Sub-Saharan Africa | region, Africa (2024)

","url":"Introduction","wordCount":0,"sequence":1,"headerCarousel":null,"path":[]},"imarsData":{"HAS_REVERTED_TIMELINE":"false","INFINITE_SCROLL":""},"npsAdditionalContents":{},"templateHandler":{"name":"INDEX"},"paginationInfo":{"previousPage":null,"nextPage":null,"totalPages":1},"uaTemplate":"INDEX","infiniteScrollList":[{"p":1,"t":1013830}],"topicLeftRail":{"topicInfo":{"id":1013830,"title":"sub-Saharan Africa","url":"https://www.britannica.com/place/sub-Saharan-Africa","description":"Petroleum: Sub-Saharan Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa, primarily West Africa, holds a rich resource base with multiple supergiant and giant fields. Beginning to the north, Ghana boasts the most recent potential supergiant, the Jubilee field, with potential reserves of 2 billion barrels. It was discovered in 2007 and produced more…","type":"TOPIC","titleText":"sub-Saharan Africa","urlTitle":"sub-Saharan-Africa","metaDescription":"Other articles where sub-Saharan Africa is discussed: petroleum: Sub-Saharan Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa, primarily West Africa, holds a rich resource base with multiple supergiant and giant fields. Beginning to the north, Ghana boasts the most recent potential supergiant, the Jubilee field, with potential reserves of 2 billion barrels. It was discovered in 2007 and produced more…","identifierHtml":"region, Africa","identifierText":"region, Africa","topicClass":"place","topicKey":"sub-Saharan-Africa","articleContentType":"INDEX","ppTecType":"PLACE","gaTemplate":"INDEX","topicType":"INDEX","relativeUrl":"/place/sub-Saharan-Africa","assemblyLinkPrefix":"/media/1/1013830/"},"topicLink":{"title":"sub-Saharan Africa","url":"https://www.britannica.com/place/sub-Saharan-Africa"},"tocTitle":"Directory","tocEntry":"References","toc":null,"quoteLink":null,"indexLink":null,"factsLink":null,"mediaLink":null,"media":null,"studentLinks":null,"relatedQuizzes":null,"topQuestions":null,"readNext":null,"discover":[{"id":3842,"title":"9 Infamous Assassins and the World Leaders They Dispatched","url":"/story/9-infamous-assassins-and-the-world-leaders-they-dispatched","description":"Meet the people behind the guns.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/38/114738-131-1EC2D535/assassination-Pres-John-Wilkes-Booth-Abraham-Lincoln-April-14-1865.jpg","altText":"The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C., April 14th, 1865; from a lithograph by Currier and Ives.","credit":"Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital file no. 3b49830u)","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/38/114738-131-1EC2D535/assassination-Pres-John-Wilkes-Booth-Abraham-Lincoln-April-14-1865.jpg"},"type":"STORY","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"#WTFact","url":"/stories/wtfact"},{"title":"World History","url":"/stories/wtfact/World-History"}],"lastItemTitle":"World History"},"superCategory":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"History-Society","description":"Explore history and society; accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","keywords":"accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","classId":"HISTORY","sortOrder":1},"hashtags":["encyclopedia","britannica","encyclopedia britannica","list","lists","history","assassins","assassinations","world leaders","attempts","president","presidents","killed","shot","shootings","gandhi","lincoln","kennedy"],"hashtagsString":"encyclopedia, britannica, encyclopedia britannica, list, lists, history, assassins, assassinations, world leaders, attempts, president, presidents, killed, shot, shootings, gandhi, lincoln, kennedy","displayDate":[2014,7,24],"urlTitle":"9-infamous-assassins-and-the-world-leaders-they-dispatched","featureSubType":"WTFACT","categories":[{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},null,null],"mainCategory":{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"#WTFact"},{"id":6099,"title":"Nostradamus and His Prophecies","url":"/story/nostradamus-and-his-prophecies","description":"Was he a gifted seer? Or simply skilled at writing about typically occurring events in a vague and cryptic manner?","image":{"id":0,"url":"/39/193239-131-181E3553/Statue-Nostradamus.jpg","altText":"Statue of Nostradamus","credit":"© mtsyri/Shutterstock.com","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/39/193239-131-181E3553/Statue-Nostradamus.jpg"},"type":"STORY","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"Spotlight","url":"/stories/spotlight"},{"title":"World History","url":"/stories/spotlight/World-History"}],"lastItemTitle":"World History"},"superCategory":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"History-Society","description":"Explore history and society; accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","keywords":"accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","classId":"HISTORY","sortOrder":1},"hashtags":["spotlight","Nostradamus","prophecy","predictions","astrology","quatrains","centuries"],"hashtagsString":"spotlight, Nostradamus, prophecy, predictions, astrology, quatrains, centuries","displayDate":[2017,2,6],"urlTitle":"nostradamus-and-his-prophecies","featureSubType":"SPOTLIGHT","categories":[{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},{"id":8000,"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"Lifestyles-Social-Issues","description":"It's easy enough to agree that human beings all around the world have certain basic requirements that must be fulfilled in order to ensure their individual and collective well-being. History has shown us, however, that it's not so easy to form societies or communities that fulfill these requirements for all members. The fight for human and civil rights has persisted for hundreds of years and remains alive today, both within the borders of nations and on an international scale. It has led to large-scale social movements and reforms concerning issues such as suffrage, slavery, women's rights, racism, environmentalism, gay rights, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg","altText":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg"}},null],"mainCategory":{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"Spotlight"},{"id":6383,"title":"11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses","url":"/list/11-egyptian-gods-and-goddesses","description":"Worship like an Egyptian.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/52/196952-131-0665E4EE/Egyptians-hieroglyphics-carvings.jpg","altText":"An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.","credit":"© Amanda Lewis/Dreamstime.com","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/52/196952-131-0665E4EE/Egyptians-hieroglyphics-carvings.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Philosophy & Religion","url":"/list/browse/Philosophy-Religion"}],"lastItemTitle":"Philosophy & Religion"},"superCategory":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"History-Society","description":"Explore history and society; accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","keywords":"accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","classId":"HISTORY","sortOrder":1},"hashtags":["myth","mythology","religion","ancient Egypt","Egypt","Egyptian mythology","gods","goddesses"],"hashtagsString":"myth, mythology, religion, ancient Egypt, Egypt, Egyptian mythology, gods, goddesses","displayDate":[2017,10,27],"urlTitle":"11-egyptian-gods-and-goddesses","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":7000,"title":"Philosophy & Religion","url":"Philosophy-Religion","description":"Humans have long pondered not only how we came to be but also why we came to be. The earliest Greek philosophers focused their attention upon the origin and nature of the physical world; later philosophers have theorized about the nature of knowledge, truth, good and evil, love, friendship, and much more. Philosophy involves a methodical assessment of any and all aspects of human existence and experience. The realms of philosophy and religion have sometimes intersected in conducting such inquiries as these. As with philosophy, the study of religion underscores how humankind has long speculated about its origins. The possibility of a higher being (or beings) to which livings things owe their existence has long captived human thought. Many religions also offer their own views on the nature of good and evil, and they may prescribe guidelines and judgment on different kinds of human behavior.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/95/180595-050-EDF2CA3A.jpg","altText":"Philosophy & Religion","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/95/180595-050-EDF2CA3A.jpg"}},{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},null],"mainCategory":{"id":7000,"title":"Philosophy & Religion","url":"Philosophy-Religion","description":"Humans have long pondered not only how we came to be but also why we came to be. The earliest Greek philosophers focused their attention upon the origin and nature of the physical world; later philosophers have theorized about the nature of knowledge, truth, good and evil, love, friendship, and much more. Philosophy involves a methodical assessment of any and all aspects of human existence and experience. The realms of philosophy and religion have sometimes intersected in conducting such inquiries as these. As with philosophy, the study of religion underscores how humankind has long speculated about its origins. The possibility of a higher being (or beings) to which livings things owe their existence has long captived human thought. Many religions also offer their own views on the nature of good and evil, and they may prescribe guidelines and judgment on different kinds of human behavior.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/95/180595-050-EDF2CA3A.jpg","altText":"Philosophy & Religion","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/95/180595-050-EDF2CA3A.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"},{"id":6089,"title":"8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century","url":"/list/8-deadliest-wars-of-the-21st-century","description":"Many lives have already been lost in this millennium.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/38/168938-131-2FBA7C21/Soldiers-Iraqi-Army-learning-9th-Mechanized-Division-2011.jpg","altText":"Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army","credit":"U.S. Army photo by Spc. Breeanna J. DuBuke","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/38/168938-131-2FBA7C21/Soldiers-Iraqi-Army-learning-9th-Mechanized-Division-2011.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"World History","url":"/list/browse/World-History"}],"lastItemTitle":"World History"},"superCategory":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"History-Society","description":"Explore history and society; accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","keywords":"accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","classId":"HISTORY","sortOrder":1},"hashtags":["deadliest wars","Russia","Ukraine","Congo","Sudan","Syria","Africa","Darfur","Afghanistan","Iraq","21st century","war","conflict","military","Britannica","Encyclopedia Britannica","Encyclopaedia Britannica"],"hashtagsString":"deadliest wars, Russia, Ukraine, Congo, Sudan, Syria, Africa, Darfur, Afghanistan, Iraq, 21st century, war, conflict, military, Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica","displayDate":[2023,4,18],"urlTitle":"8-deadliest-wars-of-the-21st-century","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},null,null],"mainCategory":{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"},{"id":6367,"title":"Nuclear Exclusion Zones","url":"/story/nuclear-exclusion-zones","description":"Two places on Earth where humans have been cast out.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/98/196898-131-648DB1CD/school-Prypyat-disaster-Ukraine-Chernobyl.jpg","altText":"Abandoned school in Pripyat in the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant","credit":"© Viktor Yatsuk/Dreamstime.com","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/98/196898-131-648DB1CD/school-Prypyat-disaster-Ukraine-Chernobyl.jpg"},"type":"STORY","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"Spotlight","url":"/stories/spotlight"},{"title":"World History","url":"/stories/spotlight/World-History"}],"lastItemTitle":"World History"},"superCategory":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"History-Society","description":"Explore history and society; accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","keywords":"accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","classId":"HISTORY","sortOrder":1},"hashtags":["spotlight","nuclear energy","nuclear power","f*ckushima","Chernobyl","disaster","nuclear disaster","radiation"],"hashtagsString":"spotlight, nuclear energy, nuclear power, f*ckushima, Chernobyl, disaster, nuclear disaster, radiation","displayDate":[2017,10,7],"urlTitle":"nuclear-exclusion-zones","featureSubType":"SPOTLIGHT","categories":[{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},{"id":1000,"title":"Science","url":"Science","description":"How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg","altText":"Science","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg"}},{"id":2000,"title":"Technology","url":"Technology","description":"Humankind has long striven to improve its living conditions through the development of tools, instruments, and transportation and communications systems, all with the goal of making our lives easier, more productive and—why not?—more fun, too. Thanks to human curiosity and technological research, many significant inventions have been made throughout history that in turn made a difference in our daily lives.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/84/203584-131-357FBE7D/speed-internet-technology-background.jpg","altText":"Technology","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/84/203584-131-357FBE7D/speed-internet-technology-background.jpg"}}],"mainCategory":{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"Spotlight"},{"id":5546,"title":"Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents","url":"/list/secret-service-code-names-of-11-us-presidents","description":"Find out the Secret Service code names of 11 U.S. presidents.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/45/189145-131-45FF672E/Secret-Service-Agent-Earpiece.jpg","altText":"Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece","credit":"©David Stuart/Fotolia","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/45/189145-131-45FF672E/Secret-Service-Agent-Earpiece.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Politics, Law & Government","url":"/list/browse/Politics-Law-Government"}],"lastItemTitle":"Politics, Law & Government"},"superCategory":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"History-Society","description":"Explore history and society; accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","keywords":"accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","classId":"HISTORY","sortOrder":1},"hashtags":["U.S. president","Secret Service","code names"],"hashtagsString":"U.S. president, Secret Service, code names","displayDate":[2021,6,1],"urlTitle":"secret-service-code-names-of-11-us-presidents","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":9000,"title":"Politics, Law & Government","url":"Politics-Law-Government","description":"The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens. Governments can be classified in any number of ways. For example, they might be classified by the number of rulers, thus distinguishing government by one (as in a monarchy or a tyranny) from government by the few (in an aristocracy or oligarchy) and from government by the many (as in a democracy). Governments can also be classified by mode of succession; for example, ascension to governmental leadership may follow the rules of hereditary succession, or it may be determined through elections or by force. Governments also vary in terms of the laws and rules of conduct that each political entity follows.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/22/99622-050-E70BCD0A/Parthenon-Athens.jpg","altText":"Politics, Law & Government","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/22/99622-050-E70BCD0A/Parthenon-Athens.jpg"}},{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},null],"mainCategory":{"id":9000,"title":"Politics, Law & Government","url":"Politics-Law-Government","description":"The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens. Governments can be classified in any number of ways. For example, they might be classified by the number of rulers, thus distinguishing government by one (as in a monarchy or a tyranny) from government by the few (in an aristocracy or oligarchy) and from government by the many (as in a democracy). Governments can also be classified by mode of succession; for example, ascension to governmental leadership may follow the rules of hereditary succession, or it may be determined through elections or by force. Governments also vary in terms of the laws and rules of conduct that each political entity follows.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/22/99622-050-E70BCD0A/Parthenon-Athens.jpg","altText":"Politics, Law & Government","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/22/99622-050-E70BCD0A/Parthenon-Athens.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"},{"id":6364,"title":"Ten Days That Vanished: The Switch to the Gregorian Calendar","url":"/story/ten-days-that-vanished-the-switch-to-the-gregorian-calendar","description":"In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII introduced a more accurate calendar. But switching over wasn’t easy.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/53/130653-131-6C7B3BE8/clock-St-John-the-Baptist-cathedral-Lyon-2019.jpg","altText":"Cathedrale St.Jean in Lyon, France has a 14th-century astronomical clock that shows religious feast days till the year 2019; Perpetual Calendar","credit":"© Jakez/Shutterstock.com","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/53/130653-131-6C7B3BE8/clock-St-John-the-Baptist-cathedral-Lyon-2019.jpg"},"type":"STORY","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"#WTFact","url":"/stories/wtfact"},{"title":"World History","url":"/stories/wtfact/World-History"}],"lastItemTitle":"World History"},"superCategory":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"History-Society","description":"Explore history and society; accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","keywords":"accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","classId":"HISTORY","sortOrder":1},"hashtags":["wtfacts","calendar","pope"],"hashtagsString":"wtfacts, calendar, pope","displayDate":[2019,1,25],"urlTitle":"ten-days-that-vanished-the-switch-to-the-gregorian-calendar","featureSubType":"WTFACT","categories":[{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},null,null],"mainCategory":{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"#WTFact"}]},"byline":null,"citationInfo":null,"websites":{"EXTERNAL":[{"title":"History World - Sub-Saharan Africa","url":"http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ab65","newTab":true,"noFollow":true}]},"freeTopicReason":"TOPIC_IS_INDEX_PAGE","articleSchemaMarkup":{"keywords":"sub-Saharan Africa","wordcount":0,"url":"https://www.britannica.com/place/sub-Saharan-Africa","description":"Other articles where sub-Saharan Africa is discussed: petroleum: Sub-Saharan Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa, primarily West Africa, holds a rich resource base with multiple supergiant and giant fields. Beginning to the north, Ghana boasts the most recent potential supergiant, the Jubilee field, with potential reserves of 2 billion barrels. It was discovered in 2007 and produced more…","publisher":{"name":"Encyclopedia Britannica","@type":"Organization","logo":{"url":"https://corporate.britannica.com/wp-content/themes/eb-corporate/_img/logo.png","@type":"ImageObject"}},"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"article"},"studentArticle":false,"showHeader":true,"initialLoad":true,"comingFromSameArticle":false}