Foreign Policy Watch: India-Africa

Places in News: Niger, Ivory Coast and Pacific Island States

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Mapping of these locations.

Why in the News?

Details

Niger

  • Turkish delegation visited to strengthen military cooperation with the junta, shifting alliances to Turkey and Russia.
Geography: Landlocked in West Africa, bordered by Algeria, Libya, Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Mali. Population ~26.3 million; capital Niamey.

Key Points:

  • Gained independence from France in 1960.
  • Political instability with coups and a military junta in 2023.
  • It faces significant challenges including desertification, water scarcity, and economic development issues.
  • It is one of the world’s poorest nations despite having large uranium reserves.

Ivory Coast

  • Recent discoveries have revealed substantial oil reserves estimated at six billion barrels, potentially making Ivory Coast a net oil exporter by the end of the decade.
  • The Baleine field, operated by Eni, aims to reach significant production levels by 2026.
Geography: Located on the southern coast of West Africa; bordered by Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and the Gulf of Guinea. Population ~30.9 million; capital Yamoussoukro.

Key Points:

  • Gained independence from France in 1960.
  • Experienced political instability, now relatively stable since 2016.
  • Fast-growing economy dependent on cocoa, coffee, and expanding into gold mining and oil refining.
  • Abidjan is a major hub for West African economic activities.

Pacific Island States

  • Participated in a summit with Japan expressing concerns over military build-ups and the need for regional peace and security.
  • Geography: Vast region in the Pacific Ocean, categorized into Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia; diverse climates and ecosystems.
  • They face challenges such as climate change impacts, biodiversity loss, and varying levels of development.
  • Economic activities include tourism, agriculture (especially coconut and palm oil), and fishing.
  • These islands play a crucial role in global biodiversity and climate resilience efforts.

 

PYQ: 

[2022] Consider the following pairs:

Region often mentioned in the news: Country

  1. Anatolia: Turkey
  2. Amhara: Ethiopia
  3. Cabo Delgado: Spain
  4. Catalonia: Italy

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair

(b) Only two pairs

(c) Only three pairs

(d) All four pairs

[2018] Consider the following pairs:

Towns sometimes mentioned in news: Country

1. Aleppo: Syria

2. Kirkuk: Yemen

3. Mosul: Palestine

4. Mazar-i-Sharif:  Afghanistan

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 1 and 4

(c) 2 and3

(d) 3 and 4

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