1. World Cultures 8

2.  Preserve culture  Influence new/other cultures  think of all the influences that the United States has received from other cultures!  Vikings, Spaniards, British, French, Irish, German, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Hispanic, Indian, African, and many MANY more!  Change culture  can change how a culture adapts/deals

3.  “Generalizations are more difficult to apply to Africa or Africans than elsewhere.”  The Making of Modern Africa by Tunde Obadina o No other continent in the world has so many countries or political divisions. o It is the most Christian continent in the world. o There are more Muslims in Africa than in the entire Middle East.

4.  Polygamy, the practice of marrying more than one person, is popular in some regions of Africa.  poly = more than one  mono = one  There is approximately one trained physician for every 13,000 people.  More than 1,000 languages are spoken.  At least 12 million people have been killed in civil wars since 1990 – including children.

5.  Africa is the oldest inhabited territory on earth. Many scientists believe that mankind began in Africa and migrated to the different continents over thousands of years.  The “Cradle of Civilization” is where mankind is thought to have began. Many arguments exist over its exact location in Africa.  The current population is over 900 million people.

6.  Africa is an extremely diverse continent!  There are over 3,000 different ethnic groups. Each ethnic group has its own traditions, cultures, and language or dialect. Some of the traditions are quite unique to that particular group, while many other groups share traditions.  A dialect is another form of a language. In Kentucky, we speak American English. In London, England, they speak British English.

7.  Because of European colonization, civil wars, and the plundering of Africa’s natural resources by outside nations, grinding poverty in many areas is a result.  A way to end this cycle of poverty is to ensure the delivery of economic goods to larger proportions of people. Food, medicine, and schooling are some examples of economic goods.  The delivery of more benefits of good government to more people will also help decrease the poverty level.

8.  Due to the instability of governments, many coups are performed, changing the leadership of governments very quickly and with much bloodshed. Children are even kidnapped and turned into ruthless killers for these wars. To make life better for those living in Africa, an end the destructive killing fields/wars must take place.

9.  Many children and adults never get to go to school. The ones that do work hard to succeed and improve their lives. More education can lead to the betterment of lives in Africa.  With the improvement of health services, the suffering of millions could be lessened.  With improved health services, many regions would see a decrease in HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB), and Malaria – all of which are deadly and highly contagious diseases in Africa.

10.  The geography of Africa varies greatly, with snowy mountains, savannas (grassy plains), rain forests, deserts, and rivers  There are some very well-known deserts in Africa, as well. Such as:  Sahara –largest desert  Kalahari desert – the “great thirst”  Namib desert – highest dunes

11.  Mountains  Atlas, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya, and more  Lakes and Rivers  Victoria Lake  Nile  Niger  Congo  Zambezi

13.  also gave its name to an infamous shark

18.  “The British are coming! The British are coming!”

19.  Africa has faced many foreign invasions through the ages.  Phoenicians  Greeks  Romans  North Africa under Roman control  Arabians and new Islamic religion  Portugal  Belgians  France  other Europeans

20.  There are several reasons why Africans and African slaves changed their religions.  Reasons for conversion: common bonds of government & fellowship tolerant of most customs often incorporated traditional values polygamy allowed

21.  Christianity based on teachings of Jesus Christ  1 of the 1st Christian churches in the world  Religions that are Christian  Baptist  Presbyterian  Catholic/Lutheran  Episcopalian  Methodist  Mormon  Non-denominational

22.  Islam  based on teachings of prophet Muhammad  detailed instructions to behave in private and public  specific rules in governance

23.  some have belief of 1 supreme god  some believe in more than 1  everyday life influenced by spirits  present in nature & one’s ancestors  prayer & sacrifice  communicate with spiritual world  fetishism – belief that an object has magical powers that can help its owner  sound familiar?  Any other similarities between your religion and African religions?  worship of animals

24.  Respect for ancestry  elaborate ceremonies and rituals to honor ancestors  ancestors will be pleased and send them blessings