The Countries of Central and South Africa.
Map Questions.
- Point out on the map the mountains, plateaus and rivers of
Central and South Africa that you have heard of.
- Study the population map in your Atlas and name the
peoples living in Central and South Africa. Which parts are most
densely populated, which most thinly?
Central Africa lies in the torrid zone, between the desert belts of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and consists of savannahs and forests.
On the Abyssinian Highlands along the shores of the Red Sea lies the ancient state of Ethiopia, numbering over 20,000,000 inhabitants. Most of the people live in the highlands, at an altitude of from 1,700 to 2,400 metres above sea level, where the climate is mild and wet. Here grow olive and coffee-trees. There are cultivated fields and orchards. The lower parts of the Highlands where the climate is hot and unhealthy are thinly populated.
In the basin of the Middle and Upper Nile next to Ethiopia lies Sudan, a large state recently established in place of the former Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. It forms part of the savannah belt, which merges into the desert belt in the northern part of the country.
Near the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa is the Repub1ic of Liberia, noted for its rubber plantations.
 Fig. 147. Ghana: Gathering the cacao pods.
There are several newly independent states in this part of Africa: the Republic of Ghana, which is very rich in bauxite and ranks first among the countries of the world in the production and export of cacao; the Repub1ic of Guinea, whose chief export is bananas; the Repub1ic of Mali, which is now building a number of hydroelectric power-stations and other industrial enterprises with the help of the Soviet Union.
Independence has been won, besides, by: a number of French colonies in West and Central Africa; the former Belgian colony Congo (14,000,000 inhabitants), which is very rich in minerals of all kinds and in water-power; the former British colony Nigeria, which ranks first among the countries of the world in production of palm-oil, and others. In many of these countries the influence of foreign capitalists is still strong.
There still remain countries in Central Africa under the yoke of foreign colonizers. Great Britain still retains some of its former great
Fig. 148. The Republic of Guinea: Konakri, its capital.
possessions, mainly in the eastern part of the continent. Portugal has large colonies, now in the grip of national liberation movements.
In the southern part of Africa is the Republic of South Africa (over 15,000,000 inhabitants), administered by British and Boer settlers. The African majority as well as the Indians are subject to race discrimination. They are deprived of all rights and are forced to toil in the foreign-owned mines and farms for miserable pay. Here, too, the struggle is flaring up against race discrimination and for the liberation of the country. This struggle enjoys the support of progressive-minded people all over the world.
The deserts and semideserts in the interior of the Republic are pasturable areas where sheep and cattle are bred. In the wetter regions corn and wheat is grown. The south has a subtropical climate. Here grow oranges, lemons, grapes, etc. 
Fig. 149. Nigeria: Natives carrying bundles of sorghum.
The Republic of South Africa ranks first among the capitalist countries of the world in output of gold.
Questions and Assignments.
- Mark the countries of Central Africa and the Republic of
South Africa on the outline map.
- Study the map on page 181 and name the minerals found in
Ghana, Nigeria, Congo and the Republic of South Africa.
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