POPULATION GEOGRAPHY OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

General Population Trends:

Sub-Saharan Africa’s population of 570 million people in 1994 continues to grow at a rate of 3% per annum. With a doubling time of approximately 23 years, the regions population is projected to increase to 901 million in 2010 and 1.32 billion in 1025 (Population Reference Bureau 1974). By then Africa will have as many as 4 times the population of North America, twice as many as Europe, and 500 million more than South America.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest fertility and mortality rates in the world along with the highest proportion of young dependents. The population is unevenly distributed. The average national population densities (page 106) range from less than 2 persons per square kilometer in Mauritania to 290 persons per square mile in Rwanda. The least densely populated countries (with under 10 persons per square mile) account for just one-eight of the total population but occupy 46% of the total area. Conversely, countries with the highest densities (over 80 persons per square mile) account for 25% of the total population but only 5% of the total land area.

Densely Populated Regions

1. Several areas in Nigeria, particularly Southern Nigeria (Igboland) and South-western Nigeria occupied by the Yorubas. Northern Nigeria around Kano, Zaria and Sokoto.

2. A zone extending from Burundi and Rwanda along the Northern and Western shores of Lake Victoria through Southern Uganda and Western Kenya.

3. Pockets in East and Central Africa around southern Malawi, Northeastern Tanzania, the hinterland of Nairobi in Kenya and Central Ethiopia.

4. The Bantustans created by South African government as homelands as homes for blacks.

5. The Islands of Comoros, Cape Verde, Sao Thome and Principe.

Low Density Areas:

1. The Sahara Desert together with the Sahelian zone along its southern fringe

2. The Desert and semi-desert regions of Botswana, Namibia, Angola, and western South Africa.

3. Large parts of West central Africa between Chad and Angola, including most of the tropical forest zone in the Congo, Gabon, Zaire, and grassland areas of Central Africa republic, Southern Sudan and Angola.

Factors Responsible for Africa’s Population Density

The Physical Environment:

1. The amount, reliability and seasonal distribution of rainfall is a major factor in Sub-Saharan Africa’s population distribution.

2. Infertile Soils that are unsuitable for intensive cultivation. The very fertile volcanic soils of the Rift Valley Region of East Africa support a dense population.

3. Debilitation and deadly diseases and pests such as sleeping sickness and river blindness (Middle belt of West Africa and parts of Zambia) causes a drastic decline in population densities in the region.

Historical Factors:

1. The colonial rule caused major changes in population distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa. The transformation of the landscape through the development of mines, cast crops, trade centers and some railways and roads attracted people from far and wide. These factors brought disparities in development.

2. Instability and conflicts resulting from the struggle for Independence depopulated several regions in Angola and Mozambique.

3. The Apartheid system and compulsory re-location of blacks in South Africa.

4. In Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia, the official policy of land apportionment became a major determinant of population distribution during the 1930s.

5. The Slave trade encouraged conflicts that led to the depopulation of certain regions in Africa.

Urban and Rural Population

Sub-Saharan Africa’s population is predominantly rural, less than one-third of the population still resides in Urban Centers. In 1990, urban population of East Africa was just 20%, West Africa 32%, Central Africa 38% and South Africa 42% Urban in 1990.

Population Growth

Populations grow or decline through the interplay of three factors; births, deaths, and migration. A population change is calculated by subtracting the number of people leaving a population (through death and emigration) from the number entering it (through migration and births) for a specified period of time, usually a year. Natural increase or decrease is a simple measure of population growth that examines the difference between births (fertility) and deaths (mortality) in a given group. The number of persons born per 1,000 individuals in a given year is the Crude Birth Rate while the number of persons per 1000 individuals who die in a particular year is the Crude Death Rate. Natural increase is calculated by subtracting the Crude death rate from the Crude Birth Rate. Infant Mortality Rate is expressed as the number of deaths among infants under age one per 1000 births.

Population growth is occurring faster in Africa than in any other continent. Between 1985 and 1990, the average annual growth rate was 3%, compared to 2,1% in South America, 1.6% in Asia, and 0.3% in Europe. The high growth rates have serious implications for development:

a) Employment needs of the youth

b) Growth in demand for services such as education and health care

c) Overburden of parents and high taxation of the labor force

d) Rapid rural-urban migration leaving the countryside under populated

Age-Structure of Africa’s Population:

The age structure is the number of individuals occurring in each age class within a population. The diagram displaying the age structure is often called Population Pyramid. The pyramid shows the percentage of the total population in each five-year age group usually known as a cohort. The general shape of a pyramid indicates the relative growth of the population.

i) A rapidly growing population has a very broad base because a large percentage of the population is less than 14 years of age. In many African, Asian and Latin American countries, more than 40% of the population is under age 15.

ii) Stable populations such as France have population pyramids with narrower bases; children are being born but at a lower rate than it was in previous age groups. As the population ages, the actual number or percentage in each cohort declines due to mortality. Examples are France, Scandinavian countries, USA and Canada.

iii) A Declining population is one in which the base of the pyramid is small because few children are born. Examples of countries with declining populations are Austria, Germany (East and West).

Relevance of the Pyramid:

1. It indicates the occupation structure of the population so that the estimate the percentage of dependents (0-18, and 65+) and the productive groups (18-65) can be computed and analyzed. In a population with more dependents than working adults, fewer taxes will be collected to cater for the population. This is because few people will be working to pay taxes to run the country. Workers will have a heavy tax burden and have many children to care for (school fees, hospital bills, retirees etc.,). There will be more demand for goods required by children and retirees. etc. Large number of retirees and children will put severe strain on education and health care services.

2. It provides information about the number of males and females in the population. A proportion of more women below the age of 15 years in the population for example give an indication of a possible high future growth rate in the future.

3. It provides clues to present and future trends in the growth rates of the population

4. It shows the proportion of children, adults, men and women in the population of a country.

5. It reveals past historical events (such as wars) that occurred in the state and led to several deaths or births. For example, the impacts of the 2^nd World war (baby boomers) and the Vietnam War (loss of life).

Factors affecting the High Fertility rates among African Nations

1. Low level of education and affluence.

2. Importance of children as part of the labor force, providing economic benefits to parents.

3. Low Urbanization

4. The Low Cost of raising and educating children

5. Low level of Education and lack of Status and Employment opportunities for women

6. High Infant mortality rates encourages experimentation leading to more births

7. Average age at marriage is quite low among those girls with no education

8. Absence of public and private pensions and social security at old age

9. Unavailability of reliable methods of birth control

10. Religious beliefs such as Islam and some traditions and cultural norms encourage large families.

11. The desire for large family sizes, some prestige is attached to large families in rural communities.

12. Enhanced health care programs can have an impact on fertility levels by reducing infant mortality and hence fertility levels.

Factors affecting the High Mortality rates among African Nations

1. Poverty and unhealthy environment

2. Disease and malnutrition

3. HIV and Aids disease.