Africa

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
- 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

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.

Subject:

European History [1]

Subject X2:

European History [1]