Sub-Saharan Africa: Difference between revisions

| subdivision_name = [[Abidjan]], [[Abuja]], [[Accra]], [[Addis Ababa]], [[Cape Town]], [[Dar es Salaam]], [[Durban]], [[Harare]], [[Johannesburg]], [[Juba]], [[Kampala]], [[Kinshasa]], [[Lagos]], [[Luanda]], [[Lusaka]], [[Mogadishu]], [[Nairobi]], [[Pretoria]], [[Windhoek]], [[Dodoma]], [[Maputo]], [[Jinja, Uganda|Jinja]]

'''Sub-Saharan Africa''', '''Subsahara''', or '''Non-Mediterranean Africa'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=ecosostenibile |date=2023-02-02 |title=Afrotropical ecozone: boundaries, characteristics, biomes ... |url=https://antropocene.it/en/2023/02/02/afrotropical-ecozone/ |access-date=2023-08-09 |website=An Eco-sustainable World |language=en-GB}}</ref> is the area and regions of the continent of [[Africa]] that lie south of the [[Sahara]]. These include [[Central Africa]], [[East Africa]], [[Southern Africa]], and [[West Africa]]. Geopolitically, in addition to the [[list of sovereign states and dependent territories in Africa|African countries and territories]] that are situated fully in that specified region, the term may also include polities that only have part of their territory located in that region, per the definition of the [[United Nations geoscheme for Africa|United Nations]] (UN).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://esa.un.org/unpp/definition.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420040243/http://esa.un.org/unpp/definition.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 April 2010 |title=Political definition of 'Major regions', according to the UN. |access-date=15 December 2010}}</ref> This is considered a non-standardized geographical region with the number of countries included varying from 46 to 48 depending on the organization describing the region (e.g. [[United Nations|UN]], [[World Health Organization|WHO]], [[World Bank]], etc.). The [[regionsRegions of the African Union|African Union]] (AU) uses a different regional breakdown, recognizing all 55 member states on the continent—grouping them into five distinct and standard regions.

The term serves as a grouping counterpart to [[North Africa]], which is instead grouped with the definition of [[Middle East and North Africa|MENA]] (i.e. [[Middle East]] and North Africa) as it is part of the [[Arab world]], and most North African states are likewise members of the [[Arab League]]. However, while they are also [[member states of the Arab League]], the [[Comoros]], [[Djibouti]], [[Mauritania]], and [[Somalia]] (and sometimes [[Sudan]]) are all geographically considered to be part of sub-Saharan Africa.<ref name="definition"/> Overall, the [[United Nations Development Programme|UN Development Programme]] applies the "sub-Saharan" classification to 46 of Africa's 55 countries, excluding Djibouti, [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic|SADR]], Somalia, and Sudan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.africa.undp.org/content/rba/en/home/regioninfo.html|title=About Africa|website=UNDP in Africa|access-date=15 March 2020|archive-date=11 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411014537/https://www.africa.undp.org/content/rba/en/home/regioninfo.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

* {{cite journal |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/07/990712080500.htm |title=Sahara's Abrupt Desertification Started By Changes In Earth's Orbit, Accelerated By Atmospheric And Vegetation Feedbacks |date=12 July 1999 |journal=[[Science Daily]] |access-date=28 February 2018 |archive-date=7 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307060153/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/07/990712080500.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> the Saharan and sub-Saharan regions of Africa have been separated by the extremely harsh climate of the sparsely populated Sahara, forming an effective barrier that is interrupted only by the [[Nile]] in Sudan, though navigation on the Nile was blocked by the [[Sudd]] and [[cataractsCataracts of the Nile|the river's cataracts]]. There is also [[Genetic history of Africa|an evident genetic divide]] between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa that dates back to the [[Neolithic]]. The [[Sahara pump theory]] explains how [[Natural history of Africa#Flora|flora]] and [[Fauna of Africa|fauna]] (including ''[[Recent African origin of modern humans|Homo sapiens]]'') left Africa to penetrate [[Eurasia]] and beyond. African [[pluvial]] periods are associated with a "[[African humid period|Wet Sahara]]" phase, during which larger lakes and more rivers existed.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=van Zinderen-Bakker|first= E.M. |title=A Late-Glacial and Post-Glacial Climatic Correlation between East Africa and Europe |journal=Nature |volume=194 |pages=201–03 |date=14 April 1962 |doi=10.1038/194201a0 |issue=4824 |bibcode=1962Natur.194..201V |s2cid=186244151}}</ref>

The fossil and genetic evidence shows ''[[Homo sapiens]]'' developed in Southern and East Africa by around 350,000 to 260,000 years ago<ref name=Schlebusch350-260>{{cite journal |last=Schlebusch |display-authors=etal |title=Southern African ancient genomes estimate modern human divergence to 350,000 to 260,000 years ago |journal=Science |volume=358 |issue=6363 |date=3 November 2017 |pages=652–655 |doi=10.1126/science.aao6266 |pmid=28971970 |bibcode=2017Sci...358..652S |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="NAT-20190910">{{cite journal |last1=Mounier |first1=Aurélien |last2=Lahr |first2=Marta |title=Deciphering African late middle Pleistocene hominin diversity and the origin of our species |journal=[[Nature Communications]] |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=3406 |doi=10.1038/s41467-019-11213-w |pmid=31506422 |pmc=6736881 |year=2019 |bibcode=2019NatCo..10.3406M }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Scerri|first1=Eleanor M. L.|last2=Thomas|first2=Mark G.|last3=Manica|first3=Andrea|last4=Gunz|first4=Philipp|last5=Stock|first5=Jay T.|last6=Stringer|first6=Chris|last7=Grove|first7=Matt|last8=Groucutt|first8=Huw S.|last9=Timmermann|first9=Axel|author-link9=Axel Timmermann|last10=Rightmire|first10=G. Philip|last11=d’Errico|first11=Francesco|date=1 August 2018|title=Did Our Species Evolve in Subdivided Populations across Africa, and Why Does It Matter?|journal=Trends in Ecology & Evolution|language=en|volume=33|issue=8|pages=582–594|doi=10.1016/j.tree.2018.05.005|issn=0169-5347|pmid=30007846|pmc=6092560|bibcode=2018TEcoE..33..582S }}</ref> and gradually migrated across the continent in waves. Between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago, their expansion [[Single-origin hypothesis|out of Africa]] launched the colonization of the planet by modern humans. By 10,000&nbsp;BCE, ''Homo sapiens'' had spread to all corners of the world. This dispersal of the human species is suggested by linguistic, cultural and genetic evidence.<ref name="Shillington, Kevin 2005 p. 2-3"/><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Tishkoff SA, Reed FA, Friedlaender FR, etal |title=The genetic structure and history of Africans and African Americans |journal=Science |volume=324 |issue=5930 |pages=1035–44 |date=May 2009 |pmid=19407144 |pmc=2947357 |doi=10.1126/science.1172257|bibcode=2009Sci...324.1035T}}</ref>

In the forest zone, several states and empires such as [[Bono state|Bono State]], [[Akwamu]] and others emerged. The [[Ashanti Empire]] arose in the 18th century in modern-day [[Ghana]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Meyerowitz|first=Eva L. R.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F3lyAAAAMAAJ|title=The Early History of the Akan States of Ghana|date=1975|publisher=Red Candle Press|isbn=9780608390352|language=en}}</ref> The [[Kingdom of Nri]], was established by the [[Igbo people|Igbo]] in the 11th century. Nri was famous for having a priest-king who wielded no military power. Nri was a rare African state which was a haven for freed slaves and outcasts who sought refuge in their territory. Other major states included the kingdoms of [[Ife|Ifẹ]] and [[Oyo Empire|Oyo]] in the western block of Nigeria which became prominent about 700–900 and 1400 respectively, and center of [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] culture. The Yoruba's built massive mud walls around their cities, the most famous being [[Sungbo's Eredo]]. Another prominent kingdom in southwestern Nigeria was the [[Kingdom of Benin]] 9th–11th century, whose power lasted between the 15th and 19th century and was one of the greatest Empires of African history documented all over the world. Their dominance reached as far as the well-known city of Eko which was named [[Lagos]] by the Portuguese traders and other early European settlers. The [[Kingdom of Benin|Edo]]-speaking people of Benin are known for their famous bronze casting and rich coral, wealth, ancient science and technology and the [[Walls of Benin]], which is the largest man-made structure in the world.

{{Largest cities|city_1=Lagos|city_2=Kinshasa|city_3=Johannesburg|city_4=Luanda|city_5=Dar Eses Salaam|city_6=Khartoum|city_7=Abidjan|city_8=Addis Ababa|city_9=Nairobi|city_10=Cape Town|city_12=Kano (city){{!}}Kano|city_13=Douala|city_14=Ibadan|city_15=Antananarivo|city_16=Abuja|city_17=Kampala|city_18=Kumasi|city_19=Dakar|city_20=Port Harcourt|city_11=Yaounde|pop_1=21,320,000|pop_11=4,336,670|pop_2=17,071,000|pop_12=4,219,209|pop_3=11,061,878|pop_13=3,926,645|pop_4=8,952,496|pop_14=3,756,445|pop_5=7,404,689|pop_15=3,669,900|pop_6=6,160,327|pop_16=3,652,029|pop_7=5,515,794|pop_17=3,651,919|pop_8=5,227,794|pop_18=3,630,326|pop_9=5,118,844|pop_19=3,326,001|pop_10=4,800,954|pop_20=3,324,694|country=Sub Saharan Africa|stat_ref=worldpopulationreview.com 2022 City Population estimates.}}

In the mid-2010s, private capital flowsflew to sub-Saharan Africa{{snd}} primarily from the [[BRIC]]s, private-sector investment portfolios, and remittances{{snd}} began to exceed official development assistance.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pugliese |first=Jessica |date=2 January 2014 |title=Rethinking Financing for Development in Sub-Saharan Africa |url=http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/africa-in-focus/posts/2014/01/02-financing-development-africa-sy |publisher=[[Brookings Institution]] |access-date=5 January 2014 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106032119/http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/africa-in-focus/posts/2014/01/02-financing-development-africa-sy |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Johannesburg CBD.jpg|thumb|[[Johannesburg]]]]
As of 2011, Africa is one of the fastest developing regions in the world. Six of the world's ten fastest-growing economies over the previous decade were situated below the Sahara, with the remaining four in East and Central Asia. According to the [[World Bank]], the economic growth rate in the region had risen to 4.7% in 2013. This continued rise was attributed to increasing investment in infrastructure and resources as well as steady expenditure per household.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/04/07/africas-growth-set-to-reach-52-percent-in-2014-with-strong-investment-growth-and-household-spending|title=Africa's impressive growth|publisher=World Bank|date=29 August 2014|access-date=29 August 2014|archive-date=1 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140901030052/http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/04/07/africas-growth-set-to-reach-52-percent-in-2014-with-strong-investment-growth-and-household-spending|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2019, 424 million people in sub-Saharan Africa were reportedly living in severe poverty in 2019. In 2022, 460 million people—an increase of 36 million in only three years—were anticipated to be living in extreme poverty as a result of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bank |first=European Investment |url=https://www.eib.org/en/publications/finance-in-africa-navigating-the-financial-landscape-in-turbulent-times |title=Finance in Africa - Navigating the financial landscape in turbulent times |date=2022-10-19 |publisher=European Investment Bank |isbn=978-92-861-5382-2 |language=EN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Africa might have dodged a bullet, but systemic warnings abound for poverty reduction efforts on the continent |url=https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/africa-might-have-dodged-bullet-systemic-warnings-abound-poverty-reduction-efforts |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=blogs.worldbank.org |date=28 September 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Extreme poverty rises in West Africa due to COVID-19 pandemic {{!}} World Food Programme |url=https://www.wfp.org/news/extreme-poverty-rises-west-africa-due-covid-19-pandemic |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=www.wfp.org |date=20 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Sub-Saharan Africa's [[government debt]] rose from 28% of [[gross domestic product]] in 2012 to 50% of gross domestic product in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic caused it to rise to 57% of [[gross domestic product]] in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=COVID-19 and Africa: Socio-economic implications and policy responses |url=https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/covid-19-and-africa-socio-economic-implications-and-policy-responses-96e1b282/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=OECD |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=For Sub-Saharan Africa, Coronavirus Crisis Calls for Policies for Greater Resilience |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/publication/for-sub-saharan-africa-coronavirus-crisis-calls-for-policies-for-greater-resilience |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=World Bank |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mukhopadhyay |first=Abhijit |title=The Search for Sustainable Solutions to Debt Accumulation in Sub-Saharan Africa |url=https://www.orfonline.org/research/the-search-for-sustainable-solutions-to-debt-accumulation-in-sub-saharan-africa/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=ORF |language=en-US}}</ref>

Sub-Saharan Africa was severely harmed when government revenue declined from 22% of GDP in 2011 to 17% in 2021. 15 African nations were (or are) at significant risk of debt, and 7 arewere currently(2021) in financial crisis according to the IMF.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Africa's Rapid Economic Growth Hasn't Fully Closed Income Gaps |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2022/09/20/africas-rapid-economic-growth-hasnt-fully-closed-income-gaps |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=IMF |date=21 September 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sub-Saharan Africa: Living on The Edge |url=https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2022/10/13/pr22349-sub-saharan-africa-living-on-the-edge |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=IMF |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Growing Together The IMF and African Low-Income Countries |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2021/12/Africa-Low-Income-Countries |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=IMF |language=en}}</ref>
The region went on to receive IMF [[Special Drawing Rights]] of $23 billion in 2021 to assist critical public spending.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sub-Saharan Africa: A New Shock and Little Room to Maneuver |url=https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2022/04/28/pr22133-sub-saharan-africa-a-new-shock-and-little-room-to-maneuver |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=IMF |language=en}}</ref>

{{As of|2009}}, 50% of Africa was rural with no access to electricity. In 2021, Africa generated 889 TWh of electricity, amounting to 3.13% of the global market share.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Electricity Production Data {{!}} World Electricity Statistics {{!}} Enerdata |url=https://yearbook.enerdata.net/electricity/world-electricity-production-statistics.html |access-date=2023-02-19 |website=yearbook.enerdata.net |language=en}}</ref> Many countries arewere (as of 2009) affected by power shortages.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Creamer Media Reporter |title=Africa's energy problems threatens growth, says Nepad CEO |url=http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/africas-energy-problems-threatens-growth-says-nepad-ceo-2009-11-12 |website=www.engineeringnews.co.za |publisher=Engineering News |access-date=14 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604035047/http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/africas-energy-problems-threatens-growth-says-nepad-ceo-2009-11-12 |archive-date=4 June 2013 |date=12 November 2009}}</ref>

African governments are taking advantage of the readily available water resources to broaden their energy mix. Hydro Turbine Markets in sub-Saharan Africa generated revenues of $120.0&nbsp;million in 2007 and iswas estimated to reach $425.0&nbsp;million.{{when|date=February 2013}}
Asian countries, notably China, India, and Japan, are playing an active role in power projects across the African continent. The majority of these power projects are hydro-based because of China's vast experience in the construction of hydro-power projects and part of the Energy & Power Growth Partnership Services programme.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://us-cdn.creamermedia.co.za/assets/articles/attachments/19642_frost.pdf |title=Creamer Media |publisher=Us-cdn.creamermedia.co.za |access-date=29 September 2015 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807155204/http://us-cdn.creamermedia.co.za/assets/articles/attachments/19642_frost.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

With electrification numbers, sub-Saharan Africa with access to the Sahara and being in the tropical zones has massive potential for solar [[photovoltaic]] electrical potential.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2006-03-24|title=Nuclear Vs Solar Energy, Which?|url=https://www.redorbit.com/news/science/441990/nuclear_vs_solar_energy_which/|access-date=2023-02-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520151340/http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/441990/nuclear_vs_solar_energy_which|archive-date=2013-05-20|url-status=live|website=Redorbit|language=en-US}}</ref> Six hundred million people could be served with electricity based on its photovoltaic potential.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zych|first=Ariel|title=Blog: Battle of the Bots|url=https://www.sciencefriday.com/educational-resources/blog-battle-of-the-bots/|access-date=2023-02-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728170705/https://www.sciencefriday.com/educational-resources/blog-battle-of-the-bots/?%2Farchives%2F306-Could-Africa-Leapfrog-The-U_S_-In-Solar-Power_html|archive-date=2020-07-28|url-status=live|website=Science Friday|language=en-US}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=May 2023}} China
In is2003, China promisingpromised to train 10,000 technicians from Africa and other developing countries in the use of solar energy technologies over the next five years. Training African technicians to use solar power is part of the China-Africa science and technology cooperation agreement signed by Chinese science minister [[Xu Guanhua]] and African counterparts during premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Ethiopia in December 2003.<ref>{{cite web |author=Hepeng, Jia |url=http://www.scidev.net/en/news/china-to-train-developing-nations-in-solar-technol.html |title=China to train developing nations in solar technologies |website=scidev.net |date=20 August 2004 |access-date=14 November 2009 |archive-date=3 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091103125239/http://www.scidev.net/en/news/china-to-train-developing-nations-in-solar-technol.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Renewable Energy Performance Platform was established by the [[European Investment Bank]] and the [[United Nations Environment Programme]] with a five-year goal of improving energy access for at least two million people in sub-Saharan Africa. It has so far<!--???--> invested around $45 million to renewable energy projects in 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. [[Solar power]] and [[hydropower]] are among the energy methods used in the projects.<ref name=":172"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=About {{!}} Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP)|url=https://repp.energy/about-repp/|access-date=2021-06-07|website=REPP|language=en}}</ref>

In 2007, Radio iswas the major source of information in sub-Saharan Africa.<ref name="gallup.com">{{Cite web|last=English|first=Cynthia|date=2008-06-23|title=Radio the Chief Medium for News in Sub-Saharan Africa|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/108235/Radio-Chief-Medium-News-SubSaharan-Africa.aspx|access-date=2023-02-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091117032536/http://www.gallup.com/poll/108235/Radio-Chief-Medium-News-SubSaharan-Africa.aspx|archive-date=2009-11-17|url-status=live|website=Gallup.com|language=en}}</ref> Average coverage stands at more than a third of the population. Countries such as [[Gabon]], [[Seychelles]], and [[South Africa]] boast almost 100% penetration. Only five countries—Burundi, [[Djibouti]], [[Eritrea]], [[Ethiopia]], and [[Somalia]]—still have a penetration of less than 10%. [[Broadband|Broadband penetration]] outside of South Africa has been limited where it is exorbitantly expensive.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2009-10-23|title=Africa calling: Cellphone usage sees record rise|url=https://mg.co.za/article/2009-10-23-africa-calling-cellphone-usage-sees-record-rise/|access-date=2023-02-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091025130318/http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-10-23-africa-calling-cellphone-usage-sees-record-rise|archive-date=2009-10-25|url-status=live|website=The Mail & Guardian|language=en-ZA}}</ref><ref>Aker, Jenny C.(2008). [http://www.cgdev.org/files/894409_file_Aker_Cell_Phone_Niger.pdf "Can You Hear Me Now?"How Cell Phones are Transforming Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030321/http://www.cgdev.org/files/894409_file_Aker_Cell_Phone_Niger.pdf |date=4 March 2016}}, Center for Global Development.</ref> Access to the internet via cell phones is on the rise.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-12-23-africa-sees-massive-growth-in-mobile-web-usage |title=MG.co.za |publisher=MG.co.za |date=23 December 2009 |access-date=27 December 2009 |archive-date=26 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091226035646/http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-12-23-africa-sees-massive-growth-in-mobile-web-usage |url-status=live }}</ref>

The region is a major exporter to the world of [[gold]], [[uranium]], [[chromium]], [[vanadium]], [[antimony]], [[coltan]], [[bauxite]], [[iron ore]], [[copper]], and [[manganese]]. South Africa, along with [[Gabon]] and [[Ghana]], collectively supplies over 60% of global [[manganese]], and is also a major exporter of [[chromium]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/manganese/mcs-2009-manga.pdf |title=Manganese |author=Lisa A. Corathers |publisher=Minerals.usgs.gov |access-date=19 October 2015 |date=January 2009 |quote=Land-based manganese resources are large but irregularly distributed; those of the United States are very low grade and have potentially high extraction costs. South Africa accounts for about 80% of the world's identified manganese resources, and Ukraine accounts for 10%. |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000853/http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/manganese/mcs-2009-manga.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web |lastlast1=Chen |firstfirst1=Wenjie |last2=Laws |first2=Athene |last3=Valckx |first3=Nico |title=Harnessing Sub-Saharan Africa’sAfrica's Critical Mineral Wealth |url=https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/04/29/cf-harnessing-sub-saharan-africas-critical-mineral-wealth |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=IMF |language=en}}</ref> A 2001 estimate is that 42% of the world's reserves of chromium may be found in South Africa.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/chromium/chromyb01.pdf |title=Chromium |author=John F. Papp |work=U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook |publisher=Minerals.usgs.gov |access-date=19 October 2015 |date=2001 |quote=About 42% of world reserves and about 75% of the world reserve base are located in South Africa. |archive-date=10 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910071339/http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/chromium/chromyb01.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> South Africa is the largest producer of [[platinum]], with 80% of the total world's annual mine production and 88% of the world's platinum reserve.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gold-eagle.com/analysis/platinum.html |title=Platinum: The Rich Man's Gold |author=Vronsky |publisher=Gold-Eagle.com |date=1 May 1997 |access-date=19 October 2015 |archive-date=12 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312083344/http://www.gold-eagle.com/analysis/platinum.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Sub-Saharan Africa produces 33% of the world's bauxite, with Guinea as the major supplier.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/bauxite/mcs-2009-bauxi.pdf |title=Bauxite and Alumina |author=E. Lee Bray |work=U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries |publisher=Minerals.usgs.gov |access-date=29 September 2015 |date=January 2009 |archive-date=24 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124162211/https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/bauxite/mcs-2009-bauxi.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Zambia is a major producer of copper.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/copper/mcs-2009-coppe.pdf |title=Copper |author=Daniel L. Edelstein |work=U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries |publisher=Minerals.usgs.gov |access-date=19 October 2015 |date=January 2009 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304195020/http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/copper/mcs-2009-coppe.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The Democratic Republic of Congo is a major source of coltan. Production from DR Congo is very small, but the country has 80% of the proven reserves in Africa, which are 80% of those worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=maheta_molango |title=From the SelectedWorks of Maheta Matteo: From "Blood Diamond" to "Blood Coltan": Should International Corporations Pay the Price for the Rape of the DR Congo? |publisher=Works.bepress.com |access-date=29 September 2015 |archive-date=30 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930161435/http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=maheta_molango |url-status=dead }}</ref> Sub-Saharan Africa is a major producer of gold, producing up to 30% of global production. Major suppliers are South Africa, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Guinea, and Mali. South Africa had been first in the world in terms of gold production since 1905, but in 2007 it moved to second place, according to GFMS, the precious metals consultancy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mbendi.com/indy/ming/gold/af/p0005.htm |title=MBendi.com |publisher=MBendi.com |access-date=20 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060510010411/http://www.mbendi.com/indy/ming/gold/af/p0005.htm |archive-date=10 May 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Uranium is major commodity from the region. Significant suppliers are Niger, Namibia, and South Africa. Namibia was the number one supplier from sub-Saharan Africa in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf23.html |title=World-Nuclear.org |publisher=World-Nuclear.org |access-date=20 December 2009 |archive-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626071100/http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf23.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The region produces 49% of the world's [[diamonds]].

Sub-Saharan Africa is a key player in the global [[Mineral|minerals]] market, producing over 70%of the world's [[cobalt]] and hosting about 50%of its reserves in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Democratic Republic of Congo]] (DRC). The region also harbors significant [[lithium]] deposits in [[Zimbabwe]], the DRC, and [[Mali]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chen |first=Wenjie |last2=Laws |first2=Athene |last3=Valckx |first3=Nico |title=Harnessing Sub-Saharan Africa’s Critical Mineral Wealth |url=https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/04/29/cf-harnessing-sub-saharan-africas-critical-mineral-wealth |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=IMF |languagename=en}}<"auto"/ref>

Higher diversity in Sub-Saharan African countries has been found to lead to a poorer economy. Researchers have argued that this is because of ethnic favoritism in their politics. Sub-Saharan leaders are more likely to provide better resources to their coethnic groups when in power. A study found that, on average, children of the favored ethnic group are 2.25% more likely to attend primary school and 1.80% more likely to complete primary school. A 1% increase in GDP is associated with a 1.5% increase in the ethnic favoritism effect on primary school attendance.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Franck |first1=Raphaël |last2=Rainer |first2=Ilia |title=Does the Leader's Ethnicity Matter? Ethnic Favoritism, Education, and Health in Sub-Saharan Africa |journal=American Political Science Review |date=May 2012 |volume=106 |issue=2 |pages=294–325 |doi=10.1017/S0003055412000172|hdl=10419/96093 |s2cid=15227415 |url=https://econ.biu.ac.il/sites/econ/files/working-papers/2012-06.pdf }}</ref>

Health challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa include [[HIV/AIDS in Africa]], [[malaria]], [[neglected tropical diseases]], [[tuberculosis]], [[onchocerciasis]], [[maternal mortality]] and [[infant mortality]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fact sheet about malaria |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria |access-date=2024-05-22 |website=www.who.int |language=en}}</ref><ref>https{{Cite journal|title=Neglected Tropical Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa://www Review of Their Prevalence, Distribution, and Disease Burden|first1=Peter J.ncbi|last1=Hotez|first2=Aruna|last2=Kamath|date=25 August 2009|journal=PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases|volume=3|issue=8|pages=e412|doi=10.nlm1371/journal.nihpntd.gov/0000412|doi-access=free |pmid=19707588|pmc/articles/PMC2727001/=2727001}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-21 |title=Tuberculosis (TB) |url=https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/tuberculosis-tb |access-date=2024-05-22 |website=WHO {{!}} Regional Office for Africa |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Onchocerciasis (river blindness) |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/onchocerciasis |access-date=2024-05-22 |website=www.who.int |language=en}}</ref><ref>https{{Cite journal|title=Maternal Mortality in Africa://www Regional Trends (2000–2017)|first1=Luc|last1=Onambele|first2=Wilfrido|last2=Ortega-Leon|first3=Sara|last3=Guillen-Aguinaga|first4=Maria João|last4=Forjaz|first5=Amanuel|last5=Yoseph|first6=Laura|last6=Guillen-Aguinaga|first7=Rosa|last7=Alas-Brun|first8=Alberto|last8=Arnedo-Pena|first9=Ines|last9=Aguinaga-Ontoso|first10=Francisco|last10=Guillen-Grima|date=12 October 2022|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health|volume=19|issue=20|pages=13146|doi=10.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov3390/ijerph192013146|doi-access=free |pmid=36293727|pmc/articles/PMC9602585/=9602585}}</ref>

[[Malaria]] is an endemic illness in sub-Saharan Africa, where the majority of malaria cases and deaths worldwide occur.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/ |title=WHO &#124; Malaria |publisher=Who.int |access-date=29 September 2015 |archive-date=3 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903002027/http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Routine immunization has been introduced in order to prevent [[measles]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Verguet S, Jassat W, Hedberg C, Tollman S, Jamison DT, Hofman KJ |title=Measles control in Sub-Saharan Africa: South Africa as a case study |journal=Vaccine |volume=30 |issue=9 |pages=1594–600 |date=February 2012 |pmid=22230581 |doi=10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.12.123}}</ref> [[Onchocerciasis]] ("river blindness"), a common cause of [[blindness]], is also endemic to parts of the region. More than 99% of people affected by the illness worldwide live in 31 countries therein.<ref name="who.int">{{cite web |url=https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs374/en/ |title=WHO &#124; Onchocerciasis |publisher=Who.int |access-date=29 September 2015 |archive-date=16 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316195959/http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs374/en/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In response, the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) was launched in 1995 with the aim of controlling the disease.<ref name="who.int"/> [[Maternal mortality]] is another challenge, with more than half of maternal deaths in the world occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web |url=https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs348/en/ |title=WHO &#124; Maternal mortality |publisher=Who.int |access-date=29 September 2015 |archive-date=30 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930184330/http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs348/en/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, there has generally been progress here as well, as a number of countries in the region have halved their levels of maternal mortality since 1990.<ref name="autogenerated2"/> Additionally, the [[African Union]] in July 2003 ratified the [[Maputo Protocol]], which pledges to prohibit [[female genital mutilation]] (FGM).<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bonino|first=Emma|date=2004-09-15|title=Opinion &#124; A brutal custom : Join forces to banish the mutilation of women|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/15/opinion/a-brutal-custom-join-forces-to-banish-the-mutilation-of-women.html|access-date=2023-02-12|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Feldman-Jacobs |first=Charlotte |date=February 2009 |title=Commemorating International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation |publisher = [[Population Reference Bureau]] |url = http://www.prb.org/Articles/2009/fgmc.aspx |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100213125942/http://www.prb.org/Articles/2009/fgmc.aspx |archive-date = 2010-02-13 |url-status = dead}}</ref> Somalia, Guinea, Djibouti, Sierra Leone and Mali have the highest prevalence of FGM in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unicef.org/sites/default/files/press-releases/glo-media-FGMC_2016_brochure_final_UNICEF_SPREAD.pdf|title=Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Global Concern|website=UNICEF|access-date=30 July 2024}}</ref> [[Infibulation]], the most extreme form of FGM, is concentrated primarily in [[Northeast Africa]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/WP39/WP39.pdf|title=Numbers of women circumcised in Africa: The Production of a Total|website=DHS Program|publisher=United States Agency for International Development|access-date=30 July 2024}}</ref>

[[Ebola virus disease]], which was first identified in 1976, occasionally occurs in outbreaks in tropical regions of Sub-Saharan Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ebola-virus-disease|title=Ebola virus disease|website=www.who.int}}</ref> The 2013–2016 [[Western African Ebola virus epidemic]] originated in Guinea, later speadingspreading to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone.<ref>https:{{Cite journal|title=Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa — The First 9 Months of the Epidemic and Forward Projections|date=16 October 2014|journal=The New England Journal of Medicine|volume=371|issue=16|pages=1481–1495|doi=10.1056//wwwNEJMoa1411100|pmid=25244186|pmc=4235004 |author1=WHO Ebola Response Team |last2=Aylward |first2=B.ncbi |last3=Barboza |first3=P.nlm |last4=Bawo |first4=L.nih |last5=Bertherat |first5=E.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4235004/ |last6=Bilivogui |first6=P. |last7=Blake |first7=I. |last8=Brennan |first8=R. |last9=Briand |first9=S. |last10=Chakauya |first10=J. M. |last11=Chitala |first11=K. |last12=Conteh |first12=R. M. |last13=Cori |first13=A. |last14=Croisier |first14=A. |last15=Dangou |first15=J. M. |last16=Diallo |first16=B. |last17=Donnelly |first17=C. A. |last18=Dye |first18=C. |last19=Eckmanns |first19=T. |last20=Ferguson |first20=N. M. |last21=Formenty |first21=P. |last22=Fuhrer |first22=C. |last23=Fukuda |first23=K. |last24=Garske |first24=T. |last25=Gasasira |first25=A. |last26=Gbanyan |first26=S. |last27=Graaff |first27=P. |last28=Heleze |first28=E. |last29=Jambai |first29=A. |last30=Jombart |first30=T. |display-authors=1 }}</ref>

African countries below the Sahara are largely [[Christianity|Christian]], while those above the Sahara, in [[North Africa]], are predominantly [[Islam]]ic. There are also Muslim majorities in parts of the Horn of Africa ([[Djibouti]] and [[Somalia]]) and in the Sahel and Sudan regions ([[the Gambia]], [[Sierra Leone]], [[Guinea]], [[Mali]], [[Niger]], [[Senegal]] and [[Burkina Faso]]), as well as significant Muslim communities in [[Ethiopia]] and [[Eritrea]], and on the Swahili Coast ([[Tanzania]], [[Mozambique]] and [[Kenya]]).<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica. Britannica Book of the Year 2003. Encyclopædia Britannica, (2003) {{ISBN|978-0-85229-956-2}} p. 306 <br /> However, Southern Africa is predominantly Christian. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, as of mid-2002, there were 376,453,000 Christians, 329,869,000 Muslims and 98,734,000 people who practiced traditional religions in Africa. [http://www.greenwoodsvillage.com/gor/islam.htm Ian S. Markham,(A World Religions Reader. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 1996.)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112064308/http://www.greenwoodsvillage.com/gor/islam.htm |date=12 November 2010 }} is cited by Morehouse University as giving the mid-1990s figure of 278,250,800 Muslims in Africa, but still as 40.8% of the total. These numbers are estimates and remain a matter of conjecture. See Amadu Jacky Kaba. The spread of Christianity and Islam in Africa: a survey and analysis of the numbers and percentages of Christians, Muslims and those who practice indigenous religions. The Western Journal of Black Studies, Vol 29, Number 2, June 2005. Discusses the estimations of various almanacs and encyclopedium, placing Britannica's estimate as the most agreed figure. Notes the figure presented at the [http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/Statistics.htm World Christian Encyclopedia, summarised here] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305222924/http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/Statistics.htm |date=5 March 2016 }}, as being an outlier. On rates of growth, Islam and Pentecostal Christianity are highest, see: [https://foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3835 The List: The World’sWorld's Fastest-Growing Religions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125105653/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3835 |date=25 January 2010 }}, Foreign Policy, May 2007.</ref> <ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=27 January 2011 |title=Region: Sub-Saharan Africa |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2011/01/27/future-of-the-global-muslim-population-regional-sub-saharan-africa/ |website=Pew Research Center}}</ref> West Africa is the only subregion of sub-Saharan Africa which has a Muslim majority population, and [[Nigeria]] has the largest Muslim population in sub-Saharan Africa.<ref>https: name="auto1"//www.pewresearch.org/religion/2011/01/27/future-of-the-global-muslim-population-regional-sub-saharan-africa/</ref>

[[Traditional African religions]] are also commonly practiced across sub-Saharan Africa, with these religions being especially common in [[South Sudan]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/south-sudan#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2020&region_name=All+Countries&restrictions_year=2016|title=Religions in South Sudan &#124; PEW-GRF|date=2 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181202113435/http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/south-sudan#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2020&region_name=All%20Countries+Countries&restrictions_year=2016 |archive-date=2 December 2018 }}</ref> [[Guinea Bissau]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/guinea-bissau/#people-and-society|title=Guinea-Bissau|date=12 June 2024|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|via=CIA.gov}}</ref> [[Mozambique]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?u=156c#IRFDEMOG|title=National Profiles &#124; World Religion|website=www.thearda.com}}</ref> and [[Cameroon]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?u=40c|title=National Profiles &#124; World Religion|website=www.thearda.com}}</ref> Traditional African religions can be broken down into linguistic cultural groups, with common themes. Among [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]]-speakers is a belief in a creator god or higher deity, along with ancestor spirits, territorial spirits, evil caused by human ill will and neglecting ancestor spirits, and priests of territorial spirits.<ref name="Ehret2002">{{cite book|last=Ehret|first=Christopher|title=The Civilizations of Africa: A History to 1800|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0K0p8wCNKTQC&q=Christopher+Ehret+Niger+Congo+religion|year=2002|publisher=James Currey Publishers|isbn=978-0-85255-475-3|access-date=20 October 2020|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126131412/https://books.google.com/books?id=0K0p8wCNKTQC&q=Christopher+Ehret+Niger+Congo+religion|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ehret|first=Christopher|date=November 2004|title=A Conversation with Christopher Ehret|url=https://worldhistoryconnected.press.uillinois.edu/2.1/ehret.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424121335/http://worldhistoryconnected.press.uillinois.edu/2.1/ehret.html|archive-date=2018-04-24|url-status=live|journal=World History Connected|volume=2|issue=1}}</ref><ref name="Okwu">{{cite journal |vauthors=Okwu AS |title=Life, Death, Reincarnation, and Traditional Healing in Africa |journal=Issue: A Journal of Opinion |volume=9 |issue=3 |date=1979 |doi=10.2307/1166258 |pages=19–24|jstor=1166258 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GtCL2OYsH6wC&q=traditional+african+religions+polytheism&pg=RA1-PA185 |title=Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa: An Encyclopedia |last=Stanton |first=Andrea L. |date=2012 |publisher=SAGE |isbn=9781412981767 |language=en |access-date=20 October 2020 |archive-date=5 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205132320/https://books.google.com/books?id=GtCL2OYsH6wC&q=traditional+african+religions+polytheism&pg=RA1-PA185 |url-status=live }}</ref> New world religions such as [[Santería]], [[West African Vodun|Vodun]], and [[Candomblé]], would be derived from this world. Among [[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] speakers is the belief in Divinity; evil is caused by divine judgement and retribution; prophets as middlemen between Divinity and man. Among [[Afro-Asiatic languages|Afro-Asiatic]]-speakers is [[henotheism]], the belief in one's own gods but accepting the existence of other gods; evil here is caused by malevolent spirits. The Semitic [[Abrahamic religion]] of [[Judaism]] is comparable to the latter world view.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Baldick|first=Julian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JBzGsr1bw6cC&q=christianity+judaism+islam+afroasiatics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503012144/https://books.google.com/books?id=JBzGsr1bw6cC&printsec=frontcover&dq=christianity+judaism+islam+afroasiatics&source=bl&ots=w_AOA-fbkt&sig=Vee5ya1z2umJZ1iEi7TaqTDF1_E&hl=en&ei=-TzWS-3eCpKesgOG-fWlAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false|archive-date=2016-05-03|url-status=live|title=Black God: The Afroasiatic Roots of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Religions|date=1998|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=978-0-8156-0522-5|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Ehret2002"/><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://worldhistoryconnected.press.uillinois.edu/2.1/ehret.html|title=A Conversation with Christopher Ehret|first=Christopher|last=Ehret|date=5 November 2004|journal=World History Connected|volume=2|issue=1}}</ref> [[San religion]] is non-theistic but a belief in a Spirit or Power of existence which can be tapped in a trance-dance; trance-healers.<ref>[[Christopher Ehret]], (2002). The Civilizations of Africa. Charlottesville: University of Virginia, pp. 102–03, {{ISBN|0-8139-2085-X}}.</ref>