Geographical Barriers in Africa

    A key question for the human geographer is: why has Africa always been underdeveloped compared with other civilizations, notably the West, Middle East, India, China, and even Egypt?  Africa was never able to consolidate into a civilization despite there being ample populations and sporadic cities.  It never even formed a collection of successful city-states, even after it was colonized by Europeans.  The answer is geography; Africa was destined to be poor because of all the disadvantages the continent possesses.  This is not a theory of race as much as it is a fact of our physical world.

    First, the Sahara Desert poses a huge obstacle when it comes to trade and the distribution of ideas.  All of Sub-Saharan Africa was isolated from the rest of the world due to this largely impassable barrier.  Any civilization would not have been able to interact with others beyond this vast sea of sand.  It is like an ocean of certain death, made worse by a lack of water and merciless sun.

    Second, Africa has very few natural harbors.  The colonizers could not protect themselves because the continent offered few naturally defensive positions.  If there were harbors, like those in Europe or North America, it would have been easier for their people to defend against the encroaching Europeans.  Add this to a rigid system of rivers, none of which are safely navigable due to high elevations, and you have a recipe for scattered tribalism that could not overcome aquatic barriers in addition to the northern desert.

    Third, most of the worst diseases come from Africa.  The mosquito population is the highest in the world, making the threat of malaria unattractive to travelers and investors.  Other diseases include AIDS and Ebola.  Africa was likely spared from big game extinction because disease kept human populations low enough to limit agricultural development- also a symptom of rough rivers.  In other parts of the world, where agriculture flourished, big game extinction was prolific due to the sustainability needed for larger populations.

    Finally, ocean currents do not favor safe and easy maritime travel to Africa.  It is wedged between three oceans, all having currents that do not originate in a heavily populated area that is beyond the continent.  The Agulhas current, which arises from the Indian Ocean to South Africa's east coast, is too far removed from major civilizations to bring trade and investment to the area.  Only recently has China capitalized on these currents from advancements in maritime transportation.  Africa is now one of China's heaviest trade partners.

 

A physical map of Africa.  Notice the high elevations and lack of natural harbors in southern Africa.  Image courtesy of Burning Compass.

 

    What sets the rough environment of Africa apart from others is also what made us human.  We needed a tough environment to evolve our most distinct features, like bipedalism, large brains, and dexterous hands.  That is why it is strange to think of Africa as the least beneficial to modern human interactions.  Mother Africa may have been our biggest challenge, but once we "escaped", there seemed to be no stopping the advancement of civilization; only the dire wilderness of our origins could do that.