Politics in Francophone Africa

Le Vine (political science, Washington U., St. Louis) examines similarities and differences among the 14 nations in western Africa with colonial and post-colonial ties to France, most of which became independent from 1958 to 1961. Le Vine reveals the dual spirit of relations with France—the disparities between thought and action, the complexities of multiple ethnicity in the states, the influence of various religious traditions on national and intra-national politics, the states' experiments in power, their relationships with theories and applications of democracy, and the various perceptions of francophone Africa's role in the global arena. Appendices include data on principal ethnic groups, timelines, organizational structures, French military intervention, and summit conferences for francophone African states. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR