ABSTRACT
A full picture of the resource base of sub-Saharan Africa would ideally require us to make an inventory of all natural and manmade resources. Natural resources would refer to "a concentration of naturally occurring solid, liquid, or gaseous material on the earth's crust." This chapter focuses on the natural resource base of sub-Saharan Africa with only a few remarks suggesting the potential for its improvement. It presents the natural resource base and discusses how and to what extent it has been utilized so far in the production process. The chapter also discusses land resources in terms of how they are utilized in the production of food and nonfood crops and in livestock production. It suggests that the possible areas and forms that African-Arab- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development cooperation should aim at under the prevailing circumstances. Fuelwood and charcoal are the major sources of energy for more than 90 percent of the African population residing in the rural areas.
