Assessing Sub-Saharan Africa’s University-Level Geography Resources:

William G. Moseley, Macalester College

Abstract

Remarkably few studies have been undertaken to assess the level of university geography resources within Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. While reviews of the state of geography have been done in some African countries, none have been attempted at the continental scale. Such assessments are a starting point for beginning to understand whether or not African students and governments have adequate access to sufficient amounts of geographic knowledge, perspectives and techniques; skills which are increasingly crucial for surviving in a world dominated by rapid change. This study presents and analyzes a simple inventory of geography programs in SSA. The spatial distribution of geography programs across the continent is assessed, as well as the rank of countries in terms of their university-level geography programs. The authors further seek to explain the observed distribution of geography programs and comment on some broader historical trends within academic geography on the continent.