1. Geography & African Civilizations
The Story of Africa
Geography & African Civilizations

2. Satellite View

3. Africa’s Size Second largest continent  11,700,000 sq. mi.
M I L E S
M I L E S
Second largest continent  11,700,000 sq. mi.
10% of the world’s population.
2 ½ times the size of the U. S.

4. Geography & African Civilizations
Geography of Africa
2nd largest continent in the world
4,600 miles from east to west; 5,000 miles from north to south
Narrow coastlines lie on either side of a central plateau
Waterfalls or rapids form as rivers drop to the coast from the plateau making navigation impossible to or from the coast
Coastline has few harbors, ports, or inlets
Large deserts: the Sahara in the north and the Kalahari in the south
Large rainforests with mahogany and teak trees that reach 150 feet tall
Most people live on the savannas or grassy plains which include mountainous highlands and swampy tropical stretches
The Nile River flows north in northeast Africa

6. Bodies Of Water Mediterranean Sea Red Sea Nile River Niger River
L. Chad-->
<--Gulf of Aden
L. Albert-->
Congo River
L. Victoria
L. Tanganyika->
Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Zambezi River
Limpopo River
Orange River
Pacific Ocean

7. The Mighty Nile River: “Longest River in the World”

8. The Niger River Basin Covers 7.5% of the continent.
Extends over 10 countries.
2,600 miles long.

9. The African Plateau

10. The African Savannah: 13 million sq. mi.

11. The Sahara Desert

12. African Rain Forest Annual rainfall of up to 17 ft.
Rapid decomposition (very humid).
Covers 37 countries.
15% of the land surface of Africa.

13. Geography & African Civilizations
Customs of Early Peoples
Early peoples were nomadic
Experts believe agriculture started in Africa roughly by 6,000 B.C.
The family was important and African people organized into family groups
Many early cultures’ religions included elements of animism
Animism: a religion in which spirits play an important role in daily life
History was kept orally, not written down
Bantu-speaking people migrated south and east leading to:
Spread of farming techniques
Territorial wars
Intermarriages
Spread of technology such as copper, bronze, and iron work

15. Empire of Ghana
Website

16. Natural Resources

17. Geography & African Civilizations
Early Civilizations of West Africa
Empire of Ghana 800 A.D.
Became a rich kingdom by taxing traders who traveled through their lands
Gold and salt were important & desirable trade items
By 800, Ghana was an empire
Only the king could own gold; acted as religious leader, chief judge and military commander
Eventually Ghana’s rulers converted to Islam and had to learn Arabic; much of the population never converted
1076 Muslim Almoravids conquered Ghana and disrupted the gold-salt trade
Ghana never regained its power

18. Gold-Salt Trade
Berbers
SALT
GOLD

19. Empire of Mali
Website

20. Geography & African Civilizations
Empire of Mali
Emerged by 1235 south of Ghana; Mali’s wealth was also build on gold
Sundiata militarily took over Ghana; peace and prosperity followed
Some of Mali’s next rulers became Muslims and built mosques
Mansa Musa (Muslim) divided Mali into provinces and appointed governors
Within 50 years of Mansa Musa, Mali’s gold trade shifted east and his successors were unable to govern the empire effectively

21. Sundiata [ ]
“Lion Prince”

22. Mansa Musa [r ]

23. Empire of Songhai
Website

24. Geography & African Civilizations
Empire of Songhai 1400s
Capital was Gao; extended their territory to the large bend in the Niger River
Two great Muslim leaders: Sunni Ali & Askia Muhammad
Created an empire through military conquest and efficient tax collecting
Unfortunately, Songhai lacked modern weapons
Defeated by Moroccan invaders and ended 1,000 years of W. African power

25. Sunni Ali [r ]

26. Askia Mohammed [r ]

28. Kingdom of Axum [ ]

29. Geography & African Civilizations
Early Civilizations of East Africa
Aksum Empire
Located on the horn of Africa on a plateau on the Red Sea
Conquered the Kush people who had been pushed south by the Assyrians
Traders from Egypt, Arabia, Persia, India, and the Roman Empire travelled though Adulis, Aksum’s chief seaport
They traded salt, rhinoceros horns, ivory, & gold
Height of empire was under strong military leader Ezana
Monotheistic: worshiped Mahrem and believed king was his descendent
Aksum later becomes Christian
Depletion of soil and forests as well as Islamic invaders caused decline

30. Stele, Ezana’s Royal Tomb, Aksum (4c)

31. AXUM’S ACHIEVEMENTS Built Controlled NE African Stelae Trade Written
Language
Terrace
Farming
Spread
Christianity
in No. & E. Africa

33. Geography & African Civilizations
Early Civilizations of Southern Africa
Great Zimbabwe 1000 A.D.
City built by Shona people that turned into an empire built on gold trade
Leaders taxed traders and travelers who ventured through
Great Zimbabwe was abandoned by 1450; no clear reason why
Much of what is known about Great Zimbabwe comes from impressive ruins

34. Great Zimbabwe ruins

35. Great Zimbabwe Street

36. Mutapa

37. Geography & African Civilizations
Mutapa
According to Shona legend, a man left Great Zimbabwe and settled a new site with fertile soil
A leader named Mutota dominated northern Shona people and were dubbed mwene mutapa meaning conqueror; thus the name Mutapa
Conquered all of modern day Zimbabwe
Gold was a cornerstone of their economy
By the 1500s the Portuguese unsuccessfully attempted to conquer Mutapa
This signaled increasing European interference in Africa for many centuries