ABSTRACT
From pre-historic times, Africans have known nothing but a harsh and treacherous natural environment. Most of the northern portion of the continent is desert, while the central belt is characterized by humid tropical rainforests, lake basins, rapidlyflowing rivers that render river-based transportation difficult at best and impossible at worst, hilly, mountainous and rocky terrain that prevent the adoption of mechanized agricultural techniques, and dense forests that are replete with deadly insects and bacteria. In the hinterland areas – that is, the non-coastal regions – harvesting is done only once a year. Perhaps more worthy of note is the fact that Africans have always faced a scarcity of resources in locations where they are most needed.
