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The countries of Central and South Africa account for two-thirds of the continent’s area and population.

Area and Population of Some Countries of Central and South Africa Area (sq. km.) Population All countries of Central and South Africa 19,000,000 238,000,000 of which: Republic ofJGuiriea 250,000 4,000,000 People’s Republic of the Congo 340,000 900,000 United Republic of Tanzania 940,000 13,300,000 Uganda 240,000 9,800,000 Republic of Zambia 750,000 4,200,000 Federal Republic of Nigeria 920,000 66,200,000

p Long years of oppression by West European colonialists have impeded the development of the African peoples and the formation of nationalities and nations. The existence of numerous ethnic groups divided by language barriers and tribal disunity is still a characteristic feature of Tropical Africa.

p Economically, the countries of Tropical Africa are the most backward among the young national states. Agriculture, the source of livelihood for the overwhelming majority of their inhabitants, is also the principal source of export and a base for developing other branches of the economy. But in almost all countries of Tropical Africa agriculture is extensive, unproductive and cannot supply the population with sufficient quantities of food.

p In order to achieve an upsurge in agriculture it is necessary to uproot the existing agrarian relations, abolish feudal landownership, deprive the foreign planters of their concessions and to improve the organisation of communal land 183 tenure. Unfavourable climatic conditions—excessive precipitation in the zone of the humid tropics and shortage of moisture in the arid areas—and numerous pests create additional difficulties for agricultural development.

p The countries of Tropical Africa will be able to overcome their age-old economic backwardness only by creating national industries. Today the per capita industrial output in the African countries is a mere one twenty-fifth of that of the advanced capitalist states.

p In promoting their industry and the economy as a whole African states are coming up against difficulties arising from their inadequately developed transport and communication system. Some countries have no railways and almost no motor, river and other transport. All this impedes economic co-operation between themselves and other states.

Though formally sovereign, many of the young national states in Tropical Africa are in fact politically, economically and militarily dependent on the major imperialist powers. But the number of the young national states which are decisively resisting the domination of foreign monopolies in order to pursue an independent policy is steadily growing. Among them a special place is occupied by young national states which have taken the non-capitalist road, such as Guinea, the Congo (Brazzaville), and others.

REPUBLIC OF GUINEA

p Guinea is situated in the extreme west of the African continent. During the slave-trade period millions of Africans were shipped from her coast and sold to American planters. On numerous occasions the people of Guinea rose in arms against the European colonialists. But it was only in 1958 that their liberation struggle led by the Democratic Party of Guinea resulted in the establishment of the independent Republic of Guinea with Conakry as its capital.

p Fulfilling its programme the Democratic Party has put through a series of important measures which have created the prerequisites for the country’s progressive development. Land owned by tribal chiefs has been given to the peasants who are encouraged to unite into co-operatives. The state 184 has nationalised foreign banks and insurance companies, a number of enterprises and transport facilities which were controlled by foreign capital, established monopoly over foreign trade and introduced planning, thus enabling the country to launch economic and cultural development designed to lead her out of economic backwardness.

p Agriculture, which employs 90 per cent of the population, is still the principal branch of the economy. Guinea produces coffee, bananas, pineapples, oranges and lemons for export and rice, corn, manioc, batatas, vegetables and groundnuts for the domestic market. Other occupations are stock-breeding and fishing. Cotton, sugar cane, rubber and other industrial crops are produced in increasing quantities and the country is consolidating her food and agricultural raw materials base. Guinea is rich in bauxites, iron, diamonds, gold and other useful minerals which provide a foundation for the mining industry. Guinea is Africa’s biggest producer of bauxites. Somewhat less developed is the manufacturing industry which consists of small enterprises processing agricultural raw materials. A cannery, a saw-mill, a meat-packing plant and a refrigerator have been built with Soviet assistance. A hydroelectric power scheme under construction on the Konkur will strengthen Guinea’s power base and enable her to develop aluminium and other power-intensive industries. The new and the nationalised enterprises comprise the state sector which is playing an increasing part in industry and the whole of the economy.

The growth of the productive forces changes the social structure of the population. The working class is increasing in numbers and with the co-operative farmers and other sections of the working people is determined to overcome difficulties and work for the republic’s economic and social progress.

REPUBLIC OF MALI

p A French colony in the past, the Republic of Mali is a young state in West Africa. French is the official language. A railway connects the capital Bamako on the Niger with the Atlantic port of Dakar in Senegal.

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p The Sahara Desert covers almost three-quarters of Mali’s extensive territory (over 1,200,000 sq. km.). The greater part of the country has a hot, arid climate and desert or semidesert vegetation. Savannah vegetation covers the southwestern region. Rice, corn, sorghum, batatas, manioc and other food crops are cultivated on the lands irrigated by the great Niger and Senegal rivers. Groundnuts, cotton and animal products are important items of export. Mali has more cattle (12 million head) than any other West African country. Stock-breeding is the principal branch of agriculture and is the occupation of 90 per cent of the population.

p Industry is weakly developed, though Mali has all the essential natural resources. There are rook-salt and gold mines and also rich deposits of manganese and iron ores, and other raw materials for iron and steel production. The bauxite deposits near Bamako are large enough to warrant the construction of an aluminium factory. The chief branches of the manufacturing industry are cotton ginning, rice scouring and the production of butter and other animal products.

Now the principal task of the population which consists of more than a score of nationalities is to establish a modern economy. By carrying through socio-economic reforms the people of Mali will be able to overcome the country’s ageold backwardness.

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC
OF THE CONGO

p Proclaimed an independent republic in 1960, the Congo, capital Brazzaville, is a young national state.

p The socio-economic reforms currently underway will undoubtedly alter the structure of its economy, whose chief branch is still semi-natural and natural agriculture engaged primarily in the production of consumer items such as manioc, batatas, millet, corn and rice and in smaller quantities coffee, cocoa beans, bananas and other items of export. The establishment of peasants’ co-operatives, introduction of modern farming equipment and methods, intensification of farming and stock-breeding will largely stimulate the 186 development of agriculture in the People’s Republic of the Congo.

Trie consolidation of the state sector in industry and the establishment of mixed companies will promote industrialisation and result in a general economic upsurge. There is everything necessary for this: large resources of valuable timber in the forests which cover almost half the republic, and the still little explored deposits of gold, lead, zinc, copper, iron and other minerals. The Soviet Union and other socialist countries are helping the republic to prospect for minerals, build the foundation for a modern economy, train national personnel and confidently advance along the road of social progress and national prosperity.

FEDERAL REPUBLIC
OF NIGERIA

p Nigeria, a young state in West Africa, has the biggest population among the continent’s countries. A land of ancient African culture, Nigeria is inhabited by numerous nationalities including the Hausa, Fulbe, Kanuri and Tive people in the north, and Edo, Ibo, Efik and other people in the south.

p Nigeria possesses considerable manpower resources and is rich in minerals. Lately, special significance has been attached to oil whose resources are estimated at more than 540 million tons. Otherwise, Nigeria, which has only recently freed herself from British rule, is an economically underdeveloped state.

p As a result of colonial rule Nigeria is now facing tremendous difficulties. Upon withdrawing the imperialists left the country in the grip of acute inter-tribal conflicts and artificially fomented contradictions between the relatively developed south and the backward north. Taking advantage of internal strife, the pro-western separatist circles of the oil-rich eastern region with the support of the imperialists in 1966 declared its secession from the Federation and proclaimed it the "Independent Republic of Biafra".

p Determined to preserve the unity and territorial integrity of the state, the federal government waged an armed struggle for two and a half years against the separatists and their 187 foreign benefactors. The civil war in Nigeria ended early in 1970 in the defeat of the separatists. But the war caused tremendous damage to the republic and retarded its economic development.

p Compared with other Central African countries Nigeria has a relatively developed economy. Yet its principal branch is farming (groundnuts, palm oil, cocoa beans, natural rubber and foodstuffs) and animal husbandry. Industry (oil, columbite, tin) is dominated by foreign capital which is also in control of the country’s trade. In recent years Nigeria has been promoting trade relations with the USSR and other socialist countries.

Thanks to the assistance of friendly countries, Nigeria is in a position to heal her war wounds and lead her people along the road of progress and prosperity.

UNITED REPUBLIC
OF TANZANIA

p Nature has been generous to Tanzania which has rich deposits of diamonds, gold and non-ferrous metals, and also iron, coal, phosphorites, graphite and other minerals all of which are still weakly developed. Tanzania’s manufacturing industry consists of food and textile factories. Her agriculture supplies the world market with large quantities of copra, two-fifths of the world output of sizal hemp, over four-fifths of the clove and other products.

p Having liberated herself from colonial rule and introduced a series of important reforms Tanzania was able to embark on economic and cultural development. The United Republic of Tanzania was formed in 1964 as a result of the union of the Republic of Tanganyika, and the People’s Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba. In 1967 Tanzania nationalised foreign banks and large industrial enterprises, and put transport and other key branches of the economy under state control. Economic development is planned in the interests of the state sector.

The developing economic co-operation and friendship between the Soviet Union and Tanzania are helping the Tanzanian and other African peoples in their struggle for freedom, progress and national development.

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ZAMBIA

p Momentous trends are appearing in the life of Tanzania’s southern neighbour, the Republic of Zambia (until 1964 the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia). Zambia has the capitalist world’s biggest resources of copper and ranks third in the production of this metal. Her copper industry, which yields about 50 per cent of the gross national product, is a source of enrichment for the monopolies in the United States and other western countries.

p Zambia has partially nationalised foreign companies in the copper industry and established control over the oil companies. She is planning to introduce other important measures including the nationalisation of the land owned by foreigners who are not permanently resident in the country.

p The changes which have taken place in some of the above African countries show that the revolutionary conditions characteristic of our day and age have given rise to specific forms of progressive social development in the young independent states and enhanced the role of the revolutionarydemocratic forces. And although the developing states are faced with tremendous difficulties, more and more of them are taking to the road of progressive development and consolidating their domestic and international positions.

p The example of the peoples who have oriented themselves towards socialism inspires the peoples of other African countries to fight for their national interests and at the same time multiplies the resistance of imperialist and neocolonialist circles. In their struggle against the African national liberation movement the imperialists are putting their stakes on the reactionary regimes in the Republic of South Africa (capital Pretoria) and Rhodesia (capital Salisbury), the strongholds of racialism and colonialism on the continent.

p But thanks to the support of the progressive African countries and the world socialist system the peoples of Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe, all South African peoples, are intensifying their armed revolutionary struggle for freedom and independence. The successes of the African people’s national liberation revolution are so considerable 189 that they constitute a blow at the positions of imperialism and doom all its attempts to frustrate the carrying out of socio-economic reforms on the continent.

We have taken a look at almost all the countries of the world. And wherever people work—in luxurious tropical forests, in valleys between high mountains, in Africa’s great expanses, or in cities—they think of a better life which capitalism cannot give them, of a new life which great Lenin had dreamed of and whose appearance he had predicted.