Geography
All around the world there are differences in environment that influences what is possible in that area. In Western Africa there are a variety of habitats: undeveloped forests, farmland and deserts. In these diverse areas there are different possibilities and impossibilities for what is able to be done. Because of what is available to the people, there are many different economic and cultural differences between the areas. In the Northern part of Western Africa, there is desert. As you move down to the coastline the desert fades out and tropical rainforests are introduced. Due to the landscapes and of these areas, farming is an issue. In the desert areas it is so dry and in the rainforest the soil is so loose that farming cannot take place. Because of this near impossibility, the many farmers that live in this region of Africa do not live in the very northern or very southern part of West Africa. Since the weather in northern part doesn’t allow for farming, many people there herd animals for a living or gather food based on the season. The farmers of this land generally live in the mid portion of West Africa because there is very lush and rich soil. This would be along the Burkina Faso, northern Nigeria and southern Mali latitude line. Because of the ability to farm, this is where the population is densest . This also happens to be where most of the water recourses of the area are found. Within these extensive waterways, there are obstacles such as waterfalls, shallow areas and rocky streams. These prevent smooth traveling and can impact trade greatly. Since waterway travel was such an important way to trade many areas with no river access are poorer than those that have sufficient river access. With all of the geographical differences in western Africa, there are many differences in culture and economic stances. The savanna areas are the main places for farming while the desert areas are focused on animal herding. The river access also impacts how trade and poverty levels differ from place to place. And because of all these things combined, the population density is concentrated in the lower region. |
Imperialism
After World War II, many countries such as Britain had given up on imperialism in different countries and granted them independence. However, in Cote d’Ivoire, located in West Africa, that is not the case. The economy in the Ivory Coast was terrible when Laurent Gbagbo was in power and ran a near dictatorship. But when French supporter Felix Houphouet-Boigny, and later his Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, took office in the 1950’s, things went surprisingly uphill. The case of the Ivory Coast is a perfect scenario to describe what has been going on in West Africa. Laurent Gbagbo was a terrible leader for early Cote d’Ivoire. He caused desperation among the people and, with a strong military force, many people suffered and died. The economy in this time was so bad that many people fled the country as refugees at neighboring Liberia or other neighboring countries. One of the many reasons the economy was down was because of land disputes that brought in immigrants who wished for the land. A civil war broke out between the north and the south soon after. Gbagbo signed an agreement with France to stay out of it, but he attacked the rebel north anyway. When France attacked back due to the agreement being broken, the economy took a huge downfall. With no French support, the Ivory Coast became a disaster. When Gbagbo finally left office, Felix Houphouet-Boigny came in and brought economic relief to Cote d’Ivoire. His thirty year rule brought economic pleasure with a double digit increase. Boigny allowed in foreign capital which could return 90% of its profits. Boigny also gained when the Ivory Coast remained a main exporter of agriculture, but also some of oil, natural gas and gold. He brought the economy of the Ivory Coast to be the best in all of West Africa. When Boigny passed, his Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara took power. His reign continued in the fashion of Boigny; however, struggle from Gbagbo to regain power was apparent. Gbagbo was suppressed and removed by Ivorian peacekeepers. These struggles of Gbagbo did bring down the economy of the Ivory Coast greatly though. The back and forth battle of Ouattara and Gbagbo for power have left a scared Ivory Coast with a mess of an economy and social stance. The economy of Cote d’Ivoire has certainly had its ups and downs. Under Gbagbo with poor economy and terrible living conditions to Boigny with fantastic growth being the top economy in West Africa. Imperialism has certainly affected the Ivory Coast in more ways than one. This case of the Ivory Coast is a reasonable example for the rest of West Africa to be held to. |