Africa & the Bantu Chapter 11 Section 1

Do Now: 12/4/2013 What are geographic climates? Do geography and climate effect the way that people live? What is a geographic physical barrier? Have physical barriers stopped the migrations of people? Climate- Average weather of a region over a long period of time. Yes- think of a cold climate vs hot climate. How would you live differently? Physical barrier- Lakes, rivers, mountains, deserts, ect. Barriers separate regions. People have overcome physical barriers to migrate to new areas.

The History of Africa Historians know much about North Africa- Why? Europeans were able to easily access this area, its right across the Mediterranean Sea. European and North African civilizations have been in contact since ancient times.

The history of AfRica Less knowledge has been preserved about Africa south of the Sahara, or sub-Saharan Africa. Until recent times, the Sahara Desert cut off sub-Saharan Africa from the rest of the world. With modern technology and innovations, scientists and historians are continuing to research the history of this area. Historians have learned a great deal from the oral histories of traditional African storytellers.

Africa’s physical geography Africa has a diverse climate due to its geographic regions: Tropical rainforests surround the Equator, savanna borders the rain forests, and deserts surround the savannas.

Africa Map Activity Desert Arabian Peninsula Savanna Tropical Region

Africa’s physical geography Savanna- Many of Africa’s large animals live on the savannas, including lions, zebras, and elephants. Sahara desert- Stretches across most of North Africa, and is the world’s largest desert. Hot, dry landscape with sand dunes and rugged mountains. There are oases throughout the deserts, which help travelers navigate and survive.

Africa’s physical geography Lakes, forests, mountains, and rivers formed physical barriers across Africa, but people were able to overcome them in order to travel. Africa’s geography has greatly affected its people’s ways of life. There is little farming in Africa’s deserts- Why?     Cattle are herded on the savannas- Why?

Closing question What can we summarize about the way that Africa’s geographic climates affect peoples lives? Groups that share the same environments often live differently.

The Bantu Migrations 4,000 years ago there was enormous Bantu migration out of West Africa. The Bantu migration is one of the largest population movements in human history, and continued for more than 1,000 years. Rapidly growing populations had stripped the land & resources, people needed to move in order to survive. Generations continued to move further and further away from their original homes.

Bantu culture Bantu-speaking people were traditionally fishers, farmers, and herders living in small village clans. Define clan: Matriarchal clan groups: Many clans trace their ancestry through mothers rather than fathers. Property and positions of power are passed down through the mother’s side of the family. Groups of families related to one common ancestor

Bantu CUlture Each generation of people moved further away from their ancestral villages in search of better farmland and grazing. As the Bantu migrated, they adapted their lifestyle to meet the new environments they entered. Bantu dialects spread along with the Bantu people, and today more than 500 languages spoken in sub-Saharan Africa fall under the Bantu branch.

Spread of Bantu Culture Bantu people traveled into areas that other people already inhabited. Two situations played out when the Bantu encountered other groups: 1. The two groups merged with the other culture adapting and assimilating to the Bantu culture. 2. The two groups went to war, and the Bantu forced the original inhabitants to leave. The Bantu were skilled ironworkers

Spread of Bantu Culture Iron tools gave the Bantu an advantage over their environment and the other cultures they encountered. They created better farming tools and weapons. Iron axes and projectile points were much more effective than wooden ones. The Bantu passed their knowledge of metal working on to other cultures.

Spread of bantu culture

Closing Questions 1. What is the difference between matriarchal and patriarchal society? Which does the U.S. have? Support your answer.      2. How did the Bantu spread their culture? What did the Bantu pass on as they migrated?