Unit 4 Sub-Saharan Africa

Vocabulary Savanna – tropical grasslands Rift Valleys – deep valleys that formed when the Earth’s crust separated and broke apart Deforestation – cutting down forests Landlocked – no direct access to a coast

Physical Geography West Africa Central Africa East Africa Savannas and much of the Sahel (semi-arid grassland) Central Africa Rain Forests and the Congo Basin East Africa Rift Valleys Southern Africa Great Plateaus and the Kalahari Desert

East Africa Great Rift Valley – In some places is 60 miles wide and can rise more than 6,000 feet Forming for more than 20 million years, and still continues Plate movement also created the freshwater lakes Lake Tanganyika is 4700 feet deep East Africa mostly sits on plateaus, and dormant volcanoes also exist Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya have volcanic soil nearby for good farmland

West Africa Semi-arid grassland, short rainy season and is very dry Growing population has led to the need for more farmland. This has led to deforestation, which causes erosion and desertification Coastal countries have more people, thus more cities. Also tropical climates with high rainfall Interior countries are dry, making farming a struggle

Central Africa Congo Basin is the main feature, contains a rain forest that is the second largest in the world Vegetation is so thick that sometimes sunlight doesn’t reach the ground Moving through is difficult LOTS of wildlife Congo River, centered on the Equator, flows to the Atlantic Ocean The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a wealth of natural resources Government mishandling has led to very little wealth distribution

Southern Africa Has the highest standard of living due to fertile farmland and natural resources Six of the countries here are landlocked Copper, gold and diamonds are found here. Valuable but the work is dangerous Temperate climate supports a good variety of crops

Vocabulary Caravans – groups of merchants traveling together for safety Lingua Franca – common language between multiple groups of people City-states – independent states made up of a city and the territories depending on it Imperialism – extending a nation’s influence by controlling other territories Colonialism – directly controlling and settling foreign territories

History of Sub-Saharan Africa

Bantu Migrations After the agricultural revolution, around 2000 BC, the Bantu Migration began. By 1000 AD, the people had spread from Central Africa to the south and east across the region Historians are not sure why the Bantu people began to migrate, but when they did they took their cultural traits and skills with them Iron working was a big advantage As the people moved, other groups absorbed into theirs Nearly 85 million can trace their heritage to this – more than 400 ethnic groups Swahili is the best known surviving language, eventually used as a trade language Caravans spread the language throughout Africa Swahili is the lingua franca of many groups of people

Early States and Trade Gold and salt trade in the West led to a number of empires Ghana gained wealth and power by taxing trade and controlled the area from 700 AD to the 1200s, eventually being taken over by Mali Kingdom of Benin – 1200s to 1800s, actively traded with European countries East Africa – Aksum Empire (Ethiopia) 300-600 AD Many city-states in East Africa grew from trading

Impact of Slave Trade Slavery existed in Africa for many years before European contact, mostly through warfare Began with the Portuguese around 1500, enslaved peoples were brought to the coast and sold Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, French, and English all took part Once sold, they were on the Middle Passage for months, about 2 million died Slaves were used for plantation labor – sugar, cotton, and tobacco More than 12 million enslaved and shipped between 1500 and the mid 1800s, mostly to Brazil and the Caribbean

Colonization to Independence European imperialism began at the same time as trade, in search of profitable resources Colonies came soon after Mid-1800s, European countries were fighting over African colonies The need for natural resources started it, European weapons meant an almost certain victory 1884 – Berlin Conference held to divide African claims; Africa not invited Missionaries were a large part of European presence Pan-Africanism began in early 1900s as a move for unity 1950s and 1960s, the movement brought leaders together

Africa’s Borders and Cultures Before Colonization Borders between African cultural groups developed through agreement or conflict. Natural features often defined the borders, which were easy to identify and control. Natural borders along bodies of water provided transportation corridors.

Africa’s Borders and Cultures During Colonization Europeans regularly ignored borders of African cultural groups. Borders met European needs for resources and for compromise with other colonial powers. Cultural groups were divided, forced to share territory with rivals, or both.

Africa’s Borders and Cultures After Colonization There are few Sub-Saharan African countries in which people share one common culture. Cultural differences have often led to civil wars over power, territory, and resources. Military dictatorships often formed to impose order.

Kenya Modernizes Challenges Kenya has 40 ethnic groups, and sometimes such cultural diversity leads to rivalry and conflict there. Education is a key factor in modernization for any country, including Kenya. Kenya’s diverse geography and wildlife draw many tourists.

Kenya Modernizes Strategies Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s first elected leader, appointed members from different ethnic groups as his advisors. He and other leaders encouraged domestic policies that led to economic growth and modernization. Most children in Kenya attend free elementary schools. The Kenyan government wants to protect the national parks and nature reserves.

Kenya Modernizes Outcomes Kenyatta helped all Kenyans pull together and work toward the common goal of modernization and economic growth. Between 1970 and 2003, the adult literacy rate increased from 32 percent to 85 percent. Kenya’s national parks and nature reserves attract tourists and bring jobs and wealth into the country.

Vocabulary Epidemic – outbreak Refugees - individuals who have been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster Drought – water shortages

Conflict/Development After the Berlin Conference of 1884, Africa spent the next 60 years dominated by Europe All of Africa’s people and resources were exploited by Europe for nearly a century Many of Africa’s problems today exist because of this

AIDS/HIV Africa has the most serious outbreak in the world – 71% of the world’s total A number of countries are creating campaigns for more widespread testing and awareness

Conflict Main source of misery in the country Conflict leads to a higher percentage of poverty and hunger/undernourishment Also has a higher percentage of under-education and extreme criminal violence These problems tend to push people out of their homes

Environment Erosion, desertification and drought are big challenges in many countries Leads to hunger and poverty

Famine UN estimates that 239 million were hungry/undernourished in 2010 2nd largest continent Largest in terms of proportion, 30% of population Poverty in the main problem – 47% living on $1.25 a day