Africa Notes

East Africa  Made up of Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi

History o “ Cradle of Humanity ” -East Africa is where some of the oldest human remains have been found

Olduvai Gorge where some of the first human remains were found

Axum Empire  Important civilization in present-day Ethiopia in the 100s AD  Important trading center but later lost many of its trading partners  The population eventually declined because of overuse of resources.

Colonization  Berlin Conference ( )  14 European countries laid down rules for dividing Africa  No African leader was invited to this meeting.  The nations divided Africa with no regard to ethnic groups. They combined people who were enemies and divided people who were not.  By 1914, only Liberia and Ethiopia were free.  Ethiopia defeated an Italian invasion in 1896.

Economy  East Africa relies heavily on “ cash crops ” such as coffee, tea, and sugar. This decreases the amount of farmland available to grow food for the country.  East Africa also relies on tourism because of the world famous wildlife parks in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Culture  Two major ethnic groups- Masai and Kikuyu  Masai  They are known for their beads and jewelry. Children have their upper ears pierced when they are 8, and lower earlobes pierced when they are 10.  Typically herders.  Kikuyu  Largest ethnic group in Kenya  Traditionally herders but many now work various jobs in the cities.

North Africa  Made up of Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia Darfur

History  Egypt- made possible by the Nile River, one of the greatest civilizations to exist  Egyptians have been living on the Nile and farming there since 3300 BC.

Economy  The economy of this region revolves around oil, so much so, that it is often called “ black gold.”  Oil accounts for 99% of Libya’s exports. However, the Libyan people lack education and training so oil companies are forced to give jobs to foreign workers.

Culture  Religion- Islam is the major religion and cultural influence  Roles of women  Men and women typically eat and pray separately  Women do not hold jobs once they are married.

 Some countries are changing the traditional roles of women in Islamic society. For example, Tunisia has outlawed having more than one wife at a time, increased the penalty for spousal abuse, and outlawed arranged marriages between an older man and a pre-teen girl

West Africa  Made up of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

History  Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires were successful trading empires because of their location. Gold and salt were the main products traded.  Before colonialism, many people lived in “ stateless societies,” in which people rely on family lineage to govern themselves.

Economy  The economy relies heavily on the export of gold, diamonds, magnesium, and bauxite. These resources have caused problems for countries such as Sierra Leone and Ghana.  Ghana has recently found politically stability and held free and fair elections every four years since 1992.

 Sierra Leone currently has the worst economic conditions in all of West Africa. Only 31% of people can read and write despite the fact that Sierra Leone holds some of the highest quality diamonds in the world.

Culture  Art- the Ashanti people are known for their colorful clothes known as “ kente.” The Benin people are known for their statues and masks.  Music- jazz, blues, and reggae have their origins in West Africa. A popular instrument is the kora, similar to a harp.

The Orphanage

Central Africa  Made up of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Sao Tome and Principe.

History  Bantu migration- This produced a great diversity of culture in Africa and linked various areas of the continent.  Sao Tome was used as a base for trade of African captives that would be sent to the Americas to be sold for slaves.  Most central Africa countries gained their independence from Europe by the 1960s.

Economy  Democratic Republic of Congo holds large amounts of gold, copper, and diamonds but a command economy was established in the 1960s and the economy has struggled ever since.  Many countries are working to improve the schools so that there will more skilled workers but there are not enough teachers or resources. Most children are done with school by the time they are 12 or 14.

Southern Africa  Made up of Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

History o As Europeans migrated further south in the late 1800s, tensions between Africans and Europeans increased.

Apartheid  In 1948, white Europeans held control of South Africa's government even though they were the minority. They instituted a system of segregation called apartheid.  Blacks and Whites were banned from having interaction with one another  Schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods were segregated.  Although 75% of South Africa was black, they received only a small portion of land

 Nelson Mandela was leader of the African National Congress, an organization that was formed to protect the rights of blacks in South Africa. He worked very hard to end apartheid but was imprisoned for his actions from  Apartheid ended in 1989 with the election of F.W. de Klerk as president

 In 1994, South Africa held the first elections were all races were allowed to participate and Nelson Mandela was elected president. In 1996, a new constitution was passed that guaranteed rights to all people.

Economy  South Africa suffers many economic problems as a result of apartheid. Apartheid left many blacks in South Africa uneducated.  There is an upper-middle class of people that have incomes like here in the U.S. but there are large, poor, rural areas and shantytowns.

 Great Whites Great Whites

Culture  Cultures in Southern Africa are mixed. Many people live modern lifestyles as doctors, lawyers and businessmen. You could see many suburbs that look no different than towns here in the United States.  Many people live traditional tribal lifestyles as farmers and herders.