> It also made me think about the potential wealth of Africa. Not really... before seeing this map, I've long known that the Sahara desert is larger than the c

> It also made me think about the potential wealth of Africa. Not really... before seeing this map, I've long known that the Sahara desert is larger than the continental U.S. Besides the logistics problems mentioned in other comments, this large block of non-producing land, which separates the fertile parts of the continent from Europe and Asia, is a key reason why the continent has historically been disadvantaged. (It's quite possible the creation of the Sahara is what encouraged the first proto-humans into leave the continent to colonize the rest of the world.)