Africa Geographic September 2008 [antikvár]

founder's note (i -J !,.,1II- i;, u Why doesn't this effort, even if very slowly, make a continent with so many priceless assets a better ^ ^ place for all? 7 y When 1 read the articles in this issue I am reminded again of the many people in Africa doing excellent work in conservation - photographers, film-makers, scientists, community workers, anti-poaching police the list goes on and on. And to these one can add millions upon millions of others across the spectrum of human endeavour, from subsistence farmers, fisherfolk and factory workers, to clerks, teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, business leaders and, yes. even some politicians and bureaucrats - good, honest, hard-working people trying to make life in Africa better for themselves and those around them. Why doesn't this effort, even if very slowly, make a continent with so many priceless assets a better place for all? When I recently received my 2008 edition of the Pocket World in Figures, published by The Economist, my abiding enthusiasm for anything with lists got the better of me and I dived straight in. I was hugely diverted until, gradually, a great, pressing weight settled about my shoulders as I began to notice that almost all the countries at the bottom of the ¦good' lists and almost all those at the top of the 'bad' ones are African. For instance: • Of the 50 countries with the fastest-growing birth rates, 31 are African. • 17 of the top 20 countries with the highest number of births per woman are African. • When It comes to the percentage of women using modern contraception methods, 21 African countries are in the lowest 25. • And, of the countries rated by the number of births per 1000 women aged 15 to 19, no fewer than 19 of the highest 22 are African. • Percentage of the population aged 0 to 14:15 African countries are in the top 20. {Uganda heads the list with a staggering 49.4 per cent; Nigeria, in 19th place, has a mere 44.3 per cent!) • 19 of the 30 fastest-growing cities in the world are in Africa. • Largest refugee populations: five out of the top 10 are African. • Cities with the lowest quality of life? 26 of the bottom 50 are in Africa. • The world's GDP is stated as US$44 688-billion - Africa, predictably, has the lowest regional GDP: US$809-blllion. • Africa's share of worid exports of goods and services is 2.5 per cent • Only Libya (69) and Equatorial Guinea (70) squeak into the countries with the highest GDP per head, while 16 of the 20 countries with the lowest purchasing power per head are African. • 22 of the 25 countries with the highest HIV/Aids infection rates are African. The lists go on an on, and the deeper one probes the gamut of socioeconomic indicators, the worse it becomes. Why? i know that the reasons are many and complex, but at the root of It all lies the most appalling political leadership. Almost without exception, Africa's heads of state and their cohorts are incompetent, many of them criminally so. No-one expects miracles and overnight successes, but until leaders face up to the bloody mess they have made of our continent and take a united stand against corruption, patronage, crime, poor education, health and general environmental wellbeing, Africa's potential in any sphere you care to mention will never begin to be realised. It is as simple as that. About our magazine Africa Ceographic is editorially and financially independent. It enjoys the support and endorsement of several non-government organisations, but it is not affiliated in any way to these bodies or to any other publishing, environmental or political interest group, Africa Ceographic strives to foster an awareness of wildlife, conservation, ecotravel, indigenous cultures and the general environment. It consistently advocates the wisest use of natural resources in a manner that involves and is of real benefit to the people of Africa. Africa Ceographic is published 11 times a year. , Ai'RICA GEOGRAPHIC • SEPTEMBER 2008