CENTRAL AFRICA

Countries constituting Central Africa

Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Congo (Democratic Republic of), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome & Principe.

The great rain forest basin of the Congo River embraces most of the Central Africa. Late in the 19th century, Europeans colonized the region. The tribal kingdoms were split between France, Belgium, Portugal and Spain. Many who belong to a small growing urban population speak French, along with hundreds of dialects.

Crops for export include cocoa, coffee, and rubber. Cattle farming is limited to areas free of the tsetse fly, and fish from the rivers are protein sources. Timber provides export revenue or several countries, although concern about the uncontrolled logging is growing.