Sub-Saharan Africa Essay Example for Free

Sub-Saharan Africa Essay A â€Å"little more than a hundred years ago much of Africa was a vast unknown† (Gestrin xix). It is different and has many untapped natural resources such as cobalt, gold, chrome, platinum, and uranium. The most significant turning point in Africa’s history is the G8 plan. The G8 plan, Leaders of the Group of Eight, signed an agreement with African leaders to support development. Economic growth there is credited to 80 percent of poverty reduction. Each Sub-Saharan Africa country has its own native language; however, there are usually other secondary languages. â€Å"Lingua franca† is a language that is systematically used to communicate with those not speaking the native language. Sub-Saharan Africa is comprised of forty-eight countries with a population of more than 500 million (Gestrin xx). The population has been doubling every twenty-four years; â€Å"more than half of the population in most sub-Saharan countries is under the age of fifteen† (Gestrin 57). So, one can say that sub-Saharan Africa is very â€Å"developed† in that way. The region of Sahel stretches â€Å"from Mauritamia and Senegal in the west across Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, northern Nigeria, and Chad in the east† (Gestrin 185). Cultural differences among the Muslims and Christians cause political divisions and military conflicts. There has also been a long history of drought, famine, and depopulation. Thus, people are involved in farming and food processing to ease the situation. The same cultural differences existed in Nigeria. As a result, the country was governed as two separate ones. In 1997, Nigeria was named â€Å"the most corrupt country to do business in† since many Nigerians were known as con artists and hustlers (Gestrin 178). Ethnic turmoil in Rwanda resulted from conflicts from the Hutu and the Tutsi peoples. The Hutus were cultivators and comprised 85 percent of the population; the Tutsis were herders and were the remaining 14 percent. Both groups are Catholic, spoke the same language, and shared customs. Both the German and Belgian colonialists allowed the Tutsis to rule over the Hutus; the Hutus resented them because of their wealth (Gestrin 15). Apartheid began in 1948 in South Africa as a means of political separation. People were classified into four racial groups: black, white, coloured (mixed races), and Indian or Asian. Resistance to apartheid began in 1974 when Portugal withdrew forces from Mozambique and, Angola. Anti-apartheid movements were happening in the United States and Europe; the countries began boycotts against South Africa. An election was held on April 27, 1994. As a result, Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s president on May 10, 1994. As of January 15, 2009, there are 11 million refugees in Africa; Congo, Somalia, and Sudan are the worst cases. Many of these refugees are driven from their homes due to ethnic conflicts and civil war (2). In 2007, 75 percent of all AIDS deaths occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa. Unprotected anal sex between men is the biggest reason for the majority of AIDS cases. In addition, condom use is rare among heterosexual couples. About 90 percent of couples say that they do not use condoms. Sharing infected drug needles also spreads the disease (3). Sex work is also common. Unfortunately, â€Å"health services in many countries are swamped by the need to care for increasing numbers of infected and sick people† (Gestrin 69). Only the affluent can afford the medications. Works Cited Gestrin, Phyllis and Yale Richmond. Into Africa: Intercultural Insights. Yarmouth: Intercultural Press, Inc. , 1998. Peacekeeping: Eleven Million African Refugees (2009). Retrieved June 23, 2009 from http://www. strategypage. com. Sub-Saharan Africa: 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic. Retrieved June 15 2009 from http://www. inaids. org.