Central Africa

██ Central Africa ██ Middle Africa (UN subregion) ██ Central African Federation (defunct)

Central Africa is a core region of the African continent often considered to include:

Middle Africa (as used by the United Nations when categorising geographic subregions) is an analogous term that describes the portion of Africa south of the Sahara Desert, east of Western Africa, but west of the Great Rift Valley. The region is dominated by the Congo River and its tributaries, which collectively drain a greater area than any river system except the Amazon. According to the UN, the nine countries of Middle Africa are:

All of the states in the UN subregion of Middle Africa, plus those otherwise commonly reckoned in central Africa (11 states in total), comprise the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

The Central African Federation (1953-1963), also called the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and made up of what are now Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, are now variably regarded as parts of Southern Africa or Eastern Africa. See also British Central Africa (1891-1907).

Background

Central Africa, located along the equator, consists primarily of wide plateaus that are smooth in the central areas and more rough along the exterior of the region. The plateaus in the region exhibit a huge range in altitude, reaching up to 16,795 feet at Margherita Peak ( the highest point in Central Africa) and descending into the ground in deep and narrow gorges near the Kouilou and Congo.Most of the terrain in Central Africa was shaped by climactic forces prior to human occupation. For example, the most rugged terrain in Central Africa is found along the eastern fringe of the eastern fringe of the Congo basin, where the Virunga volcanoes form a mountain range. Glaciers also played a role in shaping the Central African geography, shaping the Rift Valley on the border of the Congo.

Culture and Religion

Central Africa is plagued by bouts of scarcity that severely hinder forward economic and social growth. The entire region is faced with insufficient funds and resources, and while the shortages are felt throughout the region, in the area of planning organizations it is most acute. These planning organizations, that would otherwise be responsible for creating public policy and developing a coherent social policy are left without the necessary funds for development. Without funds to development and monitor research, Central Africa is unable to articulate a coherent social policy to eradicate the poverty endemic to the region.

History

Central Africa has a long history of human occupation, with the first writing in the region dating back to 3000 B.C.E. The earliest occupants of Central Africa were Dravidians, Egyptians, Sumerians, Niger-Kordofanian-Mande and Elamite speakers who settled the region and began creating a system of community development. The earliest alphabet in the region originally included hundreds of phonetic signs, but this was eventually shortened to between 22 and 30 key sounds that formed the basis of the alphabet. The earliest alphabet system found in Central Africa was used across the continent, including the Egyptians, Meroites, Phonesians and Ethiopians.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Rothchild, Donald and Robert L. Curry Jr. Scarcity, Choice and Public Policy in Middle Africa. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992. ISBN 0520033787
Lewis, Brenda Ralph. Great Civilizations. Bath: Parragon Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0752561413
Costantino, Maria. The Illustrated Flag Handbook. New York: Gramercy Books, 2001. ISBN 0517218100
Ancient Writing in Central Africa Retrieved July 9, 2007.
Mapping Africa Retrieved July 10, 2007.

External Links

Center for Disease Control Website on Central Africa Retrieved July 9, 2007.
Royal Museum for Central Africa Retrieved July 9, 2007.

Credits

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