World War II ushered in the end of European rule by weakening the colonial powers and upgrading the USA, the USSR and China to superpowers. The founding of the United Nations created a world forum for human rights, freedom and equality of all peoples. The international balance of power shifted from Europe and made possible, alongside the two camps of the Cold War, the emergence of the non-aligned states, which united at the Bandung Conference (1955).
The first steps of decolonization after the Second World War took place in East Asia with the independence of India / Pakistan (1947), Ceylon (1948) and Indonesia (1949). The wars followed in Indochina (1945–54), Algeria (1954–62) and Kenya (1952–56). In Africa, the former colonies gained state independence from 1951 (Libya), but increasingly from 1960. The colonial powers became increasingly aware of the rising costs of colonial rule, among other things. through growing wage demands from African workers and employees and their unions, and the need for greater investment in mining and manufacturing. Added to this were the increasingly necessary attempts to explain to maintain the colonial tyranny against the demands of the new elites and parties as well as international criticism. The rise of violent independence movements and the wars in Algeria and Kenya finally pushed the colonial powers to withdraw.
In all the colonies, the new elites’ criticism of the colonial system became sharper; it was also expressed in the movements of Pan-Africanism and Négritude. In many cases, political parties and trade unions were founded. Some of their leaders became known worldwide: Azikiwe (Nigeria), Haile Selassie (Ethiopia), Kenyatta (Kenya), Nasser (Egypt), Nkrumah (Ghana), Senghor(Senegal). Political decolonization gradually loosened ties with the mother country and eventually led to independence. The decolonization of the settler colonies (Algeria, Kenya, Northern Rhodesia) and the Portuguese possessions (Angola, Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau) and southern Africa took place in bloody wars. The leaders of the successful independence movements and parties became the fathers of independence and founders of the state.
Countries and government forms in Africa
| State structure (2016) | |||||||||
| State (year of independence) | Form of government | Area (in km 2) | Population (in 1,000) | capital city | |||||
| Egypt (1922) | republic | 1 001 450 | 95 689 | Cairo | |||||
| Algeria (1962) | republic | 2,381,740 | 40 606 | Algiers | |||||
| Angola (1975) | republic | 1,246,700 | 28 813 | Luanda | |||||
| Equatorial Guinea (1968) | republic | 28 050 | 1 221 | Malabo | |||||
| Ethiopia | republic | 1 104 300 | 102 403 | Addis Ababa | |||||
| Benin (1960) | republic | 114 760 | 10 872 | Porto Novo | |||||
| Botswana (1966) | republic | 581 730 | 2 250 | Gaborone | |||||
| Burkina Faso (1960) | republic | 274 220 | 18 646 | Ouagadougou | |||||
| Burundi (1962) | republic | 27 830 | 10 524 | Bujumbura | |||||
| Djibouti (1977) | republic | 23 200 | 942 | Djibouti | |||||
| Ivory Coast (1960) | republic | 322 460 | 23 696 | Yamoussoukro | |||||
| Eritrea (1993) | republic | 117 600 | 5 870 | Asmara | |||||
| Eswatini (1968) | kingdom | 17 360 | 1 343 | Mbabane | |||||
| Gabon (1960) | republic | 267 670 | 1,980 | Libreville | |||||
| Gambia (1965) | republic | 11 300 | 2 038 | Banjul | |||||
| Ghana (1957) | republic | 238 540 | 28 207 | Accra | |||||
| Guinea (1958) | republic | 245 860 | 12 396 | Conakry | |||||
| Guinea-Bissau (1974) | republic | 36 130 | 1 816 | Bissau | |||||
| Cameroon (1960) | republic | 475 440 | 23 439 | Yaoundé | |||||
| Cape Verde (1975) | republic | 4030 | 540 | Praia | |||||
| Kenya (1963) | republic | 580 370 | 48 462 | Nairobi | |||||
| Comoros (1975) | republic | 1,861 | 796 | Moroni | |||||
| Congo, Republic (1960) | republic | 342,000 | 5 126 | Brazzaville | |||||
| Congo, Democrat. Republic (1960) | republic | 2,344,860 | 78 736 | Kinshasa | |||||
| Lesotho (1966) | kingdom | 30 360 | 2 204 | Maseru | |||||
| Liberia (1847) | republic | 111 370 | 4 614 | Monrovia | |||||
| Libya (1951) | republic | 1 759 540 | 6 293 | Tripoli | |||||
| Madagascar (1960) | republic | 587 295 | 24 895 | Antananarivo | |||||
| Malawi (1964) | republic | 118 480 | 18 092 | Lilongwe | |||||
| Mali (1960) | republic | 1 240 190 | 17 995 | Bamako | |||||
| Morocco (1956) | kingdom | 446 550 | 35 277 | Rabat | |||||
| Mauritania (1960) | republic | 1 030 700 | 4 301 | Nouakchott | |||||
| Mauritius (1968) | republic | 2,040 | 1 263 | Port Louis | |||||
| Mozambique (1975) | republic | 799 380 | 28 829 | Maputo | |||||
| Namibia (1990) | republic | 824 290 | 2 480 | Windhoek | |||||
| Niger (1960) | republic | 1,267,000 | 20 673 | Niamey | |||||
| Nigeria (1960) | republic | 923 770 | 185 990 | Abuja | |||||
| Rwanda (1962) | republic | 26 340 | 11 918 | Kigali | |||||
| Zambia (1964) | republic | 752 610 | 16 591 | Lusaka | |||||
| Sao Tome and Principe (1975) | republic | 960 | 200 | Sao Tome | |||||
| Senegal (1960) | republic | 196 710 | 15 417 | Dakar | |||||
| Seychelles (1976) | republic | 460 | 95 | Victoria | |||||
| Sierra Leone (1961) | republic | 72 300 | 7 396 | Freetown | |||||
| Zimbabwe (1980) | republic | 390 760 | 16 150 | Harare | |||||
| Somalia (1960) | republic | 637 660 | 14 318 | Mogadishu | |||||
| South Africa, Republic (1910) | republic | 1 219 090 | 55 909 | Pretoria | |||||
| Sudan, Republic (1956) | republic | 1 879 358 | 39 579 | Khartoum | |||||
| South Sudan (2011) | republic | 644 330 | 12 231 | Juba | |||||
| Tanzania (1964) | republic | 947 300 | 55 572 | Dodoma | |||||
| Togo (1960) | republic | 56 790 | 7 606 | Lomé | |||||
| Chad (1960) | republic | 1,284,000 | 14 453 | N’Djamena | |||||
| Tunisia (1956) | republic | 163 610 | 11 403 | Tunis | |||||
| Uganda (1962) | republic | 241 550 | 41 488 | Kampala | |||||
| Central African Republic (1960) | republic | 622 980 | 4 595 | Bangui | |||||
Geography of Africa
| Mountains (selection) | |||||||
| Surname | Country | height | |||||
| Kilimanjaro (Kibo) | Tanzania | 5 895 m above sea level M. | |||||
| Mount Kenya | Kenya | 5 199 m above sea level M. | |||||
| Ruwenzori (Margherita Peak) | Uganda | 5 109 m above sea level M. | |||||
| Ras Dashen | Ethiopia | 4,620 m above sea level M. | |||||
| Meru | Tanzania | 4,567 m above sea level M. | |||||
| Karisimbi | Rwanda | 4,507 m above sea level M. | |||||
| Talo | Ethiopia | 4,413 m above sea level M. | |||||
| Mount Elgon | Kenya / Uganda | 4,321 m above sea level M. | |||||
| Batu | Ethiopia | 4,307 m above sea level M. | |||||
| Abune Yosef | Ethiopia | 4,190 m above sea level M. | |||||
| Toubkal | Morocco | 4,167 m above sea level M. | |||||
| Cameroon Mountain (Fako) | Cameroon | 4,095 m above sea level M. | |||||
| Rivers (selection) | |||||||
| Surname | Length (in km) | Catchment area (in 1,000 km 2) | Confluence waters | ||||
| Nile (with White Nile, Albertnil, Victorianil, Kagera) | 6 671 | 2,870 | Mediterranean Sea | ||||
| Congo | 4,374 | 3690 | Atlantic Ocean | ||||
| Niger | 4 160 | 2 092 | Atlantic Ocean | ||||
| Zambezi | 2,736 | 1,330 | Indian Ocean | ||||
| Ubangi (with Uele) | 2,300 | 775 | Congo | ||||
| Kasai | 2 153 | 860 | Congo | ||||
| Orange | 2 092 | 1 020 | Atlantic Ocean | ||||
| Okawango | 1,800 | 800 | Okawango Basin | ||||
| Juba | 1,650 | 196 | Indian Ocean | ||||
| Limpopo | 1 600 | 440 | Indian Ocean | ||||
| Volta (with Black Volta) | 1 600 | 388 | Atlantic Ocean | ||||
| Lomami | 1 450 | 110 | Congo | ||||
| Senegal (with Bafing) | 1 430 | 440 | Atlantic Ocean | ||||
| Lakes (selection) | |||||||
| Surname | Area (in km 2) | Lake level (in m above sea level) | greatest depth (in m) | Drain | |||
| Lake Victoria | 69 484 | 1 134 | 81 | Victorianil | |||
| Lake Tanganyika | 32 893 | 773 | 1 470 | Lukuga | |||
| Lake Malawi | 29 600 | 472 | 706 | Shire | |||
| Lake Chad | 16 316 *) | 239 | 7th | without drain | |||
| Turkana lake | 6 405 | 375 | 73 | without drain | |||
| Albertsee | 5,374 | 619 | 51 | Albertnil | |||
| Mwerusee | 4 920 | 992 | 18th | Luvua | |||
| Lake Tana | 3 630 | 1 840 | 72 | Blue Nile | |||
| Kiwu Lake | 2,650 | 1,460 | 475 | Rusisi | |||
| *) Area size fluctuates with a decreasing tendency | |||||||
North Africa
According to Countryaah.com, North Africa is the northern part of the African continent; in a broader sense the area north of the Sudan zone (including the Sahara), in a narrower sense the southern peripheral areas of the Mediterranean, which in their mountainous structure (Atlas Mountains), in climate and vegetation belong to the Mediterranean area, with which they are also economically, culturally and historically close are intertwined. They are predominantly inhabited by Arabs and Berbers (hence also »White Africa«), the majority of whom belong to Islam.
