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Sub-Saharan Africa Facts & Worksheets

Sub-Saharan Africa, also known as Non-Mediterranean Africa, refers to the area and regions of Africa south of the Sahara Desert and consists of Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, North Africa, and Western Africa.

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Sub-Saharan Africa, also known as Non-Mediterranean Africa, refers to the area and regions of Africa south of the Sahara Desert and consists of Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, North Africa, and Western Africa.

See the fact file below for more information about Ancient Sub-Saharan Africa, or you can download our 27-page Ancient Sub-Saharan Africa worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 

  • Paleontologists believe that the skull anatomy of early hominids was similar to that of their close relatives, the great African forest apes, gorillas, and chimps. They, however, adopted bipedal locomotion and freed their hands, giving them a critical advantage in the ability to live in forestry and open woodland when Africa was drying up and savanna was encroaching on forested areas. This happened 10 to 5 million years ago.
  • Moreover, by 3 million years ago, some australopithecine hominid species had evolved across Southern, Eastern, and Central Africa.
  • Homo sapiens originated in Southern and East Africa. According to genetic and fossil data, they progressively spread throughout the continent in waves. Their migration out of Africa commenced the current human colonization of the earth around 50,000–60,000 years ago.
  • Due to the employment of animal husbandry to transport supplies, food, and water over the desert, the Sahara did not provide an impassable barrier for travelers traveling north and south once it became a desert. Trade routes followed networks of oases strewn across the desert, and oxen, mules, and horses were frequently used for desert crossings before camels were introduced.
  • West Africa- A significant migratory movement known as the Bantu expansion began in West Central Africa (maybe in the region of Cameroon) circa 2500 BCE, spreading to East and Central Africa by 1000 BCE and Southern Africa in the early years of the Common Era (CE).  
  • Based on trans-Saharan trade, there were several medieval empires in the southern Sahara and the Sahel, such as the Ghana and Mali Empires, the Songhai Empire, the Kanem Empire, and the ensuing Bornu Empire. 
  • Furthermore, they mostly used adobe to build their stone constructions, similar to those in Tichit. The Great Mosque of Djenne, the most considerable adobe structure in the world, best represents Sahelian architecture.
  • Central Africa– Archaeological discoveries in Central Africa offer proof of human habitation that could be over 10,000 years old. Zangato and Holl claim that there is evidence of iron-smelting in the Central African Republic and Cameroon as early as 3000–2500 BCE.
  • From the Atlantic Ocean to the Kwango River in the east lies the Kingdom of Kongo. The Bakongo agricultural community was unified in the fifteenth century, with its capital at M’banza-Kongo, under the king’s title, Manikongo.
  • Southeast Africa– The mainstream view in the scientific world is that all people originate from Southeast Africa or the Horn of Africa, according to the notion of the recent African origin of modern humans.
  • Some of the Southeast African kingdoms, such as the Ugandan and Tanzanian kingdoms, arose between the 14th-15th centuries. The countries of Southeast Africa gained independence from colonial domination in the early 1960s.

DEMOGRAPHICS AND LANGUAGE

  • Population– The World Population Prospects 2022 version states that 1.1 billion people lived in sub-Saharan Africa in 2019. The growth rate at this time is 2.3%. With a population density of 80 people per km2
  • The region is expected to have between 2 and 2.5 billion people by 2050, according to UN estimates, compared to 170 in Western Europe, 140 in Asia, and 30 in the Americas. All preserved South Africa and the Seychelles are above the global average. Except for South Africa, more than 40% of people living in sub-Saharan Africa are under 15. The same applies to Sudan.
  • Language– African languages have experienced language contact, language expansion, language shift, and language death over the long history of multilingualism on the continent. 
  • Bantu expansion, during which people who spoke Bantu spread throughout most of Sub-Equatorial Africa. Another illustration is the Arab conquest in the seventh century, which spread Arabic beyond its native Asia.

ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

  • Africa is one of the world’s regions developing quickly as of 2011. Six of the ten economies in the world with the fastest growth rates during the past ten years are located below the Sahara, with the other four being in East and Central Asia.
  • Energy and Power– Fifty percent of Africa lacked access to electricity and was rural as of 2009. Africa produced 889 TWh of power in 2021, or 3.13% of the world’s total. In the meantime, the UN Environment Programme and the European Investment Bank founded the Renewable Electricity Performance Platform with the five-year objective of enhancing electricity access for a minimum of two million individuals in sub-Saharan Africa. 
  • Media– The primary information source in sub-Saharan Africa is radio. Over one-third of the population is covered on average. Because broadband is so expensive outside of South Africa, its uptake has been restricted. Mobile internet access is becoming more common.
  • Agriculture– It is home to a wide variety of crops that have been domesticated and exported around the globe. Large-scale land purchases by developing nations for agricultural purposes in sub-Saharan Africa have been commonplace recently.
  • Africa grew because of its infrastructure investment and to keep growing and combating poverty. Even though spending is concentrated on investments in ICT infrastructure, private sector spending alone equals public capital expenditure. Particularly in China, which has become a significant investor.
  • Transport– The lowest level of rural mobility in developing nations is in Africa, where less than 40% of rural residents reside two kilometers or less from an all-season road. While expenditures are significant in proportion to the size of Africa’s economies, they are still very tiny in absolute terms, with low-income countries spending, on average, $7 per person annually.

CULTURE

  • With hundreds of towns, villages, and cities, each with its own customs and beliefs. Sub-Saharan Africa is diverse. African traditional societies are communal, especially on the needs of the many over the wants and accomplishments of the individual. Despite the diversity of sub-Saharan African art, particular themes are prevalent, the human figure being one. There’s also a propensity for sculpting. Art is intended to be shown live and has a practical purpose.
  • However, traditional sub-Saharan African music is just as varied as the population. Most people think of sub-Saharan African music as rhythmic music played mainly on the drums. 
  • Sub-Saharan African food, meanwhile, is incredibly varied. Although there is a lot of geographical overlap, each region has its main elements. Meat plays a significant role in traditional Southern African cuisine.
  • Furthermore, Africans living in sub-Saharan Africa now dress like Westerners. Used Western apparel has overtaken marketplaces in some nations, such as Zambia, much to the dismay of the retail industry. Africa’s subcontinent is known for its distinctive traditional attire. It appears that cotton is the most popular material.

TOURISM

  • It has been determined that the growth of tourism in sub-Saharan Africa has the potential to boost employment and the local economy. The tourism sectors of South Africa, Namibia, Mauritius, Botswana, Ghana, Cape Verde, Tanzania, and Kenya are well-developed. 
  • The region around Cape Town is incredibly popular with tourists.

Sub-Saharan Africa Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Sub-Saharan Africa across 27 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa, also known as Non-Mediterranean Africa, refers to the area and regions of Africa south of the Sahara Desert and consists of Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, North Africa, and Western Africa.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Sub-Saharan Africa Facts
  2. Ancient Facts
  3. Four Seasons
  4. Mapping the Sub-Sahara
  5. Gumball Sub
  6. In Sub-Saharan Africa
  7. #HomoSapiens
  8. African Things
  9. An Open Letter
  10. As a Tourist, I Should…
  11. Life in the Sub-Saharan

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the major challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa?

Sub-Saharan Africa faces a range of challenges including poverty, political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, health crises such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, food insecurity, and environmental degradation. Additionally, conflicts and humanitarian crises exacerbate these issues, hindering development progress.

What are some key factors driving economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Despite challenges, Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced economic growth driven by factors such as natural resource wealth (oil, minerals), a growing middle class, increasing foreign investment, improvements in governance and infrastructure, as well as advancements in technology and telecommunications.

How does Sub-Saharan Africa contribute to global cultural diversity?

Sub-Saharan Africa is rich in cultural diversity, with over 2,000 languages spoken and a wide range of traditions, music, art, and cuisine. Its cultural contributions include vibrant music genres like Afrobeat and traditional art forms such as beadwork, carving, and pottery. Additionally, its literature, oral traditions, and storytelling have influenced global culture.

What are some notable success stories in Sub-Saharan Africa’s development?

Several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have made significant strides in development. For example, Rwanda has experienced economic growth and stability since the genocide in 1994, achieving notable progress in healthcare and education. Botswana has successfully managed its diamond wealth, establishing itself as one of Africa’s most stable democracies with a growing economy.

How is Sub-Saharan Africa addressing environmental sustainability?

Sub-Saharan Africa faces environmental challenges such as deforestation, desertification, and loss of biodiversity. Many countries are implementing measures to promote environmental sustainability, including reforestation programs, renewable energy projects, wildlife conservation efforts, and sustainable agriculture practices. Additionally, regional initiatives like the African Union’s Great Green Wall aim to combat desertification across the Sahel region.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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