For the rapidly growing communities of Africa, the problem is to develop the economy fast enough, to produce the essential imports, especially food. Main index Detailed index Figure Six . This is the condition of demographic entrapment. It is also trapped, if because its population is increasing, it is going to be in this unhappy situation before long. The alternatives then are starvation or slaughter.
People can either stunt and starve, or they can kill one another.
At this point beginners are advised to go to Page 2 and read the dialogue with Lady M - the Lady from Mars. These simplified figures can be progressively refined. Here is a beginning. The edges of trapped areas are best thought of as 'gradients' rather than sharp borders. In Africa political borders are usually rather nominal.