Seaports and development in tropical Africa

Abstract

The essays in this volume have been brought together to emphasise the important role of seaports in the economic growth of underdeveloped areas, and to demonstrate the increasing interest now focused upon this problem by geographers in tropical Africa. The essays are introduced in the first chapter; whilst each contributor draws attention to the problems of a specific port or port group, it should be stated that many of the contributors are familiar at first hand with the problems of a wide range of ports in Africa and elsewhere, and that during the past five years the editors have between them visited almost all the ports discussed in this volume. Nevertheless we have not sought to provide a systematic coverage of tropical African seaports, but rather to bring together a series of illustrations and analyses of representative port problems. Lack of reasonably up-to-date information (for example on ports of Portuguese Africa) has also encouraged a selective approach.