West Africa

Short description: Westernmost region of Africa

For the album, see West Africa (album). For the magazine, see West Africa (magazine).

West Africa

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Western Africa (UN subregion)

Area| 6,142,700 km2 (2,371,700 sq mi) (7th)
Population| 381,202,440 (2018 est.) (3rd)[1][2]
468,184,000 (2025 est.[3])
Density| 76.21/km2 (197.4/sq mi)
Demonym| West African
Countries|

Sovereign states (16)

* Benin
* Burkina Faso
* Cape Verde
* Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Liberia
* Mali
* Template:MTN (sometimes excluded)
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Senegal
* Sierra Leone
* Togo

Dependencies| Template:Country data SHN
Time zones| UTC−1 to UTC+1
Major Regional Organizations| Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; established 1975)
Total GDP (PPP)| US$3.413 trillion (2025) (23rd)[4]
GDP (PPP) per capita| $7,290 (2025)[5]
Total GDP (nominal)| $705 billion (2025)[6][7]
Total GDP (nominal) per capita| $1,506 (2025)[6]
Currency|

List

* Cedi (GHS)
* Dalasi (GMD)
* Franc (GNF)
* Dollar (LRD)
* Ouguiya (MRU)
* Naira (NGN)
* Pound (SHP)
* Leone (SLL)
* W. African CFA franc (XOF)

Largest cities|

List

*     * Lagos
* Abidjan
* Bamako
* Accra
* Kano
* Dakar
* Abuja
* Ibadan
* Template:Country data BFA Ouagadougou
* Kumasi

UN M.49 code| `011` – West Africa
`202` – Sub-Saharan Africa
`002` – Africa
`001` – World
Regions of the African Union:
Central
Eastern
Northern
Southern
Western
Note that Ceuta and Melilla in Northern Africa are parts of Spain.

West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo, as well as Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (a United Kingdom Overseas Territory).[8][9] As of 2021, the population of West Africa is estimated at 381 million,[1][2] and approximately 382 million in 2017, of which 189.7 million were female and 192.3 million male.[3] The region is one of the fastest growing in Africa, both demographically[10] and economically.[11]

Historically, West Africa was home to several powerful states and empires that controlled regional trade routes, including the Mali and Gao Empires. Positioned at a crossroads of trade between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, the region supplied goods such as gold, ivory, and advanced iron-working. During European exploration, local economies were incorporated into the Atlantic slave trade, which expanded existing systems of slavery. Even after the end of the slave trade in the early 19th century, colonial powers — especially France and Britain — continued to exploit the region through colonial relationships. For example, they continued exporting extractive goods like cocoa, coffee, tropical timber, and mineral resources. Since gaining independence, several West African nations, such as the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal — have taken active roles in regional and global economies.[12]

West Africa has a rich ecology, with significant biodiversity across various regions. Its climate is shaped by the dry Sahara to the north and east — producing the Harmattan winds — and by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west, which brings seasonal monsoons. This climatic mix creates a range of biomes, from tropical forests to drylands, supporting species such as pangolins, rhinoceroses, and elephants. However, West Africa's environment faces major threats due to deforestation, biodiversity loss, overfishing, pollution from mining, plastics, and climate change.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 1.1 Prehistory
* 1.2 Empires
* 1.3 European contact and enslavement
* 1.4 Colonialism
* 1.5 Postcolonial era
* 2 Geopolitical division
* 2.1 Area
* 2.2 List of countries
* 2.3 Cities
* 3 Environment
* 3.1 Nature
* 3.2 Deforestation
* 3.3 Overfishing
* 3.4 Geography and climate
* 3.4.1 Background
* 3.5 Climate change
* 4 Transport
* 4.1 Rail transport
* 4.2 Road transport
* 4.3 Air transport
* 5 Health
* 6 Culture
* 6.1 Art
* 6.2 Traditional architecture
* 6.3 Clothing
* 6.4 Cuisine
* 6.5 Recreation and sports
* 6.6 Music
* 6.6.1 Griot artists
* 6.7 Theatre
* 6.8 Film industry
* 6.9 Writing systems
* 7 Religion
* 7.1 Christianity
* 7.2 Islam
* 7.3 African traditional
* 8 Demographics and languages
* 9 Architecture
* 10 Science and technology
* 11 Economic and regional organizations
* 11.1 Economic Community of West Africa
* 11.2 West African Monetary Union
* 11.3 Women's peace movement
* 12 Gallery
* 12.1 Cityscapes of the largest cities
* 12.2 Capital cities of West Africa
* 13 See also
* 14 References
* 15 Further reading
* 16 External links

## History

Main article: Place:History of West Africa

The history of West Africa can be divided into five major periods: first, its prehistory, in which the first human settlers arrived, developed agriculture, and made contact with peoples to the north; the second, the Iron Age empires that consolidated both intra-Africa, and extra-Africa trade, and developed centralized states; third, major polities flourished, which would undergo an extensive history of contact with non-Africans; fourth, the colonial period, in which Great Britain and France controlled nearly the entire region; and fifth, the post-independence era, in which the current nations were formed.

### Prehistory

Representations of West African hunter-gatherers from the Dahomey region of Benin

West African populations were considerably mobile and interacted with one another throughout the population history of West Africa.[13] Acheulean tool-using archaic humans may have dwelled throughout West Africa since at least between 780,000 BP and 126,000 BP (Middle Pleistocene).[14] During the Pleistocene, Middle Stone Age peoples (e.g., Iwo Eleru people,[15] possibly Aterians), who dwelled throughout West Africa between MIS 4 and MIS 2,[16] were gradually replaced by incoming Late Stone Age peoples, who migrated into West Africa[17] as an increase in humid conditions resulted in the subsequent expansion of the West African forest.[18] West African hunter-gatherers occupied western Central Africa (e.g., Shum Laka) earlier than 32,000 BP,[15] dwelled throughout coastal West Africa by 12,000 BP,[19] and migrated northward between 12,000 BP and 8000 BP as far as Mali, Burkina Faso,[19] and Mauritania.[20]

Round Head figure wearing a Barbary sheep-styled mask[21]

During the Holocene, Niger-Congo speakers independently created pottery in Ounjougou, Mali[22][23][24] – the earliest pottery in Africa[25] – by at least 9400 BCE,[22] and along with their pottery,[25] as well as wielding independently invented bows and arrows,[26][27] migrated into the Central Sahara,[25] which became their primary region of residence by 10,000 BP.[26] The emergence and expansion of ceramics in the Sahara may be linked with the origin of Round Head and Kel Essuf rock art, which occupy rockshelters in the same regions (e.g., Djado, Acacus, Tadrart).[28] Hunters in the Central Sahara farmed, stored, and cooked undomesticated central Saharan flora,[29] underwent domestication of antelope,[30] and domesticated and shepherded Barbary sheep.[29] After the Kel Essuf Period and Round Head Period of the Central Sahara, the Pastoral Period followed.[31] Some of the hunter-gatherers who created the Round Head rock art may have adopted pastoral culture, and others may have not.[32] As a result of increasing aridification of the Green Sahara, Central Saharan hunter-gatherers and cattle herders may have used seasonal waterways as the migratory route taken to the Niger River and Chad Basin of West Africa.[33] In 2000 BCE, "Thiaroye Woman",[34] also known as the "Venus of Thiaroye",[35][34] may have been the earliest statuette created in Sub-Saharan West Africa; it may have particularly been a fertility statuette, created in the region of Senegambia,[35] and may be associated with the emergence of complexly organized pastoral societies in West Africa between 4000 BCE and 1000 BCE.[36] Though possibly developed as early as 5000 BCE,[37] Nsibidi may have also developed in 2000 BCE,[38][37] as evidenced by depictions of the West African script on Ikom monoliths at Ikom, in Nigeria.[37] Migration of Saharan peoples south of the Sahelian region resulted in seasonal interaction with and gradual absorption of West African hunter-gatherers, who primarily dwelt in the savannas and forests of West Africa.[19] In West Africa, which may have been a major regional cradle in Africa for the domestication of crops and animals,[39][40] Niger-Congo speakers domesticated the helmeted guineafowl[41] between 5500 BP and 1300 BP;[39] domestication of field crops occurred throughout various locations in West Africa, such as yams (d. praehensilis) in the Niger River basin between eastern Ghana and western Nigeria (northern Benin), rice (oryza glaberrima) in the Inner Niger Delta region of Mali, pearl millet (cenchrus americanus) in northern Mali and Mauritania, and cowpeas in northern Ghana.[40] After having persisted as late as 1000 BP,[19] or some period of time after 1500 CE,[42] remaining West African hunter-gatherers, many of whom dwelt in the forest-savanna region, were ultimately acculturated and admixed into the larger groups of West African agriculturalists, akin to the migratory Bantu-speaking agriculturalists and their encounters with Central African hunter-gatherers.[19]

West African sites with archaeobotanical remains from third to first millennium cal bc. The arrows indicate directions of pearl millet diffusion into sub-Saharan West Africa.

### Empires

Mansa Musa depicted holding a gold nugget from a 1395 map of Africa and Europe

The development of the region's economy allowed more centralized states and civilizations to form, beginning with Dhar Tichitt that began in 1600 B.C. followed by Djenné-Djenno beginning in 300 B.C. This was then succeeded by the Ghana Empire that first flourished roughly between the 2nd and 12th centuries C.E., which later gave way to the Mali Empire. In current-day Mauritania, there exist archaeological sites in the towns of Tichit and Oualata that were initially constructed around 2000 B.C., and were found to have originated from the Soninke branch of the Mandé peoples. Also, based on the archaeology of the city of Kumbi Saleh in modern-day Mauritania, the Mali empire came to dominate much of the region until its defeat by Almoravid invaders in 1052.

Three great kingdoms were identified in Bilad al-Sudan by the ninth century. They included Ghana, Gao and Kanem.[43]

The Sosso Empire sought to fill the void but was defeated (c. 1240) by the Mandinka forces of Sundiata Keita, founder of the new Mali Empire. The Mali Empire continued to flourish for several centuries, most particularly under Sundiata's grandnephew Musa I, before a succession of weak rulers led to its collapse under Mossi, Tuareg and Songhai invaders. In the 15th century, the Songhai would form a new dominant state based on Gao, in the Songhai Empire, under the leadership of Sonni Ali and Askia Mohammed.

13th-century Africa – map of the main trade routes and states, kingdoms and empires

Meanwhile, south of Sudan, strong city-states arose in Igboland, such as the 10th-century Kingdom of Nri, which helped birth the arts and customs of the Igbo people, Bono State in the 11th century, which gave birth to the numerous Akan States, while Ife rose to prominence around the 12th century. Further east, Oyo arose as the dominant Yoruba state and the Aro Confederacy as a dominant Igbo state in modern-day Nigeria.

The Kingdom of Nri was a West African medieval state in present-day southeastern Nigeria and a subgroup of the Igbo people. The Kingdom of Nri was unusual in the history of world government in that its leader exercised no military power over his subjects. The kingdom existed as a sphere of religious and political influence over a third of Igboland and was administered by a priest-king called an Eze Nri. The Eze Nri managed trade and diplomacy on behalf of the Nri people and possessed divine authority in religious matters.

The Oyo Empire was a Yoruba empire of what is today Western, North Central Nigeria and Southern Republic of Benin. Established in the 14th century, the Oyo Empire grew to become one of the largest West African states. It rose through the outstanding organizational skills of the Yoruba, wealth gained from trade and its powerful cavalry. The Oyo Empire was the most politically important state in the region from the mid-17th to the late 18th century, holding sway not only over most of the other kingdoms in Yorubaland, but also over nearby African states, notably the Fon Kingdom of Dahomey in the modern Republic of Benin to the west.

The Efik Kingdom was also a prominent early Kingdon and the associated Ibibio of the present day Nigeria. Calabar, the seat of the Efik Kingdom was the seat of government of the Southern Protectorate of Nigeria before the amalgamention of veious parts of the present day Nigeiria. For this reason, Calabra is often considered as the first capital city of nigeria, followed by Lagos and now Abuja.

The Benin Empire was a post-classical empire located in what is now southern Nigeria. Its capital was Edo, now known as Benin City, Edo. It should not be confused with the modern-day country called Benin, formerly called Dahomey. The Benin Empire was "one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa, dating perhaps to the eleventh century CE". The Benin Empire was governed by a sovereign Emperor with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and a powerful council rich in resources, wealth, ancient science and technology with cities described as beautiful and large as Haarlem. "Olfert Dapper, a Dutch writer, describing Benin in his book Description of Africa (1668) ". Its craft was the most adored and treasured bronze casting in the history of Africa. It was annexed by the British Empire in 1897 during the invasion and scramble of Africa.

### European contact and enslavement

Main article: History:Atlantic slave trade

West Africa c. 1875

Portuguese traders began establishing settlements along the coast in 1445, followed by the French, English, Spanish, Danish and Dutch; the African slave trade began not long after, which over the following centuries would debilitate the region's economy and population.[44] The slave trade also encouraged the formation of states such as the Bono State, Bambara Empire and Dahomey, whose economic activities include but not limited to exchanging slaves for European firearms.[45]

### Colonialism

French in West Africa c. 1913

In the early 19th century, a series of Fulani reformist jihads swept across Western Africa. The most notable include Usman dan Fodio's Fulani Empire, which replaced the Hausa city-states, Seku Amadu's Massina Empire, which defeated the Bambara, and El Hadj Umar Tall's Toucouleur Empire, which briefly conquered much of modern-day Mali.

However, the French and British continued to advance in the Scramble for Africa, subjugating kingdom after kingdom. With the fall of Samory Ture's established Wassoulou Empire in 1898 and the Ashanti queen Yaa Asantewaa in 1902, most West African military resistance to colonial rule resulted in failure.

Part of the West African regions underwent an increase in the numeracy level throughout the 19th century. The reason for such a growth was predetermined by a number of factors. Namely, the peanut production and trade, which was boosted by the demand of the colonial states. Importantly, the rise of numeracy was higher in the regions which were less hierarchical and had less dependence on the slavery trade (e.g. Sine and Salum). Whereas areas with the opposite trends illustrated opposite tendencies (e.g. central and northern Senegal). Those patterns were further even more stimulated by the French colonial campaign.[46]

Britain controlled the Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Nigeria throughout the colonial era, while France unified Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Ivory Coast, and Niger into French West Africa. Portugal founded the colony of Guinea-Bissau, while Germany claimed Togoland, but was forced to divide it between France and Britain following First World War due to the Treaty of Versailles. Only Liberia retained its independence, at the price of major territorial concessions.

### Postcolonial era

Following World War II, nationalist movements arose across West Africa. In 1957, Ghana, under Kwame Nkrumah, became the first West African colony to achieve its independence, followed the next year by France's colonies (Guinea in 1958 under the leadership of President Ahmed Sekou Touré); by 1974, West Africa's nations were entirely autonomous.

Since independence, many West African nations have been submerged under political instability, with notable civil wars in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ivory Coast, and a succession of military coups in Ghana and Burkina Faso.

Since the end of colonialism, the region has been the stage for some brutal conflicts, including:

* Nigerian Civil War
* First Liberian Civil War
* Second Liberian Civil War
* Guinea-Bissau Civil War
* Ivorian Civil War
* Sierra Leone Rebel War
* Mali War

## Geopolitical division

Geopolitical States of West Africa;

* Benin * Burkina Faso * Cape Verde * Ivory Coast * The Gambia |  * Ghana * Guinea * Guinea-Bissau * Liberia * Mali |  * Niger * Nigeria * Senegal * Sierra Leone * Togo |

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Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of subregion Western Africa includes the preceding states with the addition of Mauritania (which withdrew from ECOWAS in 1999), comprising an area of approximately 6.1 million square km.[47] The UN region also includes the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha in the south Atlantic Ocean.[8]

### Area

In the United Nations scheme of African regions, the region of Western Africa includes 16 states and the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha:[8] Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal and the Niger are mostly in the Sahel, a transition zone between the Sahara desert and the Sudanian Savanna; Benin, Ivory Coast, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo and Nigeria compose most of Guinea, the traditional name for the area near the Gulf of Guinea; Mauritania lies in the Maghreb, the northwestern region of Africa that has historically been inhabited by West African groups such as the Fulani, Soninke, Wolof, Serer and Toucouleur people,[48] along with Arab-Berber Maghrebi people such as the Tuareg; Cape Verde is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean; and Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha consists of eight main islands located in four different parts of the Atlantic. Due to Mauritania's increasingly close ties to the Arab World and its 1999 withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in modern times it is often considered, especially in Africa, as now part of western North Africa.[49][50][51][52][53][54]

### List of countries

* Benin
* Burkina Faso
* Cape Verde
* Ivory Coast
* The Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Liberia
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Senegal
* Sierra Leone
* Togo

### Cities

Major and principal cities in West Africa include, geographically eastward:

* Dakar, Senegal
* Touba, Senegal
* Serrekunda, The Gambia
* Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
* Conakry, Guinea
* Freetown, Sierra Leone
* Monrovia, Liberia
* Bamako, Mali

* Abidjan, Ivory Coast
* Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast
* Bouaké, Ivory Coast
* Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
* Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
* Accra, Ghana
* Kumasi, Ghana
* Lomé, Togo

* Cotonou, Benin
* Abuja, Nigeria
* Lagos, Nigeria
* Ibadan, Nigeria
* Port Harcourt, Nigeria
* Kano, Nigeria
* Benin City, Nigeria

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## Environment

### Nature

A rhinoceros in Bandia Nature Reserve, Senegal African bush elephants in Yankari National Park, Nigeria

Before European colonisation, West African countries such as those from the Senegambia region (Senegal and the Gambia) used to have a diverse wildlife including lions, hippopotamus, elephants, antelopes, leopards etc.[55] However, during colonization, the European colonizers such as the French and British killed most of the wildlife particularly the lions, using their body parts as trophies. By the turn of the 20th century, the Senegambia region had lost most of its lion population and other exotic animals due to poaching. By the 1930s, the Gambian elephant population became extinct. That phenomenon was not only limited to the Senegambia region but affected much of West Africa as the region lost much of its "natural resources once tied so closely to its cultural identity. Poaching has stolen most of its wildlife." The British issued poaching licenses, and although they would later try to reverse the damage that had been done by attempting to preserve what was left of the local wildlife, but by that time, it was too late.[56][57] During the 1930s, the elephant population in the Gold Coast was about 300, and Sierra Leone between 500 and 600. Although a small number of elephants survived in Nigeria, hunting, agricultural expansion and clearing of forest in that country drastically affected its wildlife population, particularly elephants.[57]

Despite the historical damage that has been done to the region's wildlife populations, there are still some protected nature reserves within the region. Some of these include:

* The Bandia Nature Reserve in Senegal (French: Réserve de Bandia), animal life includes: giraffes, zebras, rhinos, a variety of antelopes, buffaloes, monkeys, crocodiles, tortoises. apes and a variety of exotic birds.[58]
* The Yankari National Park in Nigeria, animal life includes: the African bush elephant, olive baboon, patas monkey, Tantalus monkey, roan antelope, western hartebeest, West African lion, African buffalo, waterbuck, bushbuck and hippopotamus.[59]

1. The Ankasa Conservation Area in Ghana, animal life includes the elephant, bongo, leopard, chimpanzee, Diana monkey, and other primates.[60]

* The Mole National Park is Ghana's biggest wildlife refuge. It is home to over 83 mammal species including about 800 resident elephants, buffalo, hippos, and warthogs[61][62] as well as various fauna and flora.

West Africa is also home to several baobab trees and other plant life. Some baobab trees are several centuries old and form part of the local folklore, for example, a mythical baobab tree named Ngoye njuli in Senegal which is regarded as a sacred site by the Serer. The tree itself is rather majestic and looks like a huge phallus and a deformed animal or thing is protruding from it. It is said to be the dwelling place of a pangool. Ngoye njuli is protected by the Senegalese authorities and attracts visitors. In West Africa, as in other parts of Africa where the baobab tree is found, the leaves are mixed with couscous and eaten, the bark of the tree is used to make ropes, and the fruit and seeds are used for drinks and oils.[56][63][64]

Deforestation in Nigeria

### Deforestation

West Africa is greatly affected by deforestation and has one of the worst deforestation rate.[65] Even "the beloved baobab tree" which is viewed as sacred by some West African cultures are under threat due to climate change, urbanization and population growth. "Huge swaths of forest are being razed to clear space for palm oil and cocoa plantations. Mangroves are being killed off by pollution. Even wispy acacias are hacked away for use in cooking fires to feed growing families."[56] Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea, Ghana and the Ivory Coast, have lost large areas of their rainforest.[66][67] In 2005, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ranked Nigeria as the state with the worst deforestation rate in the entire world. Causes include logging, subsistence agriculture, and the collection of fuelwoods.[68]

According to a ThoughtCo publication authored Steve Nix (2018), almost 90 percent of West Africa's original rainforest has been destroyed, and the rest is "heavily fragmented and in a degraded state, being poorly used."[65]

### Overfishing

Overfishing is a major issue in West Africa. Besides reducing fish stocks in the region, it also threatens food security and the livelihoods of many coastal communities that largely depend on artisanal fishing. The overfishing generally comes from foreign trawlers operating in the region.[69]

To combat the overfishing, Greenpeace has recommended countries reduce the number of registered trawlers operating in African waters, increase the monitoring and control and set up regional fisheries organizations.[70] Some steps have already been taken in the form of WARFP (the World Bank's West Africa Regional Fisheries Program which empowers west-African countries (i.e. Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, and Senegal) with information, training and monitoring systems. Furthermore, Liberia enacted a fisheries regulations Act in 2010[71] and installed a satellite-based monitoring system and Senegal enacted a fisheries code in 2015. In Cape Verde, the fishermen communities of Palmiera and Santa Maria have organized themselves to protect fishing zones. Mozambique finally created a conservation area, including a coastline. [72][73]

### Geography and climate

West Africa, broadly defined to include the western portion of the Maghreb (Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), occupies an area in excess of 6,140,000 km2, or approximately one-fifth of Africa. The vast majority of this land is plains lying less than 300 meters above sea level, though isolated high points exist in numerous states along the southern shore of West Africa.[74]

| Western Afrotropical realm

|

Benin
Burkina Faso
The Gambia
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Ivory Coast
Liberia
Mali
Mauritania
Nigeria
Niger
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Togo

State | The biostate | Location in Afrotropic

Satellite imagery from outer space of West Africa

The northern section of West Africa (narrowly defined to exclude the western Maghreb) is composed of semi-arid terrain known as Sahel, a transitional zone between the Sahara and the West Sudanian savanna. Forests form a belt between the savannas and the southern coast, ranging from 160 km to 240 km in width.[75]

The northwest African region of Mauritania periodically suffers country-wide plagues of locusts which consume water, salt and crops on which the human population relies.[76]

#### Background

West Africa is west of an imagined north–south axis lying close to 10° east longitude.[74] The Atlantic Ocean forms the western as well as the southern borders of the West African region.[74] The northern border is the Sahara Desert, with the Ranishanu Bend generally considered the northernmost part of the region.[77] The eastern border is less precise, with some placing it at the Benue Trough, and others on a line running from Mount Cameroon to Lake Chad.

Colonial boundaries are reflected in the modern boundaries between contemporary West African states, cutting across ethnic and cultural lines, often dividing single ethnic groups between two or more states.[78]

In contrast to most of Central, Southern, and Southeast Africa, West Africa is not populated by Bantu-speaking peoples.[79]

### Climate change

The Sahel has a hot semi-arid climate.

This section is an excerpt from Climate change in Africa § West Africa and the Sahel[ edit ]

## Transport

### Rail transport

A Trans-ECOWAS project, established in 2007, plans to upgrade railways in this zone. One of the goals of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is the development of an integrated railroad network.[80] Aims include the extension of railways in member countries, the interconnection of previously isolated railways and the standardization of gauge, brakes, couplings, and other parameters. The first line would connect the cities and ports of Lagos, Cotonou, Lomé and Accra and would allow the largest container ships to focus on a smaller number of large ports, while efficiently serving a larger hinterland. This line connects 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge and 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge systems, which would require four rail dual gauge, which can also provide standard gauge.[80]

### Road transport

The Trans–West African Coastal Highway is a transnational highway project to link 12 West African coastal states, from Mauritania in the north-west of the region to Nigeria[81] in the east, with feeder roads already existing to two landlocked countries, Mali and Burkina Faso.[82]

The eastern end of the highway terminates at Lagos, Nigeria.[81] Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) consider its western end to be Nouakchott, Mauritania, or to be Dakar, Senegal, giving rise to these alternative names for the road:

* Nouakchott–Lagos Highway
* Lagos–Nouakchott Highway
* Dakar–Lagos Highway
* Lagos–Dakar Highway
* Trans-African Highway 7 in the Trans-African Highway network

### Air transport

The capitals' airports include:

* Cadjehoun Airport (COO) International; Cotonou, Benin
* Ouagadougou Airport (OUA); Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
* Amílcar Cabral International Airport (SID); Praia, Cape Verde
* Banjul International Airport (BJL) International; Banjul, Gambia
* Kotoka International Airport (ACC); Accra; Ghana
* Conakry International Airport (CKY); Conakry, Guinea
* Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (OXB); Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
* Port Bouet Airport (ABJ); Abidjan, Ivory Coast
* Roberts International Airport (ROB); Monrovia, Liberia
* Bamako–Sénou International Airport (BKO); Bamako, Mali
* Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport (NKC); Nouakchott, Mauritania
* Diori Hamani International Airport (NIM); Niamey, Niger
* Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS); Lagos, Nigeria
* Saint Helena Airport; Jamestown, Saint Helena
* Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS); Dakar, Senegal
* Lungi International Airport (FNA); Freetown, Sierra Leone
* Lomé–Tokoin Airport (LFW); Lomé, Togo

Of the sixteen, the most important hub and entry point to West Africa are Kotoka International Airport, and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, offering many international connections.

## Health

West Africa has made considerable improvement in the health outcomes of its populations, despite the challenges posed by pervasive poverty, epidemic diseases, and food insecurity. The traditional communicable diseases of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis are still the major reasons for mortality. Primary health care is the best answer to curing diseases, as it provides the basic preventive strategies and it reduce the rate of child and maternal morbidity and mortality—two of the most preventable outcomes that can prolong life expectancy at birth.[83] Recently, mental health problems are on the rise in West Africa, as they are in many other world regions. However, the subject is largely a taboo, and professional treatment is still rare.[84]

## Culture

Emir of Kano in Nigeria

Despite the wide variety of cultures in West Africa, from Nigeria through to Senegal, there are general similarities in dress, cuisine, music and culture that are not shared extensively with groups outside the geographic region. This long history of cultural exchange predates the colonization era of the region and can be approximately placed at the time of the Ghana Empire (proper: Wagadou Empire), Mali Empire or perhaps before these empires. West Africa varies a series of tribes and cultures that have combined a diverse regional subculture.[85]

### Art

### Traditional architecture

A street and airport in Timbuktu, Mali, showing the Sudano-Sahelian architectural style of the West African interior

The main traditional styles of building (in conjunction with modern styles) are the distinct Sudano-Sahelian style in inland areas, and the coastal forest styles more reminiscent of other sub-Saharan areas. They differ greatly in construction due to the demands made by the variety of climates in the area, from tropical humid forests to arid grasslands and deserts. Despite the architectural differences, buildings perform similar functions, including the compound structure central to West African family life or the strict distinction between the private and public worlds needed to maintain taboos or social etiquette.[86]

### Clothing

Philip Emeagwali wearing the boubou (or agbada), a traditional robe symbolic of West Africa

In contrast to other parts of the continent south of the Sahara Desert, the concepts of hemming and embroidering clothing have been traditionally common to West Africa for centuries, demonstrated by the production of various breeches, shirts, tunics and jackets. As a result, the people of the region's diverse nations wear a wide variety of clothing with underlying similarities. Typical pieces of West African formal attire include the knee-to-ankle-length, flowing boubou robe, dashiki, and Senegalese kaftan (also known as agbada and babariga), which has its origins in the clothing of nobility of various West African empires in the 12th century. Traditional half-sleeved, hip-long, woven smocks or tunics (known as fugu in Gurunsi, riga in Hausa) – worn over a pair of baggy trousers—are another popular garment.[87] In the coastal regions stretching from southern Ivory Coast to Benin, a huge rectangular cloth is wrapped under one arm, draped over a shoulder, and held in one of the wearer's hands—coincidentally, reminiscent of Romans' togas. The best-known of these toga-like garments is the Kente (made by the Akan people of Ghana and Ivory Coast), who wear them as a gesture of national pride.

### Cuisine

Jollof rice or benachin, one of many Pan–West African dishes found only in West Africa

Scores of foreign visitors to West African nations (e.g., traders, historians, emigrants, colonists, missionaries) have benefited from its citizens' generosity, and even left with a piece of its cultural heritage, via its foods. West African cuisines have had a significant influence on those of Western civilization for centuries; several dishes of West African origin are currently enjoyed in the Caribbean (such as the West Indies and Haiti); Australia; the US (particularly Louisiana, Virginia, North and South Carolina); Italy; and other countries. Although some of these recipes have been altered to suit the sensibilities of their adopters, they retain a distinct West African essence.[88]

West African cuisines include fish (especially among the coastal areas), meat, vegetables, and fruits—most of which are grown by the nation's local farmers. In spite of the obvious differences among the various local cuisines in this multinational region, the foods display more similarities than differences. The small difference may be in the ingredients used. Most foods are cooked via boiling or frying. Commonly featured, starchy vegetables include yams, plantains, cassava, and sweet potatoes.[89] Rice is also a staple food, as is the Serer people's sorghum couscous (called "chereh" in Serer) particularly in Senegal and the Gambia.[90] Jollof rice—originally from the Kingdom of Jolof (now part of modern-day Senegal) but has spread to the Wolofs of Gambia—is also enjoyed in many Western nations, as well;[91] Mafé (proper: "tigh-dege-na" or domodah) from Mali (via the Bambara and Mandinka)[92]—a peanut-butter stew served with rice;[93][94] Akara (fried bean balls seasoned with spices served with sauce and bread) from Nigeria is a favorite breakfast for Gambians and Senegalese, as well as a favorite side snack or side dish in Brazil and the Caribbean just as it is in West Africa. It is said that its exact origin may be from Yorubaland in Nigeria.[95][96] Fufu (from the Twi language, a dough served with a spicy stew or sauce—for example, okra stew) from Ghana is enjoyed throughout the region and beyond even in Central Africa with their own versions of it.[97] Dishes such as taguella and eghajira. are popular among the Tuareg people.[98]

### Recreation and sports

Supporters of ASEC Mimosas

The board game oware is quite popular in many parts of Southern Africa. The word "Oware" originates from the Akan people of Ghana. However, virtually all African peoples have a version of this board game.[99] The major multi-sport event of West Africa is the ECOWAS Games which commenced at the 2012 ECOWAS Games.

Football is also a pastime enjoyed by many, either spectating or playing. The major national teams of West Africa, the Ghana national football team, the Ivory Coast national football team, and the Nigeria national football team regularly win the Africa Cup of Nations.[100] Major football teams of West Africa are Asante Kotoko SC and Accra Hearts of Oak SC of the Ghana Premier League, Enyimba International of the Nigerian Premier League and ASEC Mimosas of the Ligue 1 (Ivory Coast). The football governing body of West Africa is the West African Football Union (WAFU) and the major tournament is the West African Club Championship and WAFU Nations Cup, along with the annual individual award of West African Footballer of the Year.[101][102]

### Music

The talking drum is an instrument unique to West Africa.

Mbalax, Highlife, Fuji, Afrobeat, and Afrobeats are modern musical genres of West Africa and its diaspora. Traditional folk music is also well-preserved. Some types of folk music are religious in nature such as the "Tassou" tradition used in Serer religion.[103]

#### Griot artists

Kora-playing griots in Senegal, 1900. Both the Kora, a 21-stringed harp-lute, and the griot musical caste are unique to West Africa.

Griot artists and praise-singing is an important musical tradition related to the oral history of West African culture. Traditionally, musical and oral history as conveyed over generations by griots are typical of West African culture in Mande, Wolof, Songhay, Serer and, to some extent, Fula areas in the far west. A hereditary caste occupying the fringes of society, the griots were charged with memorizing the histories of local rulers and personages and the caste was further broken down into music-playing griots (similar to bards) and non-music-playing griots. Like Praise-singers, the griot's main profession was musical acquisition and prowess, and patrons were the sole means of financial support. Modern griots enjoy higher status in the patronage of rich individuals in places such as Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania and Guinea, and to some extent make up the vast majority of musicians in these countries. Examples of modern popular griot artists include Youssou N'Dour, Mamadou Diabate, Sona Jobareteh, and Toumani Diabate.

In other areas of West Africa, primarily among the Hausa, Mossi, Dagomba and Yoruba in the area encompassing Burkina Faso, northern Ghana, Nigeria and Niger, the traditional profession of non-hereditary praise-singers, minstrels, bards and poets play a vital role in extending the public show of power, lineage and prestige of traditional rulers through their exclusive patronage. Like the griot tradition, praise singers are charged with knowing the details of specific historical events and royal lineages, but more importantly need to be capable of poetic improvisation and creativity, with knowledge of traditional songs directed towards showing a patron's financial and political or religious power. Competition between Praise-singing ensembles and artists is high, and artists responsible for any extraordinarily skilled prose, musical compositions, and panegyric songs are lavishly rewarded with money, clothing, provisions and other luxuries by patrons who are usually politicians, rulers, Islamic clerics and merchants; these successful praise-singers rise to national stardom. Examples include Mamman Shata, Souley Konko, Fati Niger, Saadou Bori and Dan Maraya. In the case of Niger, numerous praise songs are composed and shown on television in praise of local rulers, Islamic clerics, and politicians.

### Theatre

### Film industry

Nollywood of Nigeria, is the main film industry of West Africa. The Nigerian cinema industry is the second largest film industry in terms of number of annual film productions, ahead of the American film industry in Hollywood.[104] Senegal and Ghana also have long traditions of producing films. The late Ousmane Sembène, the Senegalese film director, producer and writer is from the region, as is the Ghanaian Shirley Frimpong-Manso.

### Writing systems

* Vai (Unicode block)
* Tifinagh (Unicode block)

## Religion

### Christianity

Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha, Nigeria

Christianity is largely practiced in west Africa Christians.[105] Christianity was largely introduced from the late 18th century onward, when missionaries from European countries brought the religion to the region.[106] West African Christians are predominantly Roman Catholic or Anglican; some Evangelical churches have also been established. Christianity is the predominant religion in Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, Liberia to coastal parts of Sierra Leone and southern part of Nigeria and Ivory Coast . elements of traditional African religion are mixed with Christianity.[107]

### Islam

The 13th-century Great Mosque of Djenné is a superb example of the indigenous Sahelian architectural style prevalent in the Savannah and Sahelian interior of West Africa. It is listed an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Islam is largely practiced in the West African interior and the far west coast of the continent and was introduced to the region by traders in the 8th century. Islamic rules on livelihood, values, dress and practices had a profound effect on the populations and cultures in their predominant areas, so much so that the concept of tribalism is less observed by Islamized groups like the Wolof, Hausa, Fula, Songhai, Zarma or Soninke, than they are by non-Islamized groups.[108] Ethnic intermarriage and shared cultural icons are established through a superseded commonality of belief or community, known as ummah.[109] Traditional Muslim areas include Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Guinea, Niger; the upper coast of Sierra Leone the western, northern and far-eastern regions of Burkina Faso; and the northern half of Nigeria and Ivory Coast.[110]

### African traditional

Voodoo altar with several fetishes in Abomey, Benin

Traditional African religions (noting the many different belief systems) are the oldest belief systems among the populations of this region, and include Akan religion, Yoruba religion, Odinani-Igbo, and Serer religion. They are spiritual creeds that also perform other functions such as preserving the historical and cultural heritage of the people,[111] and "West African tribal groups" blend social and religious rituals together to the point where there is usually not "much distinction" between them.[112] Although traditional beliefs vary from one place to the next, there are more similarities than differences.[113]

Most traditional religious organizations "do not have a formal hierarchy of priests."[112] Group rituals are usually overseen by tribal elders who, "within many cultures", "serve as the main religious figures and determine the time, nature, and intricacies of rituals", or shaman priests who can use magic to heal, control fate, and connect to the spirit world.[112]

## Demographics and languages

Language family map of West Africa

Native West Africans primarily speak Niger–Congo languages, belonging mostly, though not exclusively, to its non-Bantu branches, though some Nilo-Saharan and Afro-Asiatic speaking groups are also found in West Africa. The Niger–Congo-speaking Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani, Akan and Wolof ethnic groups are the largest and most influential. In the central Sudan/Sahel, Mandinka or Mande groups are most significant. Chadic-speaking groups, most prominently including the Hausa, and Nilo-Saharan-speaking communities, such as the Songhai, Kanuri and Zarma, are found in the eastern parts of the Sahel bordering Central Africa. In Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, the nomadic Tuareg speak the Tuareg language, a Berber language. The population of West Africa is estimated at 381 million[1][2] people as of 2018.

Colonial languages also play a pivotal cultural and political role, being adopted as the official languages of most countries in the region, as well as linguae franca in communication between the region's various ethnic groups. For historical reasons, Western European languages such as French, English and Portuguese predominate in Southern and Coastal subregions, whilst Arabic (in its Maghrebi varieties) spreads inland northwards.

## Architecture

Further information in the sections of Architecture of Africa:

* Prehistoric West African Architecture
* Ancient West African Architecture
* Medieval West African Architecture

## Science and technology

Further information in the sections of History of science and technology in Africa:

* Education
* Astronomy
* Mathematics
* Metallurgy
* Medicine
* Agriculture
* Textiles
* Maritime technology
* Architecture
* Communication systems
* Warfare
* Commerce
* By country

## Economic and regional organizations

Map of petroleum and natural gas within West Africa

### Economic Community of West Africa

This section is an excerpt from Economic Community of West African States[ edit ]

### West African Monetary Union

The West African Monetary Union (or UEMOA from its name in French, Union économique et monétaire ouest-africaine) is limited to the eight, mostly Francophone countries that employ the CFA franc as their common currency. The Liptako–Gourma Authority of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso seeks to jointly develop the contiguous areas of the three countries.

### Women's peace movement

Since the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000, women have been engaged in rebuilding war-torn Africa. Starting with the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace and Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET), the peace movement has grown to include women across West Africa.

Established on 8 May 2006, Women Peace and Security Network – Africa (WIPSEN-Africa), is a women-focused, women-led Pan-African non-governmental organization based in Ghana.[114] The organization focuses on empowering women to have a role in political and peace governance in Africa.[114] It has a presence in Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Regional leaders of nonviolent resistance include Leymah Gbowee,[115] Comfort Freeman, and Aya Virginie Toure.

Pray the Devil Back to Hell is a documentary film about the origin of this peace movement. The film has been used as an advocacy tool in post-conflict zones like Sudan and Zimbabwe, mobilizing African women to petition for peace and security.[116]

## Gallery

### Cityscapes of the largest cities

Bird's-eye view of the West Africa City of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria

Bird's-eye view of the West Africa City of Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria

Bird's-eye view of the West Africa City of Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana

Bird's-eye view of the West Africa City of Abidjan, Lagunes, Ivory Coast

Bird's-eye view of the West Africa City of Kumasi, Ashanti, Ghana

Bird's-eye view of the West Africa City of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

### Capital cities of West Africa

* Capital cities of West Africa
* Praia, Cape Verde

* Dakar, Senegal

* Lomé, Togo

* Porto-Novo, Benin

* Niamey, Niger

* Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

* Freetown, Sierra Leone

* Banjul, Gambia

* Conakry, Guinea

* Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

* Monrovia, Liberia

* Bamako, Mali

* Nouakchott, Mauritania

* Abuja, Nigeria

* Accra, Ghana

* Abidjan, Ivory Coast

* Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast

* Jamestown, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

## See also

* Social:Agroecology in West Africa
* Place:List of regions of Africa - None
* Social:N'Ko script - Alphabet for the Manding languages of West Africa
* Place:North Africa - Northernmost region of Africa
* Place:Sub-Saharan Africa - Region south of the Sahara Desert
* Place:Central Africa - Core region of the African continent
* Place:East Africa - Region
* Place:Southern Africa - Southernmost region of Africa
* Earth:West African Craton - One of the five cratons of the Precambrian basement rock of Africa that make up the African Plate

## References

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2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 ""Overall total population" – World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision" (xslx). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Files/1_Indicators (Standard)/EXCEL_FILES/1_Population/WPP2019_POP_F01_1_TOTAL_POPULATION_BOTH_SEXES.xlsx.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2017). World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, custom data acquired via website. [1]
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27. ↑ Roy, Kaushik (15 September 2021). "Military Convergence and the Bronze Age Civilisations of Eurasia". A Global History of Pre-Modern Warfare: Before the Rise of the West, 10,000 BCE–1500 CE. Routledge. p. Unnumbered. ISBN 978-1-000-43212-1. OCLC 1261367188. https://books.google.com/books?id=yE85EAAAQBAJ&q=Bows+arrows+West+Africa+independently+hunting.
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46. ↑ Baten, Jörg (May 2017). "European Trade, Colonialism and Human Capital Accumulation in Senegal, Gambia and Western Mali, 1770 – 1900". CESifo Working Papers.
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48. ↑ Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych, Studies on the Developing Countries, Issues 6–8, Polish Institute of International Affairs (1988), p. 53
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50. ↑ "2014 UNHCR country operations profile – Mauritania". http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e486026.html.
51. ↑ "African Development Bank Group: Mauritania". http://www.afdb.org/en/countries/north-africa/mauritania/.
52. ↑ Facts on File, Incorporated, Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East (2009), p. 448, ISBN 143812676X: "The Islamic Republic of Mauritania, situated in western North Africa..."
53. ↑ David Seddon, A Political and Economic Dictionary of the Middle East (2004), ISBN 020340291X: "We have, by contrast, chosen to include the predominantly Arabic-speaking countries of western North Africa (the Maghreb), including Mauritania (which is a member of the Arab Maghreb Union)..."
54. ↑ Mohamed Branine, Managing Across Cultures: Concepts, Policies and Practices (2011), p. 437, ISBN 1849207291: "The Magrebian countries or the Arab countries of western North Africa (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia)..."
55. ↑ Koslow, Philip, Senegambia: Land of the Lion, Chelsea House Publishers (1997), pp. 11, 35–47, ISBN 9780791031353.
56. ↑ 56.0 56.1 56.2 The New York Times, "Across Senegal, the Beloved Baobab Tree Is the 'Pride of the Neighborhood'", by Dionne Searcey (30 Sept. 2018) (Retrieved 1 April 2019)
57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 Somerville, Keith, Ivory: Power and Poaching in Africa, Oxford University Press (2016), p. 84–85 ISBN 9781849046763 [2] (Retrieved 1 April 2019)
58. ↑ Bandia Nature Reserve is sometimes called Bandia park reserve, Lonely Planet, Half-Day Somone Lagoon and Bandia Park Safari from Dakar, [3] (Retrieved 1 April 2019)
59. ↑ Lonely Plane, Yankari National Park[4] (Retrieved 1 April 2019)
60. ↑ Tilahun, Mesfin; Damnyag, Lawrence; Anglaaere, Luke C.N. (2016). "The Ankasa Forest Conservation Area of Ghana: Ecosystem service values and on-site REDD + opportunity cost". Forest Policy and Economics 73: 168–176. doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2016.08.011.
61. ↑ Riley, Laura (2005). Nature's strongholds: the world's great wildlife reserves. William Riley. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12219-9. OCLC 59347952.
62. ↑ Brodowsky, Pamela K. (2009). Destination wildlife: an international site-by-site guide to the best places to experience endangered, rare, and fascinating animals and their habitats. National Wildlife Federation. New York: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-399-53486-7. OCLC 233549707.
63. ↑ Martin, V.; Becker, C. (1979). "Lieux de culte et emplacements celebres dans les pays Sereer (Sénégal)" (in fr). Bulletin de l'Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire, Série B: Sciences humaines 41: 133–189.
64. ↑ "The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC)". https://www.seereer.org/.
65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 ThoughtCo, The Territory and Current Status of the African Rainforest by Steve Nix (4 November 2018) [5] (Retrieved 2 April 2019)
66. ↑ Deforestation by Country & Region ("Country Forest Data [sorted by region]") [in] Mongabay.com (Retrieved 2 April 2019)
67. ↑ Rainforest Destruction [in] rainforestweb.org. Archived by Wayback Machine – [6] (Retrieved 2 April 2019)
68. ↑ Mongabay News, Nigeria has worst deforestation rate, FAO revises figures (17 November 2005) by Rhett A. Butler, [7] (Retrieved 2 April 2019)
69. ↑ "Overfishing destroying livelihoods | Africa Renewal". United Nations. 12 May 2017. https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/may-july-2017/overfishing-destroying-livelihoods.
70. ↑ "Greenpeace welcomes cancellation of fishing licences of 29 foreign trawlers". 2012-05-04. https://en.africanmanager.com/greenpeace-welcomes-cancellation-of-fishing-licences-of-29-foreign-trawlers-2/.
71. ↑ "Liberia Gets New Fisheries Regulations.". 2011-01-05. https://fcwc-fish.org/other-news/liberia-gets-new-fisheries-regulations.
72. ↑ "Cape Verde: Greenpeace Raises Awareness on the State of Fisheries in West Africa". https://nepadwatercoe.org/cape-verde-greenpeace-raises-awareness-on-the-state-of-fisheries-in-west-africa/.
73. ↑ "Overfishing threatens food security off Africa's western and central coast as many fish species in the region face extinction – IUCN report". 19 January 2017. https://www.iucn.org/news/secretariat/201701/overfishing-threatens-food-security-africa’s-western-and-central-coast-many-fish-species-region-face-extinction-–-iucn-report.
74. ↑ 74.0 74.1 74.2 Peter Speth. Impacts of Global Change on the Hydrological Cycle in West and Northwest Africa, p. 33. Springer, 2010. ISBN 3-642-12956-0
75. ↑ Peter Speth. Impacts of Global Change on the Hydrological Cycle in West and Northwest Africa, p. 33. Springer, 2010. Prof. Kayode Omitoogun 2011, ISBN 3-642-12956-0
76. ↑ National Geographic, February 2013, p. 8.
77. ↑ Anthony Ham. West Africa, p. 79. Lonely Planet, 2009. ISBN 1-74104-821-4
78. ↑ Celestine Oyom Bassey, Oshita Oshita. Governance and Border Security in Africa, p. 261. African Books Collective, 2010. ISBN 978-8422-07-1
79. ↑ Ian Shaw, Robert Jameson. A Dictionary of Archaeology, p. 28. Wiley-Blackwell, 2002. ISBN 0-631-23583-3
80. ↑ 80.0 80.1 "Proposed Ecowas railway" . railwaysafrica.com.
81. ↑ 81.0 81.1 Nigeria Real Estate Market Review. Northcourt. https://www.northcourtrealestate.com/download/Nigeria_RE_Market_Review_H1_2022.pdf.
82. ↑ Itai Madamombe (2006): "NEPAD promotes better transport networks", Africa Renewal, Vol. 20, No. 3 (October 2006), p. 14.
83. ↑ Azevedo, Mario J. (February 2017). "The State of Health System(s) in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities". Historical Perspectives on the State of Health and Health Systems in Africa, Volume II. African Histories and Modernities. pp. 1–73. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-32564-4_1. ISBN 978-3-319-32563-7.
84. ↑ Abi, Samir (12 June 2019). "Metaphysical explanations". https://www.dandc.eu/en/article/west-africa-traditional-or-religious-practices-are-often-preferred-method-treating-mental.
85. ↑ The History of West Africa. Routledge. 2018. ISBN 978-1138094144.
86. ↑ African Architecture: Evolution and Transformation. Smithsonian Institution Press. 1998. ISBN 978-1560987429.
87. ↑ Barbara K. Nordquist, Susan B. Aradeon, Howard University. School of Human Ecology, Museum of African Art (U.S.). Traditional African dress and textiles: an exhibition of the Susan B. Aradeon collection of West African dress at the Museum of African Art (1975), pp. 9–15.
88. ↑ Chidi Asika-Enahoro. A Slice of Africa: Exotic West African Cuisines, Introduction. iUniverse, 2004. ISBN 0-595-30528-8.
89. ↑ Pamela Goyan Kittler, Kathryn Sucher. Food and Culture, p. 212. Cengage Learning, 2007. ISBN 0-495-11541-X.
90. ↑ UNESCO. The Case for indigenous West African food culture, p. 4. BREDA series, Vol. 9 (1995), (UNESCO).
91. ↑ Alan Davidson, Tom Jaine. The Oxford Companion to Food, p. 423. Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-19-280681-5.
92. ↑ Mafé or maafe is a Wolof word for it, the proper name is "domodah" among the Mandinka people of Senegal and Gambia, who are the originators of this dish, or "tigh-dege-na" among the Bambara people or Mandinka people of Mali. "Domodah" is also used by all Senegambians borrowed from the Mandinka language.
93. ↑ James McCann. Stirring the Pot: A History of African Cuisine, p. 132. Ohio University Press, 2009. ISBN 0-89680-272-8.
94. ↑ Emma Gregg, Richard Trillo. Rough Guide to The Gambia, p. 39. Rough Guides, 2003. ISBN 1-84353-083-X.
95. ↑ Carole Boyce Davies (ed.), Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora: Origins, Experiences and Culture, Volume 1, p. 72. ABC-CLIO, 2008. ISBN 1-85109-700-7.
96. ↑ Toyin Ayeni. I Am a Nigerian, Not a Terrorist, p. 2. Dog Ear Publishing, 2010. ISBN 1-60844-735-9.
97. ↑ Dayle Hayes, Rachel Laudan. Food and Nutrition. Dayle Hayes, Rachel Laudan, editorial advisers. Volume 7, p. 1097. Marshall Cavendish, 2008. ISBN 0-7614-7827-2.
98. ↑ "Customs & Cuisine of Niger | Amman Imman | Dining for Women". https://diningforwomen.org/customsandcuisine/customs-cuisine-of-niger-amman-imman/.
99. ↑ West Africa, issues 4106–4119, pp. 1487–8. Afrimedia International, (1996)
100. ↑ "Why does the West dominate African football?" BBC.
101. ↑ "Wafu Cup to make a comeback". BBC Sport. 29 September 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/7642679.stm.
102. ↑ "Caf have split the West African Football Union into two separate zones". Goal. 17 May 2011. http://www.goal.com/en/news/89/africa/2011/05/17/2490472/caf-have-split-the-west-african-football-union-into-two-separate-.
103. ↑ Ali Colleen Neff, Tassou: the Ancient Spoken Word of African Women. 2010.
104. ↑ "Nigeria surpasses Hollywood as world's second-largest film producer – UN". United Nations. 5 May 2009. https://www.un.org/apps//news/story.asp?NewsID=30707&Cr=nigeria&Cr1=.
105. ↑ Johnson, Todd M.; Zurlo, Gina A.; Hickman, Albert W.; Crossing, Peter F. (November 2017). "Christianity 2018: More African Christians and Counting Martyrs". International Bulletin of Mission Research 42 (1): 20–28. doi:10.1177/2396939317739833.
106. ↑ Robert O. Collins. African History: Western African History, p. 153. Markus Wiener Publishers, 1990. ISBN 1-55876-015-6
107. ↑ Emmanuel Kwaku Akyeampong. Themes in West Africa's History, p. 152. James Currey Publishers, 2006. ISBN 0-85255-995-X
108. ↑ "The Islamic World to 1600: The Fractured Caliphate and the Regional Dynasties (West Africa)". https://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/islam/fractured/westAfrica.html.
109. ↑ Muslim Societies in African History (New Approaches to African History), David Robinson, Chapter 1.
110. ↑ Spread of Islam in West Africa (part 1 of 3): The Empire of Ghana, Prof. A. Rahman I. Doi, Spread of Islam in West Africa. http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/304/
111. ↑ John S. Mbiti. Introduction to African Religion, p. 19. East African Publishers, 1992. ISBN 9966-46-928-1
112. ↑ 112.0 112.1 112.2 Salamone, Frank A. (2004). Levinson, David. ed. Encyclopedia of Religious Rites, Rituals, and Festivals. New York: Routledge. p. 9. ISBN 0-415-94180-6.
113. ↑ William J. Duiker, Jackson J. Spielvogel. World History: To 1800, p. 224. Cengage Learning, 2006. ISBN 0-495-05053-9
114. ↑ 114.0 114.1 "WIPSEN". http://www.wipsen-africa.org/wipsen/about/?lang=en-us.
115. ↑ "WIPSEN EMPOWERS WOMEN…To fight for their rights" (article). Ghana Media Group. 11 December 2010. http://todaygh.com/2011/03/14/wipsen-empowers-women-to-fight-for-their-rights/.
116. ↑ November 2009 MEDIAGLOBAL

## Further reading

* Akyeampong, Emmanuel Kwaku. Themes in West Africa's History (2006).
* Brydon, Lynne. "Constructing Avatime: questions of history and identity in a West African polity, c. 1690s to the twentieth century." Journal of African History 49.1 (2008): 23–42. online
* Collins, Robert O. African History: Western African History (1990).
* Davidson, Basil. A History of West Africa, 1000–1800 (1978), numerous editions
* Delavignette, Robert. Freedom and Authority in French West Africa (Routledge, 2018).
* Dueppen, Stephen A. "The archaeology of West Africa, ca. 800 BCE to 1500 CE." History Compass 14.6 (2016): 247–263.
* Edgerton, Robert B. The Fall of the Asante Empire: The Hundred-Year War For Africa'S Gold Coast (2002).
* Fage, J. D. A Guide to Original Sources for Precolonial Western Africa Published in European Languages (2nd ed. 1994); updated in Stanley B. Alpern, ed. Guide to Original Sources for Precolonial Western Africa (2006).
* Festus, Jacob et al. eds. History of West Africa (Vol. 1, 1989).
* Greene, S. E. Sacred Sites and the Colonial Encounter: A History of Meaning and Memory in Ghana (2002).
* Griswold, Wendy. Writing African women: Gender, popular culture and literature in West Africa (Zed Books Ltd., 2017).
* Ham, Anthony. West Africa (2013) online.
* Hayward, Derek F., and Julius Oguntoyinbo. Climatology of West Africa (Routledge, 2019).
* Hopkins, Antony Gerald. An economic history of West Africa (2014) online.
* Huber, Caroline, Lyn Finelli, and Warren Stevens. "The economic and social burden of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa." Journal of infectious diseases 218.Supplement_5 (2018): S698–S704.
* Kane, Ousmane Oumar, Beyond Timbuktu: An Intellectual History of Muslim West Africa (2016).
* Lavallée, Emmanuelle; Roubaud, François (3 June 2019). "Corruption in the Informal Sector: Evidence from West Africa". The Journal of Development Studies 55 (6): 1067–1080. doi:10.1080/00220388.2018.1438597. https://basepub.dauphine.psl.eu/handle/123456789/24991. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
* Law, Robin (1985). "Human Sacrifice in Pre-Colonial West Africa". African Affairs 84 (334): 53–87. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a097676.
* Mann, Gregory (2005). "Locating Colonial Histories: Between France and West Africa". The American Historical Review 110 (2): 409–434. doi:10.1086/ahr/110.2.409.
* Martinez-Alvarez, Melisa; Jarde, Alexander; Usuf, Effua; Brotherton, Helen; Bittaye, Mustapha; Samateh, Ahmadou L; Antonio, Martin; Vives-Tomas, Joan et al. (May 2020). "COVID-19 pandemic in west Africa". The Lancet Global Health 8 (5): e631–e632. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30123-6. PMID 32246918.
* Mazrui, Ali A. Islam and the English language in East and West Africa (Routledge, 2017).
* Meillassoux, Claude, ed. The development of indigenous trade and markets in West Africa: studies presented and discussed at the tenth International African seminar at Fourah Bay college, Freetown, December 1969 (Routledge, 2018).
* Mendonsa, Eugene L. West Africa: An Introduction to Its History (2002)
* O'Brien, Donal Cruise, Richard Rathbone, John Dunn, eds. Contemporary West African States (2002) online free to borrow
* Soares, Benjamin (March 2014). "The Historiography of Islam in West Africa: An Anthropologist's View". The Journal of African History 55 (1): 27–36. doi:10.1017/S0021853713000819.
* Tonkin, Elizabeth. Narrating our pasts: The social construction of oral history (Cambridge university press, 1995), on West Africa
* Westermann, Diedrich, and Margaret Arminel Bryan. The Languages of West Africa: Handbook of African Languages (Routledge, 2017).

## External links

* West Africa by Region and Country – African Studies at Columbia University
* ouestaf.com – Ouestaf, a West African online newspaper Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
* Loccidental – An online West African newspaper Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
* West Africa Review – An e-journal on West Africa research and scholarship Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
* The Voyage of the Sieur Le Maire, to the Canary Islands, Cape-Verde, Senegal, and Gambia is the first published writing about Western Africa, dating from 1695 Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.

Template:ECOWAS

* v
* t
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Regions of Africa

Central Africa|

* Guinea region
* Gulf of Guinea
* Cape Lopez
* Mayombe
* Igboland
* Mbaise
* Pool Malebo
* Congo Basin
* Chad Basin
* Cameroonian Highlands forests
* Congolian rainforests
* Ouaddaï highlands
* Ennedi Plateau

East Africa|

* African Great Lakes
* Albertine Rift
* East African Rift
* Great Rift Valley
* Gregory Rift
* Rift Valley lakes
* Virunga Mountains
* Kavirondo
* Zanj
* East African montane forests
* Eastern Arc Mountains
* Serengeti
* Horn of Africa
* Afar Triangle
* Al-Habash
* Barbara
* Danakil Alps
* Danakil Desert
* Ethiopian Highlands
* Dahlak Archipelago
* Hanish Islands
* Gulf of Aden
* Gulf of Tadjoura
* Red Sea
* Indian Ocean islands
* Comoro Islands
* Lamu Archipelago
* Zanzibar Archipelago
* Swahili coast

North Africa|

* Eastern Desert
* Maghreb
* Ancient Libya
* Atlas Mountains
* Barbary Coast
* Bashmur
* Gibraltar Arc
* Ifriqiya
* Nile Valley
* Nile Delta
* Cataracts of the Nile
* Darfur
* Gulf of Aqaba
* Lower Egypt
* Lower Nubia
* Middle Egypt
* Nile Delta
* Nuba Mountains
* Nubia
* The Sudans
* Upper Egypt
* Tibesti Mountains
* Western Sahara

West Africa|

* Pepper Coast
* Gold Coast
* Slave Coast
* Ivory Coast
* Cape Palmas
* Cape Mesurado
* Guinea region
* Guinean Forests of West Africa
* Upper Guinean forests
* Lower Guinean forests
* Guinean forest-savanna mosaic
* Guinea Highlands
* Gulf of Guinea
* Niger Basin
* Dahomey Gap
* Niger Delta
* Inner Niger Delta
* Yorubaland

Southern Africa|

* Madagascar
* Central Highlands (Madagascar)
* Northern Highlands
* Rhodesia
* North
* South
* Thembuland
* Succulent Karoo
* Nama Karoo
* Bushveld
* Maputaland
* Highveld
* Fynbos
* Cape Floristic Region
* Skeleton Coast
* Kalahari Desert
* Okavango Delta
* Cape Peninsula
* False Bay
* Hydra Bay

Macro-regions|

* Aethiopia
* Afromontane
* Arab world
* Commonwealth realm
* Equatorial Africa
* Françafrique
* Greater Middle East
* Guineo-Congolian region
* Islands of Africa
* List of countries where Arabic is an official language
* Mediterranean Basin
* MENA
* MENASA
* Middle East
* Miombo woodlands
* Mittelafrika
* Negroland
* Northeast Africa
* Portuguese-speaking African countries
* Sahara
* Sahel
* Sub-Saharan Africa
* Sudan (region)
* Sudanian Savanna
* East Sudanian Savanna
* Tropical Africa
* Zambezian region

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