African name trees. Plants growing in Africa are interesting. Environmental problems of agriculture

The African continent ranks second in the world in terms of area and population. Due to the changing climate, Africa has diversified different types plants and animals: big predators roam the vast savannas among peacefully grazing herds of herbivores. Monkeys and snakes reign in dark dense forests. Africa is home to the most interesting animals in the world.

Vegetable world

Equatorial Africa has the world's largest area of ​​endangered rainforest.

Some plants are endangered, including the baobab. These trees are probably the most ancient inhabitants of the continent, some of them are estimated to be over 3000 years old. Baobab trunks are used to store water, while the bark and leaves are used for medicinal purposes.

The ebony or ebony tree is also endangered. It has a heavy wood, which is highly valued by the indigenous peoples, and in the international market.

Acacia is the tree symbol of Africa. These trees are adapted to hot and dry climates and grow throughout most of the black continent. Often, acacia leaves are the only greens that animals can get. To protect against the starving, the tree has grown thorns for itself, and now only giraffes can feast on acacia leaves.

Many types of aloe grow in Africa, including aloe vera. They are succulent plants with sweet nectar that attract many birds. Aloe juice is widely used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes.

Animal world

Africa boasts over 1,100 species of mammals, including herd animals such as wildebeest, buffalo and antelopes, as well as zebras, giraffes and elephants. Rodents are represented by squirrels and rats of various species, there are also rabbits and hares. There are more than 60 species of carnivores on the continent: lions, cheetahs, hyenas, leopards and others. Africa is also home to four species higher primates, including western and eastern gorillas, chimpanzees, pygmy chimpanzees, and many other primate species.

Thanks to diverse climate There are many species of reptiles and amphibians in Africa. There are chameleons, cobras, vipers, pythons, geckos, rare species frogs. big turtles and crocodiles also inhabit the black continent.

Many representatives of the fauna of the savannah are listed in the Red Book. Among them are cheetahs and African lions. They are threatened by habitat loss and climate change.

The black rhinoceros is a huge animal weighing one and a half tons and has three horns. Unfortunately, the horns have medicinal properties, which has led to a decrease in the number of rhinos. Habitat loss may also lead to extinction African elephants and rare zebras. Poachers do not stop their hunt for valuable tusks, horns and skins.

Africa is an amazing continent, perhaps it was here that the first life originated. There are still many unexplored areas and areas where it is difficult for scientists to reach. This means that Africa will surprise us with new discoveries more than once.

Video: Nature of Africa. Nature protection, ecological problems.

Africa is the second largest continent on planet Earth. The first in size is the mainland Eurasia. There is another part of the world, which is also called Africa. This article will consider Africa as the mainland of the planet.

In terms of its area, the size of Africa is 29.2 million km2 (with islands - 30.3 million km2), which is about 20% of the entire land surface of the planet. Mainland Africa washed by mediterranean sea on the north coast, the west coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, in the south and east the continent is washed by the Indian Ocean, and the northeast coast is washed by the Red Sea. There are 62 states on the territory of Africa, of which 54 are independent states, and the population of the entire continent is about 1 billion people. By clicking on the link you can see full list African countries in the table.

The size of Africa from north to south is 8,000 kilometers, and when viewed from east to west, it is approximately 7,500 kilometers.

Extreme points on mainland Africa:

1) The easternmost point of the mainland is Cape Ras Hafun, which is located on the territory of the state of Somalia.

2) The northernmost point of this mainland is Cape Blanco, which is located in the Republic of Tunisia.

3) The westernmost point of the continent is Cape Almadi, which is located on the territory of the Republic of Senegal.

4) And, finally, the southernmost point of the African continent is Cape Agulhas, which is located on the territory of the Republic of South Africa (South Africa).

Relief of Africa

Most of the mainland is made up of plains. Dominated the following forms relief: highlands, plateaus, stepped plains and plateaus. The mainland is conditionally divided into High Africa (where the heights of the mainland reach a size of over 1000 meters - the southeast of the mainland) and Low Africa (where the heights reach a size mostly less than 1000 meters - the northwestern part).

The most high point mainland - Mount Kilimanjaro, which reaches a height of 5895 meters above sea level. Also in the south of the mainland there are the Drakon and Cape Mountains, in the east of Africa there is the Ethiopian Highlands, and to the south of it is the East African Plateau, in the northwest of the continent are the Atlas Mountains.

In the north of the mainland is the largest desert on the planet - the Sahara, in the south is the Kalahari Desert, and in the southwest of the mainland there is the Namib Desert.

At the same time, the lowest point of the mainland is the bottom of the salt lake Assal, the depth of which reaches 157 meters below sea level.

Climate of Africa

The climate of Africa can be put in first place among all the continents in terms of warmth. This is the hottest continent, since it is completely located in the hot climatic zones of the planet Earth and is crossed by the equator line.

Central Africa is located in the equatorial belt. This belt is characterized by high precipitation and there is no change of seasons. To the south and north of the equatorial belt are the subequatorial belts, which are characterized by the rainy season in summer and the dry season in winter. high temperatures air. If you follow further south and north after subequatorial belts, then the northern and southern tropical belts follow, respectively. Such belts are characterized by low precipitation at fairly high air temperatures, which leads to the formation of deserts.

African inland waters

The inland waters of Africa are uneven in structure, but at the same time vast and extended. On the mainland the most long river- this is the Nile River (the length of its system reaches 6852 km), and the deep river the Congo River is considered (the length of its system reaches 4374 km), which is famous for being the only river that crosses the equator twice.

There are lakes on the mainland. by the most big lake considered Lake Victoria. The area of ​​this lake is 68 thousand km2. The greatest depth in this lake reaches 80 m. The lake itself is the second in its area on planet Earth from fresh lakes.

30% of the land mass of mainland Africa is desert, in which water bodies can be temporary, that is, dry up completely at times. But at the same time, usually in such desert regions, The groundwater located in artesian basins.

Flora and fauna of Africa

The African continent is renowned for its diversity. flora, as well as the animal. Wet grow on the continent rainforests, which are replaced by woodlands and savannahs. In the subtropical zone, one can also find mixed forests.

The most common plants in the forests of Africa are palms, ceiba, sundew and many others. But in the savannas, most often you can find thorny shrubs and small trees. The desert is distinguished by a small variety of plants growing in it. Most often these are grasses, shrubs or trees in oases. Many areas of the desert have no vegetation at all. A special plant in the desert is the amazing Velvichia plant, which can live for more than 1000 years, it releases 2 leaves that grow throughout the life of the plant and can reach a length of 3 meters.

Diverse in Africa and animal world. In savannah areas, grass grows very quickly and well, which attracts many herbivorous animals (rodents, hares, gazelles, zebras, etc.), and, accordingly, predators that feed on herbivorous animals (leopards, lions, etc.).

The desert at first glance may seem uninhabited, but in fact there are many reptiles, insects, birds that hunt mainly at night.

Africa has become famous for such animals as elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, a wide variety of monkeys, zebras, leopards, dune cats, gazelles, crocodiles, parrots, antelopes, rhinos and much more. This continent is amazing and unique in its own way.

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The flora of Africa is striking in its diversity and unusual appearance. Thanks to different climatic zones, in which the continent is located, in some regions grow plants that are not found anywhere else in the world. Most of them have a bizarre shape, this is due to the hot climate, the constant lack of water. All African plants can be divided into two large groups: those that grow near water and those that survive in the hellish conditions of the desert.

Breadfruit

Many flowers and trees on the hottest continent have very unusual and even edible names at first glance. These include the breadfruit tree, so named not because bread is made from it, but its fruits taste like baking. People do not use them for food, but monkeys eat them with great pleasure.

mango tree

Some African plants are also familiar to us, such as mango, the fruits of which are imported to our country. It is worth noting that African fruits are very different in taste. locals keep their secrets for the preparation of this product. They fry mango together with potatoes, it turns out a very tasty and original dish.

Baobab

Plants and animals of Africa are accustomed to survive in the harshest conditions, due to the constant lack of water, the hot sun, many trees take on bizarre shapes. So the baobab is compared either with an inverted carrot, or with a large nest, or even with a crab. This tree cannot be called beautiful, since its height, reaching 20 m, is absolutely not proportional to the thickness of the trunk, reaching 10 m in diameter. The crown is small, clumsy, branches with openwork leaves are scattered in different directions. The largest and oldest baobab grows in the area of ​​Lake Tanganyika, its approximate age is about 5000 years, height - 22 m, crown circumference - 145 m, trunk circumference - 47 m.

Kalanchoe Degremont

Plants in Africa are trying to adapt to the harshest conditions of survival. So, for example, Kalanchoe on each leaf has a huge number of embryos with a ready-made root system, falling off, they immediately fall on the ground, where they take root. This plant is not only beautiful, but also useful, its juice is used to treat many diseases.

palm trees

The most common plants in Africa are palm trees, they grow in almost every country on this continent. They are quite flexible thanks to cork wood, even in the most terrible storms, when the wind bends them to the ground, palm trees do not break. Their fruits - coconuts - are very difficult for an inexperienced tourist to get and peel. If you knock it down with a stick from a tree, the coconut will simply fall and break, and the milk will pour out, so you have to climb the tree. It is also difficult for visitors to clean the fruit with a machete, but the locals remove the hard fibrous layer with their teeth.

African exotic

The plants of Africa, despite their bizarre forms, are very beautiful. Local exoticism attracts many tourists, because some types of trees and flowers can no longer be found on any continent. Thanks to different climatic zones, here you can see both the lush greenery of tropical forests and inconspicuous, gnarled trees with a minimum number of leaves. It is this contrast that causes great interest in the local nature.

26% - pastures and meadows,
14% - livestock of cattle,
24% - small livestock cattle.

However, its share in the world production of the main types of agricultural products does not exceed 3-5%.

Only in certain types of tropical agriculture is Africa's share significant:

33% - coffee,
39% - cassava,
46% - sisal,
67% - cocoa beans.

Cultivated land is 160 million hectares, natural meadows and pastures - about 800 million hectares. Agrarian siroy is diverse, ranging from communal and feudal landownership to plantation and cooperative. In general, agriculture in Africa has an agricultural direction: in the structure of gross output Agriculture agriculture accounts for 75-80%.

African crop production

The leading role in crop production belongs to grain farming and the cultivation of tubers. Their share in the gross agricultural output is 60-70%.

The main place in the production of cereals is occupied by corn (36% of the total harvest), millet and sorghum (28%), wheat and rice (14% each). The share of South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Sudan accounts for more than 50% of the grain harvest on the continent.

The production of tubers (for the domestic market) is developed in many areas (especially in forest and wet savannas). Among tubers, cassava predominates (56%).

Of great importance are vegetable growing (Egypt, the Maghreb countries, South Africa), fruit growing (countries of North and South Africa), the cultivation of oil palm (Tropical Africa), date palm (Egypt, Algeria), fibrous crops (Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, Nigeria), cocoa beans and coffee (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ethiopia).

African livestock

plays important role in countries such as South Africa, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Somalia, Chad, Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria. Animal husbandry is the most backward part of agriculture, characterized by low productivity and marketability. So the average milk yield per cow is about 490 liters per year.

The spread of the tsetse fly has hampered the introduction of mixed farming and livestock farming in the main part of Africa. The traditions of the population, according to which there is an accumulation of livestock (as a measure of wealth), also have a negative effect.

Forestry in Africa

Africa accounts for 16% of the forested area and 15% of the world's hardwood reserves. The forest area of ​​the continent is approximately 630 million hectares. 99% of the forest area is occupied by deciduous and mixed forests. Most of the harvested wood is used for fuel. Only in Côte d'Ivoire and South Africa does the share of industrial timber in harvesting reach 45-55%. Up to 60-70% of the value of timber exports is roundwood. Mostly redwood, ebony and similar wood are exported (25-35 species in total, depending on demand). Main exporters: Côte d, Ivoire, Gabon, Cameroon, Congo, Liberia.

African fisheries

Most African countries 1-2% economically employed in fishing active population Therefore, fishing is not of great importance in solving the food problem. Over 50% of the catch comes from 5 countries: South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, Tanzania and Ghana. More than 35% of the catch comes from inland waters.

In most countries, primitive tools (fishing rods, harpoons, tops) are used for fishing. Fish processing is developed only in South Africa. Fishmeal, fish oil, canned food, dried and dried fish are exported.

Geography of Africa

Placement of agriculture.

Africa at the turn of the 1980s had 12% of the world's cultivated land, 26% of pastures and meadows, 14% of cattle and 24% of small ruminants. However, its share in the world production of the main types of agricultural products does not exceed 3-5%. For certain types of tropical farming products (vanilla, cloves, cocoa beans, sisal, cashew nuts, palm kernels, etc.), Africa's share is significant (see Table 11).

Table 11. Agricultural production in Africa, thousand tons

Source:
"RAO Production Yearbook", Rome. 1980-1984.

Agriculture employs 64.8% of the economically active population (1982). In the structure of the GDP of a number of countries (Ghana, Tanzania, Sudan, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroon, Senegal), the share of agriculture is 30-50% (1980). Cultivated land (1981) occupies 164.6 million hectares (5.4% of Africa), land under permanent crops - 18.2 million hectares (0.6%), natural pastures and meadows - 783.9 million hectares (25%). Potentially suitable for agriculture land is 500-700 million hectares. About 1/2 of the area in the savannah zone is subject to periodic droughts and desertification. IN equatorial zone waterlogging of the soil and its erosion hinder the development of field crops; The spread of tsetse flies limits the development of animal husbandry. Irrigated land 8.6 million ha (1981). Irrigated agriculture is carried out on a large area in Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Madagascar, Algeria, Senegal, and South Africa.

In the developing countries of the region, hand tools or tools driven by the power of draft animals predominate. The power-to-weight ratio of farms is only 0.1 liters. With. per 1 ha of agricultural land. In Tropical Africa, mainly hoe cultivation, in Northern and South Africa plow. In 1982, 451 thousand tractors were used on the continent, including (thousand) in South Africa 181, Algeria 44, Tunisia 35, Zimbabwe 21, Morocco 25, Egypt 26. On average, 1 tractor (1981) accounts for 340 hectares of arable land. The fleet of grain combines (45 thousand), seeders, threshers and other machines is not numerous. In a number of countries the rental of agricultural machinery is organized for peasant farms and cooperatives.

In the world consumption of mineral fertilizers, the share of Africa is about 3%. Main consumers: Mauritius, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, Libya, Kenya, South Africa. Due to the lack of storage facilities, vehicles, losses of agricultural products are high (30-55% for grain). By the beginning of the 80s. in agricultural production, there has been technological progress (the so-called green revolution). The use of hybrid high-yielding varieties of agricultural crops, chemical plant protection products, etc., mainly in large commercial farms, is often of an experimental nature.

Usually 10-20% of the total planned investments in the economy are allocated for the development of agriculture, which does not exceed $10-15 per 1 ha of cultivated land (up to $30 in South Africa). According to FAO calculations, in order to maintain the existing at the end of the 1970s. level of provision of African countries with agricultural products in the period up to 1990, it is necessary to implement a broad comprehensive program (irrigation, development of new lands, mechanization, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, etc.), which provides for a total allocation of 40 billion dollars (in 1975 prices) . At the same time, only 47% of the increase in agricultural production will be provided by intensive farming methods.

Agricultural system African countries are distinguished by the coexistence of diverse forms of land tenure and agrarian relations: patriarchal-communal, feudal, small-scale, national and foreign private capitalist, state-capitalist, state and cooperative. Communal land ownership prevails in Tropical Africa, where the land belongs to collectives (large families, clans, clans, tribes, villages). Feudal landownership retains its strongest position in Arab countries North Africa especially in Morocco. Private African landownership - the basis of the small-scale way of life of the African village - is developing from communal ownership on the basis of commercial lease, sale and mortgage of land. Private peasant landownership was widely developed in Zaire, the BSC, Nigeria, Ghana, Sudan (on a lease basis), Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and a number of other countries. In North Africa, private landownership prevails over communal landownership. There is a significant stratum of agricultural capitalists in Morocco and Egypt (entrepreneurs from the cities and bourgeois landowners). African private capitalist landownership occupies the strongest positions in the BSC, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya. European land ownership dominates South Africa, 87% of the territory is white settlement areas in which Africans cannot own land. Foreign capital maintains its positions in the agriculture of Liberia (rubber plantations), Kenya (production of cereals, sisal), Gabon and some other countries. Foreign private capitalist land ownership is represented mainly by large farms of European colonists and plantations of foreign companies. In Tropical Africa, land ownership by European colonists was almost eliminated in the course of agrarian reforms. Large arrays of European land holdings remain in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. The public sector in agriculture is represented in the form of state farms and plantations, development corporations, etc. On land holdings of state agricultural enterprises largest area falls in Algeria, where 1873 "self-governing" farms ("domains"), which are state farms with some features of a cooperative structure, occupied more than 1/3 of the cultivated land (1980). Significant areas are also occupied by state agricultural enterprises in BSC (oil palm plantations of the state agricultural companies Sodepalm, Palmivuar, etc.), Tanzania (nationalized foreign sisal, tea, sugar and other plantations), Congo, Benin. A special form of state land ownership is represented by farms on state irrigated lands in Sudan (El Gezira, El Manakil, Hashm el Ghirba, Rahad, Suhi, Tokar, Gash, Nuba Mountains, etc.), where farmers rent land from the government for fixed fee. In many countries with a socialist orientation, the cooperative (often state-cooperative) sector of the economy is being developed, although its share in the gross agricultural product and agricultural land is insignificant. So, in Algeria in the late 1970s. more than 6.5 thousand cooperatives were created, covering about 100 thousand peasant families. In Tanzania, over 50% of the country's population works in cooperative settlements ("ujamaa"). The cooperative movement is expanding in Ethiopia. The number of marketing cooperatives is growing in the Congo, Benin and Guinea. In the structure of the gross agricultural product in many countries, the natural sector occupies a prominent place. In the late 1970s in Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, it accounted for 40-60% of the gross agricultural product. The products of the commodity sector dominate in the gross agricultural product of countries with an export orientation of agricultural production, as well as a developed domestic market. The commodity product of agriculture in most countries is formed by 50-80% from the products of small peasant farms, which make up 98% of farms of all types. In Egypt, the average farm area is 1.5 hectares. In densely populated areas Tropical Africa the peasant uses only 0.2-0.8 ha for crops. Only in some countries (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Algeria) in the production of certain types of agricultural products leading role large farms play - plantations, state farms, farms.

Agricultural production.
The predominance of backward agrarian relations, the weakness of the material and technical base led to low level productive social labor. In general, agriculture in Africa has an agricultural direction: in the structure of gross agricultural output, agriculture accounts for 75-80%. Extensive forms of land use dominate in many parts of the continent. In the forest and savannah areas prevail various options shifting farming system. The fields are dominated by mixed crops of cereals, legumes and tubers. Such is the agriculture of certain peoples in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and in the bantustans of South Africa.

An example of a semi-intensive farming system is the terraced farming of the peoples of Ethiopia, Rwanda and Burundi, Northern Nigeria and Northern Cameroon, the inhabitants of Ukara Island on Lake Victoria. The use of crop rotations of grain crops with legumes allows the use of terraces almost constantly with annual breaks for fallow. Semi-intensive forms include African plantation farming in Ghana, Nigeria, BSC, Cameroon, Uganda and other countries, in which the cultivation of annual and biennial food crops by the methods of shifting agriculture is combined with the cultivation of plantation perennial crops - coffee, cocoa, rubber plants, oil palm and others on permanent sites. Such is the agriculture of the peoples in southwestern Nigeria, on the slopes of Mt. Elgon in Uganda.

Intensive irrigated agriculture is represented in the most on a large scale in Egypt, where 2 irrigation systems are used: the old one - basin irrigation and the new one, based on the creation of irrigation canals. Already in the middle of the XIX century. the total length of irrigation canals in Egypt reached 13 thousand km. In the XIX-XX centuries. a series of dams were built on the Nile River for irrigation purposes, the largest of which is the high-altitude Aswan dam. Irrigated agriculture is also represented in Mali (state irrigation systems "Office du Nizher"), Sudan and other countries.

Mixed agricultural and livestock (farming) commodity economy is represented by capitalist farms of the local European population in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, where hired labor, machinery, mineral and organic fertilizers. Mixed small-scale agricultural and livestock farms are characteristic of certain regions of Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mali, Cameroon, Madagascar, and Angola.

Plant growing.
The leading role in crop production belongs to grain farming and the cultivation of tubers. In the mid 70s. their share in the gross agricultural output of Africa averaged 60-70%.

The main place in grain production is occupied (1983) by corn (36% of the total grain harvest), millet and sorghum (28%), wheat (14%), and rice (14%). Local types of cereals are also grown (for example, teff, close to millet in Ethiopia). South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Sudan account for over 50% of the grain harvest on the continent.

Pulses play an important role in shaping the food and feed resources of many African countries. In tropical Africa, "cowpeas", "horse beans", "pigeon peas", "chicken peas", mungou, woandzeya, lima beans, soybeans in South Africa, lentils and lupins are grown for local consumption.

The main areas for the cultivation of cereals and legumes are the coastal lowlands of the subtropics, the savannah zone, the plains of the plateau and highlands.

The production of tubers (cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, taro, potatoes) mainly for local consumption is the traditional direction of agriculture in many parts of Africa (especially in forest and humid savannah zones). Among tubers, cassava dominates, accounting for 56% of the production of these crops.

Vegetable growing is developed in many countries, in particular in Egypt, where a large number of tomatoes and onions are produced on irrigated lands for export. In the Maghreb countries, in areas adjacent to the sea, lettuce, cabbage, radish and other early vegetables are grown for export to Europe. Vegetable growing is also developed in South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Kenya.

In fruit growing, the most important place is occupied by the production of citrus fruits in the Mediterranean countries, as well as in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The countries of North and South Africa also produce the bulk of the fruit temperate zone(apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots). In BSC, Kenya, South Africa and some other countries, plantation crops of pineapples are grown; in the countries of Tropical Africa - mango, avocado and papaya. Viticulture and winemaking are developed in the countries of the Maghreb and South Africa and are export-oriented. The main producers of banana fruit varieties for export: Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar, Angola, BSC, Kenya, Somalia, Egypt. Almost all of the crop of bananas of vegetable varieties ("plantin") is consumed by the indigenous population.

The cultivation of the date palm is one of the main branches of crop production in the oases of desert and semi-desert regions. In 1983, the collection of dates reached 1066 thousand tons (38% of the world), including 440 thousand tons in Egypt and 210 thousand tons in Algeria.

Oilseed production is one of the main sectors of the economy of many African countries, especially in Tropical Africa. In savannah areas of moderate moisture, the main food and export oil and fat crop is peanuts (mainly in Senegal, Nigeria, Niger, Gambia). The oil palm is the main oil plant in the forested regions of Tropical Africa. Production palm oil and collection of palm kernels largest sizes reaches in BSC, Nigeria and Zaire, and in Nigeria almost all production comes from wild and semi-cultivated trees, and in BSC and Zaire - from plantations.

For a number of African countries, one of the main areas of agriculture is the production of fibrous crops - cotton, sisal, kenaf. Among them, the most important is cotton, which is cultivated in 30 countries of the continent. In Egypt and Sudan, the proportion of cotton growing in the value of agricultural products reaches 36% and 27%, respectively (mainly fine- and long-staple varieties). In Ethiopia, the Awash River Basin Development Project is establishing extensive state-owned cotton plantations. Other significant producers are Uganda and Nigeria. Africa dominates the world production of sisal (Tanzania, Angola, Mozambique and Kenya).

Sugar cane is the main raw material for the production of sugar in tropical Africa, South Africa and Egypt. The leading role in sugar production belongs to South Africa (Natal province and KwaZululand bantustan). The economy of the islands of Mauritius and Reunion is specialized in the production of sugar for export. Other major producers of cane sugar: Egypt, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Madagascar. Sugar beets are cultivated in Egypt in the Nile Delta and, for example, in the plains of Morocco.

The largest producers of cocoa beans: BSC, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon. Coffee is grown in approximately 25 countries in Africa, among which BSC, Ethiopia, Uganda, Angola, Kenya and Tanzania occupy a leading position. In the mountainous regions of East Africa, Arabica coffee is grown, in other countries - the Robusta variety. Tea production is growing rapidly in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda, Mozambique.

Tobacco production is most developed in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, South Africa. Cultivation of hevea rubber - in Liberia, Nigeria, Zaire and Cameroon. A significant part of rubber production comes from foreign plantations.

The production of spices and spices is typical for the countries of East Africa and is especially developed on the adjacent islands of the Indian Ocean.

animal husbandry plays an important role in the economy of countries such as South Africa, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Somalia, Chad, Botswana, Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria. Animal husbandry is the most backward branch of agriculture, characterized by an extremely extensive nature of production, low productivity and marketability. The average meat yield is (1983, kg per head of livestock): cattle 141, sheep 13, goats 12; average annual milk yield per cow 483 l. Therefore, although Africa accounts for a significant share of the world's livestock, its share in world livestock production is low (see table 12).

Table 12. Livestock numbers and production of major livestock products in Africa

Source:
"RAO Production Yearbook 1983", Rome, 1984.

The introduction of a mixed agricultural and livestock economy in the main part of the territory of Tropical Africa is hindered by the spread of the tsetse fly. It is practically impossible to breed cattle in areas intensively infected with it. The state of the industry is also negatively affected by the conservative traditions of the indigenous population, which consist in striving for the maximum accumulation of cattle (as a measure of wealth), unwillingness to sell or slaughter it for meat and cull inferior animals.

Nomadic and semi-nomadic animal husbandry prevails in vast arid and semi-arid zones, where agriculture is excluded or difficult. All nomadic peoples are characterized by periodic seasonal (“large”) and non-periodic (“small”) migrations in search of pastures and water, the absence of permanent settlements. One of critical issues African countries - the transfer of nomads to settled life: activities in this direction are carried out in Algeria, Ethiopia and a number of other countries.

Transhumance-pasture animal husbandry is typical mainly for agricultural and livestock areas free from tsetse flies. Agricultural and livestock farms are common in North Africa (except Libya) and South Africa, as well as in some areas of Tropical Africa (Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Senegal, Zaire, Kenya, Zambia). During the rainy season and at the beginning of the dry season, cattle graze near the villages on pastures and other lands not occupied by crops. During the dry season, cattle are driven to permanent water sources.

The integrated agricultural and livestock economy is represented by separate large private capitalist farms (European and African).

V. P. Morozov, I. A. Svanidze.

food problem- one of the most acute problems of the current stage of socio-economic development of African countries. In conditions of rapid population growth, the transition of most of it to the diet of the European type, extensive African agriculture, based on backward agrarian relations and a weak material and technical base, is not able to satisfy the growing needs of society for food. For 1980-84, the average annual growth rate of food production in the developing countries of Africa was 1.1%, which is much lower than the population growth rate. During this period, per capita food consumption decreased by 15-20%, despite the ever-increasing food imports. In 1980-85, under the influence of a severe drought that engulfed various regions of the continent, the trend towards a deterioration in the food situation manifested itself especially sharply. By 1985, 150 million people were starving or malnourished in drought-stricken areas (in 1970, 67 million; in 1982, 93 million).

FAO estimates that the average daily calorie intake of an African does not exceed 2200 kcal, which is below the minimum daily requirement. The main part of the diet is made up of products of plant origin: tubers, in the savannah zone - peanuts, cotton seeds, sesame, sunflower; in the forest zone - oil palm, nuts; in the subtropics - olives, sunflower. In some parts of the continent, diets are characterized by a lack of iron and iodine. With diets based on foods poor in carotene, beriberi A develops, leading to eye diseases. The specific disease beriberi, which is a consequence of vitamin B deficiency, is common in areas where refined grains are the basis of nutrition.

The development of industry in the region, the growth of urbanization lead not only to a quantitative increase in food needs, but also to a qualitative change in the diet, in which the share of dairy, meat, fish products, as well as food products that have undergone industrial processing, is gradually increasing. Under these conditions, for many countries, food imports are the main means of filling food shortages. For the 1970-80s. Africa's grain and meat imports tripled. 2/3 of grain imports are accounted for by Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Libya. Food imports also play an important role in Tunisia, Benin, Mozambique, Angola, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, BSC, Lesotho, Mauritania, Senegal, Zaire, and the island states of Africa.

A. P. Morozov.

Cotton plantation in Mozambique.

Cotton processing in Chad.

Cotton picking in Cameroon.

Flood rice cultivation in Madagascar.

Rice terraces of the central plateau in Madagascar.

Irrigation dam at Dar el Muzai.
Algeria.

Pyramids made from sacks of peanuts.
Niger.

Collection of pineapples in the BSC.

Sisal felling.
Mozambique.

Cassava (cassava) field.
Burundi.

Sisal drying.
Madagascar.

Gathering tea on nationalized plantations.
Mozambique.

Soviet tractor "Belarus", used in agriculture in Ghana.

Sugar cane plantation in Jinji area.
Uganda.

Wheat fields and pastures in the Cape.
SOUTH AFRICA.

Herd of cattle.

Trade fair for the sale of cattle in Madagascar.

Sheep breeding in the foothills of the mountain range.
Kenya.

Coconut palm plantation.
Mozambique.

On experimental plantations of the National Institute of Oilseeds.
Benin.

Coconut palm plantation.
Sierra Leone.

Hevea plantation.
BSC.

Harvesting copra on a coconut palm plantation.
Tanzania.

Encyclopedic reference book "Africa". - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Chief Editor An. A. Gromyko. 1986-1987.

In South Africa, the agricultural sector of the economy is very well developed. A country
fully self-sufficient in agricultural products. In addition, South Africa constantly sells agricultural products for export.

This sector of the economy is one of the most important for South Africa. The products of enterprises engaged in the processing of primary agricultural products account for about 20% of GDP. Currently, more than 1 million people are employed in the agricultural sector in South Africa.

Agriculture is the basis of the country's agriculture. Only about 22% of the territory can potentially be used for cultivation of agricultural crops. In South Africa, there are security problems fresh water. Its resources are small, but the need for fresh water is growing every year. Despite all this, agriculture in South Africa continues to develop.

The main agricultural crops of southern Africa are cereals (corn, wheat), various types of fruits, grapes and sugar cane are also grown here.

In animal husbandry, meat and dairy production is most developed. It is practiced in the north and east of the Free State province, in the interior of Hoteng province, and it is also common in the southern part of Mpumalanga province. Breeds predominate in the Northern and Eastern Cape meat direction. In the arid areas of the Northern and Eastern Cape, the Free State and Mpumalanga, sheep are actively raised. The country actively exports astrakhan.

IN in large numbers Angora goats are also bred in South Africa. The country accounts for 50% of the world's mohair production. The Boer breed of goats is also widespread here; it is bred for meat.

Poultry and pig breeding in South Africa are common on farms near large cities: Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

In the province of the Free State last years ostrich breeding began to develop. South Africa is gradually continuing to increase the export of meat, skin and feathers of this bird.

Agriculture- a branch of the economy aimed at providing the population with food (food, food) and obtaining raw materials for a number of industries. The industry is one of the most important, represented in almost all countries. About 1 billion economically active population (EAP) is employed in global agriculture.

The food security of the state depends on the state of the industry. The problems of agriculture are directly or indirectly related to such sciences as agronomy, animal husbandry, land reclamation, plant growing, forestry, etc.

The emergence of agriculture is associated with the so-called "Neolithic revolution" in the means of production, which began about 12 thousand years ago and led to the emergence of a productive economy and the subsequent development of civilization.

The leading countries in the production and consumption of agricultural products are the United States of America and members of the European Union.

History of agricultural development

Ancient Egypt. 1200 BC e.

Agriculture with domestication of animals and cultivation of plants appeared at least 10,000 years ago, first in the Fertile Crescent region, and then in China. Agriculture has undergone significant changes since early agriculture. In Western Asia, Egypt, India, the first systematic cultivation and collection of plants that were previously collected in the wild began. Initially, agriculture impoverished the diet of people - out of several dozen constantly consumed plants, a small proportion turned out to be suitable for agriculture.

Independent development of agriculture took place in North and South China, in Africa - the Sahel, New Guinea, parts of India and several regions of America. Agricultural practices such as irrigation, crop rotation, fertilization, and pesticides were developed a long time ago, but did not achieve great success until the 20th century. Anthropological and archaeological evidence from different places Southwest Asia and North Africa indicate the use of wild grains about 20 thousand years ago.

In China, rice and millet were domesticated in 8000 BC. e., followed by the domestication of legumes and soybeans. In the Sahel region, native rice and sorghum were locally grown by 5000 BC. e. Potatoes and sweet potatoes were also domesticated there. Local crops were domesticated independently in West Africa and possibly New Guinea and Ethiopia. Evidence for the presence of wheat and some legumes in the 6th millennium BC e. were found in the Indus Valley. Oranges were cultivated in the same millennia. Of the agricultural crops grown in the valley around 4000 BC. e. were usually wheat, peas, sesame seeds, barley, dates and mangoes. By 3500 BC. e. the cultivation of cotton and textiles were quite advanced in the valley. By 3000 BC. e. rice cultivation began. Cane sugar also began to be grown at the same time. By 2500 BC. e. Rice is an important staple in Mohenjo-Daro next to the Arabian Sea. The Indians had big cities with well-equipped granaries. Three regions of the Americas independently domesticated corn, squash, potatoes, red peppers, and sunflowers. IN South-East Asia began to grow yams and taro.

The domestication of local animals also moved forward: in China, a buffalo was tamed for plowing the land, and the waste was given to pigs and chickens; in Southeast Asia, goats, pigs, sheep, and cattle began to be raised to dispose of waste and obtain fertilizer, manure.

If agriculture is understood as large-scale intensive cultivation of the land, monoculture, organized irrigation, and the use of specialized labor, the title of "inventors of agriculture" can be attributed to the Sumerians, starting from 5500 BC. Intensive farming allows for much higher population densities than hunting and gathering methods, and also allows for the accumulation of surplus produce for the off-season, use, or trade/trade. The ability of farmers to feed a large number of people whose activities have nothing to do with agriculture was a decisive factor in the emergence of standing armies.

Since the 15th century, as a result of European colonization of lands around the world, the so-called Columbian exchange began. During this period, the basis of the diet of the common people was precisely the products of local agriculture, and agricultural crops and animals, which were previously known only in the Old World, were introduced into New World, and vice versa. In particular, the tomato has become widespread in European cuisine. Corn and potatoes also became known to the broad masses of Europeans. Due to the beginning of international trade, the variety of crops grown decreased: instead of many small agricultural crops, the land began to be sown with huge fields of monocultures, such as plantations of bananas, sugar cane and cocoa.

With the rapid growth of mechanization at the end of the 19th and 20th centuries, tractors and, later, combines made it possible to carry out agricultural work at a previously impossible speed and on a huge scale. Thanks to the development of transport and progress in developed countries the population can consume fruits, vegetables and other foodstuffs brought from other countries all year round. However, cultural diversity leaves much to be desired: according to UN estimates, among plant food 95 percent of energy people get from 30 crops.

The role of agriculture in the economy

Processing of arable land with a tractor.

Sweden

The development and productivity of agricultural production affects the balance of the state's economy, the political situation in it, and its food independence. At the same time, agriculture in the conditions market economy is not able to fully compete with other industries, so the level and effectiveness of its support from the state correlates with the well-being of the state itself. Support measures can be:

• maintaining certain prices for various types of agricultural products (regulation of the market price ensures the profitability of production) by controlling foreign trade and other tools;
• allocation of subsidies, compensation payments;
• concessional lending to peasants;
• preferential taxation of agricultural organizations;
• financing scientific research, education and advanced training of agricultural workers;
• measures to attract foreign direct investment;
• rural infrastructure development;
• land reclamation and irrigation projects;
• development of normative-legal acts.

Most developed countries consider the support of agricultural producers a priority in agricultural policy. In the EU countries in recent years, the level of financing for agriculture amounted to 300 US dollars per 1 hectare of agricultural land, in Japan - 473 dollars per hectare, in the USA - 324 dollars per hectare, in Canada - 188 dollars per hectare, in Russia - 10 dollars/ha. The total budget support of producers from the value of gross agricultural output in economically developed countries is 32-35%, but in Russia and developing countries - no more than 7%.

The role of agriculture in the economy of a country or region shows its structure and level of development. As indicators of the role of agriculture, the share of those employed in agriculture among the economically active population, as well as the share of agriculture in the structure of gross domestic product, is used. These figures are quite high in most developing countries, where more than half of the economically active population is employed in agriculture. Agriculture there follows an extensive path of development, that is, an increase in production is achieved by expanding the area under crops, increasing the number of livestock, and increasing the number of people employed in agriculture. In such countries, whose economies are of the agrarian type, the indicators of mechanization, chemicalization, melioration, etc. are low.

Most high level reached the agriculture of the developed countries of Europe and North America entered the post-industrial stage. Agriculture employs 2-6% of the economically active population there. In these countries, the “green revolution” took place as early as the middle of the 20th century, agriculture is characterized by a scientifically based organization, increased productivity, the use of new technologies, agricultural machine systems, pesticides and mineral fertilizers, the use of genetic engineering and biotechnology, robotics and electronics, that is, it is developing along an intensive path.

Similar progressive changes are also taking place in industrial countries, but the level of intensification in them is still much lower, and the share of people employed in agriculture is higher than in post-industrial ones.

At the same time, in developed countries there is a crisis of food overproduction, and in agrarian countries, on the contrary, one of the most acute problems is the food problem (the problem of malnutrition and hunger).

Developed agriculture is one of the factors of the country's security, as it makes it less dependent on other countries. For this reason, agriculture is supported and subsidized in developed, industrial countries, although from an economic point of view it would be more profitable to import products from less developed countries.

Industry and regional features

Tea plantations in Java

The agricultural sector has the following main features:

1. The economic process of reproduction is intertwined with the natural process of growth and development of living organisms, developing on the basis of biological laws.
2. The cyclical process of natural growth and development of plants and animals determined the seasonality of agricultural labor.
3. Unlike industry technological process in agriculture is closely connected with nature, where the land acts as the main means of production.

FAO experts note that 78% earth's surface experience serious natural limitations for the development of agriculture, 13% of the area is characterized by low productivity, 6% medium and 3% high. In 2009, 37.6% of all land was used in agriculture, including 10.6% plowed, 25.8% used for pastures and another 1.2% for perennial crops. Features of the agro-resource situation and the specialization of agriculture vary significantly by region. There are several thermal zones, each of which is characterized by a specific set of crop and livestock industries:

1. cold belt occupies vast areas in the north of Eurasia and North America. Agriculture here is limited by lack of heat and permafrost. Plant growing here is possible only in closed ground conditions, and reindeer husbandry is developing on low-productive pastures.
2. cool belt covers vast territories of Eurasia and North America, as well as a narrow strip in the south of the Andes in South America. Insignificant heat resources limit the range of crops that can be grown here (early crops - brown bread, vegetables, some root crops, early potatoes). Agriculture has a focal character.
3. Temperate zone in the southern hemisphere, it is represented in Patagonia, on the coast of Chile, the islands of Tasmania and New Zealand, and in the north it occupies almost all of Europe (except for the southern peninsulas), the south of Siberia and Far East, Mongolia, Tibet, Northeast China, South Canada, Northeast USA. This is the belt of mass farming. Arable land occupies almost all the territories suitable for the relief, its specific area reaches 60-70%. There is a wide range of cultivated crops: wheat, barley, rye, oats, flax, potatoes, vegetables, root crops, forage grasses. In the southern part of the belt, corn, sunflower, rice, grapes, fruit and fruit trees. Pastures are limited in area, they dominate in the mountains and arid zones, where transhumance and camel breeding are developed.
4. warm belt corresponds to subtropical geographic zone and is represented on all continents except Antarctica: it covers the Mediterranean, most of the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Australia, South China. Two crops a year are grown here: in winter - crops temperate zone(cereals, vegetables); in summer - tropical annuals (cotton) or perennials (olive tree, citrus, tea, walnut, fig, etc.). It is dominated by low-productive, highly degraded pastures from uncontrolled grazing.
5. hot belt occupies vast expanses of Africa, South America, northern and central Australia, the Malay Archipelago, the Arabian Peninsula, South Asia. Coffee and chocolate trees, date palm, sweet potato, cassava, etc. are grown. In the subarid zones there are vast pastures with poor vegetation.

Structure of agriculture

Milking cows by hand in the pasture during their summer content in the open air.

On an experimental pig farm. GDR.

Agriculture is part of the agro-industrial complex and includes the following main sectors:

• mushroom growing
• animal husbandry
  • fur farming
    • rabbit breeding
  • aquaculture
    • fish farming
  • camel breeding
  • goat breeding
  • horse breeding
  • mule breeding
  • sheep breeding
  • reindeer herding
  • poultry farming
  • beekeeping
  • pig breeding
  • cattle breeding (cattle breeding)
  • bumblebee breeding
• Feed production
  • grassland - obtaining suitable pastures and fodder for livestock.
• crop production
  • viticulture
  • vegetable growing and melon growing
  • gardening
    • fruit growing
    • ornamental gardening

Crop production

Vegetable and melon growing is engaged in the production of the following vegetable and melon crops:

• potato;
• leaf crops: cabbage, lettuce, spinach, dill, leaf parsley, etc.;
• fruit crops: tomato, cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini, squash, eggplant, pepper;
• bulb crops: onions and garlic;
• root crops: carrots, table beets, parsnips, parsley, celery, turnips, radishes, radishes, etc.;
• gourds: watermelon, melon, pumpkin, etc.

Crop production is engaged in the production of the following crops:

• grain crops: wheat, barley, rye, oats, rice, corn, buckwheat, sorghum, etc.;
• legumes: peas, beans, lentils, soybeans, etc.;
• fodder crops: fodder grasses, silage crops, fodder root crops, fodder melons;
• industrial crops
  • food crops: sugar cane, sugar beets, starch crops, medicinal plants;
  • textile crops: cotton, flax, jute, hemp;
  • rubber plants: hevea;
• tonic cultures: tea, coffee, cocoa;
• oil and essential oil crops
  • oilseeds: sunflower, castor bean, mustard, rapeseed, sesame, camelina (plant), hemp, flax, coconut palm, oil palm, olive tree;
  • essential oil crops: coriander, anise, cumin, etc.

The administrative structure of agriculture in the Russian Federation

In Russia, a special ministry is responsible for the functioning of agriculture, to which 14 departments are subordinate, Rosselkhoznadzor, Rosrybolovstvo, as well as some subordinate organizations.

Environmental problems of agriculture

Agriculture has a greater impact on natural environment than any other industry. The reason for this is that agriculture requires huge land areas. As a result, the landscapes of entire continents are changing. On the Great Plain of China grew subtropical forest, moving north to Ussuri taiga, and in the south into the jungles of Indochina. In Europe, the agricultural landscape has replaced broad-leaved forests; in Ukraine, fields have been replaced by steppes.

Agricultural landscapes turned out to be unstable, which led to a number of local and regional environmental disasters. Thus, improper reclamation caused soil salinization and the loss of most of the cultivated lands of Ancient Mesopotamia, deep plowing led to dust storms in Kazakhstan and America, overgrazing and agriculture led to desertification in the Sahel zone in Africa.

Agriculture has the greatest impact on the natural environment. Its influence factors are:

• mixing natural vegetation on farmland, plowing land;
• processing (loosening) of the soil, especially with the use of a moldboard plow;
• the use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides (pesticides);
• land reclamation.

And the greatest impact on the soils themselves:

• destruction of soil ecosystems;
• loss of humus;
• destruction of the structure and compaction of the soil;
• water and wind erosion of soils.

There are certain ways and technologies of farming that mitigate or completely eliminate negative factors such as precision farming technology.

Animal husbandry affects nature less. Its influence factors are:

• overgrazing, that is, grazing of livestock in quantities exceeding the ability of pastures to recover;
• unprocessed waste of livestock complexes.

Common violations caused by agricultural activities include:

• pollution of surface waters (rivers, lakes, seas) and degradation of aquatic ecosystems during eutrophication; groundwater pollution;
• deforestation and degradation of forest ecosystems (deforestation);
• violation of the water regime in large areas (during drainage or irrigation);
• desertification as a result of complex disturbance of soils and vegetation;
• destruction natural places habitats of many species of living organisms and, as a result, the extinction and disappearance of rare and other species.

In the second half of the 20th century, another problem became relevant: a decrease in the content of vitamins and microelements in crop production and the accumulation in both crop and livestock products, harmful substances(nitrates, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, etc.). The reason is soil degradation, which leads to a decrease in the level of trace elements and intensification of production, especially in animal husbandry.

According to the results of the “Audit of the efficiency of environmental protection in the Russian Federation in 2005-2007” published by the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, approximately one sixth of the country's territory, where more than 60 million people live, is environmentally unfavorable.

Ways to solve environmental problems of agriculture

First of all, the main way to solve environmental problems lies in improving the culture of land use, in the formation of a more responsible approach to natural resources. One of the ways to do this can be the development of private farms, where the land is transferred into ownership for a long time, which serves as an incentive to preserve its productive potential (solution to the tragedy of the commons through privatization).

• precision farming
• conservation agriculture
• organic farming
• Genetic Engineering
• Homobiotic turnover
• Chemicalization of agriculture
• permaculture

The Future of Agriculture

• Currently, research is underway to improve the forms of farming, with the help of breeding and genetic engineering, new species of plants and animals are being developed that are more resistant to pests, viable, and have higher productive qualities.
• Konstantin Tsiolkovsky at the beginning of the 20th century argued that the development deep space It is impossible without the creation of autonomous stations capable of independently producing oxygen and food products.
• In the long term, the possibility of terraforming planets is being considered to create conditions suitable for life on them and maintain the biosphere familiar to humans.

Codes in knowledge classification systems

• UDC 63.
• State rubricator of scientific and technical information of Russia (as of 2001): 68 AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY.

see also

Notes

Literature

• Gorkin A.P. (Ch. Ed.). Agriculture // Geography: Modern Illustrated Encyclopedia. - M.: Rosmen, 2006. - 624 p. - ISBN 5353024435.
• Agriculture // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
• The Oxford Companion to Food / Alan Davidson, Tom Jaine. - Oxford University Press, 2014. - ISBN 978-0-19-104072-6.

Links

• Final results of the All-Russian Agricultural Census of Russia in 2006
• Agro-ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries: agricultural plants, their pests, diseases and weeds (inaccessible link from 17-03-2016)
• Analysis of the development and plowing of agricultural land Comparative analysis agricultural development, plowing of agricultural land and areas of the land fund per 1 inhabitant of different countries

Ask this question to anyone on the street and you will get a standard answer. Which flowers? Are there deserts? There are no flowers in Africa! According to ideas taken from school curriculum and news broadcasts, there are deserts in Africa, there all year round the hot sun kills all life. Live wild or at worst semi-wild tribes. Everyone is completely poor. There is a terrible Ebola virus, which can be caught by eating the brains of a monkey or just standing next to such a gourmet.

Oh yes! There are still safaris, there are national parks where they live lion prides, families of giraffes are slowly moving and ferocious rhinos are running. There is no water, but a lot of sand. Everything seems to be. I hasten to dissuade you. Everything is so and not so. Scientists say that it was in Africa that life originated. Once, millions of years ago, it was completely covered giant plants and resembled the Amazon jungle. Over time, the ruthless sun turned part of the continent into a lifeless desert, but did not manage to kill life to the end.

And you can safely answer the question about flowers: “There are a lot of them in Africa, but those that don’t grow anywhere else.” The succulent family has long and firmly settled on the Black Continent. And the most beautiful of them is the Impala, or succulent lily.

Have you ever seen how aloe blooms? In almost every home, this unpretentious flower used to occupy a worthy place on the windowsill. The agave successfully coped with our abscesses and various minor diseases. It turns out that there are many varieties of aloe, and it blooms with very cute little buds. Of course, not luxurious, but modest flowers. And the tulip tree will offer you luxury.

Spatodea bell-shaped - one of the most beautiful plants in the world. The locals call it the "Fire Tree" and believe that it is a gift from heaven. The tulip tree blooms all year round. Imagine, all year long in the courtyard of your house there is (growing) a huge bouquet!

Gloriosa is just as beautiful. This wonderful representative of the Colchicum family feels great in Africa. It tolerates heat well, although it does not refuse water, but it does not particularly suffer from a lack of moisture. Ten varieties. It happens to be dwarf, it grows only 25-30 centimeters in height. But the climbing gloriosa envelops its support, lulls its vigilance with its beautiful red flowers with a yellow border. The support plant does not even suspect that this luxury is poisonous. This is probably very reasonable: beauty should be able to protect itself.

Each country has its own national flower. Zimbabwe chose the variety of Gloriosa, to the name of which botanists add the word "Luxury". With its sharp petals, it resembles flames, and from a distance it seems that the whole tree is on fire. And the word "gloriosa" is translated as "glorified", and the Zimbabweans, in the hope of the future glory of their country, use her image everywhere.

Of course, one cannot but say about insectivorous plants. You can learn more about them by reading the article "What plants kill to live?" dated 01.03.15 Yulia Dvornikova. I just want to note that there are many such people in Africa. The most common are Gignora africa, which lives in South Africa, and Amorphophallus, which lives everywhere from West Africa to the Pacific Islands. They are beautiful and unusual in their own way, but they cannot boast of aroma - insects, as you know, are attracted by the smell of carrion.

And another miracle Yudo can only be seen in Africa. This lithops. The natives call them "living stones". And all because it is almost impossible to distinguish a small plant - only 5 centimeters in height - from stones. In South Africa, these living stones grow on granite ruins, in rock crevices and on limestone soils. Only two small but very fleshy leaves can be seen above the ground. In the middle they have a new leaf or flowers. They are small, yellow or white color. But the root stretches several meters deep, because only there you can get precious water.

And another curiosity is kniforia. It grows in the South and Central Africa. Looks like big bouquet, consisting of many small bells. It grows everywhere, like a weed, and brought from its native expanses, it is most often used in landscape design in order to highlight some part of the site, to emphasize its peculiarity.

Of course, this article lists only a small part. flowering plants Black Continent. The proverb “It is better to see once” is one hundred percent right. Meeting with wonderful world flowers growing in the expanses of Africa are real holiday for nature lovers