AFRICA

Jess Silva Andrs Gonzlez Jorge Martnez

Introduction
Africa, the cradle of mankind, is today the forgotten continent of our world. It has nearly 10% of the worlds population and is the largest continent, yet it is the poorest region of the globe contributing only 1% of the worlds GNP. Among the diverse challenges the region faces are the spread of AIDS, unending civil wars, underdevelopment, famine, etc. This presentation will give you a brief but complete insight of the continents reality.

Geography
North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya,
Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara. Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Brazzaville, Congo Kinshasa, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Sao Tom and Princip. Verde, Cte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

East Africa: Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea,

Central Africa: Angola, Burundi,

West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape

Southern Africa: Angola, Botswana,

Historical Background
Africa was the birthplace of both the
hominin subfamily and the genus Homo, including eight species of which only Homo sapiens remains. domestication of plants for agricultural purposes occurred in the Sahel region circa 5000 BC different administrations in Africa at this time, with different ambitions and degrees of power. Libya in 1951. Many countries followed in the 50s and 60s, with a peak in 1960 with independences.

Agriculturally, the first cases of

The European powers set up a variety of

The Decolonization in Africa started with

Religion

Religion in Africa is multifaceted. Most Africans adhere

to either Christianity or Islam. Many also practice African traditional religions, which includes ancestor veneration and spirituality, often alongside Christianity and Islam. African cultural manifastations are also prominent in diasporan African religious culture.

Economy
GDP (PPP): US$1.635 trillion Millionaires: Population living on under $1 per day:

0.1 million (0.01%)

36.2%

GDP (Currency):

$558 billion

GDP/capita (PPP): GDP/capita (Currency):

$1,968

External debt as a percent of GDP

External debt payments as a percent of GDP Foreign aid revenue as a percent of GDP Estimated female income

60.7% (1998)

$671

4.2%

Annual growth in 5.16% (2004per capita 2006) GDP: Income of top 10%:

3.2% (2001)

44.7%

51.8% of male

Politics
The African Union (AU) is a federation consisting of all of Africa's states apart from Morocco. The union was formed, with Addis Ababa as its capital, on June 26, 2001. In July 2004, the capital of the African Union was relocated to Midrand, in the AU Constituent Republic of South Africa. However, the AU Commission has its headquarters at Addis Ababa. There is a policy in effect to decentralise the African Federation's institutions so that they are shared by all the states. But, failed state policies, inequitable global trade practices, and the effects of global climate change have resulted in many widespread famines, and significant portions of Africa remain with distribution systems unable to disseminate enough food or water for the population to survive.

Bloody Diamonds Conflict

Blood diamond is a diamond mined in a war zone and sold,
usually clandestinely, in order to finance an insurgent or invading army's war efforts. forbidding countries from buying diamonds from them. This resolution was the first resolution of the UN which specifically mentioned diamonds in the context of funding war.

The United Nations (UN) in 1998 placed Angola under sanctions

The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) faction,

and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) faction. During this war, diamonds were traded by rebel groups to fund their war.

Nearest Conflict Solution:

Governments, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, diamond traders, financial institutions, arms manufacturers, social and educational institutions and other civil society players need to combine their efforts, demand the strict enforcement of sanctions and encourage real peace. Legitimate Diamonds -----) Peace ------) Development Controls on conflict diamonds cut off sources of funding for rebels, help shorten wars and prevent their recurrence. Peace in diamond producing regions will bring about the potential for economic development and tax revenue for building infrastructure as legitimate mining ventures increase.

The international diamond industry is already taking steps to respond, such as the adoption by the World Diamond Congress, Antwerp, 19 July 2000, of a resolution which, if fully implemented, stands to increase the diamond industry's ability to block conflict diamonds from reaching market.

References
Diamond, Jared. (1999) "Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human

Societies. New York:Norton, pp.167. O'Brien, Patrick K. (General Editor). Oxford Atlas of World History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. pp.22-23 Kayizzi-Mugerwa, Steve The African Economy: Policy, Institutions and the Future (Routledge, 1999, ISBN 0-415-18323-5) Moshomba, Richard E. Africa in the Global Economy (Lynne Rienner, 2000, ISBN 1-55587-718-4) Simon, Julian L. (1995) State of Humanity, Blackwell Publishing. p. 175. ISBN 1-55786-585-X. "Bwiti: An Ethnography of the Religious Imagination in Africa", James Fernandez, Princeton University Press, 1982 Campbell, Greg (2002). Blood diamonds: tracing the deadly path of the world's most precious stones. Boulder, Colo: Westview Press. ISBN 0-81333939-1.