AFRICA

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AFRICA
http//www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/africa.html

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AFRICA

• CONTINENT with regions (North, South, East, West)
• 1776-1870 Colonized by Europe and US during
  last phase of colonialism
• 1807 Britain abolished slave trade
• 1834 Britain abolished slavery established
  legitimate trade in cash crops, turning
  subsistence economies into mono crop economies

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AFRICA

• 1884 Scramble for Africa at the Berlin
  Conference on West Africa
• 1884-1912 5 EU nationsGermany, Italy,
  Portugal, France, Britain ( Spain, Belgium)
  sliced Africa up like a pie
• Most African nations fought for and won
  independence from their colonizers in the
  mid-1900s
• 1960 Niger became independent from France

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NIGER
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NIGER

• Straddles the Sahara Sahel Deserts
• Fragile environment of semi-arid brush
• Farming shifting cultivation
• Pre-colonial Economy trans-Saharan trade in
  livestock, agricultural products
• Colonial Economy cowpea trade (cash crop)
• Vulnerable to drought unreliable global
  commodity markets

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NIGER

• Size about twice size of TX, 1 of hottest
  countries in the world
• Capital Niamey
• 2005 population estimate 11.6 million
• Ethnic Groups Hausa 56, Djerma 22, Fula 8.5,
  Tuareg 8, Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3, Arab,
  Toubou, Gourmantche 1.2, about 1,200 French
  expatriates
• Life Expectancy 42 years
• Resources gold, uranium, coal, iron ore, tin,
  cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, cassava, and
  rice

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NIGER ECONOMY

• Exports uranium ore, livestock products,
  cowpeas, onions
• Imports consumer goods, machinery, vehicles and
  parts, gasoline, cereal
• 2000 Qualified for enhanced debt relief under
  the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program for
  Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
• Reduces Niger's annual debt frees funds for
  basic health care, primary education, HIV/AIDS
  prevention, rural infrastructure, and other
  programs
• Half Nigers budget from foreign donor
  resources
• Future growth may be sustained by exploitation
  of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources

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NIGER POLITICS

• 1993 held first free and open elections
• 1996 1999 military coups led by Tuaregs
• 1999 National Reconciliation Council
  facilitated transition to civilian rule
• Since 1999 President of the Republic, Mamadou
  Tandja

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NIGER RELIGION

• 80 Muslim
• 20 Christian indigenous beliefs
• Many Nigerians practice one of the dominant
  world religions alongside their indigenous
  beliefs and practices.