Download `Soil` in Africa Key soil issues for African countries
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Key soil issues for African countries Algeria
Central African Republic
Egypt
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia - largest country in Africa; Climate is arid to semi-arid; Terrain is mostly high plateau and desert, some mountains - lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m, highest point: Mt. Tahat 3 003 m; Arable land: 3%; Main soil types: Arenosols, Calcisols, Leptosols, Luvisols and Regosols; Key issues are soil erosion, overgrazing, salinisation, desertification, industrial pollution and fertiliser runoff.
Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo, landlocked; Climate is tropical with hot, dry winters and mild to hot, wet summers; Terrain is mostly flat to rolling, monotonous plateau with some scattered hills in the northeast and southwest; Arable land: 3%; Main soil types are Acrisols, Ferralsols, Lixisols, Nitisols and Plinthosols; Key issues are hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds that affect northern areas, desertification and deforestation while floods are common.
Angola
Chad
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and DR Congo; Climate is semi-arid in south and along coast, north has cool, dry season and hot, rainy season; Terrain is narrow coastal plain rising abruptly to vast interior plateau; Arable land: 3%; Overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to population pressures is widespread; Main soil types are Acrisols, Arenosols, Ferralsols, Gleysols, Lixisols and Nitisols; Key issues are desertification and deforestation of tropical rain forests in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel results in a loss of biodiversity and soil erosion (the latter contributes to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams).
Central Africa, south of Libya; Climate is tropical in the south, desert in the north; Terrain is broadly arid plains in the centre, desert in the north, mountains in the northwest (> 3 000 m) and lowlands in the south; Arable land: 3%; Main soil types are Arenosols, Fluvisols, Leptosols and Vertisols; Key issues are hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds that occur in north, periodic droughts, soil pollution in rural areas due to improper waste disposal and desertification.
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, between Libya and Israel, north of Sudan, includes the Sinai Peninsula; Climate is desert with hot, dry summers with moderate winters; Terrain is vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta Qattara Depression is 133 m below sea level; Arable land: 3%; Main soil types are Arenosols, Calcisols, Leptosols and Regosols; Key issues are desertification, periodic droughts, flash flood, landslides, wind erosion causes dust and sand storms. Large amounts of agricultural soils are being lost to urbanization and windblown sands. Increasing soil salinisation below Aswan High Dam. Soil pollution from agricultural pesticides and industrial effluents. Rapid growth in population which is overstraining natural resources.
Benin Western Africa, between Nigeria and Togo; Northern regions have a marked dry season while the south has an equatorial climate; Terrain is mostly flat to undulating plain, some hills and low mountains; Arable land: 24%; Main soil types are Acrisols, Alisols, Lixisols and Plinthosols; Key issues are erosion associated with harmattan wind and desertification in the north. Deforestation is a concern in the south.
Botswana Southern Africa, north of South Africa, landlocked; Climate is semiarid, warm winters and hot summers; Terrain is predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland with Kalahari Desert in the southwest; Arable land: 1%; Main soil types are Arenosols, Gleysols, Histosols, Lixisols and Solanchaks; Key issues are overgrazing, desertification, periodic droughts and wind erosion (seasonal winds from the west carry sand across the country).
Burkina Faso Western Africa, north of Ghana, landlocked; Climate is tropical with warm, dry winters and hot, wet summers; Terrain is mostly flat or dissected, undulating plains with hills in the west and southeast; Arable land: 18%; Main soil types are Arenosols and Lixisols; Key issues are recurring droughts and desertification which severely affect agricultural activities, population growth, overgrazing, land degradation and deforestation.
Burundi Central Africa, east of DR Congo, small, landlocked country; Climate is equatorial, average annual temperature varies significantly with altitude; Terrain is hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east; Arable land: 36%; Main soil types are Acrisols, Ferralsols and Nitisols; Key issues are soil erosion from overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands, landslides, drought, flooding, deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel) and loss of biodiversity.
Cameroon Central Africa, on the Gulf of Guinea, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria (often referred to as Africa in miniture); Climate varies with terrain, from equatorial along the coast to semi-arid and hot arid in the north; Terrain is diverse, with coastal plains in southwest, a dissected plateau in centre, mountains in the west and dry plains in the north. At 4 095 m, the volcanic massif of Mt. Cameroon is one of Africa’s highest peaks; Arable land: 13%; Main soil types are Acrisols, Alisols, Ferralsols, Gleysols, Lixisols, Nitisols and Planosols; Key issues are deforestation, overgrazing and desertification.
Comoros Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar, one of the smallest countries in Africa; Climate is tropical maritime with a marked rainy season (November to May); Terrain is volcanic, steep mountains to low hills; Arable land: 36%; Main soil types are Andosols, Ferralsols, Leptosols and Nitisols; Key issues are deforestation, soil degradation and erosion due to cultivation on slopes without proper terracing.
Congo, Democratic Republic of DR Congo is the second largest country in Africa, located at the heart of sub-Saharan Africa, almost entirely landlocked, between the Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia and Angola; Climate is tropical, hot and humid in the vast Congo river basin, cool and dry in the southern highlands, cool-cold and wet in the eastern highlands; Arable land: 3%; Main soil types are Acrisols, Arenosols, Cambisols, Ferralsols, Gleysols and Lixisols; Key issues are deforestation, mining of minerals causing environmental damage and water pollution, soil erosion and seasonal flooding.
Congo, Republic of the Central Africa, bordering the South Atlantic, astride the Equator between Angola and Gabon; Climate is tropical with persistent high temperatures and humidity. Distinct rainy (March to June) and dry season (June to October); A coastal plain leads to a northern and southern basin separated by a central plateau; Arable land: 1.5%; Main soil types are Acrisols, Arenosols, Ferralsols, Gleysols and Nitisols; Key issues are seasonal flooding along the main river systems and deforestation.
Côte d'Ivoire Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic, between Ghana and Liberia; Equatorial climate in the south grades to semi-arid in the far north; A coastal plain and plateau are separated by central mountains; Arable land: 10%; Main soil types are Acrisols, Alisols, Lixisols and Plinthosols; Key issues are torrential flooding in the rainy season and deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in West Africa - have been heavily logged).
Djibouti Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia; Climate is arid to semiarid; Terrain is mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains. Lake Assal is the lowest point in Africa (155 m below sea level) and the saltiest lake in the world; Arable land: < 1%; Main soil types are Fluvisols, Gypsisols, Leptosols and Solonchaks; Key issues are earthquakes, droughts, occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bringing heavy rain and flash floods, volcanic activity, limited fertile soils and desertification.
Cape Verde Western Africa, a group of islands in the North Atlantic, west of Senegal; Climate is temperate with warm, dry summers. However, precipitation is meagre and erratic; Terrain is steep, rugged and rocky with active volcanic landscape; Arable land: 11%; Main soil types are Andosols, Calcisols and Leptosols; Key issues are prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind producing obscuring dust, soil erosion, deforestation due to demand for fuel wood, water shortages, desertification and loss of biodiversity.
'Soil' in Africa It is estimated that there are more than 1 500 distinct languages throughout Africa. Therefore, it would take a large book just to list all the indigenous words for soil! However, some of the most common are: Swahili = udongo; Zulu = urahlabati; Arabic = turaabun; Creole = du; Xhosa = ngcolisa; Afrikaans = grond; French = sol.
Equatorial Guinea Central Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cameroon and Gabon; Climate is always hot and humid; Terrain characterised by coastal plains rising to interior hills (> 3 000 m), volcanic islands offshore; Arable land: 5%; Main soil types are Acrisols, Ferralsols and Nitisols; Key issues are wind erosion, flash floods with associated erosion or landslides and deforestation.
Eritrea Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan; Along the Red Sea coast the climate is hot and dry (Danakil Depression is one of the hottest places in Africa), cooler and wetter in the central highlands (around 600 mm of rainfall annually), semi-arid in western hills and lowlands; Terrain is dominated by the extension of the Ethiopian highlands, descending eastwards to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains. Elevation ranges from -75 m to over 3 000 m; Arable land: 5%; Main soil types are Cambisols, Fluvisols, Leptosols and Lixisols; Key issues are frequent droughts, deforestation, overgrazing and soil erosion leading to marked desertification in places.
Ethiopia Eastern Africa, west of Somalia, landlocked; Climate is tropical monsoon with marked variations induced by topography (Danakil Depression is one of the hottest places in Africa); Terrain is a high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley. Elevation ranges from -125 m (Danakil Depression) to over 4 500 m. Lake Tana is source of the Blue Nile; Arable land: 10%; Main soil types are Cambisols, Calcisols, Leptosols, Lixisols, Nitisols and Vertisols; Key issues are the geologically active Great Rift Valley, frequent droughts, deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, desertification and poor land management. Coffee, grain sorghum and castor bean are believed to have originated in Ethiopia.
Gabon Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea; Climate is tropical, always hot and humid; Terrain is a narrow coastal plain leading to a hilly interior with savannah in the east and south; Arable land: 1%; Main soil types are Acrisols, Arenosols, Ferralsols and Nitisols; Deforestation is the main issue affecting soils.
Gambia, The Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic and enclosed by Senegal – smallest country on the continent of Africa; Climate is tropical with hot, rainy season (June to November) and cooler, dry season (November to May); The country is essentially the flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by low hills. Highest point is only 53 m above sea level; Arable land: 28%; Main soil types are Acrisols, Fluvisols, Lixisols and Regosols; Key issues are drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years), deforestation and desertification.
Ghana Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Côte d'Ivoire and Togo; Climate is tropical, warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast, hot and humid in southwest and hot and dry in north; Terrain is mostly low plains with dissected plateau in the south-central region; Arable land: 18%; Main soil types are Acrisols, Alisols, Lixisols and Plinthosols; Key issues are dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds from January to March, recurrent droughts (especially in the north which severely affect agricultural activities), deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion and loss of biodiversity. Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake by surface area (8 482 km2).
Issues affecting the soils of Africa | Soil Atlas of Africa
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