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Written lucidly and simply to serve as an introduction to the study
of the African continent from a human population perspective, this
book demonstrates important factors in the ebb and flow of group
size and structure using the example of the fastest growing region
in the world. From a total original population of less than a
quarter million in prehistoric times to the present count of 642
million people in 1990, Africa is now demonstrating an annual
growth rate of 3.0%, the highest on the planet. While the rest of
the world's population is expected to increase by 60%, Africa's is
expected to increase by 100%, doubling by the year 2025 to a
projected total of 1.6 billion people. The major factor creating
the high growth rate is the drop in death rates while the fertility
rates remain high. Stress on the population has been related to
urbanization which has increased since African countries attained
independence in the 1960s. Employment opportunities in cities are
inadequate and slum conditions have appeared around most major
cities. Since agriculture remains the major industry and
occupation, rural development policies are seen to hold the most
promise for stemming urban migration and reducing famine and
poverty.
This reference work provides a summary of historical and
contemporary aspects of urbanization in Africa. The volume is
organized in three parts. The first part provides a historical
overview of urbanization in Africa from ancient civilizations to
the present day. The second part provides detailed studies of
urbanization in fifteen highly urbanized African countries. Each
chapter in this section is devoted to one country, and the chapters
are arranged alphabetically for convenient access. Countries
profiled are located in different regions of the continent, and
each has an urban population of at least 500,000 people. The third
part of the volume includes chapters on topics of special
importance to African urbanization, such as economics and
demographics. The chapters are written by expert contributors and
provide current references. The volume concludes with a selected
bibliography.
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