What is considered Sub-Saharan Africa?

What is considered Sub-Saharan Africa?

Sub-Saharan Africa (commonly called Black Africa) is, geographically, the area of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. ... The United Nations Development Program lists 46 of Africa's 54 countries as "sub-Saharan", excluding Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia.

How many countries are in Sub-Saharan Africa?

54 countries The UN Development Program lists 46 of Africa's 54 countries as “sub-Saharan,” excluding Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia.

What makes Sub-Saharan Africa unique?

In addition to an array of landforms from rift valleys to mountains to deserts, Sub-Saharan Africa contains a wide variety of climate zones and precipitation patterns. In general, the continent is relatively hot with temperate climates in the higher elevations.

Why is Sub-Saharan Africa important?

Sub-Saharan Africa forms its own climatic zone, which is ecologically, culturally, and ethnically separated from northern Africa by the Sahara and the Sahel. ... Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest population growth in the world, which is even expected to double to around two billion by 2050.

What is Sub-Saharan Africa known for?

Sub-Saharan Africa has been the site of many empires and kingdoms, including Nubia, Axum, Wagadugu (Ghana), Mali, Nok, Songhai, Kanem-Bornu, Benin and Great Zimbabwe.

What are 3 things that people in Sub-Saharan Africa are known for cultural elements?

The extended family prevails and Christianity, Islam, and many native religions are found. European languages coexist with hundreds of local dialects. The food mixes local and foreign ingredients, and many dishes consist of stews accompanied by plantains. Wooden sculptures and ceremonial masks are popular forms of art.

Were there any African countries that were never colonized?

Ethiopia and Liberia are widely believed to be the only two African countries to have never been colonized. Their location, economic viability, and unity helped Ethiopia and Liberia avoid colonization.

Why is Africa important to the United States?

Africa is an important investment destination for many leading U.S. industries and Fortune 500 companies, contributing to U.S. jobs and increasing the revenue base for several cities. There is real enthusiasm toward increasing two-way trade and investment. ... Ties to Africa are generating jobs for Americans.

Why is Sub-Saharan Africa underdeveloped?

The list of problems is familiar: obstacles to international trade; overvalued exchange rates; poor infrastructure; bad governance and corruption; and insufficient competition and monopolistic structures in many sectors, notably agriculture.

Why is sub-Saharan poor?

While the root causes of poverty in Sub-saharan Africa are not different from the causes of poverty anywhere else, poverty has been growing in Sub-saharan Africa due to the long-term impacts of external factors like war, genocide, famine, and land availability.

What is the meaning of Sub-Saharan?

• Definition of sub-Saharan : of, relating to, or being the part of Africa south of the Sahara First Known Use of sub-Saharan 1899, in the meaning defined above

What is the transitional zone between the Sahara and the savanna?

• Sub-Saharan Africa. The Sahel is the transitional zone in between the Sahara and the tropical savanna of the Sudan region and farther south the forest-savanna mosaic of tropical Africa . Since probably 3500 BCE, the Saharan and sub-Saharan regions of Africa have been separated by the extremely harsh climate of...

Which countries are not part of Sub-Saharan Africa?

• Only seven African countries are not geopolitically a part of Sub-Saharan Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Western Sahara (claimed by Morocco) and Sudan; they form the UN subregion of Northern Africa, which also makes up the largest bloc of the Arab World.

Where was the most fertile part of Sub-Saharan Africa?

• The most fertile portion of Islamic Sub-Saharan Africa was West Africa, thanks to the mighty Niger River; consequently, the most powerful Sub-Saharan Islamic states (known as the "Saharan empires") flourished there, spanning both desert and grassland.