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AFRICA
v Influence of Geography o Divided nearly in half by the equatoràcentral portion of Africa lies within the tropics o Series of plateaus o Smooth coastline limits the number of good natural harbors o Deserts isolated Africa south of the Saharaàhelped to create cultural diversity o Falls and rapids near the mouths of riversàinterior navigation difficult o Thanks to the falls and rapids, Africa has great hydroelectric power potential o Nile River provides fresh supply of soil; makes irrigation, transportation, and communication possibleà Many early civilizations developed along the river. The river provided routes of trade and cultural diffusion. o The Great Rift Valley (canyon) and the Nile River influenced migration in East Africa, forcing people to move in a north-south direction
v Ghana, Mali, Songhai o West African trading kingdoms o Had vast trading networks § Trans-Saharan trade routes o Main export was gold
v Ghana (A.D. 300) o Developed along the Niger River o Located between salt mines and gold mines o Fertile land o Strong central government o Skilled craftsmen in the smelting of iron o Large army
v Mali (13c) o Muslim kingdom o Taxed all goods transported through kingdom o Money from taxes supported the government and military, funded the construction of mosques and palaces o Timbuktuàimportant center of Arabic and Islamic learning o Rulerà Mansa Musa
v Songhai (15c) o Rulerà Sunni Ali o Muslim kingdom o Larger than Mali and Ghana o Controlled sources of gold and salt o Taxed imports and exports o Late 16c- Invaded and defeated by armies from Morocco
v Triangle Trade o European goods were shipped from Europe to Africa, where they were traded for African slaves (Outward Passage) o Africans were transported to the Americas, where they were traded for sugar and tobacco (Middle Passage) o Sugar and tobacco were sent back to Europe, and sold for profit (Inward Passage)
v Partition & the Berlin Conference (1884-1885) o European nations met in Berlin to decide how Africa should be divided into colonial territories o Set up rules for future occupation of Africa and for navigation of the rivers o France took most of western Africa and the Republic of Congo o Great Britain took Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Nigeria, and Ghana o Belgium took Belgian Congo o Portugal took Mozambique and Angola o Italy took Somalia and a portion of Ethiopia o Germany took Namibia and Tanzania
v Anti-colonialism o Zulu fought the British and Boers in South Africa o The Sudanese fought the British o The Mandingo fought the French in West Africa o Africans did not have good weapons like the Europeans did o Some used guerrilla tactics, others used passive resistance
v Clash of Values Between Traditional & Modern Life o Development of many major urban areas -Arranged marriages become less common -Young people no longer need an extended family -Old ethnic authority structure is breaking down -Polygamy is no longer practical for most Africans -Urban African females are active in politics, law, medicine, and other professions o Rural Areas -Retain traditional values, attitudes, and practices -Strong loyalty to ethnic group and authority system -Strong community spirit v There is a clash of values because of the changing attitudes of those that live in urban areas o Africans gain knowledge of Western ideas and wish to adopt these concepts. o Industrialization and modernization bring new technology to Africa o Women are no longer willing to accept subordinate roles
SOUTH AFRICA
v African National Congress (ANC) o Created in 1912 to unite the South African blacks, to end segregation, and to work for the right to take part in government o Originally a nonviolent organization o After the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960à Sabotage o Government banned the ANC and arrested its leaders, incl. Mandela
v Nelson Mandela (1918- ) o A black South African leader who protested the policy of Apartheid o Spent over thirty years in prison o Became the first black president of South Africa o Won Nobel Peace Prize
v Post-Apartheid Politics o New constitution was writtenàfreedom of speech and fair trial, freedom to choose where to live, freedom from torture, etc. o All people in South Africa were eligible to vote for a legislature o 1994 Elections- Resulted in a multi-party legislature, Nelson Mandela became president o 1995 Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigated murders and other human rights abuses under the apartheid government o 1999 Elections- Thabo Mbeki became president. Democratic advances were made.
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