1. Societies in Africa

2. Geographic Contrasts 2nd largest continent in the world
1/5 of Earth’s surface
Variety of climates
Upside down plate topography

3. Terrain Deserts = 40% of continent Rainforests
Not a lot of people live here
Sahara in North and Kalahari in South
Rainforests
Stretches across half of the middle of Africa (5% of continent)
“natures greenhouse”

4. Fertile Farmlands Grassy Plains Northern coast and Southern tip
Great weather with mild rainfall
Grassy Plains
Most people live on savannas
Cover about 40% of continent
Supports agriculture
Sahel (Coastline)
Desertification

5. Humans and the Environment
1st humans appear in Great Rift Valley
Nomads
Hunter-gatherers
Men hunt and women gather roots and berries
Eventually learn to domesticate animals
Drive animals to find food and water

6. Settled Lifestyle Eventually learn to grow their food
Early farmers moved into the Nile Valley
Settled in savannas or farmed in rain forest
Began to build permanent shelters
Increased birthrate
Increased food = different jobs (metal work, pottery, jewelry)
Development of governing bodies (keep order)

7. Common Characteristics
Importance of the family
Included grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins (extended family)
Clan = group of common ancestors
Organized belief systems -> helped them understand and organize information about their world
Most believed in one god or creator
Animism = spirits played role in daily life
Present in animals, plants, etc.
Griots told stories -> passed history down

8. Early Societies Djenne-Djeno (oldest known city south of Sahara)
City uncovered by archaeologists along Niger river
Discovered artifacts
Pottery, copper hair ornaments, clay toys, glass beads, stone bracelets, and iron knives
Had around 50,000 residents
Lived in huts but later lived in houses made with brick
Fished the Niger River, herded cattle, and grew rice
Trade by water and camel (became trade center)

9. The Nok Culture (earliest known culture)
Lived in what is now Nigeria
Farmers
First known Africans that were able to smelt iron
Used to make tools and weapons
May have introduced this to Djenne-Djeno
Possibly settled in Djenne-Djeno

10. Migration

11. Migrations Through History
Reasons for migration -> chart pg. 203
Study the spread of language
2 languages similar = close contact

12. Massive Migrations Language = unites or divides people
Niger – Congo (includes 900+ individual languages)
Pronto-Bantu = parent tongue
Come from “Bantu-speaking” people
Made of greatest migrations in history through Africa
Lived in savanna south of Sahara (Southeastern Nigeria) and migrated south

13. Bantu Culture Group of people that shared certain characteristics
Farmers + Nomadic herders
Passed along iron working skills
Possibly related to Nok people
Began to spread South and East
Adapted to the new area
Farmed river banks of Congo river (Why?)
Learned to cultivate new crops (Banana) – Kenya and Tanzania
Reached Southern tip of Africa
Farming methods = land used quickly

14. Effects of the Migration
Population began to increase in West Africa
Not enough land to go around or to be used for farming
Desertification was happening with Sahara
Caused them to begin to migrate to new lands (South)
Territorial wars broke out with migrations
More advanced weapons = able to defeat indigenous people
Exchanged ideas + intermarried with tribes
Unified much of Africa