Minerals in Africa. minerals of africa

African resources. Minerals

Africa is a continent of great economic opportunity with inherent diversity natural conditions, wealth of mineral resources, the presence of significant land, water, plant and other resources. For Africa, a characteristic slight dissection of the relief, which contributes economic activity- development of agriculture, industry, transport. The location of most of the continent in the equatorial belt largely determined the presence of huge tracts of humid equatorial forests. Africa accounts for 10% of the world's forest area, which accounts for 17% of the world's wood reserves - one of the main African exports. The largest desert in the world - the Sahara - contains huge reserves of fresh water in its bowels, and large river systems are characterized by gigantic volumes of flow and energy resources. Africa is rich in minerals, which are resources for the development of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, and the chemical industry. Thanks to new discoveries, a part of Africa is increasing in the explored world reserves of energy raw materials. The reserves of phosphorites, chromites, titanium, tantalum are larger than in any part of the world. Reserves of bauxite, copper, manganese, cobalt, uranium ores, diamonds, metals, gold, etc. are of world importance. through Zambia to East Africa (deposits of copper, uranium, cobalt, platinum, gold, manganese); Guinean part of West Africa (deposits of bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, oil); the zone of the Atlas Mountains and the coast of Northwest Africa (cobalt, molybdenum, lead, zinc, iron ore, mercury, phosphorites); Northern Africa (oil, gas of the Mediterranean coast and shelf).

plant soil africa mineral

The regions of Africa are very different in natural features: the availability of wet, soil types, and vegetation cover. There is one element in common - a large amount of warm. Significant areas of deserts and equatorial forests are unfavorable for agriculture. In deserts, agriculture is possible only if there are water sources around which oases are formed. AT equatorial forests the farmer fights against lush vegetation, and when it is reduced, against erosion and excessive solar radiation, which adversely affects the condition of the soil. Best conditions for agriculture in the highlands and in shrouds with a favorable duty of the wet seasons. Most soils of the mainland have low natural fertility. 3/4 of the territory of the continent is covered with red and red-brown soils, a thin layer of which is poor in organic matter, is rather easily depleted and destroyed. Relatively fertile are the red soils and zhovtozems of the subtropics, alluvial soils in other zones.

Africa has a large number of minerals. Of particular importance are the resources for various branches of metallurgy, which are provided by various African countries.

Deposits in the south

In the southern part of the mainland lies a huge number of different ores. Chromites, tungsten, manganese are mined here. A large-scale graphite deposit was discovered on the island of Madagascar.

Of great importance for African countries is the extraction of precious metals such as gold. It is mined in South Africa. In addition, South Africa has a large amount of lead, uranium ores, tin, cobalt and copper. Zinc, molybdenum, lead and manganese are mined in the north.

Mining in the north and west

Oil fields are located in the north of the continent. Morocco is considered its main producer. In the area of ​​the Atlas mountain range near Libya, there is a strip of occurrence of phosphorites. They are valuable for metallurgy and the chemical industry. Various fertilizers for the agro-industry are still produced from them. It should be emphasized that half of the world's phosphorite reserves are mined in Africa.

Oil and coal are the most valuable African minerals. Their large deposits are located in the area of ​​the river. Niger. In West Africa, various iron and non-ferrous ores are mined. On the west coast there are deposits of natural gas, which is exported to various countries of the world. This is a cheap and efficient fuel used in everyday life and industry.

Types of minerals in Africa

If we group all minerals, then coal and oil can be attributed to the group of combustibles. Their deposits are located not only in South Africa, but also in Algeria, Libya, Nigeria. Ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals - aluminum, copper, titanium-magnesium, manganese, copper, antimony, tin - are mined in South Africa and Zambia, in Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo.

The most valuable metals are platinum and gold are mined in South Africa. Among the precious stones there are diamond deposits. They are used not only in jewelry, but also in various industries due to their hardness.

The African continent is rich in various minerals. For some rocks and minerals, African countries make a significant contribution to world mining performance. The largest number of deposits of various rocks is located in the south of the mainland, namely in South Africa.

I read in many sources that Africa is the poorest continent on our planet. But, if we consider all the states in more detail, it becomes clear that the standard of living in them differs significantly. And all because of the presence in some countries of large deposits of minerals.

Treasures of North Africa

Throughout Africa, there are many minerals. AT different parts there are their own, more developed, areas of the extractive industry. For example, in the north there is oil, coal and natural gas. They are exported to many European countries.

The countries of North Africa are much richer and higher in terms of living standards, as they are located on rich land. In addition to oil and coal, mining is carried out here:

• zinc;
• lead;
• cobalt;
• molybdenum.

Also in this region are large deposits of manganese. Even the north of Africa is known worldwide for the mining of phosphorites. They are widely used in metallurgy, as well as in chemical plants. Phosphorites mined in North Africa account for more than half of the world's total. Morocco is the leader in their production.

Even in Morocco and Tunisia, salt is being mined, both for themselves and for export. All minerals in these territories were formed under the influence of many natural factors, including climate, flora and fauna, as well as various natural processes.

What is mined in South Africa

South African territory is rich in ores, precious stones, non-ferrous metals. Ghana has large reserves of manganese, and tungsten is mined in Nigeria. And on the island of Madagascar there are the largest deposits of graphite in the world.

But gold mining has a more important role for the economic development of southern African countries. The country of gold on the continent is the Republic of South Africa (South Africa). Many other minerals are also mined in the south, for which the continent ranks first in the list of all countries (copper, lead, etc.). But most of all mining enterprises are owned by foreigners.

Africa is rich in its natural resources. African states are the world's main exporters of raw materials for ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. South Africa is considered the richest country in minerals.

Minerals of South Africa

In the regions of Equatorial and South Africa, the world's richest deposits of ore minerals are concentrated. Large chromite deposits are located in Southern Rhodesia, Nigeria is rich in tungsten, and Ghana has reserves of manganese.

The largest graphite deposits in the world are located on the island of Madagascar. However, gold mining is of the greatest importance for the economy of South African states.

The main gold reserves are located in the Republic of South Africa. Gold ores here were formed in the Cambrian period.

In the extraction of minerals such as copper, lead, cobalt, tungsten and tin, South Africa ranks first in the world. Also on the territory of this region are the most unique uranium ores, the content of pure uranium in which reaches 0.3%.

Minerals of North Africa

On the territory of North Africa there are deposits of such minerals as zinc, lead, cobalt, molybdenum. These fossils were formed in North Africa at the beginning of the Mesozoic era, during the period active development African platform.

Also, this region of the African continent is rich in manganese. Oil-bearing sources are located in the Northern Sahara and Morocco.

Phosphorite-bearing zones are located between the Atlas Mountains and Libya. Phosphorites are used in the metallurgical and chemical industries, as well as in the production of agricultural fertilizers. More than half of the world's phosphorites are mined in the North African phosphorite zone.

Morocco occupies the first place among the countries of the world in the extraction of phosphorites.

Minerals of West Africa

The main wealth of the bowels of West Africa is coal and oil. Today, there is an active development of new methods of oil production in this region.

The main large deposits are located in the Niger Delta. West Africa is also rich in such minerals as niobium, tantalum and tin, iron ore, and non-ferrous metal ores.

On the territory of the coastal regions of West Africa there are large basins of natural gas. The southern territories are rich in gold ores.

Active mining in West Africa favorably affects the development of industry in this part of the African continent. So for last decade non-ferrous metallurgy, the chemical industry and mechanical engineering have reached a high level of development.

AFRICA is the second largest continent after.

General information. The area of ​​Africa is 29.2 million km 2 (with islands 30.3 million km 2, about 1/5 of the land area of ​​the globe). Population 497.6 million (1982). The extreme northern cape - El Abyad lies at 37 ° 20 "northern latitude, the southernmost Cape Agulhas at 34 ° 52" south latitude. The distance from north to south is about 8000 km, the width in the north between Capes Almadi and Khafun is 7400 km, in the south about 3100 km.

Africa is washed in the north and northeast by the Mediterranean and Red Sea, in the east and west. Africa is a compact continent with a slightly dissected surface. The banks are mostly straight and steep. The largest Gulf - Guinea - in the west of the mainland. The largest peninsula - Somali - in the east. Africa includes the islands: in the east - Madagascar, Comoros, Mascarene, Amirante, Seychelles, Pemba, Mafia, Zanzibar, Socotra; in the west - Madeira, Canaries, Cape Verde, Pagalo, Sao Tome and Principe, Bioko, three islands far removed from the mainland - Ascension, Above Helena, Tristan da Cunha.

As a result of the collapse of the colonial system of imperialism, more than 40 independent states were formed in Africa (1981), covering 95% of the continent's territories. Reaching political independence, African countries entered into new stage liberation movement - the struggle to overcome socio-economic backwardness and economic liberation from imperialism. Most African countries are developing countries with a low level of economic development. In Africa, one of the most resource-rich parts of the world, the newly-free countries account for less than 1% of world industrial production. Character traits economies of most African countries - a low level of development produces forces, a multi-structural economy and disproportions in its development (primarily raw material specialization and export orientation of the main sectors of the economy, narrowness of the domestic market, etc.). In most African countries, 40-60% of national income is provided by agricultural production and mining, largely specialized for export. The share of the processed industry is insignificant and ranges from 13-25% in Senegal, Swaziland and up to 1-5% in Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Uganda.

In the fuel and energy balance of Africa, 42.5% is accounted for, 46.5% for liquid fuels, 6% for natural gas and 5% for hydropower (1980). In the developing countries of Africa, 203 kg of standard fuel per capita is consumed per year, which is 2 times lower than for the entire group of developing countries (1980). More than 80% of the foreign trade turnover of African countries falls on the industrially developed capitalist states. Crisis phenomena in the world capitalist economy (energy and raw materials, currency, etc.) have a detrimental effect on the foreign trade balance of many African countries, lead to a deterioration in their export and import capabilities, and so on. In the foreign economic sphere, the majority of African states are fighting for the restructuring of unequal economic relations with developed capitalist countries, oppose the dominant position of international monopolies in the world capitalist market, which control the sale of African raw materials and other goods, as well as the supply of equipment, machinery, industrial products and food to Africa. .

Integration processes are intensifying in Africa, inter-African economic, trade and other ties are developing. Created a wide network regional organizations and groupings research centers etc. (Economic Community of West Africa, African Development Bank, Association for the Promotion of Inter-African Trade, African Union railways, Institute for Economic Development and Planning, Center for Industrial Research, etc.). Joint efforts are being made to develop natural resources and their use in the interests of national development. A number of African countries participate in large interstate associations for the production and marketing certain types products, for example, in the (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) and others (by, etc.). Significant focus on development economic cooperation between the countries of the continent pays in its activities to the Organization of African Unity (OAE).

Other countries of the socialist community also provide great and multilateral assistance to the African states in their struggle for political and economic liberation. With the participation of the CCCP in Africa, under intergovernmental agreements, about 600 facilities are being built, and by the beginning of 1981 295 were put into operation. 3 million tons), bauxite complex in (capacity 2.5 million tons), a mercury production facility in Algeria. With the help of Soviet geologists, exploration is carried out for natural gas, coal, non-metallic raw materials, phosphates, bauxites, etc. in Algeria, Guinea, Morocco, Nigeria, Madagascar and other countries. CCCP assists in the training of national personnel for . Cooperation between African countries and the socialist countries is aimed at overcoming the socio-economic backwardness of the African states, contributing to a progressive change in their economic structure, and developing the material and technical base for achieving economic independence.

Nature. The relief is dominated by stepped plains, plateaus and plateaus, crowned with numerous remnant peaks and volcanoes. A large, northwestern part of Africa has a height of less than 100 m (the so-called Low Africa), the southeastern part of the mainland is elevated at an altitude of over 1000 m (High Africa). Plains and plateaus occupy mainly inland areas and are usually confined to extensive tectonic depressions (Kalahari in South Africa, Congo depression in Central Africa, Nigerian, Chadian, White Nile in Sudan, etc.). Hills and mountainous ranges are located mainly on the outskirts of the mainland - the Atlas Mountains with the peak of Toubkal (4165 m) in the north, the Ethiopian Highlands with the city of Pac-Dashan (4620 m) in the northeast, the East African Plateau, the Drakon and Cape Mountains in east and south, and the other eastern margin of Africa from the Zambezi River to the Red Sea is fragmented by the world's largest rift system (see East African Rift System), sometimes occupied by large lakes (Nyasa, Tanganyika, etc.) and framed by blocky mountains and extinct volcanoes ( Kilimanjaro, 5895 m; Kenya, 5199 m, etc.). Lowlands occupy small areas in Africa, mainly along the coasts of the oceans and seas, in the form of strips no more than a few tens of kilometers wide.

Africa is crossed almost in the middle by the equator, to the north and south of which are the same climatic zones. The equatorial climate zone is followed by the equatorial monsoon climate zone, then tropical and subtropical climates.

Africa is the hottest of the continents. During the summer northern hemisphere in northern Africa average monthly temperatures exceed 25-30°С (in the Sahara), in the south 12-25°С. During the summer of the Southern Hemisphere in the northern part of Africa, the average monthly temperatures drop to 10-25°C, and in the south they exceed 30°C (25°C in the southwest Kalahari). The greatest amount of precipitation falls in equatorial latitudes (1500-2000 mm or more per year). As you move away from the equator, the amount of precipitation decreases, reaching a minimum (100 mm or less) in Caxape, in the desert and semi-desert regions of South Africa. Due to the general inclination of the mainland from East to West, the largest runoff of surface water is directed to the Atlantic Ocean, where the Congo, Niger, Senegal, Gambia and Orange rivers flow; the Nile River flows into the Mediterranean Sea; to the Indian Ocean - the Zambezi River. About 1/3 of the area of ​​Africa belongs to the areas of internal flow and drainless basins, which have only a rare network of temporary watercourses. Almost all large lakes in Africa (Tanganyika, Victoria, Nyasa, and others) lie in tectonic depressions on the East African Plateau. Salt lakes predominate in arid regions (Lake Chad and others). In the deserts and semi-deserts of Africa, groundwater is of great importance, both groundwater, which usually occurs under the beds of temporary watercourses, and deeper ones, enclosed mainly in the continental Lower Cretaceous sandstones of the Sahara and Northern Sudan, where they form large ones (, etc.).

In South Africa, groundwater accumulates predominantly in the fissures, in and karsts of the Kappy system. Africa is rich in mineral and, the most powerful factor in the formation of which is the volcanism of East Africa, where there are 40 volcanoes, numerous fumarole solfataras with a temperature of sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, halide and carbon dioxide up to 160-220 ° C. Carbon dioxide is characteristic of the Atlas, East Africa, Cameroon, Madagascar and other regions.

In North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia) chloride, nitrogen, radioactive and other sources are known. More than 2/3 of the mainland area is occupied by savannahs and deserts; moist evergreen forests are widespread in the equatorial zone, and thickets of evergreen hard-leaved shrubs are found on the coasts.

Geological structure and metallogeny. Almost the entire territory of Africa, with the exception of the Atlas mountain system in the extreme northwest and the Cape Fold Zone in the south, occupies the Precambrian. Until recently (late Cretaceous-Oligocene), the (African-Arabian) platform also included the Arabian Peninsula and the island of Madagascar, now separated from the main part of the platform by the rift zones of the Gulf of Suez, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden in the Northeast and the Mozambique Channel in the East ( see map).

It is believed that in the early Mesozoic and Paleozoic times, the African-Arabian platform was part of the supercontinent.

The foundation of Africa, composed of strata and Precambrian, protrudes in many of its areas and has a very diverse composition. Deeply metamorphosed rocks of the early form three main megablocks - Western, Central and Southern, separated and bordered by Late Precambrian folded belts - Mauritanian-Senegalese, Libyan-Nigerian, passing through Central Caxapy (Ahaggar), Namibian-Uganda and Arabian-Mozambique. Outside these main belts along Atlantic coast The Western Congolid and Namaqualand-Kapid fold systems extend across Equatorial and South Africa. The consolidation of the Early Precambrian megablocks began in some areas as early as the Archean and ended by the middle of the Proterozoic. On top of the crystalline basement of the Archean blocks (gneisses, crystalline schists, basic metavolcanics that form the so-called greenstone belts, granitoids), a gently dipping Lower Proterozoic platform cover (clastic rocks, basalt covers, etc.) is developed in places. Late Precambrian fold belts are composed of sedimentary and volcanic, less metamorphosed rocks. In some of these belts, exclusively sedimentary formations are developed - clayey, and tilloids (Namibian-Uganda belt, Western Congolids), in others - volcanics and even ophiolites (Mauritanides, Saccharides, northern part of the Arabian-Mozambique belt). In the Namibian-Uganda belt, epochs of tectonic deformations appeared actively at the boundaries of about 1300 and 1000 million years ago, accompanied by granite formation; geosynclinal conditions after the last of these epochs were restored only in a more limited area in the southwestern part of the belt. Late Precambrian as a whole experienced final deformations and the intrusion of granites at the end - beginning. Thus, the complete consolidation of the basement of the African-Arabian platform was completed at the beginning of the Paleozoic. The final epoch of tectonic activity also affected megablocks composed of Lower Precambrian rocks, causing their tectonomagmatic activation and reworking. The composition of the Late Precambrian mobile belts includes not only rocks of the corresponding age, but also older Early Precambrian formations that have undergone deep processing, which compose almost the entire southern part Arabian-Mozambique belt south of the Somali peninsula.

In the early and middle Paleozoic, the northern half of the platform was also subjected to smooth subsidence of the sea with the deposition of shallow-water carbonate-terrigenous (limestones, sandstones, ) composition, widely developed in Caxape (Sahara Plate) and in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula (Arabian pericratonic subsidence). In the middle of the Carboniferous, simultaneously with diastrophism in the north in the Mediterranean belt, in particular in the Maghreb, the northern part of the platform was subjected to deformations of a bend of a large radius of the latitudinal direction, parallel to the folding of the Maghreb. At that time, the Sahara-Arabian plate differentiated into the North Sahara and South Sahara (Sahel-Sudan) subsidence zones, the Central Sahara and Guinean uplift zones. The North Sahara subsidence zone is accompanied from the North by the marginal uplifts of the Anti-Atlas and Dzhefara, and the Tindouf and Western Sahara belonging to it are separated by the intracratonic Hercynian folded zone of Ugarta in the northwestern direction. The division between the West and East Saharan syneclises is the northern buried spur of the Ahaggar massif between the East Sahara and East Libyan syneclises - the arch of Jebel Kharuj, a spur of the Tibesti massif. In the Central Sahara belt of uplifts, the Regibati massif is separated from the Ahaggar massif by the Tanezruft trough, which merges with the Taudenny syneclise in the south; between the Ahaggar and Tibesti massifs, the Murzuk syneclise is wedged from the north, and between the Tibesti and Auenat massifs, the Kufra syneclise.

In the Late Paleozoic and during the Mesozoic, many of these basins continued to sag, but served as an arena for the accumulation of continental red-colored sediments. Mope at times penetrated into them only from the north from the Tethys; thick Triassic evaporites are known in the East Sahara syneclise. At the end of the Early Cretaceous, at the top of the modern Gulf of Guinea, the NE-trending Benue graben formed, separating the Benino-Nigerian Precambrian massif from the Cameroonian massif belonging to the Central African Early Precambrian megablock. During the Late Cretaceous, the graben () Benue was filled with marine sediments, at the end it experienced inversion and folding. In the lower reaches of the Niger, the Benue graben articulates at right angles with the NW-trending Lower Nigerian graben; after a break, it continues in the same direction as the Gao graben on the territory of present-day Mali, which divides the Ahaggar and Leono-Liberian massifs. In the Late Cretaceous, the North Sahara subsidence zone underwent a wide marine transgression, which also covered a narrow strip along the northern coast and shelf of the Gulf of Guinea. In the Turonian and Early Senonian, the sea penetrated into the Tanezruft trough, the Gao and Lower Nigerian grabens, possibly forming a strait between and the newly formed Atlantic Ocean.

The southern half of the mainland developed significantly differently in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic. During most of the Paleozoic (until the Late Carboniferous), it remained almost entirely an area of ​​uplift and erosion, and only in the extreme south, in the Cape zone, marine or paralytic deposits of the Ordovician - Silurian, Devonian - Lower Carboniferous are known. In the Late Carboniferous - early Permian, against the background of intensified uplifts, accompanied by a sheet glaciation, the platform began to split with the formation of the system and (the largest is the Kappy syneclise in the extreme south of the platform). These depressions were successively filled with Upper Carboniferous glacial deposits, Lower Permian coal-bearing deposits, and Upper Permian-Triassic red-colored deposits, constituting the so-called Kappy Complex. At the end - beginning of the Jura there was an outbreak of basaltic (trap) volcanism. In the Late-Early Cretaceous, graben formation and trapping resumed in places, in particular, on the territory of modern Namibia, a chain of subvolcanic ring plutons of the northeast direction arose. By this time, the formation of a large syneclise in Equatorial Africa, which continued to sag and fill with continental deposits in . Platform deposits are also known along its sides in the west and north, indicating that the syneclise was originally outlined in the late Precambrian; the same applies to the Taoudenni syneclise in West Africa.

The African-Arabian platform is framed on all sides by zones of peripheral subsidence; their formation in close to modern form ended in the Late Cretaceous, although the beginning was not simultaneous. The most ancient age has the northern zone of peripheral subsidence, covering the Mediterranean coast and, as well as northeastern part Arabian Peninsula; it is connected in its development with Tethys and was laid down in the Cambrian. Peripheral subsidences associated with the Atlantic and Indian Oceans are much younger. a similar or somewhat younger age (from the beginning of the Cretaceous) is also found in the southern section of this zone, south of the Kunene River. The intermediate part of the zone began to sink in the Aptian - Albian, and on early stage(Aptian), a thick layer of evaporites formed. The eastern, gravitating toward the Indian Ocean and the Mozambique Strait, peripheral zone of the platform was laid down in the form of a rift as early as the end of the Carboniferous - the beginning of the Permian, which ensured a short-term penetration of the Permian and Triassic transgressions into the area of ​​the east coast of Africa and the west coast of Madagascar with the formation of evaporites in the lower Jurassic. Since the Middle Jurassic sea ​​conditions became more stable, and then the ascending section of the peripheral zone includes, especially in the north (on the territory of modern Somalia), a very thick sequence of Cretaceous and Cenozoic deposits.

From the end of the Eocene to the beginning of the Oligocene, the African-Arabian platform began to experience an increasingly intense general uplift, especially in its eastern part, which was accompanied in the Miocene by the formation of the East African rift system (including the rifts of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden) and an outbreak of volcanic activity. The latter led to the emergence of stratovolcanoes: Kenya, Kilimanjaro, Elgon, etc. On a smaller scale, rifting manifested itself on the Northern Platforms (on the territory of modern Libya), where the southern end of the Western European rift system extends; the largest here is the graben of Sirte, laid down in Late Cretaceous. Tectonic-magmatic activation was also experienced in the Neogene by some other parts of the platform - the Ahaggar, Tibesti, Cameroon massifs, where volcanism also manifested itself. The areas of subsidence and accumulation of continental sediments in the Cenozoic—the Chad, Okavango, and Kalahari syneclises—formed a meridional subsidence band passing through the central regions of Equatorial and South Africa. The African-Arabian platform as a whole throughout the entire Phanerozoic was distinguished by high magmatic activity, which resulted in meridionally extending chains of ring ultrabasic alkaline, as well as carbonatites and kimberlites, mainly of Late Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic ages; they are especially known in Algeria (the southeastern spur of the Ahaggar), in the Leono-Liberian massif, on the Joe plateau in Nigeria, in Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, and Tanzania.

The extreme northwestern part of Africa within the Maghreb countries is occupied by the Hercynian-Alpine folded region of the Atlas of the west-southwest - east - northeast strike. It is separated from the platform by the zone of the Main Atlas Fault, stretching from Agadir to Bizerte. The large - southern part of the Atlas region is composed of the Hercynian (Cambrian - Lower Carboniferous) folded complex with separate depressions made by the Upper Paleozoic continental.

Within the Moroccan and Oranian areas, this complex either projects to the surface or is overlain by a thin cover of Triassic lagoon, Jurassic-Eocene marine, and Oligocene-Quaternary continental deposits. In the southern frame of the region there is a mountain folded zone of the High Atlas, formed at the site of a deep trough filled with a much thicker Triassic-Eocene stratum and moderately deformed at the end of the Eocene. A similar zone of northeast strike - the Middle Atlas - separates the Moroccan and Oran mesets.

Along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea stretches the young alpine folded system of Er-Rif and Tel-Atlas, composed of carbonate and flysch strata of the Mesozoic and Paleogene, forming numerous tectonic covers displaced to the south; there are separate protrusions of the pre-Mesozoic metamorphic base. Er-Rif and Tel-Atlas are accompanied from the south by the Miocene molasse on which they are thrust.

In the extreme northwest, the Rif fold zone turns northward, forming the southern flank of the Gibraltar arc, the northern flank of which is the Andalusian Mountains in the Iberian Peninsula.

The Proterozoic is much more diverse and economically more significant. At this time, three main groups of deposits were formed: postmagmatic granitoid deposits of uranium (Rossing), gold-copper (Okip), polymetallic (Tsumeb) ores, as well as Proterozoic rare-metal pegmatites of Africa; basaltoid series, associated with layered intrusions of the period of Proterozoic activation of the Archean platform, most pronounced in the Bushveld complex and the Great Dike with deposits of titanomagnetites, nickel and platinoids; stratiform deposits, sheeted copper bodies, and the famous copper belt Central Africa ore-bearing conglomerates of the Witwatersrand in South Africa with their large reserves and.

The Paleozoic metallogenic is characterized by a weakening of the processes of formation of mineral deposits in Africa. At this time, in the rocks of the Paleozoic platform cover and North Africa, insignificant lead-zinc ores of the Atlas appeared, as well as oil and gas deposits of the Caxapo-Mediterranean, Algerian-Libyan basin and the Gulf of Suez basin.

As of the beginning of 1982, oil reserves in Africa amounted to 7182 million tons (or 11% of the reserves of industrially developed capitalist and developing countries). Explored reserves of natural gas (mainly methane composition) are about 6 trillion. m 3 , or 10.6% of the reserves of developed capitalist and developing countries (at the beginning of 1982). The main areas of oil and gas concentration are concentrated in the Mediterranean subsidence zone - in the Caxapo-Mediterranean (Egypt, Libya), Algerian-Libyan basin (Algeria, Tunisia, Libya) and the Gulf of Suez basin (Egypt), as well as in the zone of pericratonic troughs of West Africa - the Gulf of Guinea basin (Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Angola, Zaire). Single deposits of oil and gas have been discovered in many other African countries (Morocco, Ivory, Senegal, Benin, Chad, Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia, ). Significant prospects for oil and gas within the shelf of the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. North Africa (mainly Libya and Algeria) is estimated to account for 60% of all discovered deposits, which are associated with about 70% of the explored oil and gas reserves on the continent. Almost all giant and largest deposits are concentrated here. The giant fields include: oil - Hassi-Mesaud, Selten, Jalu, Serir (with reserves of over 500 million tons each) and gas - Hassi-Rmel.

Giant and largest (with oil reserves over 100 million tons and gas reserves over 100 billion m 3) fields account for only 4% of the total number of discovered fields in Africa (640 fields), nevertheless, they contain more than 50% of oil and gas reserves ; moreover, 70% of oil reserves and almost all gas reserves are at a depth of 1-3 km, and only 30% of oil reserves and 2% of gas reserves (less explored) are at a depth of 3-5 km. All the above deposits are confined to rock complexes from the Paleozoic to the Cenozoic inclusive.

The reserves of all types of African coals amount to 274.3 billion tons, of which 125.1 billion tons have been measured (early 1980). The vast majority of coal reserves consist of bituminous coals and; reserves are estimated at only 160 million tons, including measured reserves of 120 million tons. Over 70% of coal reserves are in South Africa, 2nd place is occupied (about 20%), 3rd - ). The main coal deposits in South Africa are concentrated in the eastern part of the country (the Witbank basin, the Springs, Heidelberg, Breiten, Ermelo-Carolina, Waterberg, Springbok Flats, Fereniging, Utrecht, Freihold, etc.) deposits. The first deposits were discovered in 1699 (Cape Province) and 1840 (Natal), however, commercial exploitation began in 1868, when the Witbank basin was discovered in the Transvaal Province (South Africa). In Botswana, the largest basins are Mamabule and Marapule (in the east of the country); in Zimbabwe - Hwange (north-western part of the country). Among other African countries, Swaziland, Mozambique, Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Zambia have significant coal reserves; Coal deposits are also known in Zaire, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and others. In Zaire, in the valleys of the Lualaba and Lomami rivers, there are large deposits of oil shale. The reserves of uranium, profitable for development, in the deposits of Africa are estimated at 900 thousand tons (in terms of U 3 O 8). The largest of them are Rossing and Trekkopje in Namibia. The age of ore-bearing granite-pegmatites is post-Damar (510 Ma).

Significant reserves of uranium are found in Niger - in the Carboniferous sedimentary strata of the Imuraren, Arli and Akuta deposits; in Gabon - in the Proterozoic sedimentary strata of the Munana, Oklo, Boyindzi deposits; in Algeria - the hydrothermal deposits of Abankor and Timgauin; Zaire (magmatic vein deposit Shinkolobwe). Large reserves of uranium are contained in the Precambrian gold-bearing conglomerates in southern Africa, in South Africa (Witwatersrand). Also known are the large hydrothermal deposit of uranium, thorium and rare earth elements Alio-Gelle in Somalia, Precambrian sedimentary deposits in the Central African Republic, hydrothermal and pegmatite deposits in Madagascar, hydrothermal davidite deposit in Mozambique, etc.

Ferrous metal ores. The reserves of iron ores amount to 26.6 billion tons (beginning of 1980), including 8623 million tons of proved. , Chemutete, Matote, Badana-Mitcha (Angola), etc. Devonian sedimentary deposits are also large - Gara-Jebilet, Mesheri-Abdelaziz (Algeria), Phanerozoic rocks of various ages