(a) Draw a sketch map of Africa. On the map, locate and name (i) Rivers Niger and Zambezi; (ii) Lake Victoria; (iii) Latitudes 231/2 °N and 231/2 °S; (iv) T...

(a) Sketch map of Africa

Key locations: River Niger in West Africa; River Zambezi in south-central Africa; Lake Victoria in East Africa; the Tropic of Cancer at 23½°N; the Tropic of Capricorn at 23½°S; the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa; the Niger Delta petroleum field in Nigeria; and the Witwatersrand goldfield in South Africa.

(b) Economic importance of petroleum in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

1. Petroleum earns substantial foreign exchange through the export of crude oil and petroleum products.
2. It provides revenue to the government through taxes, royalties, rents and export duties.
3. It creates employment for geologists, engineers, refinery workers, tanker drivers, construction workers and many other workers.
4. It supplies energy and fuel for transport, industries, electricity generation and households.
5. It provides raw materials for petrochemical industries, including the manufacture of plastics, fertilisers, lubricants, bitumen and synthetic fibres.
6. It promotes the development of related industries such as oil refineries, petrochemical plants, liquefied natural gas plants and servicing companies.
7. It has encouraged the provision of infrastructure such as roads, ports, pipelines, airports, electricity and water supply in oil-producing areas.
8. It attracts foreign capital, technical skills and technology into the area.