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This innovative Atlas of Africa, by the Agence Française de Développement, offers comprehensive insights into contemporary Africa through the use of full-colour maps, charts, graphics and text which demonstrate and explain Africa’s growing importance in the world and its demographic, economic, social and environmental transformation, while also outlining the challenges that the continent faces.

The three sections, offering new perspectives on the continent, comprise:

Taking Full Measure of Africa – examining the major economic, demographic, social and political transformations that Africa has undergone in a short space of time.
A Multifaceted Continent with Shared Challenges – looking at the major intraregional economic, demographic, environmental and social dynamics that are currently shaping the continent.
Africa Inventing Itself and Taking up the Key Challenges of Tomorrow – an overview of the challenges that Africa is currently facing and will need to face in the future, including the environment and climate change, social cohesion and demographic issues, economic development and governance.
　

Full-colour maps, charts and graphics cover such wide-ranging topics as economic development, urbanization, education, the rule of law, gender, the blue economy, regional organizations, energy and culture, to form a volume which offers a wide-ranging overview in graphic form of Africa in the world today, of interest to all those studying, working in or with Africa, and those with a general interest in the continent.

Contents:

Preface

6 ALL OF AFRICA

For a new vision of a continent on the move

8 PREAMBLE

Africa takes on Covid-19

TAKING FULL MEASURE OF AFRICA

12 Africa upturning demographic equilibria around the world

14 Longer life expectancy and a gradual reduction of fertility rates

16 Africa home to the world’s youth: an opportunity to be seized

18 Child and maternal health and under-nutrition: gaining the upper hand

20 Contagious and tropical diseases: Africa exposed but headed in the right direction

22 Africa’s efforts in schooling its children

24 Water and sanitation: the key

to improving health and environmental conditions

26 Africa on the path to electrical connection

28 When the success of mobile telephones facilitates banking inclusion

30 African economic growth despite instability

32 Africa’s asset: the internal market

34 A changing economy tracing its own development path

36 Closer economic ties with all the world’s countries

38 Africa, the new travel destination

40 Africa being courted in diplomacy and culture

42 Political liberalization in Africa

44 Less lethal conflicts, more complex violence

46 The gradual improvement in economic and public governance

A MULTIFACETED CONTINENT WITH SHARED CHALLENGES

50 African giants and small economies: how to read the African economy

52 The geography of wealth in Africa

54 Considerable natural resources: who for? what for?

56 Extreme poverty concentrated on the continent

58 Fragility and development: two

interconnected challenges

60 Inequalities: a situation of contrasts

62 Urbanization, a strong trend in settlement in Africa

64 Simultaneous densification of cities and countryside

66 Rural and landlocked zones: the main factors in unequal access to basic services

68 Economic integration progressing in Africa

70 Growth in intra-African trade as a driver of diversification

72 Emergence of a pan-African financial system

74 Intra-continental migration: human ties between African spaces

76 Human mobility taking shape on the continent

78 Creative industries, the face of an emerging cultural industry

80 Africa, a blue continent

82 The Saharan-Sahelian space

84 African forests under pressure

AFRICA INVENTING ITSELF AND TAKING UP THE KEY CHALLENGES OF TOMORROW

88 A continent more exposed to climate change

90 The impacts of climate change

92 African biodiversity under pressure

94 Skills acquisition and enhancement: the education challenge in Africa

96 Employment in all its forms, a key to the prosperity of the continent

98 Issues of women’s status in Africa

100 Obesity and chronic diseases: new health challenges

102 High expectations for the rule of law and freedom of expression

104 Inventive civil society in Africa

106 Sport as a vector of economic and social development

108 Solar energy in Africa: reconciling sustainability and economic opportunity

110 Towards more inclusive African cities

112 Extending access to internet to accelerate the digital revolution

114 Building the capacity for action of the public sector

116 The potential of the public development banks in Africa

118 Towards more bank financing for the private sector

120 Reinventing external financial support for Africa

122 Agriculture the African way

124 Industrialization: drawing benefit from value chains

126 What role for digital innovation in Africa?