Chapter 21, Section 1
(Pages 572–575)
West Africa
Geographers study how people and physical features are distributed on
Earth’s surface. As you read, complete the diagram below. List key facts
about Nigeria.
Nigeria
Economy
People
Government
Nigeria
(pages 573–574)
142
Chapter 21, Section 1
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
What are Nigeria’s
four largest ethnic
groups?
Nigeria is a large country with the largest population in
Africa south of the Sahara. Its major export is oil. The economy
depends on oil sales, and Nigeria is affected whenever global
oil prices change. Oil profits are used to build roads, schools,
and factories.
Most of Nigeria’s people have subsistence farms, or small
plots of land where they grow food to feed their own families.
Others work on larger farms that produce rubber, peanuts, palm
oil, and cacao for export. The cacao is a tree whose seeds are
used to make chocolate and cocoa. Focusing on cash crops
results in not enough food being grown to feed the people,
so food has to be imported.
Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups. The four largest
are the Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, and Ibo. The people speak many
different African languages, but English is used in business and
government affairs. About 50 percent of the people are Muslim,
and 40 percent are Christian. The remaining 10 percent practice
traditional African religions. Nigeria’s cities are growing rapidly
as people leave their farms in search of better jobs.
Nigeria
(continued)
Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960. The government of Nigeria is a federal republic, but it has faced challenges in trying to build a stable democracy. Ethnic and religious
differences have led to conflicts that threaten national unity.
The Sahel and Coastal West Africa
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Why do you think
countries in the
Sahel have small
populations?
Write down six
countries located in
coastal West Africa.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Chapter 21, Section 1
(pages 574–575)
The countries in West Africa can be divided into two groups
based on their location. The first group lies inland in the grasslands called the Sahel. The second group is located along the
Atlantic Ocean or on islands off the coast.
Five countries make up the Sahel subregion—Mauritania,
Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad. All except Mauritania are
landlocked, meaning they do not border a sea or an ocean.
Valuable deposits of uranium, gold, and oil are found in the Sahel.
The lack of good transportation systems and ports limits the ability of the Sahel countries to develop these resources, however.
The Sahel receives little rainfall, so only grasses and small
trees grow there. Herding livestock is a major activity. In many
places, though, animals have overgrazed the land, or stripped it
so bare that winds blow away the soil. Overgrazing and drought
have led to desertification in the Sahel.
The populations in the Sahel region are relatively small
compared to the rest of Africa. Many people here used to be
nomads. Today, most of the Sahel people live in small towns
or rural villages. The vast majority are Muslim and speak Arabic.
Yet many African languages and French also are spoken here.
Coastal West Africa
Coastal West Africa includes the mainland countries from
Senegal to Benin along the Atlantic coast. This region also includes
the Cape Verde Islands. Rain forests along the coast have been
cleared for plantations, which grow palm trees, coffee, cacao,
and rubber. This has led to deforestation in many areas. In search
of work, rural people have migrated to port cities such as Dakar
in Senegal and Accra in Ghana. As a result, the coasts are densely
populated.
People in coastal West Africa belong to many ethnic groups
and speak a variety of languages. They practice traditional
African religions, Christianity, and Islam.
143
The Sahel and Coastal West Africa
(continued)
The countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire have
experienced political unrest. In recent years, civil wars have taken
many lives and destroyed their economies. The countries of
Ghana, Senegal, and Benin have stable democracies, and their
economies are generally prosperous.
Wrap -Up
Answer these questions to check your understanding of the entire
section.
1. Comparing and Contrasting In the Venn diagram below, compare the
crops grown in Nigeria with those grown in the coastal countries of
West Africa.
Nigeria
Coastal West AFrica
Descri pt
ptive
144
In the space provided, write a paragraph describing the causes of
overgrazing and the impact on the Sahel region.
Chapter 21, Section 1
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2. Determining Cause and Effect Why are the people of the Sahel unable
to make good use of their natural resources?