West Africa

West Africa usually means African continent North-south line And the large area of the bulge to the west is a geographical, ethnic and cultural transition zone. Most of the Atlantic coast of "West Africa" is tropics Area sum Tropical rainforest People used to travel along this coastline through this area.

West Africa has an area of 6.38 million Square kilometer , account for Africa One in five. The population of 222.5 million (1991), about one-third of the total African population, is black. From north to south Sahara Desert , Sudan steppe , Upper Guinea plateau . The whole terrain is low and flat, generally 200-500 meters above sea level; The south is Futa Jalon and Bauchi Plateau, northeast for Diado and The Air Plateau ; There are plains along the coast.

The climate and vegetation are obvious Latitude zonality ; north Tropical desert climate , the Middle Savanna climate , the southern part Tropical rainforest climate . The interior and the west are dry and hot, and the coast is rainy. Aluminous soil , diamond Petroleum, gold, manganese, iron, copper, niobium, Uranium ore Let's wait. Agricultural products have Oil palm , maize, Coco , palm Kernel, peanut, coffee, rubber, etc. Among them, cocoa and peanuts occupy an important position in the world. The economy is dominated by agriculture and mining, Development level In the middle of Africa. semi-desert Take economic advantage of Animal husbandry Main.

Niger river It's the largest river in West Africa, too Africa The third largest river. It originates from Guinea The Futajaron Plateau 910 meters above sea level in the mountains and jungle, the source distance Atlantic Only 250 kilometers, but meander It flows for 4,197 kilometers and moistens 2.1 million people in West Africa Square kilometer The main stream runs through Guinea, Mali , The Niger , Benin And the Kingdom of Nigeria, and finally into the Atlantic Ocean Gulf of Guinea . It also has small tributaries throughout Cote d 'Ivoire , Burkina Faso , Chad and Cameroon Wait for the country.

There are various interpretations of the meaning of the name Niger: one is that it means "river"; Another is that it means "black", that is, "river in the black area". But Niger headwater For a long time, there are a variety of nationalities living on both sides of the river, these nationalities out of love and praise for the Niger River, and in their own national languages, the Niger River has been given a variety of wonderful and beautiful names. In Niger and Nigeria, for example, the Hausa people call the Niger River the "Kuala" river. in Hausa "Kuala" means "great river". Guinea and Mali, for example, call it" Julie Barba ". "Ba" means river, while "Julie" has two meanings: "great blood" and "great singer." In the former sense, the Niger River lies like a defensive barrier Sahara Desert In front of, just like a beating aorta Bringing valuable water to the vast arid plains of West Africa; In the latter sense, the Niger River flows for thousands of miles, as if it were a sound croon The singer tells people about the tragic past and praises the hopeful future.

Niger river headwater to Mali the Coolicoro One section, 800 kilometers long, is upstream. In the area of the river source, rapids and waterfalls, rolling down, the bank of the mountain dense forest, towering trees, vines around the branches, clouds and fog, immang green, the scenery is very gorgeous, charming appearance, simply let people beautiful. At the same time, it gives people a sense of mystery. It is said that even today, this place is still a rare place.

The upper Niger River receives two important tributaries in Guinea. One is the Milo River, which rises in Masanta, and the other tributary, which rises in Masanta Dabola nearby The Tinkiso River . The first tributary joins the Niger River at Nandan Koro and the second at Siguiri Nearby it flows into the Niger River. Upstream, most of the residents on both sides of the river are fishermen, who rely on fishing for a living. Because of years of living on the Niger River, fighting with the wind and waves, dealing with all kinds of fish, trained a strong fishing skills. Every time the fishing harvest, the fishermen also hold a public fish feast with the village as a unit, and every family does fish cooking competition on the spot, and then taste each other to see who does the most delicious fish taste. Men and women, young and old, talking and laughing while eating, young people have to improvise the rhythm of the cheerful dance, the scene is warm and grand.

Mali's capital Bamako is located in the upper reaches of the Niger River, the city back to the Kuruba mountains, facing the Niger River, is an important agricultural and livestock products trading center, livestock Trade in cotton and peanuts flourished. Bamako has become the largest in Mali Industrial center Developed locomotive repair, food processing and Light textile industry Also processed with gold and silver, Ivory carving , polychrome And leather goods are famous in West Africa. On the Sankarani River, 150 km south of Bamako, the Salinger Power Station has been built, generating an average of 181 million KWH per year. Powerful power, accelerated Bamako The development of industry.

The Niger River runs from Kulikoro to Niamey It is the middle reaches, with a total length of about 2000 km. The shape of the river is a large arc, with China Yellow River loop Similar.

In ancient times, Segu It's very dry up north. Then a great snake came from the southwest side and stretched its head north of Segu. It calls the wind and rains, and it waters the earth. So people came here, they worked there, interplant And create wealth. However, one day the snake offended the king, and the angry king beheaded the snake Chop wound All right, snake's headed northeast. From then on, the region north of Segu became dry and barren again. This myth reflects the middle reaches of the Niger River Channel change The situation.

Due to changes in the Earth's crust, about 1 million hectares of land were formed inland near Mukalla, 40 km north of Segou delta Due to perennial drought, it has gradually dried up and deserted, so it is called" Dead delta ". The Niger River runs northeast from Mukalla through Mopti, a major town in central Mali, to the north and straight to the ancient city Timbuktu Nearby, on the Niger River The bend of a river The vast area of 3.6 million hectares on both sides, rivers and lakes, abundant water and fertile land, is the main area of Mali Agricultural and pastoral areas It is known as the "living triangle". Every year during the rainy season, the river floods, and the delta area becomes a natural reservoir, hundreds of kilometers away into a sea. Every year after the dry season water retreat, grass flourish, is an excellent pasture. Millions of them in the delta every year before the river floods cattle To cross the Hebei, after the water retreated and cross the lower Henan, the scene of thousands of cows singing in unison across the river is spectacular.

The Niger River flows downstream from Niamey and into Nigeria after passing through the border of Niger and Benin. It feeds into the greatest stream The Benue River . It is more than 1,000 kilometers long and navigable except in the dry season. The middle and lower Benue River region is important to Nigeria Commercial grain base . At the same time, it is a traditional salt-producing area.

The Niger River Onitcha South, we're in Niger delta . Delta and nearby Continental shelf It is rich in oil, making Nigeria the largest oil producer in Africa and the world's leading oil exporter.

Along the banks of the Niger River, cocoa, coffee, Banana The rich area of peanuts and other crops, coupled with the fish production in the river, is known as the "hometown of fish and rice in West Africa".

The Niger River flows unhurriedly through the heart of West Africa, nurturing the medieval Mali, Benin and other black kingdoms for the people of West Africa, and creating a splendid and rich ancient culture and culture Material civilization Like a selfless mother, it provides life resources for millions of people on both sides of the river, and is praised as the "great mother river" by the people of West Africa.

Rivers of West Africa. Originating in West Africa The Futajaron Plateau It flows through Guinea, Mali, Senegal , Mauritania Among other countries, the border river between Mauritania and Senegal begins more than 800 kilometers near Ambidedi and ends at St Port Louis Into the Atlantic Ocean. It's 1430 kilometers long. Basin area 355,000 Square kilometer . Estuary discharge 780 m3 / s. Upper source The Bakoi River and Baffin Malian Bafurabe The name begins after the meeting Senegal River . The upstream flow is rainy plateau The area, the river flow is large, more rapids and waterfalls, the more famous are Guina waterfall and Felu waterfall; The downstream flows through the Rainier grassland area, the river flow is small, and the tributaries on both sides are few. Bed gradient Slow, meander development; Estuary reach Because drifting along the coast and Trade winds The impact, the formation of a southward tilt of up to 400 meters wide large spit, became an obstacle to shipping. The river abounds in fish. littoral Gum Arabic .

Volta With a total length of 1,600 kilometers and a watershed area of nearly 388,500 square kilometers, it flows through Upper Volta , Ivory Coast and Ghana Wait for three countries. Three tributaries of the Volta River, i.e Blackvolta , White Volta and Red Volta It rises in the west, north and central parts of the Upper Volta River. The Black Volta River is the longest and is often used as the main source of the Volta River. It originates a few kilometers west of Bobo-Udoraiso Kongsan Hills. It begins to flow northeastward and suddenly turns sharply southward, forming part of Ghana's border with Upper Volta and Ivory Coast, turning east from Ntereso on Ghana's western border through the Volta Basin. It mainly flows through the flat Savannah grassland, the river is gentle, the bottom of the river is covered with thick green water grass, the river is dark green, so it is called the Black Walter River.

The White Volta River has its source near Tito and flows first through central Upper Volta, in the upper region of Ghana Gambaga Scarp It joins the Red Volta River and then joins the main Volta River near Mpaha. Due to the variable topography of the white Volta river, the geology is more complex and the rapids Dangerous shoal Dense, white waves rolling, sparkling, white Volta River name from. The Red Volta River is mainly in the highlands of the Upper Volta, because the riverbed is mainly Red sandstone The river is named after its red and yellow color.

The Volta River is 1,100 kilometers long in Ghana, with a basin area of 158,000 square kilometers, accounting for 40.67% of the total basin area and 66.23% of the total area of Ghana. Therefore, Ghana has always attached importance to the development and utilization of the Volta River Water resources .

Ghana Located in the middle of the Atlantic Gulf of Guinea, the Volta River runs through the country. tall palm The trees swayed in the river banks, and the dense coconut forest made a "rustling" sound. All this makes for a beautiful and moving scene in the Republic of Ghana. Ghana was the first black country to be established in West Africa. This country has a long history and ancient culture, especially the African customs and customs there, which are unique.

In early 1981, there was a sensational news: Ghana gold General reserves More than 2 billion ounces, close to South Africa; If the annual output is 2.7 million ounces, it can be continuously mined for 740 years. Ghana is rich in gold, and Ghanaians have a history of gold mining for thousands of years, which used to be called" Gold Coast ".

Gold is everywhere in Ghanaian life. Anyone who goes to Ghana and pays attention will find a lot of people neck Hang on... Gold necklace Wearing gold jewelry on the head or hands; Some homes have it on their walls Spun gold Woven decorations, daily necessities such as cigarettes, teapots, rice bowls, and many others are cast or inlaid with gold. street-level handicrafts In the shop, various handicrafts such as figures, birds and animals made of gold are fine, lifelike, dazzling and colorful.

There is something comparable to gold in Ghana. This is cocoa, which the Ghanaians call "green gold".

Ghana has been growing cocoa for more than 100 years and is known as the "land of cocoa". Roaming around Ghana, that big and small cocoa plantation Row upon row, stretching for hundreds of kilometers. Into the cocoa plantation, only to see Cocoa tree More than 3 meters high, broad leaves, many branches, neatly arranged. Cocoa ripening season, heavy cocoa Bean pod Covered with branches, 22 ~ 25 cm long, a round hammer shape, some golden, some tender purple, very good-looking. Ghana National cocoa Planting area About 4 million acres (1.6 million hectares), producing about 300,000 tons of cocoa a year. For more than half a century, Ghana has been the world's largest cocoa crop Producing country And one of the exporters. In Ghana, one out of every three pieces is made from cacao produced in Ghana.

In the minds of Ghanaians," stool It is the most sacred property and is regarded as a precious "national treasure". Ghanaians have a tradition of loving stools, and there are many legends about stools. The second largest city in Ghana Kumasi In the palace, there is a golden stool preserved for hundreds of years. Legend has it that this stool was given to ancient Ghana by God The Kingdom of Ashanti The founder of Othay Tutu, as in ancient China The imperial Seal The same. It's the ultimate sign of royalty. Every few years, the small gold stool is displayed to the public. People in their festive costumes gather around each exhibition Gold stool Hold a huge parade.

In Ghana, stools have different meanings for different classes of people. For the chief, the stool was a symbol of exalted power. The accession of a chief to the throne is called "obtaining the Golden stool"; When the chief is deposed, it is called "the loss of the Golden stool"; The wealth of the chief is called "stool wealth"; The struggle to inherit the chieftain's position is also called the "stool struggle". The chief often pointed to the bench and said to his people, "My throne is your lifeblood; if it is taken away from you, you will perish." Historically, the Golden Stool has inspired Ghanaians to unite and defend their wealth.

Over the decades, the face of the Volta River has undergone very gratifying changes, and the people of Ghana are using and developing the Volta River to develop their own National economy .

Gambia River It is the largest river in West Africa, rising in the Futajaron Plateau in Guinea Kedougou It flows into Senegal and zigzags northwest for about 320km to the Gambian border before winding west into the Atlantic Ocean. With a total length of 1,120 km and a catchment area of 77,000 km2, it is in Gurunbu Average discharge It is 300m3/s. The river is curved, with many islands and waterfalls, swampy in the middle reaches, and the river bed widens to 20km near the estuary in the lower reaches, and the 350km river section above the estuary is navigable. Except for a few intermittent tributaries on the right bank, there is only one permanence A tributary, the Koulountou River, flows north from Guinea to the Gambian border.

The Gambia River is not rich in hydropower resources, and the flow rate is seasonality Change. In 1978, the Gambia and Senegal established the Gambia River Basin Development Organization (Gambia River Basin Development Organization) Guinea-Bissau Both countries also joined the organization. He was responsible for building one in Kekriti, Senegal Multipurpose reservoir Build one in the Gambia Tide gate To build a dam in Guinea. When the Krypti dam is completed, it will supply eastern Senegal Irrigation water And control the water level upstream of the damp-proof gate and provide industrial power. The dampers in the Gambia, which block saltwater upwelling during the dry season and store fresh water for irrigation, will expand the area under cultivation by 24,000 hm2.

The Gambia River traverses the Gambia from east to west, up to 472km in its territory, the water is deep and wide, and the current is swift, and it is the main channel of domestic transportation in the Gambia.

Abidjan (Abidjan) is the original capital of the West African country of Cote d 'Ivoire (formerly Ivory Coast) Cote d 'Ivoire The largest city in West Africa and a famous port.

Cote d 'Ivoire is a Agrarian country . Agricultural products to coffee and Coco Mainly, coffee production accounts for the first place in Africa, second only to Brazil and Colombia Ranked third in the world. Cocoa production has surpassed Nigeria since 1974, ranking second in the world. Abidjan is home to more than one-fifth of the country's population. It is not only the political, economic and cultural center of Ivory Coast, but also the goods of neighboring countries Port of transhipment .

Abidjan is located at 5°18 '0 "N, 4°34' 0" W, at the eastern end of the Ebriers Lagoon in Cote d 'Ivoire, by ship Fridi Canal The water depth of the canal is 13.5 meters. The port is 264 nautical miles to the east from the port of Tema, 473 nautical miles from the port of Lagole, and 480 nautical miles to the west from the port of Monrovia The port of Dakar 1,196 nautical miles, the annual handling capacity of the port has exceeded 10 million tons, and the output of coffee, cocoa, Banana , timber Mineral products Etc.; Import oil, grain, general merchandise, machinery, etc.

Port main Wharf berth There are 26, with a coastline of about 6085m and a maximum water depth of 12.5m. Distributed in the west of the city, from north to south there are: banana loading dock, 350 meters long, 2 berths, 7 meters deep; The North pier is 775 meters long, with 5 berths and a water depth of 10 meters; The west pier is 1525 meters long with 10 berths and a water depth of 10 meters. South Quay 1145 meters long, 6 berths, 11.5 meters deep; The container, Roro terminal 1000 meters long, 5 berths. Water depth 11.5-12.5 m. There are also special terminals for ore and oil, located on the northeast bank of the canal, On the dock There is a rail connection. With more than 30 Marine berths in the territory, it is one of the largest ports in West Africa, with an expansion of 10 general cargo and several container berths at the southern and eastern ends of the peninsula on the western shore of the northern Bunko Bay. ship Anchorage ground The water depth is 30m.

Handling equipment There are all kinds of Shore crane , Gantry crane , heavy lifting, forklift Floating crane Forklift, tugboat and Roll on roll shipment Among them, the maximum lifting capacity of the floating crane is 150 tons, and the diameter is 100 ~ 609.6mm Oil delivery pipe For loading and unloading. Offshore in mile, there are offshore oil berth, the maximum can berth 75,000 deadweight tons of oil tanker. The container yard in the port area reaches 60,000 m. Storage facilities in the transit area of Hong Kong cover an area of 600,000 m. ^[2]

Gulf of Guinea

The Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa bay . Rise from the west Liberia Cape Palmas, east to Gabon the Cape Lopez . Littoral states have Liberia , Cote d 'Ivoire , Ghana , Togo , Benin , Nigeria , Cameroon , Equatorial Guinea , Gabon, and island nations SAO Tome and Principe . There's Walter, The Niger Sanaga and Ogowe rivers into. The east and west sides of the Niger Delta are called Bonny Bay and Gulf of Benin . Bonny Bay and its south is dotted with a line of The island of Bioko , Principe Island , SAO Tome isomeric Volcanic island arc . The continental shelf is less than 40 km wide on average and 160 km wide at its widest point. Its west drops sharply to a depth of 4,000 meters in Guinea Sea basin The deepest point is 6363 meters. Be located in Equatorial zone , the climate Damp and hot , prevail Southwest monsoon No severe storms. Warm guinea current Flowing from west to east across the northern bay, Benguela cold current ( South Equatorial current It flows from east to west through the southern Bay. The water temperature is 25 ~ 26℃, the salt content is 34 ~ 35‰, and the nearshore is reduced to 30‰ due to rainy and large river injection. The sea is cloudy, brininess Low, adverse coral reef development, flora and fauna flora Relatively poor. The coast is low and flat, many shallows, lagoon and Mangrove forest Lack of good natural harbor. The outer edge of the Niger Delta is 160 meters wide and has one of the most extensive mangrove forests in the world. To the west of the Volta River is the accumulation coast, to the east is Sinking coast , Continental slope It's steep. Senegal and Ghana coast, fishing is abundant, the main production sardine , tunny , Herring Let's wait.

There are rich oil deposits on the continental shelf, and Nigeria's offshore waters are the most concentrated and have been developed on a large scale, followed by Gabon, Congo, Angola And other countries offshore. Ancient Phoenicia The Romans Merchant fleet Have sailed here. 15th century in Europe settler After the invasion, it became West Africa - America The coast was an important base for the plundering of pepper, gold, ivory, and slave trafficking, so that different areas were called" Slave coast "Gold Coast", "Ivory Coast" and "Ivory Coast" Pepper Coast ". There are major ports along the coast Abidjan , Accra, Lome , Pordonovo, Lagos , Douala and Libreville Let's wait.

Lake Chad Chad, Lake is the fourth largest lake in Africa. inland Fresh water lake . Located in north-central Africa, Chad , Cameroon , The Niger and Nigeria At the border of the four countries, Chad basin Center. Formed by a local depression of the continent, it is a remnant of the ancient Chadian Sea in the Quaternary. The area of the lake varies with the seasons, reaching 22,000 square kilometers in the rainy season and shrinking by more than half in the dry season. The lake is 281 meters above sea level. The east is deep, the west is shallow, the average depth is 1.5 meters, the maximum depth is 12 meters. The annual variation of water level is 0.6 ~ 0.9 m.

Basin area One million square kilometers. The main source of water is Shari Chaung , accounting for 2/3 of the total supply; Then there is Komadou Guyobe River The capital of Ngada N 'Djamena Bird's eye view of river, Mbu Lee Chaung And the Fulbevir River and other infusions. The eastern part of the lake is separated by waterways into a number of islands, the larger of which are Curry Island and Budu Falkland Islands Let's wait. The lakefront is swampy with reeds. In the lake Aquatic resources Be rich and productive globefish , catfish, tiger fish, etc. littoral Birds . Irrigation along the lake is important Agricultural region . As the climate continues to dry and evaporation is strong, the lake is shrinking.