or thing. For example, a new country must demarcate their borders to define the physical location of the country. One such case is Eritrea, which gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993.
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Sahara (Arabic: الصحراء الكبرى, aṣ-ṣaḥrā´ al-koubra, "The Great Desert", (
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Origin Africa
Mouth Mediterranean Sea
Basin countries Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, DR Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Egypt
Length 6,650 km (4,132 mi)
Source elevation 1,134 m (3,721 ft)

Avg.
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For the periodical, see .
The 19th Century (also written XIX century) lasted from 1801 through 1900 in the Gregorian calendar. It is often referred to as the "1800s.
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Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. Physically and geologically, Europe is the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, west of Asia. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea,
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Western world, the West or the Occident (Latin occidens -sunset, -west, as distinct from the Orient) [1] can have multiple meanings dependent on its context (e.g., the time period, or the social situation).
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Human skin color can range from very dark brown to nearly colorless (appearing pinkish white due to the blood in the skin) in different people. Skin color is determined by the amount and type of the pigment melanin in the skin. On average, women have slightly lighter skin than men.
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Cartography or mapmaking (in Greek chartis = map and graphein = write) is the study and practice of making representations of the Earth on a flat surface.
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European exploration of Africa began with Ancient Greeks and Romans, that explored and settled in North Africa. Fifteenth Century Portugual, especially under Henry the Navigator probed along the West African coast.
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Western culture or Western civilization is a term used to generally refer to most of the cultures of European origin and most of their descendants. It comprises the broad, geographically based, heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs (such as religious
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Owen ‘Alik Shahadah (b. 1973) is a director, African academic, writer, musician, photographer and music producer. He is best known for authoring works, which deal with African history, social justice, environmental issues, education and world peace.
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Owen ‘Alik Shahadah (b. 1973) is a director, African academic, writer, musician, photographer and music producer. He is best known for authoring works, which deal with African history, social justice, environmental issues, education and world peace.
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For the journal, see .
Linguistics is the scientific study of language, which can be theoretical or applied. Someone who engages in this study is called a linguist.
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ethnic group or ethnicity is a population of human beings whose members identify with each other, usually on the basis of a presumed common genealogy or ancestry.[1] Ethnicity is also defined from the recognition by others as a distinct group[2]
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Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. Although the term is generally applied to behavior within civil governments, politics is observed in all human group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious
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Anthem
Soomaaliyeey Toosoow
Somalia, Wake Up


Capital
(and largest city) Mogadishu

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Anthem
Djibouti


Capital
(and largest city) Djibouti

Official languages Arabic and French
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Headquarters
(and cities)
Official languages Arabic
Membership 22 Arab states
2 observer states
Leaders
 -  Secretary General Amr Moussa (since 2001)
 -  Council of
the Arab League
Sudan
 -  Speaker of
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University of California (UC) is a public university system in the state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California
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Least Developed Countries (LDCs or Fourth World countries) are countries which according to the United Nations exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development, with the lowest Human Development Index ratings of all countries in the world.
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The economy of Africa consists of the trade, industry, and resources of the peoples of Africa. As of July 2005, approximately 887 million people were living in 54 different states.
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Homo
Linnaeus, 1758

Species

Homo sapiens
See text for extinct species.
Homo is the genus that includes modern humans and their close relatives. The genus is estimated to be between 1.5 and 2.5 million years old.
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Mitochondrial Eve (mt-mrca) is the name given by researchers to the woman who is defined as the matrilineal most recent common ancestor (MRCA) for all living humans.
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Ethiopia (IPA: /i.θi.oʊ.pi.ə/) ( ʾĪtyōṗṗyā), officially the
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Motto
"Uhuru na Umoja"   (Swahili)
"Freedom and Unity"
Anthem
Mungu ibariki Afrika
"God Bless Africa"
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መነገሠ ፡ አከሰመ
Mangiśta Aksum
Kingdom of Aksum
The Kingdom of Aksum at its greatest extent.
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Ghana Empire or Wagadou Empire (existed c. 750-1076) was located in what is now southeastern Mauritania, Western Mali, and Eastern Senegal.

Etymology

The empire was known to its own citizens, a Mande subgroup known as the Soninke, as Wagadou.
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The Mali Empire or Manding Empire or Manden Kurufa was a medieval West African state of the Mandinka from 1235 to 1645. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa I.
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