Agriculture is the major source of livelihood for the majority of West Africans. The agricultural sector employs 60 percent of the active labor force but contributes only 35 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). The disparity between contribution to GDP and share of population means that many...

The second of three books in IFPRI's climate change in Africa series, East African Agriculture and Climate Change: A Comprehensive Analysis examines the food security threats facing 10 of the countries that make up east and central Africa - Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Kenya,...

Senegal is the most westerly state of West Africa. The country is relatively flat, with low relief. Its total land area is 196,192 square kilometers. Its northern border, which is shared with Mauritania, is defined by the Senegal River. The Falémé River delineates part of the eastern border...

The Republic of Guinea covers an area of 245,857 square kilometers divided into seven administrative regions: Kindia, Boké, Mamou, Labé, Faranah, Kankan, and N’Zérékoré. The country consists of four major agroecological regions: coastal (Lower Guinea), middle (Fouta Djallon), upper, and...

West African agriculture and climate change: A comprehensive analysis

Liberia is situated at the southwest corner of the West Coast of Africa. It lies between the longitudes of 7°30´ and 11°30´ west and latitudes 4°18´ and 8°30´ north. It covers a surface area of about 111,370 square kilometers (about 43,506 square miles). The extent of its...

The West African state of Côte d’Ivoire has an area of 322,465 square kilometers, with a coastline of 540 kilometers along the Gulf of Guinea. It shares borders with Liberia in the southwest, Guinea in the northwest, Mali and Burkina Faso in the north, and Ghana in the east. The southern part...

Niger is a landlocked country in West Africa located between 11°37´ and 23°23´ north latitude and between 00°10´ and 16°00´ east longitude, with an area of 1,267,000 square kilometers. Niger shares borders with Algeria and Libya in the north, Chad in the east, Nigeria and...

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country with a total area of 390,580 square kilometers. The country shares borders with Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Namibia. Before 2000, Zimbabwe was one of the most industrialized economies in Africa south of the Sahara, with an extensive...

Malawi is located in the eastern part of southern Africa between latitude 9°22′ and 17°7′ South and between longitude 32°40′ and 35°55′ East. Its total area is 118,483 square kilometers, of which 94,275 square kilometers is land, while 24,208 square kilometers...