KAWA MULTIMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Roads in Africa
This is the fastest-growing medium of transport in Africa. In many countries, such as Algeria, Kenya and Ghana, the road network has doubled since independence. Roads vary a great deal in Africa, from murram tracks to the finest highways in the world. Many African countries are devoting large amounts of money to the construction of all-weather roads with the aim of developing their economies. Algeria and Kenya now have four times as many kilometres of roads as they did in 1948, and Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia two and a half times more.
It is only recently that road networks have begun to evolve. The post-war expansion of agricultural production has led to the development of feeder roads in the main agricultural zones. These lead to railheads. The main roads remain in most cases running from the interior to the coast rather than to individual countries. There is a great need to improve the linking roads between countries so as to promote internal trade within Africa. There arc two such main roads:
1. the Great North Road
2. the Trans-Africa Highway.
The Great North Road
This road runs from Cairo to Cape Town, The construction and maintenance of this road is carried out by individual countries. In some countries sections of this road need improvement. For example in Sudan, all-weather roads exist only in the southern parts while the northern parts have mere desert tracks. When fully developed this road could fonna major Trans-Africa Highway.
It is only recently that road networks have begun to evolve. The post-war expansion of agricultural production has led to the development of feeder roads in the main agricultural zones. These lead to railheads. The main roads remain in most cases running from the interior to the coast rather than to individual countries. There is a great need to improve the linking roads between countries so as to promote internal trade within Africa. There arc two such main roads:
1. the Great North Road
2. the Trans-Africa Highway.
The Great North Road
This road runs from Cairo to Cape Town, The construction and maintenance of this road is carried out by individual countries. In some countries sections of this road need improvement. For example in Sudan, all-weather roads exist only in the southern parts while the northern parts have mere desert tracks. When fully developed this road could fonna major Trans-Africa Highway.