Far Africa. Natural Resources of Africa

The second largest continent of the planet. The second is the population. The continent, which has a truly colossal supply of minerals and other natural resources. Homeland of mankind. Africa.

The Third Part of the World

In the representations of the ancient Greeks, there were only two parts of the world - Europe and Asia. In those days, Africa was known under the name of Libya, and it belonged to one or the other. Only the ancient Romans after the conquest of Carthage began to call their province in the territory of present-day Northeast Africa by this name. The rest of the known territories of the southern continent bore the names of Libya and Ethiopia, but later there was only one. Then Africa became the third part of the world. Europeans, and then the Arabs mastered only the lands of the north of the continent, the more southern parts were separated by the vast desert of the Sahara, the largest in the world.

After the colonial conquest by Europeans of the rest of the world, Africa became the main supplier of slaves. The colonies on the territory of the continent itself did not develop, but served only as precincts.

Beginning of independence

The situation began to change slightly since the nineteenth century, when slavery in many countries was abolished. Europeans paid attention to their possessions on the continent of Africa. The natural resources of the controlled lands exceeded the potential of the colonial states themselves. True, development was carried out in the most populated areas of North and South Africa. The remaining territories of almost virgin nature were considered as an opportunity for exotic rest. The largest-scale safaris were organized precisely on this continent, which caused the mass extinction of large predators, rhinoceroses and elephants. After the Second World War, virtually all African countries achieved their independence and began to fully use their potential. But this did not always lead to positive consequences, sometimes the natural conditions and resources of Africa deteriorated significantly due to their irrational use by man.

Wealth and scarcity of water resources

The largest rivers of Africa are located in the center and on the west of the continent. These rivers - Congo, Niger, Zambezi - are among the most abundant and largest rivers in the world. The northern part of the continent is almost completely deserted and the dry rivers are filled with water only during the rainy season. Unique is the longest river in the world of the Nile. It starts in the central part of the continent and crosses the largest desert of the world - the Sahara, without losing its fullness. Africa is considered the mainland, the least provided with water resources. This definition applies to the whole continent, being an average indicator. After all, the central part of Africa, having an equatorial and subequatorial climate, is endowed with water in abundance. And northern desert lands suffer from an acute shortage of moisture. After gaining independence in the African countries, the boom of hydraulic engineering construction began, dams and reservoirs were built by thousands. And in general, the water resources of Africa are the second largest in the world after Asia.

African Lands

The situation with land resources in Africa is similar to that of water. From one (northern) side - it is almost uninhabited and uncultivated desert. And on the other - fertile and well-moistened soil. True, there is still a correction in the presence of huge areas of tropical forests, the territories of which are not used for agriculture. But this is Africa. Natural resources of land are very significant. By the ratio of the area of cultivated land to the population, Africa is twice as large as Asia and Latin America. Although only twenty percent of the entire continent is used for agriculture. As already noted, the natural resources of Africa are not always used rationally. Deforestation and subsequent erosion of the soil threaten the advancement of the desert to as yet fertile land. Especially it is necessary to worry countries in the central part of the continent.

Forest expanses

Features of the location of Africa have affected that it has large forest land. Seventeen per cent of the world's forests are on the African continent. The eastern and southern lands are rich in dry tropical forests, while the central and western lands are damp. But the use of such grand stocks leaves much to be desired. Forests cut down without restoring them. This is due to the presence of valuable tree species and, most sadly, for using them as firewood. Almost eighty percent of the energy in countries in the west and in the center of Africa is obtained after the burning of trees.

General characteristics of mineral resources

The natural resources of the countries of Africa are such that they can allow a single generation of the inhabitants of the mainland to live comfortably. But only if the number of processing enterprises increases. After all, almost eighty percent of all minerals extracted from the bowels of the earth are exported to other continents for further processing. But the wealth of African lands is simply obvious in the literal sense of the word. After all, more than three quarters of the world's gold production is on this continent. Diamonds in the world outside this continent produce less than thirty percent. More than half of all manganese ores, chromites and cobalt are mined in Africa. A third of phosphorites and radioactive uranium are also extracted from the bowels of this continent. And the natural resources of North Africa include large hydrocarbon reserves.

Natural Resources of South and Central Africa

The location of mineral deposits is determined by the features of the tectonic structure of the continent with the name Africa. The natural resources of the southern and central parts are rich in ore minerals and diamonds. The central regions of the continent are rich in copper reserves and bauxite. A bit to the west are bauxite deposits. Iron ores are rich in south and south-west Africa. But one of the main wealth of the continent is precious metals and precious stones. The natural resources of South Africa are rich in ores with a high content of platinum and gold. And in the world's top five leaders in terms of diamond production are three African countries. In addition, these lands are very rich in uranium ore content .

South Africa

The richest country of the continent and one of the richest in the world is the Republic of South Africa. Traditionally, coal mining is developed here. Its deposits are almost superficial, so the production cost is very low. Eighty percent of the electrical energy produced by local thermal power plants uses this cheap coal. The wealth of the country is provided by deposits of platinum, gold, diamonds, manganese, chromites and other minerals. Oil is probably one of the few fossils that South Africa is not rich in. On the contrary, the natural resources of the center of the continent and especially of its north are endowed with significant hydrocarbon reserves.

Natural Resources of North Africa

Sedimentary rocks of the north of the continent are rich in oil and gas deposits. Libya, for example, has about three percent of the world's reserves. On the territory of Morocco, Northern Algeria and Libya are zones of deposits of phosphorites. These deposits are so rich that it produces more than fifty percent of all world phosphorites. Also in the area of the Atlas Mountains are large reserves of polymetallic ores containing zinc, lead, and also cobalt and molybdenum.