Unit 4 Sub-Saharan Africa

-West and Central Africa

-East Africa

-Southern Africa

Early History

West & Central Africa -Some of the earliest documented kingdoms in this

region began around 800 A.D.

-Gained economic strength by establishing systems of trade between the peoples of the arid north and those in the tropical rainforests of the Congo basin.

These Kingdoms included:

-The Ghana Empire about 1050 A.D.

-The Mali Empire about 1337 A.D.

-The Songhai Empire about 1500 A.D.

-The City of Tombouctou served as a major intersection for trade from around 1200 A.D., and thrived under the

Mali Empire.

Early History

The early kingdoms of West Africa traded material items such as gold, cloth, and slaves, while at the same time acquiring cultural elements such as exotic foods from the Congo Basin and the Islamic faith from the trade ports in North Africa.

The peoples of the tropical rainforests in the West-central portion of the continent had less interaction with these trade networks since the rainforests provided much of what they needed.

Early History East Africa

-Because the earliest East African cultures depended

solely on oral histories passed from one

generation to another, little evidence remains of their

existence.

The earliest documented civilizations in this region

include:

-The Kush Kingdom, which ruled the middle Nile River Valley (modern-day Sudan) until about 300 A.D. Much like the Egyptians, Kush built pyramids in their

capital the of Meroe.

Early History East Africa By 350 A.D., the Kush had been

conquered by the Aksum Empire, which originated as a trade center in the highlands

of what is now Ethiopia.

Around this same time, the kings of Aksum adopted

Christianity, which was most likely introduced through

trade relations.

The language of Swahili also developed during this period. It is derived from the original

languages of the African coast combined with Arabic. Trade routes have taken the language as far west as the

Congo

Early History Southern Africa

Hunter-gatherers and animal herders known as

the Bantu peoples, migrated to Southern

Africa around A.D. 100.

These people farmed the region, raised crops such as beans and sorghum, and herded cattle, goats

and sheep.

the Bantu knew how to make iron tools and used

this knowledge to establish powerful

kingdoms such as Great Zimbabwe.

European Contact

& Colonization

West & Central Africa

The first Europeans arrived on the west coast of Africa

around the late 1400s. It is believed that these first

explorers were in search of a water route to Asia (spices), but were lured by Africa’s

coastal gold trade.

Europeans rarely ventured beyond the coastal areas because of thick jungles, tropical diseases, and few navigable rivers or natural

harbors.

European Contact &

Colonization West & Central Africa

By the 1500s, demand for slaves in Europe’s colonies in the

Americas changed the focus of trade from gold to slaves.

Europeans supplied guns to the coastal tribes of West Africa in exchange for slaves taken from

the interior.

Between 1500 and 1800, approximately 10 million

Africans were taken to the Americas as slaves. These

slaves were taken from the areas between what are now Senegal

and Angola.

European Contact

& Colonization

West & Central Africa

The climates and rich soils of West Africa were perfect for growing products such as:

-cocoa

-peanuts

-rubber

Soon many European countries sought political control over

African territories, which led to a period of colonization that lasted for almost 100 years.

This caused many Africans to leave behind subsistence

farming and cultural traditions for wage jobs.

Euro-Christian educations in the coastal cities.

Post-Colonization West & Central Africa

By 1976 all of Africa’s countries in this region were independent. Although the colonial period

lasted less than 100 years, it had major effects on West and

Central Africa.

The commercial economies established by European

countries left many Africans dependent on low wages,

unemployed, and with a high illiteracy rate. Even worse, rival

ethnic groups are left to fight for power in newly independent countries, causing serious

political rivalries in the region.

European Contact

& Colonization East Africa

In the 1500s the Portuguese built the first European forts along the coast of East

Africa.

In the mid-1800s European and American explorers, missionaries and traders

began to venture into the harsh inland. Most were in search of

precious minerals and ivory which had made the region famous with

Arab traders.

During the colonization period Europeans drew colonial boundaries without

giving thought to human or physical geography. These boundaries divided ethnic groups and grouped traditional enemies. These boundaries brought

about conflicts that still haunt the region today.

European Contact & Colonization

East Africa

Europeans colonized much of East Africa (with the exception of

Ethiopia) and built cities, hospitals, ports, roads, and

schools in the areas where there were useful natural resources

for export. These exports included cash crops such as coffee, cotton, tea, and sisal.

Many European educated Africans led independence movements and most of the countries of

East Africa gained their independence during the 1950s

and 60s.

Post-Colonization East Africa

Today the East African cultures have given the world a rich heritage of architecture, art, folk tales, and music. There is also a rich religious history based on traditional animist, Islamic, and Christian beliefs. These many cultures can be organized into three linguistic groups:

-The Nilotic Peoples are primarily herders from the Nile River area on the plains of Sudan.

-The Cushiatic speakers live primarily between the Ethiopian highlands and the coast of Somalia.

-The Bantu Speakers live farther south and include the Kikuyu of Kenya and the Hutu of Rwanda.

Arab traditions are also still found along the Indian Ocean as well as South Asians who migrated to the region during colonization to

work as merchants and craftspeople.

European Contact & Colonization Southern Africa

In their search for a water route to Asia, Portuguese sailors began exploring the southern African coast in the late 1400s. They

began setting up small supply bases along the coast for Asian

bound ships.

In 1652, the Dutch set up a small farming settlement at the Cape of Good Hope. They were joined by

French and Germans and became known as the Boers. These

Europeans began to consider Africa their home and called

themselves Afrikaners. In time they developed their own

language called Afrikaans.

European Contact & Colonization

Southern Africa

In the 1800s Great Britain took over the Cape and forced the Afrikaners inland to escape

British rule.

The discovery of diamonds and gold in the region led to a

mass immigration of Europeans into the area and massive conflicts between

the British and Afrikaners for control of the region.

European Contact & Colonization

Southern Africa African independence movements

led to independence for most of Southern Africa by 1980, but conflicts continued in areas such as Mozambique and

Angola.

Perhaps the worst of these conflicts took place in South Africa

between the Afrikaners and Native Africans over a system of

segregation laws known as apartheid. These laws were initiated by a white minority government to rule over the

native peoples of the region.

South Africa

Today

Apartheid made South Africa an outcast in the world community. Many countries began placing economic sanctions on the country in an effort to force South

Africa to change its racist policies. Leading this movement to end apartheid

was the African National Congress (ANC) which was established in 1912.

In 1990 the South African government gave in to both national and international

pressures and began disassembling the apartheid system. The government freed

the ANC’s imprisoned leader Nelson Mandela. In 1994 South Africa held its

first elections open to all citizens. Nelson Mandela was elected the first

black president of South Africa.