Africa's Moment

The 21st century will be the century of Africa. This continent wasonce seen as empty, rural, animist, poor, and forgotten by theworld. Now, fifty years after independence, it is full to bursting, urban and monotheist. If poverty and violence are still rampant, economic growth has taken off again and a middle class isdeveloping. Africa will hold a central place in the big issuesfacing the world today. If it once made a 'falsestart', here it is back again - in the fast lane.

The West has missed the turnaround of a continent that will nolonger wait for us. How can we best understand it? Demography, economics, politics, diplomacy, cultures and religions - thisbook presents the different facets of this new Africa, which willsoon have a billion people, at the mid point of the most rapidpopulation boom that humanity has ever known. Without ignoring therisks of its metamorphosis, it brings to light the forces and hopesthat Africa harbors.