1st Edition
Atlas of Africa New Perspectives on the Continent
This innovative Atlas of Africa, by the Agence Française de Développement, offers comprehensive insights into contemporary Africa through the use of full-colour maps, charts, graphics and text which demonstrate and explain Africa’s growing importance in the world and its demographic, economic, social and environmental transformation, while also outlining the challenges that the continent faces.
The three sections, offering new perspectives on the continent, comprise:
- Taking Full Measure of Africa – examining the major economic, demographic, social and political transformations that Africa has undergone in a short space of time.
- A Multifaceted Continent with Shared Challenges – looking at the major intraregional economic, demographic, environmental and social dynamics that are currently shaping the continent.
- Africa Inventing Itself and Taking up the Key Challenges of Tomorrow – an overview of the challenges that Africa is currently facing and will need to face in the future, including the environment and climate change, social cohesion and demographic issues, economic development and governance.
Full-colour maps, charts and graphics cover such wide-ranging topics as economic development, urbanization, education, the rule of law, gender, the blue economy, regional organizations, energy and culture, to form a volume which offers a wide-ranging overview in graphic form of Africa in the world today, of interest to all those studying, working in or with Africa, and those with a general interest in the continent.
Preface
6 ALL OF AFRICA
For a new vision of a continent on the move
8 PREAMBLE
Africa takes on Covid-19
TAKING FULL MEASURE OF AFRICA
12 Africa upturning demographic equilibria around the world
14 Longer life expectancy and a gradual reduction of fertility rates
16 Africa home to the world’s youth: an opportunity to be seized
18 Child and maternal health and under-nutrition: gaining the upper hand
20 Contagious and tropical diseases: Africa exposed but headed in the right direction
22 Africa’s efforts in schooling its children
24 Water and sanitation: the key
to improving health and environmental conditions
26 Africa on the path to electrical connection
28 When the success of mobile telephones facilitates banking inclusion
30 African economic growth despite instability
32 Africa’s asset: the internal market
34 A changing economy tracing its own development path
36 Closer economic ties with all the world’s countries
38 Africa, the new travel destination
40 Africa being courted in diplomacy and culture
42 Political liberalization in Africa
44 Less lethal conflicts, more complex violence
46 The gradual improvement in economic and public governance
A MULTIFACETED CONTINENT WITH SHARED CHALLENGES
50 African giants and small economies: how to read the African economy
52 The geography of wealth in Africa
54 Considerable natural resources: who for? what for?
56 Extreme poverty concentrated on the continent
58 Fragility and development: two
interconnected challenges
60 Inequalities: a situation of contrasts
62 Urbanization, a strong trend in settlement in Africa
64 Simultaneous densification of cities and countryside
66 Rural and landlocked zones: the main factors in unequal access to basic services
68 Economic integration progressing in Africa
70 Growth in intra-African trade as a driver of diversification
72 Emergence of a pan-African financial system
74 Intra-continental migration: human ties between African spaces
76 Human mobility taking shape on the continent
78 Creative industries, the face of an emerging cultural industry
80 Africa, a blue continent
82 The Saharan-Sahelian space
84 African forests under pressure
AFRICA INVENTING ITSELF AND TAKING UP THE KEY CHALLENGES OF TOMORROW
88 A continent more exposed to climate change
90 The impacts of climate change
92 African biodiversity under pressure
94 Skills acquisition and enhancement: the education challenge in Africa
96 Employment in all its forms, a key to the prosperity of the continent
98 Issues of women’s status in Africa
100 Obesity and chronic diseases: new health challenges
102 High expectations for the rule of law and freedom of expression
104 Inventive civil society in Africa
106 Sport as a vector of economic and social development
108 Solar energy in Africa: reconciling sustainability and economic opportunity
110 Towards more inclusive African cities
112 Extending access to internet to accelerate the digital revolution
114 Building the capacity for action of the public sector
116 The potential of the public development banks in Africa
118 Towards more bank financing for the private sector
120 Reinventing external financial support for Africa
122 Agriculture the African way
124 Industrialization: drawing benefit from value chains
126 What role for digital innovation in Africa?
Biography
Agence Française de Développement (AFD), a public financial institution, funds, supports and accelerates the transition towards a fairer and more sustainable world. Its teams, focusing on climate, biodiversity, peace, education, urban development, health and governance, carry out projects in France’s overseas departments and territories and in a further 115 countries.
