This work focuses on the early years of independence and the problems African countries faced soon after the end of colonial rule. They include poverty and underdevelopment; adoption of alien ideologies and economic and political systems; structural flaws of the modern African state and its institutions inherited at independence; nation-building, democratization, national integration, and ethno-regional rivalries among others. The work also looks at prospects for continental unification from the perspectives of leaders such as Nkrumah and Nyerere. As a demographic portrait, it depicts the continent as a tapestry that reflects the racial diversity and multi-ethnic composition of this vast land mass. And as a historical and political analysis, it addresses some of the most important issues in the post-colonial era. The book includes photos from the early sixties.