ИСТИНА

The problem of political conflicts has become especially important recently. Political conflicts are complex and are caused by a lot of reasons that need to be known in order to prevent them. The articles reviewed assess the role of local geographical determinants in the formation of conflicts in African states. The likelihood of a conflict in any territory depends on the geographical location and characteristics of this territory. Geographical location is location of the territory regarding the border and the capital of the state, also proximity to mineral deposits. Such characteristics of the territory as the settlement features of ethnic groups, demographic pressure, the level of economic development and rough terrain can also contribute to the emergence of a conflict. The authors of the articles conducted a regression analysis and found that the geographical location and some characteristics of the territory do increase the likelihood of conflict. At the same time, the studies did not find any influence of rough terrain, demographic pressure and proximity to oil deposits on the emergence of political conflicts in Africa. The studies come to some unexpected results that allow us to look at the problem from different angles. The articles reviewed gave me an idea of the role of various geographical determinants in the formation of conflicts. I also want to use the methodology created by the authors of these articles in my research work.