homework encyclopedia

242 People and Places

East and Central Africa

2 GORILLAS

The gorillas that live in the

forests of Rwanda, Uganda,

and elsewhere in East

Africa are in danger of

extinction, especially

from hunters. Their

habitat is threatened

by farming, although

some are now

protected in

national parks.

RIVER NIGER 1

The River Niger flows east through Guinea, Mali, and Niger before

turning south into Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. It is a means of

transport for people living along its banks.

1 RWANDAN REFUGEES

Since 1993, at least one million lives have been lost and many more

people injured in fighting between the majority Hutu and minority Tutsi

tribes in Burundi and Rwanda. The conflict has ruined both countries’

economies and created nearly two million refugees.

WHAT IS THREATENING AFRICA’S WILDLIFE?

Africa has an amazing variety of wildlife, but in

recent years many species have come under threat

from hunters. Elephants are prized for their ivory

tusks, black rhinoceroses for their horns. These and

other species are now threatened with extinction,

while some species have been lost forever.

EAST & CENTRAL AFRICA

NIGER

Capital city: Niamey

Population: 14.7 million

NIGERIA

Capital city: Abuja

Population: 151.2 million

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

Capital city: Malabo

Population: 651,200

SÃO TOMÉ AND PRINCIPE

Capital city: São Tomé

Population: 212,600

CONGO

Capital city: Brazzaville

Population: 3.6 million

GABON

Capital city: Libreville

Population: 1.4 million

CAMEROON

Capital city: Yaoundé

Population: 19 million

CHAD

Capital city: N’Djamena

Population: 10.9 million

CENTRAL AFRICAN REP.

Capital city: Bangui

Population: 4.3 million

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

OF THE CONGO

Capital city: Kinshasa

Population: 66 million

TANZANIA

Capital city: Dodoma

Population: 42.5 million

BURUNDI

Capital city: Bujumbura

Population: 8 million

RWANDA

Capital city: Kigali

Population: 9.7 million

UGANDA

Capital city: Kampala

Population: 31.6 million

SUDAN

Capital city: Khartoum

Population: 41.3 million

ERITREA

Capital city: Asmara

Population: 4.9 million

DJIBOUTI

Capital city: Djibouti

Population: 849,200

ETHIOPIA

Capital city: Addis Ababa

Population: 80.7 million

KENYA

Capital city: Nairobi

Population: 38.8 million

SOMALIA

Capital city: Mogadishu

Population: 8.9 million

SEYCHELLES

Capital city: Victoria

Population: 82,000

Central Africa is a hugely fertile region, with abundant grasslands,

vast tropical rainforests, and many rivers and lakes. Both Niger

and Chad are mostly desert, however, and in recent years, Lake

Chad has shrunk to one-tenth of its former size as the rivers that

feed it have dried up. Although many of the countries have

great agricultural and mineral wealth, political instability and

civil wars have kept people in this region in great poverty.

HOW CAN THE ANIMALS BE PROTECTED?

Governments have established huge national parks

and wildlife reserves, such as the Masai Mara in

Kenya and the Serengeti in Tanzania. Here, tourists

can go on safari to view the animals in their natural

habitat, contributing much-needed income to both

local and national economies.

east

Africa