A History of Africa is a narrative history of the continent from its beginnings to the 21st century. The fourth edition of this history brings the book up to date to address the events of the 1990s. The issues discussed include: post-apartheid South Africa; the prospects for democratisation in Africa at the beginning of the new millennium; developments in Muslim North Africa including the threat of Islamic fundamentalism; economic and social developments including the devastating impact of the Third World debt and the provision of debt relief; cultural, environmental and gender issues in Modern Africa.