Introduction

Background: Africa is the oldest inhabited territory on earth, with the human species originating from the continent. During the middle of the twentieth century, anthropologists discovered many fossils and evidence of human occupation perhaps as early as 7 million years ago.
Precolonial Africa possessed perhaps as many as 10,000 different states and polities characterised by different sorts of political organisation and rule. In 1482, the Portuguese established the first of many trading stations along the Guinea coast at Elmina. Slavery began to be phased out in Europe and America in the early nineteenth century, resulting in a dramatic shift in the economies of coastal states such as Dahomey and Ashante.
In the mid 19th century European and particularly British explorers became interested in exploring the heart of the continent and opening the area for trade, mining and other commercial exploitation.During the late 19th century there were left only two independent nations-Liberia and Abyssinia.All other nations were colonies of different European countries. Colonialism had a destabilizing effect on what had been a number of ethnic groups that is still being felt in African politics. Today, Africa is home to 53 independent countries, which mostly still have the borders drawn during the era of European colonialism. During the period from the early 1960s to the late 1980s, Africa had more than 70 coups and 13 presidential assassinations.
Cold War conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as the policies of the International Monetary Fund, also played a role in instability. Many countries in Northern Africa received Soviet military aid, while many in Central and Southern Africa were supported by the United States, France or both.
In 1993, Eritrea (in north Ethiopia) breaks from Ethiopia.This is the first successful secession in post-colonial Africa.In 1994 African National Congress (ANC) wins first multi-racial election ever held in South Africa. By that time, the small republic of Rwanda is the scene of perhaps the most violent spasm of genocide in human history. And among all this, AIDS devastates Africa as nowhere else in the world.
The continent enters the third millennium free but tormented.
 
Geography

Location: Separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea, it is joined to Asia at its northeast extremity by the Isthmus of Suez (transected by the Suez Canal). The most northerly point- Ras ben Sakka in Tunisia; the most southerly point- Cape Agulhas in South Africa

Geographic coordinates: 37°21' N    34°51'15 S

Area: 30 300 000 km²

Area - comparative: the second largest continent

Land boundaries: border  continents : Asia; Europe and South and North America

Coastline: 18,952 mi
Climate: tropical to subtropical;

Terrain: desert or arid  to the north ; savanna plains and very dense jungle (rainforest) regions in the central and southern part
Elevation extremes:
the lowest point is Lake 'Asal ; Mount Kilimanjaro
Natural resources: oil, gas and ore

Irrigated land: 17 % of cropland

Natural hazards: severe storms, floods, dust and smoke

Geography - note: strategic location dominating the Suez canal

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94
 signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Environment - current issues: air pollution; water pollution

People

Population: 911 million (as of 2005)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 31.6% (male 6,943,761; female 6,849,745)
15-64 years: 63.4% (male 13,377,011; female 14,300,850)
65 years and over: 5% (male 816,222; female 1,360,069) (2002 est.)

Median age: total- 24.1 ; male- 23.3; female- 25

Population growth rate: -0.4% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 18.2 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 60.66 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 64.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 56.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 1.58 billion

Life expectancy at birth  total population: 42.73 years
male: 43.25 years
female: 42.19 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 7.7 %

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 50 980 000

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 37 271 000

Ethnic groups: black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)

Religions: Christianity , Islam

Languages: Swahili  , Hausa , Yoruba 


Economy

Economy - overview: Since prehistoric times, the majority of Africans have been farmers and herders who raised crops and livestock for subsistence. As decolonization began in the late 1950s, the African economy was divided into two distinct sectors. Most of the population took part in the traditional rural sector, which featured subsistence production of food and simple manufactured products. The remainder was involved in a relatively modern sector, based in cities and mining and plantation centers.
In subsequent decades, African governments pursued various economic development initiatives in an attempt to improve the living standards of their people. In many countries, these efforts led to the growth of manufacturing of consumer goods and other products. Services—in education, health care, civil services, and other areas—also grew in economic importance.
Development efforts led to a greater degree of interaction and movement of people and money between the modern and subsistence sectors of the African economy. Yet, by the early 21st century, the sectors were still far from integrated. Most of the population still pursued traditional subsistence activities, which continued to provide sustenance for the majority of Africans. At the same time, despite increasing levels of industrialization in many countries, Africa’s raw materials continued to be produced primarily for export.

GDP:  purchasing power parity-    $ 4297,175 million ( 2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita: $ 11408,9 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.4%
industry: 31.6%
services: 65.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 282 274 000

Unemployment rate:  30.3 % (2005 )

Distribution of family income - Gini index: lowest: 4.2 %; highest : 47.3 % (1998)

Inflation rate: (consumer prices 16% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 21.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Public debt: 63% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products: corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products

Industries: mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

Industrial production growth rate: 5.1% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production: 45 053 354 000 000 kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports: 25,791,000,000  kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports: 23,210,000,000  kWh (2003)

Oil - production: 306 736 000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption: 89 966 000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports: 2,127,121,200 (2002)

Oil - imports: 282,731,900 (2002)

Oil - proved reserves: 230 744 000 000 bbl (2005)

Natural gas - production: 129 530 000 000 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - consumption: 64 530 000 000 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - exports: 66 580 000 000  cu m (2005)

Natural gas - imports: 1 580  000 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 2 349 387 billion  cu m (2005)

Exports: 6 737 548 000 000 (2005 est.)

Imports: 9 776 800 000 000 (2005)

Imports - partners: France , Cameroon , Spain , Benelux, Cote d'Ivoire, Germany, Japan (2001) ; US , Germany , Italy , France  (2002)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $4.744 billion (2005)

Exchange rates: Rates of exchange to the US Dollar : Dinar -71.43; CFA Franc -514.88 ; Egyptian Pound -5.70; Namibia dollar- 6.74;

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 40 500 000

Telephones - mobile cellular: 6 450 015 910 (2005)

Telephone system: modern networks reach all areas; good mobile telephone and international service;

Internet users: 23 649 000

Transportation

Railways: 84 172 km

Highways: 1 916 029 km

Ports and harbors: Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha