Africa is a continent with 54 countries and over a billion people. Despite the rich diversity of the African experience, it is striking that continuities and themes are reflected across the continent, particularly south of the Sahara. Issues of underdevelopment, external exploitation, and mismanagement are characteristic of many, if not most, states in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this very brief introduction, Ian Taylor examines how politics is practiced on the African continent, considering the nature of the state in Sub-Saharan Africa and explaining why its state structures are generally weaker than elsewhere in the world. He explores the historical and contemporary factors responsible for Africa's underdevelopment and analyzes why some African countries suffer from high levels of political violence while others remain unscathed. In doing so, he reveals how the African state and society actually function.