Sub-Saharan Africa
[Image:Sub-Saharan-Africa.png|thumb|249px|A polical map showing national divisions in relation to the ecological break]]Sub-Saharan Africa is the term used to describe those countries of the African continent that are not considered part of
North Africa. In
19th Century Europe and the
Western world, the area was sometimes referred to as Black Africa. Africa as a whole was commonly known as "the Dark continent", a term that was usually intended to refer to the Sub-Saharan region. This was partly due to the
skin color of its indigenous inhabitants and partly because much of it had not been fully
mapped or
explored by
Westerners.
Encyclopedia
Sub-Saharan Africa is the term used to describe those countries of the African continent that are not considered part of
North Africa. In
19th Century Europe and the
Western world, the area was sometimes referred to as Black Africa. Africa as a whole was commonly known as "the Dark continent", a term that was usually intended to refer to the Sub-Saharan region. This was partly due to the
skin color of its indigenous inhabitants and partly because much of it had not been fully
mapped or
explored by
Westerners. These terms are now obsolete and often considered to be pejorative. Further, they are misleading, as black Africans are indigenous to much of North Africa, as well.
Since the end of the last
Ice Age, the north and sub-Saharan regions of Africa have been separated by the extremely harsh climate of the sparsely populated Sahara, forming an effective barrier interrupted by only the
Nile River. The modern term
sub-Saharan corresponds with the standard representation of North as above and South as below.
Tropical Africa is an alternative modern label, used for the distinctive
ecology of the region. However, if strictly applied, this term would exclude
South Africa, most of which lies outside the
Tropics.
Generally, sub-Saharan Africa is the poorest region in the world, still suffering from the legacies of colonial conquest and occupation, neocolonialism, inter-ethnic conflict, and political strife. The region contains many of the
least developed countries in the world. Sub-Saharan Africa, especially East Africa, is regarded by geneticists as being the birthplace of the human race. Mitochondrial Eve, whom all humans alive are descended from, is thought to have lived in present day
Ethiopia or
Tanzania. Sub-Saharan Africa has been the site of many empires and kingdoms, including Nubia, Axum, Wagadugu , Mali, Nok, Songhai, Kanem-Bornu, Benin and Great Zimbabwe.
Nations of sub-Saharan Africa
There are 42 countries located on the sub-Saharan African mainland.The 6 island nations include
Madagascar,
Seychelles,
Comoros,
Cape Verde and
Sao Tome and Principe.
Mauritius is generally not considered to be a sub-Saharan African island because the ethnic make up of the country is predominatly East Indian,
Chinese and
French. According to this classification scheme, the countries of sub-Saharan Africa are:
Gabon
, officially the Gabonese Republic, is a country in west central Africa [i]. ...
Guinea, officially the
Republic of Guinea , is a nation in West Africa [i], formerly known as French Guinea [i]...
African island nations
Territories, possessions, départements
External links
See also
Political maps of Black Africa
