Economic Development in Africa

Economic Development in Africa, promotion of economic activity in Africa through means such as education, creation of new businesses, more efficient production, improved financing, and enhanced transportation facilities. For information on: • general ideas about economic development, see Education in Africa; Globalization and Africa: An Interpretation; Development • African self-help economic development, see African Socialism; Botswana; Southern African Development Community; Economic Community of West African States; South Africa: The New South Africa; Theater, African: Development Theater • African American projects in Africa, see Afro-Atlantic Culture: On the Live Dialogue Between Africa and the Americas • government-to-government programs, see Cold War in Africa: Economic and Political Influences; Development; Félix Éboué; United Nations in Africa • difficulties facing business growth and development, see Population Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Kenya; Malawi Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2004. © 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Economic and Social Council Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC),

one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, composed of representatives of 54 countries. Each year 18 members are elected by the UN General Assembly for 3-year terms. ECOSOC's early activities were directed toward providing aid to war-ravaged countries of Europe and Asia. Today, the problems of developing nations are its major concern. The council carries out studies on international economic, social, humanitarian, cultural, educational, and related matters and coordinates the activities of the UN's specialized agencies in these areas. ECOSOC operates mainly through its various standing committees, functional commissions, and regional commissions. The decisions reached at council meetings, where each member has one vote and a simple majority rules, are sent as recommendations to the General Assembly. The six functional commissions deal with problems relating to social development, human rights, the status of women, narcotic drugs, population, and national and international statistics. There are also five standing committees and assorted expert bodies that deal with such matters as natural resources, development of science and technology, and crime prevention. Five regional commissions are currently in operation within the council. They are modeled after the parent body and reflect the geographic diversity of resources and needs. Each one is headed by an executive secretary. The Economic Commission for Europe, headquartered in Geneva, has 42 members; and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, headquartered in Bangkok, has 45 full members and 8 associate members; both were established in 1947. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, with 41 full members and 6 associate members, was set up in 1948 in Santiago, Chile. In 1958 the Economic Commission for Africa was established at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; it has 52 participating member nations and 2 associate members. The Economic Commission for Western Asia, with 13 members, was organized in 1973 in Beirut, Lebanon; its headquarters was subsequently moved to Baghdād, Iraq, because of the war in Lebanon. A regional commission may make recommendations to any member government but can act only with the consent of that government. Regional cooperation has stimulated progress in agriculture, industry, education, housing, electric power, trade, transportation, and environmental protection issues. ECOSOC is also involved with other UN organs, participating in their work or electing board members for numerous specialized agencies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations Children's Fund. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2004. © 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, capital and largest city of Ethiopia, the country's commercial, manufacturing, and cultural center. It is situated in central Ethiopia at an elevation of about 2440 m (about 8000 ft) above sea level on a plateau that is crossed by numerous streams and surrounded by hills. It is the focus of a highway network, the site of an international airport, and the terminus of a railroad to the Gulf of Aden port of Djibouti, capital of the neighboring state of Djibouti. In the city are printing industries, and manufactures include footwear, clothing, asbestos and metal products, processed foods, cement, and plywood. Flourishing handicraft industries produce leather, metal, and textile goods, which are traded along with the regional agricultural produce, such as coffee, tobacco, and dairy items, in the vast open-air market known as the Mercato, on the western side of the city. Addis Ababa is a sprawling city, well wooded, especially with eucalyptus trees, and crossed by broad avenues. Modern, multistoried buildings sit side by side with traditional one- and two-storied structures and open spaces. Its high elevation gives the city a mild, pleasant climate. The city is the seat of Addis Ababa University (1950), schools of music and art, and several research institutes. As headquarters of the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the city is the scene of many international conferences. Of note in the city are the octagon-shaped Saint George Coptic Christian Cathedral (1896), the modern Africa Hall with its dramatic stained-glass windows, and the Menelik II Palace, as well as several museums with collections of art, ethnology, and archaeology. The modern city was founded in 1887 at the site of a hot springs by Emperor Menelik II and given the name Addis Ababa, Amharic for “new flower.” It became the national capital in 1889. The city's somewhat haphazard and unplanned growth was spurred by the completion in 1917 of the railroad to Djibouti. From 1936 to 1941 Addis Ababa was occupied by the Italians, who made it the capital of Italian East Africa and instituted extensive modernization projects. Between 1960 and 1970 the population of the city nearly doubled, and new light manufacturing industries were established. In 1963 the charter establishing the Organization of African Unity was signed here. Population 2,424,000 (1999 estimate). Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2004. © 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.