Geography
In Middle Africa, the people of the countries of Angola, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and so on, have to face certain challenges throughout their independence. Gabon is just as challenged as the other countries. Along with the usual challenges, such as the economy or the citizens’ welfare, Gabon has many environmental issues due to its geography. In this article, we’ll get down into the geographical issues in Gabon in Middle Africa. Gabon has one of the most diverse environments in all of Middle Africa, with many rainforests and deserts in the area. But in rainforests, as in Gabon, there is a chance for overgrowth. When this overgrowth occurs, deforestation can turn into an issue for the people. Deforestation is when a huge area is cleared of all trees. This decline of trees in the area can cause air pollution to the area, and affects the geographical climate of Gabon. It would be seemingly colder due to the deforestation in the forests because the trees that grow in the geographical location can cause shade to cool the air around them. If this is stopped, desertification can then occur and cause a more arid climate in Gabon. Another issue connects to the animals indigenous to the geographical area. The wildlife of Gabon is in serious danger because of this next issue. This issue is poaching. Poaching is where people illegally hunt for game in the region or area. If the animal population dies off due to the poaching in the area, then another population of animal will overgrow and take up more space in the geographic area. Overgrowth of a population can cause some major effects on a culture and the geographic environment, which is why this is a major geographic issue. Many other issues are overtaking the geographical climate and location of Gabon and Middle Africa. These listed are only a few. Most people of the entire Middle African region are affected by the exact same issues of geography and their environment today, and it is hurting the parts of the region fiercely. For everything these poor people have to go through to continue their daily lives, this shouldn’t be one of them. Gabon and many other countries are at a disadvantage when it comes to these geographical issues, and in order to progress into a prosperous environment, we have to help control these issues. |
Imperialism
All over Africa, imperialism has taken some toll on all the regions. Middle Africa is no different. As European powers worked their way into the inner colonies, they brought imperialism and its ideals into the regions as well. One country that has been affected by imperialism in Middle Africa is Equatorial Guinea. This small country has some imperialist problems, which may be surprising due to its small land area. The reason the Europeans wanted to imperialize Equatorial Guinea is for their amounts of crude oil. Equatorial Guinea discovered oil in their small country in the 1980s. An estimated 420 million barrels of oil was unearthed, which raised interests in controlling the colony. The people of the EG could profit from this oil if it weren’t for one thing: multinationals who run the oil companies. These people control the county through imperialism and take the oil for themselves. This way is what these multinationals believe is the only way for them to profit in the oil industry. Who’s the biggest multinational you ask? Surprisingly enough, it’s us: The United States of America. The United States and many other multinationals have signed contracts with the EG, stating that the EG gets 10% of all the export pay on the oil. But there’s a catch that the EG didn’t see. This catch was that they couldn’t ship any of their oil until 2003. Due to this catch, the oil reserves for the EG were expected to deplete, and the multinationals would gain a sufficient income to pay off their investments in the oil industry! If that wasn’t enough, they also agreed to freely import anything they needed without penalty, with a horrible result of no incentive to purchase anything inland. This would cause a destabilized economy for the region. This means that out of the 540 million dollars these companies spent, 534 million was used in that country. This event and many other various events are disgraceful of the world today. The greediness of some people in power can affect the outcome of a country in many ways. The oil situation in the EG is no exception to this case. The U.S and other multinationals took control of the EG’s oil and exploited its wealth, which demolished any hope of wealth to this poor country. These industrialists only wanted the money and did nothing to stimulate or help Equatorial Guinea and its economy. The only logical reason for Equatorial Guinea to be in its current, poor state is due to the imperialism between the U.S, multinationals, and the huge oil industry. |