Soils are generally poor. Aside from oil and natural gas, this region contains very significant mineral deposits. In some cases, mineral exploitation is limited by the lack of development. All are among the poorest countries in the world. Although urban growth is rapid, most of the people still live in rural areas.
Population growth is very fast.
Tribal and ethnic rivalries cause political problems and often lead to conflict. Agriculture is the main economic activity, but not enough food is produced to feed the growing population. Mineral exports are essential, but better transportation is needed. Besides some help from France, the world economy has little interest in this subregion. Except for Nigeria with about 100 million people, the other 14 countries have small populations.