226 AFRICA 



palms form a conspicuous feature, along with ceibas, 

 bombax, anogeissus, West African mahoganies, ster- 

 culias, fig-trees, chlorophoras, and other large trees : 

 wild coffee-trees are abundant. 



On the south of the Congo basin, the Kasai and 

 Lualaba rivers, with their tributaries, run across a series 

 of terraces leading up to the Zambezi divide. Here 

 only the slopes of the valleys, deeply sunk below the 

 general level, are clad with forests of the selva type. 

 The tablelands are covered with a mixture of light 

 woods and grassy glades. 



This transition zone, the most fertile part of Africa, is 

 capable of great development. It has the advantage of 

 an easy irrigation without the drawbacks of the over- 

 whelming forest. Its comparatively old cultivation and 

 thick population are proofs of its natural fertility even 

 under primitive methods of cultivation. Rice, yams, oil- 

 palms, rubber, coffee, cotton, sugar-cane are but a few of 

 its most important products. 



West African Coast : Guinea. From the southern 

 part of French Guinea to the Gold Coast, the tropical 

 rain-forest extends from the shore to the upper valleys 

 of the plateaus at the back, and penetrates along these 

 gorges far into the savana region. The reason of this 

 is the heavy rainfall, exceeding 80 inches and fairly 

 continuous throughout the year, coupled with the 

 equable heat. 



The low coast-line is sandy and marked by a screen 

 of tall coco-nuts and oil-palms. Behind this extend 

 freshwater or brackish lagoons, girt with reeds, tall 

 grassy jungles, and thin low shore woods. Villages are 

 dotted all along the beach, and the natives have cleared 

 narrow strips of ground between the sea and the dark 

 forest which rises at the back. Frequently this sandy 



