QUESTION EIGHTY-THREE               

THE TRANS-AFRICAN HIGHWAY
Study the map below showing the proposed route of the Trans-African Highway and answer the questions That follow:-
 
 (a)    Name the:-
    (i)    The Ports A and B.
    (ii)    Countries C, D and E.
    (iii)    Towns 1 and 2.
    (iv)    River F.
b)    (i) Measure and state in kilo metres, the length of the Highway between Port A and B.
   (ii) State the easiest means of transport between Nairobi and Enugu.
c)    Describe three obstacles in the construction of the Highway.
d)    Give three reasons to explain why it was necessary to construct this Highway.

Possible answers
83(a)(i) Ports A is Lagos and B is Mombasa
(ii)    Country C is Zaire,     D is Cameroon
and E is Central African Republic, Country R is Congo.
    (iii) Town 1 is Kisangani and 2 is Bangui.
    (iv) River F is River Congo.
    (b)1.    Distance between Port A and Port B is 5000 km.
2.    Easiest means of transport is Air transport.
3.    Commodities transported a long the route are timber, Cocoa, Palm Oil products, rice, Coffee, maize, Copper cotton, Groundnuts, Petrol, Machinery.

    (c)    Obstacles in the construction of the highway
1.    The problem of rugged relief with many mountains on the way.  This makes road construction costly.
2.    Steep escarpments of the Eastern and Western of the rift valley.
3.    Existence of Swamps and several rivers on the way which call for expensive bridges.
4.    Limited prosperous trade between the countries where the route passes due to the production of similar goods.
5.    Heavy rainfall in the Equatorial region which makes the ground muddy and slippery. This also causes destructive floods in some areas.
6.    Limited capital among the African countries which were relying on the World Bank.
7.    Differences in Political ideologies especially between the former colonies  of the British and the French.  This caused the political misunderstandings.
8.    Political instability especially in 1970s  when Dictators like Idi Amin and Jean Bokassa ruled Uganda and Central African republic respectively. These leaders would hardly co-operate with other leaders
9.    Presence of the thick tropical rain forests.Low technology which calls for foreign experts yet it is very expensive to developing countries in Africa.

    (d)    WHY IT WAS NECESSARY TO CONSTRUCT THE HIGHWAY
1.    The Trans-African highway was to provide a shorter route between Eastern and West African countries.
2.    To promote political understandings between neighbouring states.
3.    To stimulate trade links among African countries.
4.    To link all the productive countries such as those endowed with minerals, crops and industries so that they can easily be distributed to other countries.
5.    To provide an alternative route for landlocked countries.
6.    To widen the market for the goods produced and consumed within African countries.

QUESTION EIGHTY FOUR
    (a)    Draw a sketch map of South Eastern Africa and show the countries, towns through which the Tazara railway passes.
    (b)    Describe how the Tazara railway has benefited the region.
    (c)    Mention the problems facing the Tazara railway.
    (d)    Identify other important routes Zambia and Southern African countries can use to transport their imports and exports.
Possible answers
 (b)    1.    The Tazara railway has facilitated the exportation of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s copper, timber and soda ash.  The Katanga region of Zaire is more of a landlocked region like Zambia.
•    Remote regions of Northern Zambia and southern Tanzania have been opened up to economic development.
•    Tazara railway has led to increased trade between Zambia, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo.
•    There has been close cooperation between Zambia, Tanzania since the establishment of the railway line.
•    Tazara solved the problem of transporting Zambia's exports and imports especially when the civil wars in Angola and Mozambique were at their hottest and the time South Africa, was under a hostile apartheid regime.
•    Development of Dar-es-salaam port.  The port was expanded and modernised to handle the rising traffic and trade for many countries.

    (c)    Problems facing Tazara railway line.
•    The Chinese who used their own instruments designed a problem of repairs and spare parts since it.  It is difficult to link it to other railway lines because of different gauges.
•    Facilities at Dar-es-salaam port are not fully developed.  It lacks requirements of a modern port.  These are for loading and off loading.
•    The railway line traverses an area that is not very productive and economically viable.
•    The rate of wear and tear of rails, trains and wagons is high since the railway passes through areas with hills and slopes.
•    The changes in the political situation in Southern Africa.  The end of liberation wars in Angola and Mozambique as well as apartheid in South Africa may result in reduction of traffic on the Tazara route.  These countries can resort to ports like Beira and Maputo in Mozambique, Durban, port Elizabeth and Cape town in South Africa.

    (d)    Important routes
i.    Through Zimbabwe and Port Beira in Mozambique.
ii.    Through Zimbabwe and Maputo Port in Mozambique.
iii.    Through Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Lobito Port in Angola.
iv.    Through Zimbabwe, Botswana and the South African ports of Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

QUESTION EIGHTY FIVE
(a)(i)    List the problems which African countries encounter in carrying out
        road construction programes.
    (ii)    What helped to solve the most difficult problems?
(b)(i)    Why are railways poorly distributed in Africa?
ii)    State the advantages roads have over railways in economic
    development of the country.
(c)    With reference to either Ethiopia or Zaire:-
    (i)    Describe the problems which hinder the construction of transport network.
    (ii)    Name the ports through which these exports pass.
(d)    Describe how the country transports these exports to the port.

POSSIBLE ANSWERS
(a) (i) Problems faced.
i.    Inadequate capital. This is because most African countries are poor.
ii.    Political instability especially the coups detat which threaten peace and development.
iii.    Lack of highly skilled labour.
iv.    Lack of road construction equipment.
v.    The rugged relief which makes construction difficult.
vi.    Inability to learn how to use equipment available.
vii.    Corruption and embezzlement of funds for roads.

    (ii) The World Bank, the European Union and the African Development Bank.
(b)(i) Why railways are poorly distributed in Africa.
1.    They are expensive to build.
2.    Railways cannot be distributed to hilly areas of Africa.
3.    Railways cannot be constructed in stages like roads.
4.    The policy of the colonialists who took the Railway lines to places with minerals and cash crops only.
5.    Different African countries use different railway gauges and are these are not transferable.
6.    Lack of major investments which require the transportation of bulky commodities.

(ii) Advantages of road transport
i.    Roads require relatively little capital.
ii.    Roads serve as a foundation for economic development of a country.
iii.    Roads may be constructed in stages and varying degree of quality but railway line has to be constructed at ago.
iv.    Road construction does not need much know how compared to railway transport. 
v.    Roads can reach any part of a country where Railways cannot reach.
vi.    Road transport is faster that railway transport.
(c    (i) The country chosen is Ethiopia.
i.    Has steep slopes which hinder the construction of transport networks.
ii.    Problem of rugged relief.
iii.    Has numerous river valleys requiring bridges.
iv.    Has too many hard rocks which are not easy to break and remove.
v.    Absence of resource potentials which discourage the construction of transport network.
vi.    The low level of development.
vii.    The problem of landslides which destroy the roads and railways.
    (ii)The main exports  imports for Ethiopia Exports:-     Barley,  Cotton, Coffee, Cereals, Dura, Fruits Hides and Skins.
    Ports:  Massawa and Djibouti
(d)     1.Use of horses, Canals in foothills adjacent to Sudan.
        2.Use of Air transport though limited to major towns.
        3.Limited use of Railway transport.