561
The varied climaTes, landscapes, and resources
of the countries of West africa have attracted both
traders and colonizers. arabs operated trading
caravans across the sahara desert, while the
europeans sought both West african slaves and
gold. Today, most of the countries in this region
are desperately poor, their problems made worse by
corrupt governments, debt, and occasional civil wars.
The vast majority of people live by farming. coffee, cocoa,
and oil palms are all cultivated in the humid tropical
lowlands of the west and south, while cattle, sheep,
and goats are herded by the nomads of the sahel.
vast reserves of oil have been found in the Niger
delta and off the ivory coast, and there is mineral
wealth in both mauritania and
sierra leone, but these
resources are still not
having an impact
on most people’s
daily lives.islam
many of the countries of West africa are islamic. The religion
was spread by arab traders, who controlled the great caravan
trading routes across the sahara from the 8th century.
The rulers of the West african kingdoms adopted islam from
the 13th century. The Grand mosque at djenne, in mali, is
the largest mud-brick building in the world. it dates to the
14th century but requires constant rebuilding.FarmiNG
Throughout West africa, most
people live by small-scale farming.
in senegal, the main crops that
are grown for export include
peanuts, cotton, and sugar cane.
rice, millet, and sorghum are
staple foods. many farmers travel
regularly into local towns, or even
dakar, the capital city, to sell their
excess produce. most farmers rely on
the flooding of the senegal river to
water their land. The damming of the
river is disrupting this natural cycle.FishiNG iN mauriTaNia
Two-thirds of mauritania is covered
by the sahara desert. Only one
percent of the land, the area
drained by the senegal river, can
be cultivated. however, mauritania
has some of the richest fishing
grounds in the world. many other
nations fish there. catches are sold
through the state fishing company,
and fishing provides over half of
mauritania’s export earnings.sahara deserT
The sahara is spreading south, turning much of mauritania,
mali, and Niger into desert. in mauritania, 75 percent of
grazing land has been lost in the past 25 years. drought,
cutting down trees for fuel, and overgrazing are all
contributing to this process. When soil has no roots to cling
to, the wind blows it away. Windbreaks of trees and shrubs
are being planted in order to halt the desert’s advance.plaNTaiNs
plantains are members of the
banana family. They are cooked
and mashed to make a staple food
in many parts of tropical West africa.The streets of Senegal’s capital, Dakar,
are lined with market stalls and street
sellers. This busy, expanding port has a
population of more than two million.A Mauritanian
fisherman uses
a pole to carry
his nets to the
water’s edge. Local
fishing is small-scale
and traditional.West Africa 561-
most of the countries of this
region border the atlantic Ocean.
The northern countries lie on the
fringes of the sahara desert and
the sahel, a vast area of semidesert.
The tropical rain forests of the west
and south are irrigated by three
major rivers—the Niger, volta,
and senegal.US_561_West_Africa_1.indd 561 27/01/16 2:40 pm