The rainy season, terrain, and financial hardships have made the construction of highways and railroads nearly impossible in many parts of Africa. This lack of modern infrastructure has been overcome in some part by the development of air transportation. Hundreds of carriers--both small and large, government owned and private--have connected all parts of the continent. Together, they have had a tremendous impact on the African economy and the people. Country-by-country, this comprehensive reference work provides brief histories of over 700 airlines in 54 African nations. Each entry has the years of operation of the carrier, along with information on its origin, growth, and route structure. Aircraft usage, including registration numbers and nicknames, is covered in many cases. Any crashes involving aircraft in the carrier's fleet are also noted. An appendix gives the location of all major African airports.

Uncertain Dimensions was first published in 1985. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions. World War I battered the Western imperial systems and destroyed one, that of Germany, but it did not sound the death knell of an empire. The ""scramble"" for overseas territory ha reached a virtual conclusion shortly before the war; afterwards, the main business of empire was to ensure a pax colonia: the often contradictory goals of a stable government and.