Africa Review

1) What are the five sub-regions of Africa? 

North, West, South, East and Central Africa. 

2) Why is East Africa known as the cradle of humanity?

Because this is believed to be where the start of the earth was.

3) What were some early civilizations of East Africa?  What was their economy based on? Askumi, Kilwa are some of the early civilization of East Africa. Trade.

4) What was the Berlin Conference?  Why - particularly - did it happen? The Berlin Conference divided Africa. There were a lot of wars over who does or should own what land.

5) How did colonization cause conflicts in East Africa after independence? Colonization caused conflicts in East Africa after independence by Europeans placed border that paid little attention to groups in Africa.

6) Why are Liberia and Ethiopia important?  Those were the only two countries that remained free from colonization.

7) What are some cash crops of East Africa? Coffee, sugar, and tea. 

8) What is East Africa's most critical health-care problem? AIDS.

9) Name two ancient empires of North Africa? Carthage and the Nile

10) What practices did the world acquire from Ancient Egypt? Farming and Building. 

11) What North Africa countries have had the economies transformed by oil? Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia. 

12) What is Rai? A kind of music developed in the 1920s by poor urban children. 

13) Discuss the changing roles of women in North Africa? Well the women there didn't have much freedom, because the man of the house was in charge of them, but through the years they are getting more and more freedom. 

14) Why is Goree Island important? The island served as one of the busiest points of slave trade. 

15) List three trading empires of West Africa?  What did they trade? Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. Gold and Salt. 

16) What is a stateless society?  How has West Africa's traditional stateless societies caused problems after colonization? A society in which people rely on family lineages to govern.

17) What are some roadblocks to economic development in West Africa? Colonialism.

18) Discuss West African music. Traditional African music is a blend of american forms of jazz, blues, and reggae.

19) What is Bantu important? Is a group of peoples and cultures who speak one of the Bantu languages. 

20) What was Sao Tome established for? Slave trade post.

21) Who was King Leopold II?  Why was he important? King of Belgium, first showed interest in Africa, starting the Berlin Conference. 
Problems for ethnic groups, government instability, and lack of resources.

22) What are the lasting effects of colonialism in Central Africa? Still recovering from the loss of recourses, the disruption of its political systems, and the cultural and ethnic oppression of its people. 

23) What major problems does Central Africa have in education? A shortage of trained teachers, a high dropout rate, and a shortage of secondary schools. 

24) Who ended the apartheid in South Africa? Nelson Mandela

25) How does modern Johannesburg reflect the problems created by the apartheid Developed into two different cities because of their laws about the blacks.

Chapter 19 Section 4

Central Africa 

I) Bantu Migrations and Colonial Exploration 
Central Africa includes Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Sao Tome and Principe.
a. Bantu Migrations 
  1. The Bantu are groups of peoples and cultures who speak one of the Bantu languages.
  2. The Bantu migrations are a key event in Africa's  history.
  3. They produced a great diversity of cultures but also helped link various areas of the continent.
b. The Slave Trade
  1. Europeans wanted slaves for their plantations in the Americas.
  2. In the 15th century, the Portuguese established the island of Sao Tome, off the coast of what is now Gabon, as the initial base for trade in African captives.
c. Start of Colonialism
  1. In the mid-1800s, Central Africa consisted of hundreds of different ethnic groups, which followed traditional religions and spoke hundreds of different languages.
  2. Europeans had been in Africa since the mid-15th century, but stayed mainly on the coast.
  3. King Leopold II of Belgium developed an interest in the Congo after it had been explored in the 1870s.
d. Effects of Colonialism
  1. During the 19th and 20th centuries, primarily the Belgians and French colonized Central Africa.
  2. Before colonization, a village, a tribal chief, or a group of elders would consult with various leaders within a village to make decisions that affected only that village.

II) The Economic Legacy of Colonialism
a. Economic Effects
  1. Central Africa's economy is still trying to recover from the effects of colonialism: the loss of recourses, the disruption of its political systems, and the cultural and ethnic oppression of its people.
b. Congo's Economic Chaos 
  1. A good example of economic problems caused by colonization can be seen in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  2. The country possesses huge amounts of natural recourses such as gold, diamonds, and copper.
  3. Although, European colonization and a personal desire for power and riches by post colonial leaders left the country in a state of dismay.

III) The Influence of Central African Art
a. Central African Art
  1. During the 20th century, some Central African Art reflected attitudes towards colonialism.
  2. After gaining independence in the 1960s, many countries wanted to establish their own identities.
  3. In the 1970s, Mobutu Sese Seko launched a program to promote African, in particular, Congolese culture above that of the west.
b. Fang Sculpture 
  1. Prior to the 20th century, very few people knew about African art.
  2. In 1907, the famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso saw a display of African Fang sculpture.

IV) Improving Education 
a. Education Faces Barriers 
  1. Adequate schooling for many of Africa's young people is in short supply.
  2. Education problems in Africa include shortage of trained teachers, a high dropout rate, and shortage of secondary school.
b. Learning In Central Africa
  1. Because the high rate of dropouts, most kids leave school around the age of 12.
  2. Many Central African countries are improving their educational systems.
  3. In 1991, Cameroon create two hem universities.
  4. The republic of the Congo offers vocational, agriculture, and teacher training courses.

Chapter 19 Section 3

West Africa

I) A History of Rich Trading Empires
a. Three Trading Empires
  1. The empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai thrived in West Africa because of their location on trade routes across the Sahara.
  2. Gold and salt were some of the main products traded.
  3. Ghana became an empire around A.D. 800 but began to decline in power by the end of the 11th century.
  4. A Moroccan army invaded Songhai and defeated it, destroying the empire.
b. Stateless Societies
  1. West Africa is filled with many different cultures and people.
  2. Before colonialism, some of these people lived in what are called stateless societies.
  3. A stateless society is one in which people rely on family lineages to govern themselves, rather than an elected government or a monarch.

II) West Africa Struggles Economically
a. Ghana's Stability
  1. Ghana's economy relies primarily on the export of gold, diamonds, magnesium, and bauxite to the industrialized world.
  2. Ghana's per capita output is about twice that of the poorest African countries.
  3. Ghana's transition from colonialism to democracy has had setbacks, including military rule and civil war.
b. Problems In Sierra Leone 
  1. Some of the worst economic conditions in West Africa happen in Sierra Leone.
  2. Although, years of political instability and civil wars have left the economy in shambles.

III) Cultural Symbols of West Africa 
a. Ashanti Crafts
  1. The Ashanti, who live in Ghana, are known for their work in weaving colorful asasia, what westerners call kente cloth.
  2. The designs of kente cloth contain colorful woven geometric figures with specific meanings.
  3. Other crafts include making masks and carving wood.
b. Benin Art
  1. The kingdom of Benin, which has no direct connection with the current country of Benin, arose in what is now Nigeria in the 1200s.
  2. Their most important works were fashioned from brass and are called Benin "bronzes."
  3. A common subject of Benin "bronzes" was that of the queen mother.

IV) Music In Daily Life
a. Western African Music
  1. West African popular music involves a blend of traditional African music with American forms of Jazz, Blues, and Reggae.
  2. All of those did indeed originate in West Africa.
  3. West African music is played on a wide variety of drums and other instruments such as the kora, a cross between a harp and a lute.
  4. King Sunny Ade, aka the "minister of enjoyment," is a popular musician from Nigeria.

North Africa

1) What form of government did ancient Egypt have? Monarchy 
2) What practices did the ancient world acquire from Egypt? Living in and farming villages.
3) How did Muslims gain control of North Africa? Muslim armies swept into lower Egypt, which was then part of the byzantine Empire. Muslims bound their territory together with a network of sea-linked trading zones. 
4) What countries make up North Africa? Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, and Tunisia. 
5) How has North Africa's economic base evolved? The oil transformed the economy because of its increase. 
6) Why has the oil industry failed to benefit local workers? The labor force cannot meet the demands of the oil industry because of a lack of training and education. 
7) How are prices set for products sold at souks? Very high. So thats where the haggling comes in. 
8) How has rai music changed since its beginnings? It was at first carefree and for the youth, but its more contains elements of popular Western music
9) What was the traditional role for North African women? They were controlled by their husbands, and didn't have much of a say for what they did and didn't do.
10) What gains have Tunisian women made outside the home? They are able to have professional jobs, and they can vote.