- AFRICA
- Influence of Geography
- Divided nearly in half by the equator-central portion of Africa lies within the tropics
- Series of plateaus
- Smooth coastline limits the number of good natural harbors
- Deserts isolated Africa south of the Saharaàhelped to create cultural diversity
- Falls and rapids near the mouths of riversàinterior navigation difficult
- Thanks to the falls and rapids, Africa has great hydroelectric power potential
- Nile River provides fresh supply of soil; makes irrigation, transportation, and communication possibleà Many early civilizations developed along the river. The river provided routes of trade and cultural diffusion.
- The Great Rift Valley (canyon) and the Nile River influenced migration in East Africa, forcing people to move in a north-south direction
- Ghana, Mali, Songhai
- West African trading kingdoms
- Had vast trading networks
- Trans-Saharan trade routes
- Main export was gold
- Ghana (A.D. 300)
- Developed along the Niger River
- Located between salt mines and gold mines
- Fertile land
- Strong central government
- Skilled craftsmen in the smelting of iron
- Large army
- Mali (13c)
- Muslim kingdom
- Taxed all goods transported through kingdom
- Money from taxes supported the government and military, funded the construction of mosques and palaces
- Timbuktuàimportant center of Arabic and Islamic learning
- Rulerà Mansa Musa
- Songhai (15c)
- Rulerà Sunni Ali
- Muslim kingdom
- Larger than Mali and Ghana
- Controlled sources of gold and salt
- Taxed imports and exports
- Late 16c- Invaded and defeated by armies from Morocco
- Triangle Trade
- European goods were shipped from Europe to Africa, where they were traded for African slaves (Outward Passage)
- Africans were transported to the Americas, where they were traded for sugar and tobacco (Middle Passage)
- Sugar and tobacco were sent back to Europe, and sold for profit (Inward Passage)
- Partition & the Berlin Conference (1884-1885)
- European nations met in Berlin to decide how Africa should be divided into colonial territories
- Set up rules for future occupation of Africa and for navigation of the rivers
- France took most of western Africa and the Republic of Congo
- Great Britain took Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Nigeria, and Ghana
- Belgium took Belgian Congo
- Portugal took Mozambique and Angola
- Italy took Somalia and a portion of Ethiopia
- Germany took Namibia and Tanzania
- Anti-colonialism
- Zulu fought the British and Boers in South Africa
- The Sudanese fought the British
- The Mandingo fought the French in West Africa
- Africans did not have good weapons like the Europeans did
- Some used guerrilla tactics, others used passive resistance
- Clash of Values Between Traditional & Modern Life
- Development of many major urban areas
- Arranged marriages become less common
- Young people no longer need an extended family
- Old ethnic authority structure is breaking down
- Polygamy is no longer practical for most Africans
- Urban African females are active in politics, law, medicine, and other professions
- Rural Areas
- Retain traditional values, attitudes, and practices
- Strong loyalty to ethnic group and authority system
- Strong community spirit
- Development of many major urban areas
- There is a clash of values because of the changing attitudes of those that live in urban areas
- Africans gain knowledge of Western ideas and wish to adopt these concepts.
- Industrialization and modernization bring new technology to Africa
- Women are no longer willing to accept subordinate roles
- Influence of Geography
- SOUTH AFRICA
- African National Congress (ANC)
- Created in 1912 to unite the South African blacks, to end segregation, and to work for the right to take part in government
- Originally a nonviolent organization
- After the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960à Sabotage
- Government banned the ANC and arrested its leaders, incl. Mandela
- Nelson Mandela (1918- )
- A black South African leader who protested the policy of Apartheid
- Spent over thirty years in prison
- Became the first black president of South Africa
- Won Nobel Peace Prize
- Post-Apartheid Politics
- New constitution was writtenàfreedom of speech and fair trial, freedom to choose where to live, freedom from torture, etc.
- All people in South Africa were eligible to vote for a legislature
- 1994 Elections- Resulted in a multi-party legislature, Nelson Mandela became president
- 1995 Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigated murders and other human rights abuses under the apartheid government
- 1999 Elections- Thabo Mbeki became president. Democratic advances were made.
- African National Congress (ANC)
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