East Africa

Continental Crossroads  In 1931, and English archaeologist found the most continuous known record of humanity in the Olduvai Gorge in N. Tanzania  Aksum was an impt. Civilization that emerged in Ethiopia around A.D. 100  7 th century Arab, Persian and Indian traders flooded E. Africa and est. Kilwa, a city in Tanzania and made E. Africa a cultural crossroads

Colonization Disrupts Africa  Berlin Conference in , 14 European nations decided how to divide Africa. They decided any European nation could claim land by controlling the area and letting the other E. nations know their claim.  Ethiopia escaped colonization b/c of Emp. Menlik II who protected them by knowledge of geography

Colonization, cont.  By 1970’s, Most of E. Africa gained independence but civil wars and internal disputes became serious problems (I.e. Rwanda)  Basically, the nations weren’t prepared for independence and the ethnic boundaries created by the Europeans forced cultural divisions

Farming and Tourism Economies  E. Africa is 70% rural  They rely on cash crops (coffee, tea, and sugar)  Shifting to jobs in the cities over farms  Main economic activities is tourism and they have set up many wildlife reserves.

Maitaining Traditional Cultures  Two biggest ethnic groups are Masai and Kikuyu  Kikuyu are the largest group in Kenya centered around Mt. Kenya – Organized a society called Mau Mau.. Later 11,000 Africans killed during a rebellion  Masai live on grasslands in the rift valley in both Kenya and Tanzania and farm or herd. – Wear robes and grease clothes with cow fat

Health Care in Modern Africa  Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a pandemic in E. Africa  Many feel there are more AIDS cases than are reported.  Predict that the population of Africa’s worst countries could decline 10-20%