What changes are characteristic of the political map of the continent. The main stages in the formation of the political map of the world from ancient times to the present

The stages of formation of the political map of the world are a very complex and long process, divided into certain periods. It began already when the first states began to appear. The changes never stopped. They will happen as long as there is a person. In order to make it easier to navigate, scientists have divided the formation of the political map of the world into stages.

Classification of changes

Each state has certain criteria. They include the political regime, economy, history of development, geographical location and more. The stages of formation of the political map of the world depend on many factors. Depending on this, changes are divided into 2 types.

Quantitative. In this case, the territory of the state changes. Such changes are associated with various historical events, wars, exchanges of territories, collapses and unifications of countries. An unusual example is the artificial islands in the United Arab Emirates.

Quality. If previous changes are associated with an increase or decrease in area, then these depend more on the political situation. Qualitative changes are cases when a country gains or loses sovereignty, gets rid of internal conflicts (civil war), leaves or enters any international unions, or changes its political system.

What is a political map

Geography, like any other science, is divided into many sections. Each of them needs its own cards. Political geography studies the borders of all countries, their political system and internal structure. The object of her attention is any changes: formations and collapses, regime changes and much more. All these moments are displayed on the political map.

Division into stages

From school courses, everyone knows that history is divided into certain periods. Today, scientists identify only 4 stages in the formation of the political map of the world: ancient, medieval, new and modern.

Each of them has its own characteristics. They are connected with world progress. The faster man and society developed, the shorter the time intervals between them became.

Ancient period

The largest in the history of mankind. It begins from the moment when the world's first states appeared. Its end comes in the 5th century AD. But this is relevant for the European world. Other cultures have their own classification. For example, the ancient stage in East Asia ends as early as the 2nd century BC. In America, it is associated with the discovery of the continent by Europeans and the beginning of its development.

The most significant event was the emergence of the first great states. They arose on the territory of Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt and Ancient India. Most scientists believe that they began to form at the end of the 4th millennium BC. In East Asia, the first state was Ancient China. It arose at the end of the 3rd millennium BC.

It was during this period of history that the foundations of the state were developed. In those days they relied on slavery. The period is also famous for its instability, as some kind of wars were constantly fought. Large states captured smaller ones to turn them into their provinces.

One of the most significant in that period was the Roman Empire. This is the only state in all periods of history that owned the entire Mediterranean coast. The borders of the Roman Empire extended from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Caspian Sea in the east.

Middle Ages

One of the darkest periods in human history. Constantly associated with changes on the political map of the world. The beginning of the medieval period is considered to be the era after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire (476). It lasted until the 17th century.

The medieval state was based on feudalism. During this era, states such as Byzantium, Kievan Rus, the Golden Horde, and the Arab Caliphate flourished. Almost all of modern Europe was divided between other countries.

The Middle Ages were characterized by certain processes. Agriculture and crafts are actively developing. The foundations of market relations are laid. There is a strengthening of the role of the church in the life of the country.

Due to the weakening of the central government, feudal fragmentation began. Large landowners led an almost autonomous life. They controlled all branches of government. The medieval political map consisted of separate small and large territories that belonged to specific lords (feudal lords). They were passed down by inheritance. Traditionally, the center was the castle or manor in which the feudal lord lived.

New period

In the 17th century, humanistic ideas began to strengthen in society. A change in worldview led to the Renaissance. To show such changes, scientists decided to call this period New. The center was no longer God, but man.

One of the important factors that influenced the geography of Europe was the creation of strong centralized states. An example is Spain. Keeping power in the hands of a single monarch allowed the country to achieve considerable results.

A characteristic feature of this period is the Great Geographical Discoveries. They helped not only the development of navigation and cartography, but also the emergence of a new system - the colonial one. The impetus for the beginning of a new era of great geographical discoveries was the capture of the Eastern Roman Empire by the Turks. After the Muslims blocked the route to India, Europeans had to look for new ways to get to the riches of the East.

The year 1492 was very significant and led to great changes on the political map of the world. The so-called New World was discovered. The development of America lasted several centuries - from the very discovery of the continent until the end of the 18th century. During this time, many blank spots that were then on the maps were filled in.

The processes of reformation and counter-reformation were also important. Large religious masses opposed the moral decay of the church. Protestantism influenced many aspects in the life of society. Thanks to him, science began to develop faster. He also had a great influence on politics.

A significant event for England and all of Europe was the famous English Revolution of the 17th century. She changed the political system of this country. After its completion, a constitutional monarchy was established, which replaced the absolute one. Now the king's rights were more limited. They were regulated by parliament. This event served as the basis for the start of the industrial revolution and the emergence of capitalist relations.

Recent period

One of the most interesting, since humanity still lives in it. This period began at the end of the First World War. It continues to this day. The 20th century is filled with many changes that influenced the political map of the whole world. The newest period can be divided into 3 stages.

First

A characteristic feature of it was the collapse of centuries-old empires - Russian and Austro-Hungarian. Thanks to their collapse, many previously enslaved nations received a chance to create their own state. Therefore, Poland, Estonia, Finland, and Czechoslovakia soon appeared on the maps. Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan declared their independence. But it did not last long, as the communists established their power there with the help of military occupation. On the ruins of the old Russian Empire, a new state was created - the USSR.

Second

This stage is associated with the Second World War. After Germany's defeat, its colonial possessions passed to other countries. Trying to impose their vision, the USA and the USSR occupied some states. The world is divided into 2 rival camps - communist and capitalist. Many colonial countries declared their independence.

Third

Associated with the destruction of the communist system. Germany reunited, and the countries of the socialist camp disintegrated. An important step was the end of the Cold War and the transition to the Commonwealth.

Under the term "political map" usually understand two meanings - in the narrow and broad sense. In a narrow sense, this is a cartographic publication that shows the modern borders of the states of the world and the territories belonging to them. In a broad sense, the political map of the world is not only the state borders of countries plotted on a cartographic basis. It contains information about the history of the formation of political systems and states, about the relationship between states in the modern world, about the uniqueness of regions and countries in their political structure, about the influence of the location of countries on their political structure and economic development. At the same time, the political map of the world is a historical category, since it reflects all changes in the political structure and borders of states that occur as a result of various historical events.

Changes on the political map can be: quantitative, in the case when the outlines of the country’s borders change as a result of the annexation of lands, territorial losses or conquests, cession or exchange of areas of territory, “conquest” of land from the sea, the unification or collapse of states; quality, when we are talking about changes in the political structure or the nature of international relations, for example, during a change in historical formations, the acquisition of sovereignty by a country, the formation of international unions, changes in the forms of government, the emergence or disappearance of centers of international tension.

In its development, the political map of the world went through several historical periods: Ancient period(before the 5th century AD), characterized by the development and collapse of the first states: Ancient Egypt, Carthage, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome.

In the ancient world, the first great states entered the arena of main events. You all probably remember them from history. This is the glorious Ancient Egypt, powerful Greece and the invincible Roman Empire. At the same time, there were less significant, but also quite developed states in Central and East Asia. Their historical period ends in the 5th century AD. It is generally accepted that it was at this time that the slave system became a thing of the past.

Medieval period(V-XV centuries), characterized by overcoming the isolation of economies and regions, the desire of feudal states for territorial conquests, in connection with which large parts of the land were divided between the states of Kievan Rus, Byzantium, the Moscow State, the Holy Roman Empire, Portugal, Spain, England .

Over the period from the 5th to the 15th centuries, many changes have occurred in our consciousness that cannot be covered in one sentence. If historians of that time had known what a political map of the world was, the stages of its formation would have already been divided into separate parts. After all, remember, during this time Christianity was born, Kievan Rus was born and collapsed, and the Moscow state began to emerge. Large feudal states are gaining strength in Europe. First of all, these are Spain and Portugal, which are vying with one another to make new geographical discoveries.

At the same time, the political map of the world is constantly changing. The formation stages of that time will change the future fate of many states. For several more centuries the powerful Ottoman Empire will exist, which will capture the states of Europe, Asia and Africa.

New period(XV-XVI centuries), characterized by the beginning of European colonial expansion.

From the end of the 15th to the beginning of the 16th centuries, a new page began in the political arena. This was the time of the beginning of the first capitalist relations. Centuries when huge colonial empires began to emerge in the world, conquering the whole world. The political map of the world is often changed and redone. The stages of formation constantly replace each other.

Gradually Spain and Portugal are losing their power. It is no longer possible to survive by robbing other countries, because more developed countries are moving to a completely new level of production - manufacturing. This gave impetus to the development of such powers as England, France, the Netherlands, and Germany. After the American Civil War, a new and very large player joins them - the United States of America. The political map of the world changed especially frequently at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The stages of formation during this period depended on the outcome of successful military campaigns. So, if back in 1876 European countries captured only 10% of the territory of Africa, then in just 30 years they managed to conquer 90% of the entire territory of the hot continent. The whole world entered the new 20th century practically divided between the superpowers. They controlled the economy and ruled alone. Further redistribution was inevitable without war. Thus ends a new period and begins the newest stage in the formation of the political map of the world.

Recent period(from the beginning of the 20th century), characterized by the end of the First World War and practically completed by the beginning of the 20th century with the redivision of the world.

The redivision of the world after the First World War made enormous adjustments to the world community. First of all, four powerful empires disappeared. These are Great Britain, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire and Germany. In their place many new states were formed. At the same time, a new movement appeared - socialism. And a huge state appears on the world map - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. At the same time, powers such as France, Great Britain, Belgium and Japan are strengthening. Some lands of the former colonies were transferred to them. But this redistribution does not suit many, and the world again finds itself on the verge of war. At this stage, some historians continue to write about the modern period, but it is now generally accepted that with the end of the Second World War, the modern stage in the formation of the political map of the world begins.

The Second World War outlined boundaries for us, most of which we still see today. First of all, this applies to European countries. The greatest result of the war was that the colonial empires completely disintegrated and disappeared. New independent states emerged in South America, Oceania, Africa, and Asia. But the largest country in the world, the USSR, still continues to exist. With its collapse in 1991, another important stage appears. Many historians distinguish it as a subsection of the modern period. Indeed, after 1991, 17 new independent states were formed in Eurasia. Many of them decided to continue their existence within the borders of the Russian Federation. For example, Chechnya defended its interests for a long time until, as a result of military operations, the power of a powerful country was defeated. At the same time, changes continue in the Middle East. There is a unification of some Arab states there. In Europe, a united Germany emerges and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia disintegrates, resulting in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro.

We have presented only the main stages in the formation of the political map of the world. But the story doesn't end there. As the events of recent years show, soon it will be necessary to allocate a new period or redraw the maps. After all, judge for yourself: just two years ago, Crimea belonged to the territory of Ukraine, and now all atlases need to be completely redone in order to change its citizenship. And also problematic Israel, drowning in battles, Egypt on the verge of war and redistribution of power, incessant Syria, which might even be wiped off the face of the Earth by powerful superpowers. All this is our modern history.

Homework.
Fill out the table "Stages of formation of the political map of the world"

The term “political map” is usually understood in two meanings - in a narrow and broad sense. In a narrow sense, this is a cartographic publication that shows the modern borders of the states of the world and the territories belonging to them. In a broad sense, the political map of the world is not only the state borders of countries plotted on a cartographic basis. It contains information about the history of the formation of political systems and states, about the relationship between states in the modern world, about the uniqueness of regions and countries in their political structure, about the influence of the location of countries on their political structure and economic development. At the same time, the political map of the world is a historical category, since it reflects all changes in the political structure and borders of states that occur as a result of various historical events.

The continent occupies 1/5 of the globe's landmass and is second only to Eurasia in size. Population - over 600 million people. (1992). Currently, there are more than 50 sovereign states on the continent, most of which were colonies until the mid-20th century. European colonization began in this region in the 16th century. Ceuta and Melilla - rich cities, end points of the trans-Saharan trade route - were the first Spanish colonies. Next, mainly the West Coast of Africa was colonized. By the beginning of the 20th century. The “dark continent” had already been divided by the imperialist powers into dozens of colonies.

By the beginning of the First World War, about 90% of the territory was in the hands of Europeans (the largest colonies were in Great Britain and France). Germany, Portugal, Spain, Belgium and Italy had extensive possessions. French colonies were located mainly in North, West and Central Africa. Great Britain tried to create a unified British East Africa - from Cairo to Cape Town, in addition, its colonies in West Africa were Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, in East - part of Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, etc.

Portugal belonged to Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe. Germany - Tanganyika, South-West Africa (Namibia), Ruanda-Urundi, Togo, Cameroon. Belgium belonged to the Congo (Zaire), and after the 1st World War also Rwanda and Burundi. Most of Somalia, Libya and Eritrea (a state on the Red Sea) were colonies of Italy. (Changes on the political map as a result of world wars - see the relevant sections of the manual). In the early 1950s. there were only four legally independent states on the continent - Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia and South Africa (although Egypt has been independent since 1922, it achieved sovereignty only in 1952). The collapse of the colonial system began in the north of the continent. Libya became independent in 1951, followed by Morocco, Tunisia and Sudan in 1956. The sovereign state of Morocco was formed from the former possessions of France and Spain and the international zone of Tangier. Tunisia was a French protectorate. Sudan was formally under joint Anglo-Egyptian rule, but in fact was a British colony, while Libya was an Italian one. In 1957-58 Colonial regimes fell in Ghana (a former British colony) and Guinea (a former French colony). The year 1960 went down in history as the “year of Africa.” 17 colonies achieved independence at once. In the 60s - another 15. The process of decolonization continued almost until the 90s. The last colony on the mainland, Namibia, gained independence in 1990. Currently, most states in Africa are republics. There are three monarchies - Morocco, Lesotho and Swaziland. Almost all African states are classified according to the UN typology into the group of developing countries (third world countries). The exception is the economically developed state - the Republic of South Africa. The success of the struggle of African states to strengthen political and economic independence depends on which political forces are in power. In 1963, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was created. Its goals are to promote the strengthening of the unity and cooperation of the states of the continent, to protect their sovereignty, and to fight against all forms of neo-colonialism. Another influential organization is the League of Arab States (LAS), formed in 1945. It includes the Arab countries of North Africa and the countries of the Middle East. The League advocates strengthening economic and political cooperation among Arab peoples. African countries went from the era of wars of independence to the era of civil wars and interethnic conflicts. In many African states, over the years of independent development, the general rule was the privileged position of the ethnic group whose representatives were in power. Hence there are many interethnic conflicts in the countries of this region. Civil wars have been going on for about 20 years in Angola, Chad and Mozambique; For many years, war, devastation and famine have reigned in Somalia. For more than 10 years, the inter-ethnic and at the same time inter-religious conflict in Sudan (between the Muslim North and adherents of Christianity and traditional beliefs in the south of the country) has not stopped. In 1993, there was a military coup in Burundi, and there is a civil war in Burundi and Rwanda. A bloody civil war lasts for several years in Liberia (the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence in 1847). Classic African dictators include the presidents of Malawi (Kamuzu Banda) and Zaire (Mobutu Sese Seko), who have ruled for more than 25 years.

Democracy is not taking root in Nigeria - for 23 of the 33 years after gaining independence, the country lived under a military regime. In June 1993, democratic elections were held and immediately after that a military coup was held, all democratic institutions of government were again dissolved, political organizations, rallies and meetings were banned.

There are practically no places left on the map of Africa where the problem of state independence has not been resolved. The exception is Western Sahara, which has not yet achieved the status of an independent state, despite the 20-year struggle for liberation waged by the Polisario Front. In the near future, the UN intends to hold a referendum in the country - independence or accession to Morocco.

Recently, a new sovereign state of Eritrea, a former province of Ethiopia (after 30 years of struggle for self-determination), appeared on the map of Africa.

The Republic of South Africa should be considered separately, where there is a transition from democracy for the white minority to non-racial principles of local and central government: the elimination of apartheid and the creation of a united, democratic and non-racial South Africa. For the first time, non-racial presidential elections were held. Nelson Mandela (the first black president of South Africa) was elected. Former President Frederik de Klerk joined the coalition cabinet. South Africa has been restored as a member of the UN (after 20 years of absence). For many African countries, the transition to political pluralism and a multi-party system has become a great challenge. Nevertheless, it is the stability of political processes in African countries that is the main condition for further economic development.

By the middle of the century, there were only 4 independent states on the political map of Africa: Egypt, Ethiopia (independent since 1941), Liberia and South Africa. The rest of the territory was controlled by European powers. Moreover, only England and France owned 2/3 of the African continent. The Second World War had a profound and ambiguous impact on the countries of Asia and Africa (much like the impact of the First World War). Colonial countries and peoples were drawn into the war against their will and suffered heavy losses. The war was marked by the growth of national self-awareness and the growth of the liberation movement in Africa. In 1947-1948 There was a major anti-colonial uprising in Madagascar . In 1952, she opposed the British colonialists Kenya (gained independence in 1963). General strike of port workers in Matadi (Belgian Congo) in 1945 resulted in an armed clash with police and troops. IN Algeria in May 1945 there was a wave of anti-colonial protests. The first state on the African continent to gain independence during the post-war anti-colonial struggle was Sudan . On February 12, 1953, a compromise Anglo-Egyptian agreement on Sudan was signed in Cairo, recognizing the principle of self-determination of the latter. In December 1955, the Sudanese parliament decided to declare Sudan an independent sovereign republic. This decision was made by both England and Egypt, and in 1956 Sudan was declared an independent state. On November 1, 1954, an armed uprising broke out in Algeria, after which France lost its position in Morocco And Tunisia . On March 2, 1956, France recognized the independence of Morocco (Spain on April 7). The independence of Tunisia was accepted by France on March 20, 1956. Despite repression by France, on September 19, 1958, the National Council of the Algerian Revolution, meeting in Cairo, proclaimed independence Algerian Republic and formed the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic. In the 50s, the movement for independence became more and more noticeable in the so-called. "black Africa". The English colony was the first to succeed Golden shore , which after gaining independence in March 1957 became known as Ghana . 1960, by decision of UNESCO, was named "year of Africa" . 17 colonies received independence: Nigeria, Somalia, Congo (Belgian Congo), Cameroon, Togo, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Gabon, Dahomey, Congo (Brazzaville), Mauritania, Malagasy Republic, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Central African Republic, Chad . In 1961, Sierra Leone and Tanganyika declared their independence, and in 1964, together with Zanzibar (gained independence), they created the United Republic of Tanzania. Uganda became independent in 1962. In 1964, independent Zambia and Malawi were formed. The Gambia gained independence in 1965, and in 1968 the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the Kingdom of Swaziland were formed. In 1980, a state arose on the basis of Southern Rhodesia. Zimbabwe. In 1990, occupied South Africa Namibia also declared independence. Currently, there are 56 countries on the political map of Africa, of which 52 are independent states. Spain controls Ceuta and Melilla, while Great Britain and France control the islands of St. Helena and Reunion, respectively.

TOPIC 3 AFRICA

In terms of territory size (more than 30 million km2), Africa is the largest of the main geographical regions of the world. And in terms of the number of countries, it is also far ahead of any of them: Africa now has 54 sovereign states. They vary enormously in area and number of inhabitants. For example, Sudan, the largest country in the region, occupies 2.5 million km2, Algeria is slightly inferior to it (about 2.4 million km2), followed by Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Chad, Ethiopia, South Africa (from 1 million up to 1.3 million km 2), while many African island states (Comoros, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, Mauritius) are only from 1000 to 4000 km 2, and the Seychelles is even less. The same differences exist between African countries in terms of population: from Nigeria with 138 million to Sao Tome and Principe with 200 thousand people. And in terms of geographical location, a special group is formed by 15 landlocked countries (Table 6 in Book I).

A similar situation on the political map of Africa arose after the Second World War as a result of decolonization process. Before this, Africa was usually called the colonial continent. And indeed, by the beginning of the 20th century. she was, in the words of I. A. Vitver, literally torn to pieces. They were part of the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, Portugal, Italy, Spain, and Belgium. Back in the late 1940s. Only Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia and the Union of South Africa (a dominion of Great Britain) could be classified as at least formally independent countries.

In the process of decolonization of Africa, three successive stages are distinguished (Fig. 142).

On first stage, in the 1950s, the more developed countries of North Africa - Morocco and Tunisia, which had previously been French possessions, as well as the Italian colony of Libya - achieved independence. As a result of the anti-feudal and anti-capitalist revolution, Egypt was finally freed from English control. After this, Sudan also became independent, formally considered a co-ownership (condominium) of Great Britain and Egypt. But decolonization also affected Black Africa, where the British colony of the Gold Coast, which became Ghana, and the former French Guinea were the first to achieve independence.

Most of these countries achieved independence relatively peacefully, without armed struggle. In conditions when the United Nations had already made a general decision on decolonization, the metropolitan countries could not behave in Africa in the old way. But nevertheless, they tried in every possible way to at least somehow slow down this process. An example is France’s attempt to organize the so-called French Community, which included almost all former colonies, as well as trust territories, on the basis of autonomy (before the First World War they were colonies of Germany, then they became mandate territories of the League of Nations, and after the Second World War – UN trust territories). But this Community turned out to be short-lived.

Second stage became 1960, which in literature was called the Year of Africa. During this year alone, 17 former colonies, mostly French, became independent. We can say that from that time on, the process of decolonization in Africa became irreversible.

On third stage, after 1960, this process was effectively completed. In the 1960s After an eight-year war with France, Algeria achieved independence. Almost all British colonies, the last colonies of Belgium and Spain, also received it. In the 1970s The main event was the collapse of the colonial empire of Portugal, which occurred after the democratic revolution in this country in 1974. As a result, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and the islands became independent. Some other former possessions of Great Britain and France gained independence. In the 1980s English Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) was added to this list, and in the 1990s. – South-West Africa (Namibia) and Eritrea.

Rice. 142. Decolonization of Africa after World War II (independence years indicated)

As a result, there are now no colonies on the vast African continent. As for some islands that still remain under colonial rule, their share in the area and population of Africa is measured in hundredths of a percent.

However, all this does not mean that the course of decolonization at the third stage was only peaceful and mutually agreed upon. Suffice it to say that in Zimbabwe the national liberation struggle of the local population against the racist regime established here by the white minority lasted a total of 15 years. In Namibia, which after the Second World War was actually illegally annexed to South Africa, the national liberation struggle, including the armed one, lasted 20 years and ended only in 1990. Another example of this kind is Eritrea. This former Italian colony, which was under British control after the war, was then incorporated into Ethiopia. The Eritrean People's Liberation Front fought for its independence for more than 30 years, and it was only in 1993 that it was finally proclaimed. True, five years later another Ethiopian-Eritrean war broke out.

At the beginning of the 21st century. in Africa there remains, perhaps, only one country whose political status has not yet been finally determined. This is Western Sahara, which until 1976 was the possession of Spain. After Spain withdrew its troops from there, the territory of Western Sahara was occupied by neighboring countries claiming it: Morocco in the north, and Mauritania in the south. In response to such actions, the Popular Front for the Liberation of this country proclaimed the creation of an independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), which has already been recognized by dozens of countries around the world. Now he continues the armed struggle with the Moroccan troops still remaining in the country. The conflict around the SADR can be considered one of the most striking examples territorial disputes, of which there are so many in Africa.

It is quite natural that during the process of decolonization, very large changes occurred in the political system of African countries.

By form of government The vast majority of independent African states (46) are presidential republics, while there are very few parliamentary republics on the continent. There were relatively few monarchies in Africa before, but they still included Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia. Now there are only three monarchies left - Morocco in northern Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland in the south; they are all kingdoms. But at the same time, it must be borne in mind that behind the republican form of government there are often hidden military, often changing, or even openly dictatorial, authoritarian regimes. In the mid-1990s. out of 45 countries in Tropical Africa, such regimes occurred in 38! This is largely due to internal reasons - the legacy of feudalism and capitalism, extreme economic backwardness, low cultural level of the population, tribalism. But along with this, an important reason for the emergence of authoritarian regimes was the confrontation between the two world systems that lasted for many decades. One of them sought to consolidate capitalist orders and Western values ​​in the young liberated countries, and the other - socialist ones. We must not forget that in the 1960s–1980s. quite a few countries on the continent have declared a course towards socialist orientation, which was abandoned only in the 1990s.

An example of an authoritarian regime is the regime of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, although this country was renamed by him back in 1977 to the Socialist Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (from the Arabic al-Jamahiriya, i.e. “state of the masses”). Another example is Zaire during the long reign (1965–1997) of the founder of the ruling party, Marshal Mobutu, who was eventually overthrown from his post. The third example is the Central African Republic, which in 1966–1980. was led by President J.B. Bokassa, who then proclaimed himself emperor and the country the Central African Empire; he was also overthrown. Often, Nigeria, Liberia and some other African states are also included in the list of countries with successive military regimes.

The opposite example - the victory of the democratic system - is the Republic of South Africa. At first, this country was a British dominion, in 1961 it became a republic and left the Commonwealth, led by Great Britain. The country was dominated by a racist white minority regime. But the national liberation struggle, led by the African National Congress, led to the victory of this organization in the elections to the country's parliament in 1994. After this, South Africa again returned to the world community, as well as to the Commonwealth.

By form of administrative-territorial structure The vast majority of African countries are unitary states. There are only four federal states here. These are South Africa, consisting of nine provinces, Nigeria, which includes 30 states, the Comoros Islands, which includes four island districts, and Ethiopia, which became a federation only in 1994 (consists of nine states).

However, it must be taken into account that African federations differ significantly from, say, European ones. V. A. Kolosov even identifies a special, Nigerian type of federation, to which he includes Nigeria and Ethiopia in Africa, calling them young, highly centralized federations with unstable authoritarian regimes. They are characterized by weak local self-government and interference from the center “from above” in many regional affairs. Sometimes in the literature you can also find the statement that South Africa is actually a unitary republic with elements of federalism.

The main political organization in Africa, uniting all the independent states of the continent, was the Organization of African Unity (OAU), created in 1963 with its center in Addis Ababa. In 2002, it was transformed into the African Union (AU), for which the European Union can be considered a model. Within the AU, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, the AU Commission, the African Parliament have already been created, the creation of a Court and the introduction of a single currency are planned (afro). The goals of the AU are to maintain peace and accelerate economic development.