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17.3 Central Africa Today

17.3 Central Africa Today. Countries of Central Africa. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Belgian colony until 1960 A dictator named Joseph Mobotu came to power in 1965. He changed the country’s name to Zaire and his own name to Mobutu Sese Seko

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17.3 Central Africa Today

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  1. 17.3 Central Africa Today

  2. Countries of Central Africa

  3. Democratic Republic of the Congo • Belgian colony until 1960 • A dictator named Joseph Mobotu came to power in 1965. • He changed the country’s name to Zaire and his own name to Mobutu Sese Seko • Mobotu was corrupt and used his position to make himself rich.

  4. After a civil war in 1997 a new government took over and renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo. • The country is full of minerals, but bad government, crime and civil war has scared investors away. • As a result the resources are not used and have helped very few people. • Most people are poor. Many are moving to Kinshasa.

  5. Central African Republic and Cameroon • Central African Republic is landlocked. It has faced many problems since independence: • Military coups, corrupt leaders, improper elections • Weak economy because there are no railroads or ports to transport the resources for export.

  6. Central African Republic and Cameroon • Cameroon has a stable government and economy. • Elected president • Oil reserves and good conditions for farming • Good system of roads and railroads

  7. Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé and Príncipe • Equatorial Guinea is a republic, but some think its elections are flawed. • Most people in the country are poor. • São Tomé and Príncipe is an island country. • It has struggled with political instability, and most people there are poor.

  8. Gabon and Republic of the Congo • Gabon has the highest standard of living in the region because of oil money. • Has had only one president since 1967. • Republic of the Congo has oil, but civil war hurt it in the 1990s. • The country is mostly urban - the largest city is Brazzaville.

  9. Angola • After years of civil war that recently ended in 2002, Angola is now a republic with an elected president. • The economy is struggling. • 85% of the people are subsistence farmers. • Land mines left over from the civil war endanger these farmers.

  10. Inflation, a rise in prices that occurs when currency loses its buying power, is a big problem. • Angola has oil and diamonds.

  11. Zambia and Malawi • 85% of Zambia’s workers are farmers. • the country has copper, but it is developing slowly. • Most people in Malawi are farmers. • It depends heavily on foreign aid and religious groups.

  12. Issues and Challenges Ethnic & Regional Conflict • A mix of ethnic groups and the desire for power has led to civil war in many countries. • Thousands of people have died in these wars over the past several years.

  13. Wars have also hurt the region’s economies. • People who are killed or injured in the fighting can no longer work. • In addition, fighting destroys land and other resources.

  14. Health • Diseases like malaria kill many people in Central Africa each year. • Malaria is a disease spread by mosquitoes that causes fever and pain. • Without treatment, malaria can lead to death.

  15. International health organizations and governments are working to prevent the spread of malaria, but the preventative measures are expensive. • Measures include: educating people about the disease and passing out nets treated with insecticide.

  16. Malaria is not the only disease that causes problems in Central Africa. AIDS also kills hundreds of thousands of people each year. • There is no known cure for AIDS. • Medicines to help with the symptoms are too expensive.

  17. Partly because so many people die from disease, Central Africa has a very young work force. • 50% of Central Africa’s population is under 15 years old (compared to the U.S.’s 20%)

  18. Resources and Environments • Central African countries need to develop their natural resources more effectively. • Agricultural production has declined in many areas because of war. • As a result malnutrition—the condition of not getting enough nutrients from food—has increased.

  19. Current policies regarding resources are also leading to environmental problems. • Forests are being cut down for timber which threatens wildlife. • Mining destroys the landscape.

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