Africa
Geography
• Geography: The
Continent of Africa
– After Asia, Africa is the
second largest continent,
covering 1/5 of the
Earth’s land surface
– Geography is varied,
certain features had a
major impact on its
development
• Climate Zones
– Tropical rainforests cover less than 5% of the land
(mostly on the equator)
• Trees and roots make it unstable for farming
– Savanna: Grassy plains, that stretch north and south of
the forest zone
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Largest and most populated climate zone
Generally has good soil and enough rainfall to support farming
Irregular patterns of rainfall cause long deadly droughts
Cattle herding is a common occupation
• The Sahara Desert: In the
northern part of Africa, it is
the world’s largest desert
– Size and harsh terrain limited
movement
– The Kalahari & the Namib are
in the south
• Smaller but equally forbidding
• Mediterranean Coast of the
North and South
– Fertile farmland
• Movement
– Africa is surrounded by
Oceans and Seas
– Rivers → Zambezi, Congo,
Niger, and Nile all serve as
open highways
– Despite some geographic
barriers, people were able
to migrate, both within
Africa & to neighboring
continents
• Red Sea & Indian Ocean
linked Africa to the Middle
East
• North Africa allowed for
travel to Europe
• Resources
– Wealth of minerals has spurred
trade in many regions
• Salt, Iron, Gold & Copper
– In the 1800’s, desire for Gold
and Diamonds was once cause
that led Europeans to seek
control of territories in Africa
• More recently, nations such as
Nigeria and Angola have exported
large quantities of oil
• Migration of Peoples
– Archaeologists have
uncovered evidence to
pinpoint the Great Rift
Valley of East Africa, as
the home of the earliest
people
• Gradually their
descendants, traveled to
almost every corner of the
Earth
• Stone Age Cultures
– In Africa, Paleolithic people developed skills as hunters
and gathers
– By 5500BC, Neolithic farmers had learned to cultivate
the Nile Valley & to domesticate animals
• Settled into permanent villages that eventually supported the
great civilization of Ancient Egypt
– Farming spread across North Africa
– Neolithic villages even appeared in the Sahara region (At
the time, it was a well watered zone)
• Ancient paintings show the Sahara filled with forests and rivers
• The Sahara Dries Out
– About 2500BC, climate
change dried out the Sahara
– As the land became parched
the desert spread
• This process of desertification,
had continued to the present,
devouring thousands of areas of
cropland each year
– As the region dried, people
retreated
• Some moved North to the
Mediterranean coast, others
migrated south to the Savannah
or Rain Forests
• The Nile Kingdom of Nubia
– Also referred to as Kush, was located in present day
Sudan
• Archaeologists & historians have just begun to document
shifting tides of Nubia’s 4000 years old history
• Nubia and Egypt
– From time to time, ambitious Egyptian pharaohs
subdued Nubia, but Nubia would always gain their
independence
• As a result of conquest & trade, Nubian rulers adopted many
Egyptian traditions
• Built palaces & pyramids, modeled on Egyptian styles
• North Africa in the
Ancient World
– Early African
civilizations had
strong ties to the
Mediterranean World
• Trade linked Egypt
with Greece and
Mesopotamia
• Later Egypt was ruled
by the Greeks and the
Romans
• Carthage
– Rose as the great North African power
• Wealth came from trade
– Created by Phoenician traders, Carthage came to
dominate the Western Mediterranean
– Between 800BC-146BC, it forged an Empire that
stretched from Maghreb (present day Tunisia, Algeria & Morocco) to
southern Spain & Sicily
– As Rome expanded, territorial & trade rivalries erupted
between the two powers
• Despite efforts of Hannibal, Rome eventually crushed Carthage
• Roman Rule
– Romans built roads,
dams, aqueducts & cities
across North Africa
• Imported lions and other
fierce animals from North
Africa, to do battle with
Gladiators
• Also provided Roman
soldiers
– Christianity spread to
cities of North Africa
• Camel Revolutionizes Trade
– By 200AD, Camels had been brought to North Africa
from Asia
– Traders had earlier made attempts across the desert in
horse drawn carriages
• Camel caravans created new trade networks
• Spread of Islam
– In the 600s Arab armies carried Islam into North Africa
• Islam replaced Christianity, which was the dominant religion of
North Africa
• Arabic replaced Latin as the language
• North African traders carried Islam to West Africa
Kingdoms of West Africa
• The West African Landscape
– When the Sahara dried out,
Neolithic people migrated
southward into Western
Savanna
• Farmers grew beans, melons, & a
wide variety of cereal grains
• By 100, settled farming villages
were expanding along the
Senegal & Niger rivers around
Lake Chad
– In time some villages grew into
towns
• Trading Patterns
– Villages traded any surplus food they produced
– Gradually, a trade network linked the Savannah to forest
lands in the south
• Then funneled goods across the Sahara to the Mediterranean
and the Middle East
– From West Africa caravans crossed the Sahara, carrying
leather goods, Kola nuts, cotton cloth and slaves
– Gold For Salt: Gold and Salt dominated the Sahara trade
• Gold was plentiful in present day Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal
• Salt, from West Africa, is an abundance in the Sahara
– Needed to prevent dehydration, preserve food
– Built homes from Salt Blocks
Trading Kingdoms of West Africa
• Ghana
– King was semi-divine figure
• Dispensed justice, kept order, had
a huge army of foot soldiers with
Calvary
– Women in Ghana had a high
status & played an active role in
the economic life of the empire
• Some held positions in the
government
– Influence of Islam
• Muslim merchants formed
their own communities
• Islam spread slowly at first
• The King employed Muslims
as counselors and officials
• Muslims introduced their
written language, coinage,
business methods and styles
of architecture
– City dwellers adopted Islam
• Mali
– Greatest Emperor was Mansa Musa
• Came to the throne in 1312
– Expanded Mali’s borders westward to the Atlantic Ocean
– For 25 years he worked to restore peace and order in his
empire
– Converted to Islam and based his system of justice on the
Quran
• Didn’t adopt all customs, women were not secluded to the home
– The Emperor’s Hajj
• Journeyed across the Sahara
• Musa was accompanied by 500
slaves, each bringing a Gold
staff
– Had 100 camels decorated with
gold
• Musa spent so lavishly that the
value of Gold in Cairo dropped
for 10 years
• Finally got to Arabia, reaching
Mecca and visited the Kaaba
and prayed
– Made long journey back across
the Sahara to Mali
– The Hajj had taken over a year
– Results of the Hajj
• Mansa Musa showed his devotion to
Islam
• Made new trading and diplomatic
ties with Muslim states, such as,
Egypt and Morocco
• Returned home with scholars and
artists
– Newcomers introduced Arab styles in
the palaces and Mosques of Mali
• Word of Mali’s enormous wealth
spread across the Muslim World
– European rulers developed an interest
in African Gold
» Recently began using Gold coins
• Songhai
– In the 1400’s, civil wars weakened Mali
– By 1450 a new West African Kingdom, Songhai had emerged
– Sonni Ali used his powerful army to forge the largest state
that had ever existed in West Africa
• Did not adhere to practices of Islam
• Followed traditional beliefs
– Askia Muhammad became Emperor after Sonni’s death
• Set up a Muslim dynasty
– Further expanded the territory of Songhai and improved
government
– Set up a bureaucracy with separate departments for
farming, army, & the treasury
• The King appointed officials to supervise each department
– Also made a pilgrimage to Mecca
– Prospered until 1586, due to civil war
• Ruler of Morocco sent his armies south to seize the West
African Gold mines
• Moroccans'’ were unable to rule an empire across the Sahara
Trading Kingdoms of East Africa
• Axum
– Ruled: 900BC- 600
– Religion: Christianity
– Traded: Ivory, hides,
rhinoceros horns, fur,
slaves, and gold
• Great Zimbabwe“Great Stone Building”
– Ruled: 900-1500
– Religion: “God-King”
– Traded: Gold
• Ethiopia
– Ruled: 1275-1550
– Religion: Christian
– Traded same as the Axumiles
• Were their ancestors
• City States: Mogadishu, Kilwa,
Zanzibar
– Ruled: 1000
– International trade created a
mix of cultures
• Traded with Arabia
• Blend of cultures created the
language, Swahili
• The Kingdom of Kongo
– Reached its height in 1500’s
– Consisted of many villages
grouped in districts and
provinces
• Governed by officials appointed
by the king
• Each village had it’s own chief
– King was chosen by a board of
electors and governed
traditional laws
– Portuguese eventually
obtained many of their slaves
from the Kongo