H.L. Shantz and C.F. Marbut, The Vegetation and Soils of Africa (1923, reprinted 1971), was the first systematic account of major soil groups. R.P. Moss (ed.), The Soil Resources of Tropical Africa (1968); and Peter M. Ahn, West African Soils (1970), present discussions of the framework within which tropical soils may be described. B.W. Thompson, The Climate of Africa (1965), and Africa: The Climatic Background (1975), provide general information. Glenn T. Trewartha, The Earth’s Problem Climates, 2nd ed. (1981), gives a more-advanced account of the major climatic anomalies in Africa. Kwamina Busumafi Dickson
The undoubted leading survey of African vegetation is F. White, Vegetation of Africa (1983), written to explain an accompanying map. The best comprehensive presentation of grasses remains J.M. Rattray, The Grass Cover of Africa (1960), also with a map. P.W. Richards et al., The Tropical Rain Forest: An Ecological Study, 2nd ed. (1995, reprinted 2011), is a comprehensive classic with a relevance well beyond its title. Brian Hopkins, Forest and Savanna: An Introduction to Tropical Terrestrial Ecology with Special Reference to West Africa, 2nd ed. (1976, reprinted 1979), is a detailed treatment of interactions in western Africa, including the effects of agriculture and pastoralism. Monica M. Cole, “The Savannas of Africa,” part III in her The Savannas: Biogeography and Geobotany (1986), pp. 111–290, is also useful. H.L. Shantz and B.L. Turner, Photographic Documentation of Vegetational Changes in Africa over a Third of a Century (1958), presents telling site-by-site comparisons made by two doyens of science in Africa.
Good general treatments of African animal life are to be found in J.L. Cloudsley-Thompson, The Zoology of Tropical Africa (1969); D.F. Owen, Animal Ecology in Tropical Africa, 2nd ed. (1976); M.J. Delany and D.C.D. Happold, Ecology of African Mammals (1979); and Jonathan Kingdon, Island Africa: The Evolution of Africa’s Rare Animals and Plants (1989). Two general nature histories, approaching fauna from somewhat different standpoints although complementary to one another, are Leslie Brown, Africa: A Natural History (1965); and Archie Carr et al., The Land and Wildlife of Africa, rev. ed. (1980), a Time-Life book. Books that provide authoritative surveys of the different forms of animal life include Jonathan Kingdon, East African Mammals: An Atlas of Evolution in Africa (1971–89), splendidly artistic and alive in treatment; Walter Leuthold, African Ungulates: A Comparative Review of Their Ethology and Behavioral Ecology (1977), discussing hoofed mammals; R.E. Moreau, The Bird Faunas of Africa and Its Islands (1966); C.W. Mackworth-Praed and C.H.B. Grant, Birds of Eastern and North Eastern Africa, 2 vol., 2nd ed. (1957–60, reprinted 1980), Birds of the Southern Third of Africa, 2 vol. (1962–63, reprinted 1981), and Birds of West Central and Western Africa, 2 vol. (1970–73, reprinted 1981); Geoffrey Fryer and T.D. Iles, The Cichlid Fishes of the Great Lakes of Africa: Their Biology and Evolution (1972); Michael Holden and William Reed, West African Freshwater Fish (1972); R.A. Jubb, Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa (1967); Vivian F.M. Fitzsimons, Snakes of Southern Africa (1962); and S.H. Skaife, African Insect Life, new ed. rev. by John Ledger (1979). John Ford, The Role of Trypanosomiases in African Ecology (1971), studies the problems caused by the tsetse fly. Jeffrey C. Stone (ed.), The Exploitation of Animals in Africa (1988), contains several colloquium papers on wildlife, domesticated stock, and conservation. David N. McMaster The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica The people
George Murdock, Africa: Its Peoples and Their Culture History (1959), is a standard text on the diverse peoples of Africa. Simon Ottenberg and Phoebe Ottenberg (eds.), Cultures and Societies of Africa (1960); and James L. Gibbs (ed.), Peoples of Africa (1965, reissued 1988), contain essays and readings about African peoples. John Middleton (ed.), Black Africa (1970), presents readings about the diversity of peoples and cultural change in sub-Saharan Africa. P.C. Lloyd, Africa in Social Change (1967), studies social interaction in West Africa between traditional African institutions and those imported from Europe. Ali A. Mazrui, The African Condition (1980), contains a political diagnosis; and Morag Bell, Contemporary Africa: Development, Culture, and the State (1986), examines the links between the political and economic structures and Africa’s cultural variety. Joseph H. Greenberg, The Languages of Africa, 3rd ed. (1970), is a basic study of language classification; and Edgar A. Gregersen, Language in Africa: An Introductory Survey (1977), is also helpful. John S. Mbiti, Introduction to African Religion, 2nd ed. (1991, reprinted 2012), provides a summary. Geoffrey Parrinder, Africa’s Three Religions, 2nd ed. (1976), discusses Christianity, Islam, and traditional religion. On Islam in particular, René A. Bravman, African Islam (1983); and J. Spencer Trimingham, The Influence of Islam upon Africa, 2nd ed. (1980), are general introductions.
Etienne van de Walle, Patrick O. Ohadike, and Mpembele D. Sala-Diakanda (eds.), The State of African Demography (1988), reviews the state and dynamics of African populations in the late 1980s. John I. Clarke and Leszek A. Kosiński (eds.), Redistribution of Population in Africa (1982), provides overviews of population redistribution as well as national case studies and studies of the impact of settlement schemes and redistribution policies; and John I. Clarke, Mustafa Khogali, and Leszek A. Kosiński (eds.), Population and Development Projects in Africa (1985, reprinted 2009), examines the general and specific impacts of development projects upon population redistribution, with particular emphasis on Sudan. Robert F. Gorman, Coping with Africa’s Refugee Burden (1987), attempts to find solutions to the major problems of refugees in Africa since the mid-20th century. William A. Hance, Population, Migration, and Urbanization in Africa (1970), contains a major overview of population and urbanization trends. Population Growth and Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa (1986), is a study by the World Bank of the fastest-growing population region in the world.