West Africa is the western most region of Africa. The United Nations defines western Africa as the 16th countries of: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, The Ghana, Guinea, Guinea – Bissau, Ivory coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, The Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, as well as the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristanda Cunha. The population of west Africa is estimated at about 381 million people as of 2018 and at 381,981 000 as of 2017 of which 189,672,000 are female and 192,309,000 are male.
Density:49.2/ km² (127.5/ SQ ML).
Demonym: west African
Total GDP (nominal) per capital. :US$ 1,929.22(2013)
Total GDP(nominal): US$ 655.93485 billion.
GDP (PPP) per capital: US$2500
Total GDP(PPP):US$752983 billion.
Major Regional Organizations: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), established 1975, Women Peace and Security Network– Africa (WIPSEN). Established in May 8 2006.
Time zones: UTC +0 to UTC+1.
Currency: Escudo(CVE), Cedi(GHS), Dalasi(GMD), Franc(GNF), Dollar(LRD), Naira(NGN), Pound(SHP), Leone(SLL), West African CFA Franc(XOF).
Largest Cities: Lagos. Nigeria, Abidjan. Ivory Coast, Accra Ghana, Abuja Nigeria, Kano Nigeria, Ibadan Nigeria, Kumasi Ghana, Port Harcourt Nigeria.
UN M.49 Code. 011– west Africa, 202– sub Saharan Africa, 002– Africa, 001– World.
The history of west Africa can be divided into five major periods. First, its prehistory, in which the first human settlers arrived, developed Agriculture, and made contact with people to the north. Second, the iron Age empires that consolidated both intra – Africa, and extra – Africa trade and developed centralized states. Third, major polities flourished, which would undergo an extensive history of contact with non – Africans. Fourth, the colonial period in which Great Britain and France controlled Nearly the entire region. And lastly, the post – Independence era, in which the current Nations were formed.
West Africa, broadly defined to include the Western portion of the Maghreb western Sahara, Morocco Algeria and Tunisia occupies an area in excess of 6,140 000 km² or approximately one –fifth of Africa.
The vast majority of this land are plain lying less than 300 meters above the sea level, through isolated high points exists in numerous States along the southern shore of west Africa. The northern section of west Africa (narrowly defined to exclude the western maghreb) is composed of semi– arid terrain known as Sahel, a transitional zone between the Sahara and the Savannahs of the western Sudan. Forest form a belt between the savannas and the southern coast, ranging from 160km to 240km in width. The northwest African region of Mauritania periodically suffers country –wide plagues of locusts which consume water, salt and crops on which the human population relies.
West Africa is west of an imagined north – South axis lying close to 10 ° east longitude. The Atlantic Ocean forms the western as well as the southern borders of the west African region. The northern border is the Sahara Desert with the ranishanu bend generally considered the northern most part of the region. The eastern border is less precise, with some placing it at the Benue Trough, and others on a line to running from Mount Cameron to Lake Chad.
Colonial boundaries are reflected in the modern boundaries between contemporary west Africa states, cutting across ethnic and cultural lines, often dividing single ethnic groups between two or more states.
Part of the west African regions underwent an increase in the numeracy level throughout the 19th century. The reason for such a growth was predetermined by a number of factors namely, the peanut production and trade, which was boasted by the demand of the colonial states. importantly, the rise of the numeracy was higher in the regions which were less hierarchical and had less dependent from the slavery trade e.g (sine and salum), whereas areas with the opposite trends illustrated opposite ways (e.g central and northern Senegal). Those patterns were further even more stimulated with the French colonial campaign.
British controlled The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Nigeria throughout the colonial era, while France unified Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Ivory Coast and Niger into French west Africa. Portugal founded the colony of Guinea– Bissau, while Germany claimed Togo Land, but was forced to divide it between France and Britain following first world war due to the treaty of Versailles. Only Liberia retained its Independence, at the price of major territorial concessions.
Since Independence, many west Africa Nations have been submerged under political instability with notable civil wars in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast and a succession of military coups in Ghana and Burkina Faso.
Since the end of colonialism, the region has been the stage for some brutal conflicts, including: Nigeria civil war, first Liberian civil war, second Liberian civil war, Guinea–Bissau civil war, Ivorian civil war, Sierra Leone Rebel war.
The development of the region’s economy allowed more centralized states and civilizations to form, beginning with Dhar Tichitt that began in 1600Bc. Followed by Djennè – Djenno beginning in 300 Bc.
This was then succeeded by the Ghana Empire that first flourished between the 9th and 12th centuries, which later gave way to the Mali Empire and numerous empires which include The sosso Empire who sought to fill the void, but was defeated (C .1240) by the mandinka forces of sundiata kieta, founder of the new Mali Empire. The Mali Empire continued to flourish for several centuries, most particularly under sundiata’s grandnephew Musa I before a succession of weak rulers led to its collapse under mossi, Tuareg and Songhai invaders.
In the 15th century, the Songhai would form a new dominant state based on Gao, in the Songhai Empire, under the leadership of Sonni Ali and Askia Mohammed. From around the 14th century more empire rose and some include: Jolof Empire (1350– 1549 CE), Ghana Empire (300– 1240 CE), Ife Empire, Oyo Empire, Sokoto caliphate, Akan Empire of Ashanti, Benin Empire, Kingdom of Nri (948– 1911CE), Bonoman(11th– 19th century CE), Takrur(11th – 13th CE), Mali Empire ( 1235–1600CE). Etc
Portuguese traders began establishing settlements along the coast in 1445, followed by the French, British, Spanish Danish and Dutuh. The African slave trade began not long after which over following centuries would debilitate the region’s economy and population. The slave trade also encouraged the formation of states such as the Ashante Empire, Bambara Empire and Dahomey, whose economic activities include but not limited to exchange slaves for European Firearms.
In the early 19th century, a series of Fulani reformist jihads swept across western Africa. The most notable include Usman Dan Fodio’s Empire, which replaced the Hausa city – states, seku amadu’s massina Empire, which defeated the Bambara and El Hadi Umar Tall’s Toucouleur Empire, which briefly conquered much of modern day Mali. However, the French and British continued to advance in the scramble for Africa, subjugating kingdom after kingdom. With the fall of samory Ture’s new founded wassoulou Empire in 1898 and the Ashanti queen yaa resistance to colonial rule resulted in failure leaving however, an effect in the development of the state. (continue reading in part two).
FADESERE DAVID
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