FACTS AND FIGURES
(Sources of information: The World Aimanac and Book of Facts. 1981, World Book
Encyclopedia.) :
AFRICA- INDIAN OCEAN DIVISION
This fairly recent division was formed in 1980 and is comprised of the
French-speaking nations of Africa from Cape Verde, off Mauritania in the west, to
Rwanda, in central Africa, and includes Madagascar and the other Indian Ocean
islands off southeastern Africa. While church membership is rapidly expandmg in
countries such as Nigeria, Zaire, Rwanda. and Burundi, the church is almost
nonexistent in the large countries of Mali. Niger. and Chad.
It would be impossible to understand the history or the cultures of Africa apart
from a consideration ol their unique environment. This 1s the most tropical of all
continents—its northern and southern extremes being the same distance from the
equator, and 81 percent of its land mass lying within the tropical zone. Lush
grasslands cover 40 percent of the continent and deserts another 40 percent, while
less than 20 percent is rain forest See a current encyclopedia for more on 1 Alrica.
IVORY COAST (area—124, 503 square miles), Capital: Abidjan
This country, shightly larger than New Mexico in the U.S | is on the south coast of
West Africa. between Liberia and Ghana. The headquarters of the Africa-indian
Ocean Division is here in Abidjan. The per capita income (1978) is US$906. The life
expectancy at birth is 41.9 for males and 45.1 for females. The population (1979) is
7.761.000. 22 percent of whom are literate The Ivory Coast was a French
protectorate from 1842 and gained independence | in 1960. Itis the most prosperous
of tropical African nations Se
RWANDA (area: 10.169 square miles). Capital: Kigali
~~ This country is the size of Maryland in the U.S and has a population (197%) of
4,955,000. Its bordered by Uganda to the North, Zaire to the wast, and Burundi to
the south. Grassy uplands and hills cover most of the country. with a chain of
“volcanoes in the northwest The Nile River has its source in the headwaters of the
Kagera River southwest of Kigali, the capital. The per capita income (1977) is
US$172 Rwanda was for centuries dominated by the tall Tutsi peaple, until 1959,
“when civil war hroke out. Its presently one of the most densely 70p ulated courtries
in-Atrca,
BURUNDI (area 10.739 square miles). Capital Bujumbura :
Situated directly south of Rwanda, Burundi Is one of the poorest and most
densely populated countries in Africa, wilh 396 68 persons per square mile. Life
expectancy at birth is 40 for males and 43 for females. The country boasts only three
physicians per 100,000 of population, and 18 percent hteracy The per capita
income 11879) is USS70 La :
ZAIRE (area. 905.083 scare miles) Capital: Kinshasa ©
© Thus country, one four the size of the United States, was formerty Belgian
Congc. whose captal city Lzopoldville, 1s now Kinshasa Sixty percent of the
papulation of 28 million (1379) 1s Christian and 30 percents iterate There are two
~ physicians for every 130.000 people.