Study Guide: UNIT 2b : AFRICA
CULTURE – HISTORY
SS7G4 The student will describe the diverse cultures of the people who live in Africa.
a. Explain the differences between an ethnic group and a religious group.
b. Explain the diversity of religions within the Arab, Ashanti, Bantu, and Swahili ethnic groups.
Ethnic Groups:
Ethnic groups share many common characteristics, such as language, physical appearance, customs, and
traditions. Arabs, Ashanti, Swahili and Bantu are examples of African ethnic groups
Arab: Ethnic group that migrated from the Arabian Peninsula (Middle East) into Egypt and the rest of
North Africa. The Arabs brought with them their culture (Arabic language and religion of Islam). While
most Arabs are Muslims there are some Arabs that belong to the Christian religious group too.
Ashanti: The Ashanti people of Ghana in West Africa have traditional beliefs as they believe that the
children inherit their spirits from their father and their flesh and blood from their mother. The Ashanti
also believe in spiritual and supernatural powers but they also believe in one supreme god. The Golden
Stool that was given to them by the gods and came from the heavens is a symbol of unity, strength, and
the power of the chiefs. Some Ashanti also practice Islam or Christianity.
Bantu: One of the original ethnic groups in Africa that was part of the largest migration of people on the
continent thousands of years ago. Many Bantu Africans have traditional beliefs as they believe thin the
power of ancestors in everyday life. Traditional Bantu beliefs follow animist religions, believe that spirits
are found in natural objects. Some Bantu also practice Islam or Christianity.
Swahili: Ethnic group and culture that is a mixture of black Bantu African culture and Arab culture. In
east Africa many Swahili people follow Islam; however, they also practice some traditional beliefs.
Religious groups: Share a common belief system, usually in a supernatural or Supreme Being. However,
religious groups are not necessarily made up of a single ethnic group. People who practice Islam,
Judaism, and Christianity are examples of religious groups.
Islam: Monotheistic religion originated in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and was founded by the prophet
Muhammad. Islam shares historical, cultural, and regional ties to Judaism and Christianity. Islam spread
to Africa mainly through migration (North Africa) but also by trade into Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically
in West and East Africa.
Christianity: Like Islam, Christianity developed in the Middle East and has roots to the first monotheistic
religion of Judaism. A Christian empire developed in Ethiopia centuries ago and the religion is part of the
local culture today. The main spread of Christianity throughout Africa is the result of colonization by
European powers.
Ethnic groups and Religious groups are NOT defined by political (country) borders.
SS7H1 The student will analyze continuity and change in Africa leading to the 21st century.
a . Explain how the European partitioning across Africa contributed to conflict, civil war, and artificial
political boundaries.
b. Explain how nationalism led to independence in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria.
c. Explain the creation and end of apartheid in South Africa and the roles of Nelson Mandela and F.W. de
Klerk.
d. Explain the impact of the Pan-African movement.
Apartheid: System of legal segregation and racism in South Africa from the 1940s through the early
1990s. The white minority controlled the government in South Africa and in 1948 created a system of
racial “separateness” that gave rights and freedoms to whites, but not to black native Africans, “colored”
(mixed race) and Asians. The rest of the world opposed South African’s policy for decades and used
economic sanctions, boycotts, and embargos to pressure the South African government into stopping
apartheid which eventually ended in 1992. As a result, all South Africans were then allowed to vote and
hold office.
Berlin Conference: European nations met in Berlin, Germany in 1884/85 to discuss Africa’s land and
resources and how they wanted it ot be divided in order to aovid conflict with one another. African
rulers were not invited to attend this meeting and had no say in how Africa was to be divided. Although
the feeling is slowly changing, having no say in their countries’ borders led to many Africans having more
loyalty to their own ethnic group than their country. The modern day boundary lines (political borders)
that are seen in Africa today are the result of the partitioning of Africa during the Berlin Conference.
Civil War: Conflict within a society (country). There have been many civil wars in Africa or who (ethnic
group) should represent the government; over resources; over tribal boundary lines. The cause of these
wars can be partly blamed on European partitioning and the artificial boundaries that were created that
did not take into consideration the tribal territories that have been in place for centuries. Repeated civil
wars in African have contributed to broken families, refugees, and tension among ethnic groups. This has
also caused conflict within borders because a strong national unity has been hard to establish because
some have more loyalty to their ethnic groups rather than to their country.
F. W. deKlerk: White president of South African who placed a major role in ending apartheid in and
releasing Nelson Mandela from prison. He also helped create a new constitution that allowed for a multiracial democratic South Africa.
Genocide: Planned extermination (killing) of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group: also
known as “ethnic cleansing”. The Holocaust is an example of genocide in Europe by Germans against the
Jews. In Africa, there have been several cases of genocide. In the small central African country of
Rwanda, members of the Hutu ethnic group killed over 800,000 people from the Tutsi ethnic group in a
span of only 100 days because they did not want to share the power in the government. The rivalry
between the two ethnic groups grew over the years due to Belgium favoring one ethnic group over the
other during the decades of colonization.
Imperialism: One country controls another country by force, politically, and/or economically in order
to exploit (take advantage of) or gain resources and territory. European nations wanted to colonize
Africa because they needed the raw materials (natural resources) found on the African continent.
Independence: When a country gains the right to govern itself without foreign rule or influence. Many
African nations gained independence after WWII (in the 1950s and 1960s) when European countries
could no longer maintain their colonial power due to strong resistance from African national movements.
Some countries gained independence through force and violence like in Kenya, while others, like Nigeria,
the different ethnic groups nonviolently (peacefully) convinced the European power to give them their
independence.
Nelson Mandela: Black South African anti-apartheid activist who spend 27 years in prison for protesting
against apartheid, leading the movement for freedoms for all South Africans. When apartheid officially
ended in 1993, all races were allowed to vote and in 1994 Nelson Mandela became the first black present
of South Africa.
Partitioning: Means to divide or separate. European powers did this to the continent of Africa (Berlin
Conference). This partitioning ignored cultural or tribal boundaries that were already in place. This
created conflict between African and Europeans, and also between African ethnic groups (rival tribes)
that were forced to live in the same territory, while other ethnic groups were divided. Through
partitioning, Africans lost the right to govern themselves, lost many natural resources without equal
return and conflict and civil war followed in the years after independence.
Pan-African movement: A global movement by Africans and descendants of African slaves and
migrants to unite together and help end colonial rule in African during the 20th century. In 1919 the first
Pan-African Congress was organized to gather leaders to unite against colonial rule. It helped create
more unity among Africans worldwide, increase nationalism, and led to the creation of the African Union
(AU).
Positives of Colonialism
 Schools and hospitals were constructed which has improved education and healthcare in some
places
 Roads and railroads were built which helps transportation and trade
 Some new technologies were introduced to the African continent to modernize some areas.
Negatives of Colonialism
 Africans lost the right to govern themselves
 They lost many natural resources without equal return
 Conflict and civil war has followed in the years after independence
 These conflicts create broken families, refugees (those left homeless as a result of conflict or
natural disaster)
 Tension among ethnic groups
 Unstable governments.
South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenyan Independence
 Nigeria gained their independence peacefully even though a civil war followed their independence
when part of the country split off from the rest of the nation.
 Kenya achieved their independence by force as a result of a period of violence. Both countries had
been colonized by Great Britain.
 South Africa gained their independence in 1910, technically. However, the majority of the citizens
did not have many rights until the early 1990s and the end to a system of racial segregation.