Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

WEST AFRICA

563

Logging in the ivory coast

the tropical rain forests in the moist, humid

interior of the ivory coast have suffered considerable

damage. Many trees have been cut down in order

to grow more profitable cocoa trees, which thrive in

the tropical conditions. cocoa beans are transported

to factories along the coast, where they are made into

cocoa butter, an ingredient in chocolates and some

cosmetics. exports are sent through the port of

abidjan, once the capital and now West africa’s

main port.

Liberian refugees

Liberia has never been colonized, making

it the oldest independent republic in africa.

it was founded by americans in the 1820s as

a refuge for africans who had been freed

from slavery. the name Liberia means

“freed land.” Descendants of the american

slaves mixed uneasily with the majority native

population. for many years, Liberia was a

devastated war zone, the result of violent

conflict between the country’s ethnic groups,

which include the Kpelle, bassa, and Kru

peoples. homeless victims of the fighting

were forced to live in vast refugee camps,

where disease and food shortages were

common. in 2003, un peacekeepers

entered the country, and the armed groups

have now largely been disbanded.

cocoa beans

cocoa beans were first discovered by the

aztec peoples of Mexico. they used the

seeds to make a drink called chocolatl, which

was exported to europe by spanish and

Portuguese colonists, where it became an instant

success. West africa now produces over half the

world’s supply of cocoa beans. seeds are sun-dried,

fermented, roasted, and ground to make cocoa butter.

african goLD

the gold of West africa is found

underground, or as a fine dust

obtained by sifting soil in shallow

riverbeds. in the 19th century,

african gold produced great wealth

for european traders. in asante,

ghana, goldsmiths were a

privileged class. they created this

magnificent head, taken as loot

by the british in 1874.

LaKe voLta

one of the largest artificial lakes in

the world, Lake volta was formed by

the building of the askosombo Dam

on ghana’s volta river, in 1965.

some 78,000 people, living in 740

villages, were resettled when the dam

was built. the lake is a major fishing

ground and also supplies water for

farmers. the hydroelectric dam

generates most of ghana’s power.

tourisM in gaMbia

gambia is a narrow country,

clinging to the banks of the

gambia river and almost

entirely surrounded by

senegal. Most people live

off the land, but increasing

numbers are moving to the

coast. here, sandy beaches and

mild winters are attracting many

visitors from northern europe.

tourism is gambia’s fastest-growing industry.

Find out more

africa

africa, history of

african wildlife

Deserts

volcanoes

The use of modern

equipment (left) in the

logging industry in the

Ivory Coast is speeding

up the process

of deforestation.

The yield of

cocoa trees

(right) is very low.

An average fully

grown tree bears

only 20 cocoa pods.

Liberian refugees, who

have been driven away

from their homes by the

civil war, are forced to

live in makeshift shelters

(left), where they rely on

foreign aid for food

and medicine.

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