Transcript Africa Human Geography PPT

Human Geography of Africa
HISTORY OF AFRICA
African Empires
• During pre-modern era,
Africa had some bigger cities
and kingdoms than Europe
• Include Mali, Songhai
Empire, Aksum, and
Zimbabwe
• Empires traded with Europe,
China, and the Islamic world
– Were considered equals at the
time.
Early Exploration and Slavery in Africa
• Africa explored and mapped by
Portuguese in 1400’s
• Colonization of the Americas created
new market for slave labor
• Slavery already existed in Africa –
Islamic world used African slave labor
• Slaves were purchased from African
slave traders
– usually war captives, prisoners, and
others
Colonization of Africa
• Colonized, divided up by competing countries of
Europe in the 1800’s.
• Called the “African Scramble”.
• European leaders gathered in Berlin to divide up
Africa for colonization and trade, for the 1884
Berlin Conference.
• King Leopold II of Belgium convinced much of
Europe that common trade was in their best interest.
By 1914 Africa was divided up
as follows:
•
Divided among themselves into fifty countries.
•
Great Britain: Egypt, Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian Sudan), Uganda, Kenya (British East
Africa), South Africa, and Zambia, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), and Botswana. The British also
controlled Nigeria and Ghana (Gold Coast).
•
France took much of western Africa, from Mauritania to Chad (French West Africa) and
Gabon and the Republic of Congo (French Equatorial Africa).
•
Belgium and King Leopold II controlled the Democratic Republic of Congo (Belgian
Congo).
•
Portugal took Mozambique in the east and Angola in the west.
•
Italy's holdings were Somalia (Italian Somaliland) and a portion of Ethiopia.
•
Germany took Namibia (German Southwest Africa) and Tanzania (German East Africa).
•
Spain claimed the smallest territory - Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni).
Post-WWII Independence
•
After World War II, Africa slowly gained
independence from Europe (1950’s-1970’s)
•
Because the national boundaries were created by
Europeans, they did not match where people
actually lived
•
African leaders included people like Mobutu
Sese Seko, leader of the Dem. Rep. of Congo,
who ruled as a dictator for decades (1965-1997).
“One Man, One Vote, One Time” was common.
•
Mobutu Sésé Seko was president of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, which was
also known as Zaire for much of his reign, from
1965 to 1997.
•
Mobutu reigned during the Rwandan genocide
and formed an authoritarian regime. He died in
exile in 1997
Modern Africa

Fewer dictators these days, still lots of problems.
 900 million people in 57 countries*. ( *CIA World Factbook )
 Over 1000 different languages spoken in Africa.
 Rich in resources, but still poorest part of world due
to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Diseases (Malaria and AIDS/HIV)
Famine and starvation
Effects of colonialism and slavery
Warfare and Terrorism
Unstable and corrupt governments
Difficulty of climate and terrain
Poor infrastructure
Regions and Issues of Africa
NorthAFRICA
Africa
NORTH
WESTWest
AFRICA
Africa
EAST
AFRICA
East Africa
CENTRAL
Central
AFRICA
Africa
SOUTH
South
Africa
AFRICA
West Africa
• Three empires in the region, Ghana, Mali,
and Songhai – supported by gold and salt
exports.
• Cultural Hearth – Parts of West African
culture have spread throughout the world,
due to slavery.
• Many “one commodity countries” here –
growing one “cash crop”.
• Extremely diverse population – thousands
of languages and ethnic groups
Using
Thematic
Maps:
Ethnic
Groups of
Nigeria
•
Using
Thematic
Maps:
Linguistic
Groups of
Benin,
Nigeria,
and
Cameroon
East Africa
• Mainly rural and agricultural
• Region depends heavily on
tourism (in Serengeti and
Kilimanjaro)
• Crossroads for many trade routes
with Middle East, India, and
Asia
• Cash Crops such as coffee, tea,
sugar
• Persistent problems with piracy,
warfare and famine in “Horn of
Africa”
Instability in the Horn of Africa
•
Sudan recently had a civil war in a place called
Darfur, where Arabs in the north fought Blacks in the
south. The northern side tried to ethnically cleanse the
south. War was ended by an agreement to split Sudan
into two countries. ( Sudan and South Sudan )
•
Somalia has no government, and is ruled by
warlords. These are leaders who control armies and
territory by force. Some are Islamic Fundamentalists
who want to impose Sharia on Somalia.
•
Many Somali fishermen have turned to piracy to
support themselves or to help warlords, attacking ships
in the Indian Ocean. They take small boats and raid
freighters, yachts, and cruise ships.
• Piracy and Terrorism in Somalia – 8 min.
• or go to: http://www.c-span.org/video/?317995-1/bookdiscussion-somali-piracy-terrorism-horn-africa
Central Africa
•
Region centered on the Congo River Basin.
•
Originally home to the Bantu people, who migrated
across Africa and spread their culture. They lived in
“stateless societies” before colonization.
•
Region colonized by France and Belgium. King
Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium ran the Congo as
his private property, destroying much of it. After
independence in 1960, the region fell into civil war.
•
King Leopold II of Belgium was responsible for the
deaths and mutilation of 10 million Congolese Africans
during the late 1800’s. The spoils of modern day
Belgium owes much to the people of the Congo River
Basin.
•
Post-colonial Central Africa has not recovered – still in
chaos, with collapsed economies and a terrible war that
has killed millions.
Conflict Diamonds
• Conflict Diamond/Blood Diamond –
money from diamonds used to fund wars:
buy weapons, hire mercenaries.
• Southern, Central and West Africa,
especially Sierra Leone, Congo, Angola.
• Forces in diamond areas may use slave
labor to get more diamonds, more
quickly.
• Diamonds regulated by Kimberley
Process since 2003
Rwanda Genocide
•
Rwanda became independent in 1962.
•
The minority Tutsi had been preferred by the
Belgian leaders who would put them in positions
of power over the Hutus.
After independence, Rwanda was split between
minority Tutsi and majority Hutu. Constant
political conflict over power sharing. Frequent
civil wars were fought between the two.
•
•
In 1994, a Hutu president was assassinated,
triggering a massacre of Tutsis by Hutu militias,
mostly armed with axes and machetes. The
genocide was apparently pre-planned.
•
Between 500,000 and 1 million people were
murdered in April of 1994. Europe and the USA
largely stood by and did nothing.
Southern Africa
• Vast amounts of natural resources: gold,
diamonds, metals, uranium, and others.
• South Africa once under Apartheid –
whites ruled, blacks as 2nd class citizens.
Ended in 1994, due in part to Nelson
Mandela
• Region faces huge problem with
AIDS/HIV, 25% infection rate and higher.
South Africa and the Anti-Apartheid Struggle
• From 1948 to 1990, Apartheid System
separated blacks and whites.
• Political power held by whites – 5% of
population.
• Homelands – blacks pushed into small areas,
then made “independent”.
• South Africa isolated from international
community.
• Resistance led by Nelson Mandela and ANC,
despite imprisonment from 1962-1990.