GeoJournalAs you read this chapter, make notes in yourjournal about the general characteristics of the peoples and cultures in Africa south of the Sahara. Explain how ways of life inAfrica south of the Sahara have changed in recent years.

Chapter Overview Visit the Glencoe WorldGeography Web site at tx.geography.glencoe.comand click on Chapter Overviews—Chapter 21 to preview information about the cultural geography of the region.

Population Patterns

A Geographic ViewTo MarketThe [riverside market] in Lukulu[Zambia] bustled with swarms ofpeople picking through baskets of fish and used clothes lying in enormous piles or draped on racksor else flapping like pennants onlong lines.

Julius Nkwita was sellingsmall piles of dried fish, about60 cents for a handful. Butsometimes he swapped his fishfor cups of flour or an item ofclothing. . . . His wife and fourof his children were in hishome village, . . . while hestayed in his seasonal fishing camp—justa reed hut—with his son, fishing intensively.

—Paul Theroux, “Down the Zambezi,” National Geographic, October 1997

A small market town, a village, a temporary fishingcamp—this is Julius Nkwita’s world. On a trip through central Africaon the Zambezi River, writer Paul Theroux met Julius Nkwita andmany others whose lives revolve around a small community. Likethese people of the Zambezi River basin, the majority of Africanssouth of the Sahara live in rural areas. In this section you will tracepopulation patterns in Africa south of the Sahara—the fastest-grow-ing and third most populous region in the world.

Rapid Population GrowthHome to more than 673 million people, Africa south of the Sahara

has about 10 percent of the world’s population. It has both the high-est birthrate and the highest death rate in the world. It also has theworld’s highest infant mortality rate and shortest life expectancy.

Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowAs in other world regions you havestudied, people in Africa south of theSahara are moving from rural areasto cities. What changes might a newcity resident face?

Read to Find Out• Why are parts of Africa south of

the Sahara densely populated?

• What are the obstacles to eco-nomic growth in the region?

• Who are the diverse peoples ofAfrica south of the Sahara?

• Why are the region’s cities grow-ing so rapidly?

Terms to Know• sanitation

• urbanization

• service center

Places to Locate• Nigeria

• Rwanda

• Namibia

• Zimbabwe

• Lagos

• Accra

• Kinshasa

• Nairobi

• Johannesburg

C h a p t e r 2 1 515

Seasonal fishing camp, central Africa

A market in the Comoros Islands

Despite a high death rate, births outnumberdeaths in this region. In fact, population growth inAfrica south of the Sahara surpasses that of everyother region in the world, increasing at an averagerate of 2.5 percent a year. At this rate, the total pop-ulation of Africa south of the Sahara will morethan double in just 35 years.

Nigeria, the most populous African countrysouth of the Sahara, is one example of the region’srapid population growth. In 2001 about 126.6 mil-lion people lived in Nigeria. With an expectedgrowth rate of 2.8 percent a year, it is likely that in50 years Nigeria’s population will reach more than300 million.

One factor, however, may drastically limit popu-lation growth in the region over the next 10 years.The disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiencysyndrome) has spread rapidly. About 70 percent ofthe estimated 36 million people in the world cur-rently carrying HIV, the virus that causes AIDS,live in Africa south of the Sahara. At the end of2000, about 17 million Africans had already died ofAIDS-related diseases.

Population Density and DistributionDespite rapid population growth, Africa south

of the Sahara has few people in relation to its vastland area. If the population were evenly spreadacross the region, there would be about 72 peopleper square mile (28 people per sq. km). However,the population of the region is not evenly distrib-uted. Rwanda, one of the region’s most denselypopulated countries, has 719 people per square mile(278 people per sq. km), whereas Namibia has only6 people per square mile (3 people per sq. km).

Land and climate help explain this uneven dis-tribution of people. Desert or steppe covers largeareas of Africa south of the Sahara. Because livingconditions there are difficult, few, if any, peoplelive there. The land is generally too dry to supportagriculture or the raising of livestock. As the mapon page 488 shows, most of the region’s people arecrowded in the coastal belt of West Africa alongthe Gulf of Guinea and along the eastern coast ofsouthern Africa. They are drawn to these areasbecause of easy access to water, fertile soil, andmild climates. As a result, agriculture, industry, andcommerce are concentrated in these areas.

Population and Food ProductionSoaring population growth combined with eco-

nomic challenges have made it difficult for Africasouth of the Sahara to feed its people. Agriculture—both subsistence and cash-crop farming—ranks asthe region’s main economic activity. About 70 per-cent of people in the region work as farmers. Yetthey are producing less and eating less, while thepopulation has almost tripled.

Factors such as the actions of governments andsome farmers and the effects of climate have con-tributed to this critical situation. In recent yearsgovernments have geared their economies forexporting in order to boost national incomes. How-ever, not enough food has been produced fordomestic needs, making it necessary to import food.In addition, huge expanses of farmland in the regionhave been exhausted through intensive cultivation,loss of soil fertility, and devastating droughts.

Population and Health CareIn recent years, Africa south of the Sahara has

made many advances in health care. However,famine and poor nutrition claim many lives, espe-cially among infants and young children. Impurewater is another cause of death. Only a third ofrural Africans have clean water to drink, and only afourth live where there is adequate sanitation, ordisposal of waste products. Diseases such asmalaria are widespread. Insects such as the mos-quito and tsetse (SEHT•see) fly transmit viruses topeople and animals.

AIDS, a worldwide disease caused by a virus thatis spread from person to person, has reached epi-demic proportions in the region. A child born inZimbabwe, for instance, is more likely to die ofAIDS than of any other cause. Treatments withdrugs that help control the disease are available topatients in developed countries, but these treat-ments cost too much for most Africans or their gov-ernments to purchase. As a result of the lack oftreatment, this deadly disease has drastically cut theaverage life expectancy throughout Africa south ofthe Sahara. In Zimbabwe, average life expectancyhas fallen from 65 years to 39 years because of AIDS.

The disease is expected to reduce the popula-tions of many of the region’s countries signifi-cantly, with disastrous consequences. Workers

516 U n i t 7

C h a p t e r 2 1 517

will be in short supply, and industries may beforced to close. Families and communities will suf-fer as adults in the prime of life are lost to the dis-ease. Children will lack caregivers. The UnitedNations estimates that by the year 2010, 10.7 mil-lion children in Africa under the age of 15 willhave lost at least one parent to AIDS.

A Diverse PopulationIn both urban and rural areas, Africa south of the

Sahara has a very diverse population. In fact,Africa is home to more ethnic groups than anyother continent. Some 3,000 African ethnic groupsmake up the population. Other groups living inAfrica include Europeans, South Asians, Arabs,and people of mixed backgrounds.

Culture

People Without BordersA people known as the Sena live in a wide area in

the marshes near the Zambezi River, which dividesZambia and Zimbabwe. The Sena often travel upthe Zambezi in dugout canoes to sell fish and to buy

needed items, such as nets, at markets in Malawi.They float downriver to Mozambique to trade fishfor sugar. Writing about the Sena, noted travelauthor Paul Theroux observes:

“ They come and go, from country tocountry, without passports—withouteven saying where they are going.”Paul Theroux, “Down

the Zambezi,” NationalGeographic, October 1997

As in other parts of Africa, country borders sepa-rate people politically, but they do not usually dis-turb daily patterns of life. Throughout Africa southof the Sahara, members of individual ethnic groupsspeak the same language and share other culturalfeatures, such as religion. They also have commonways of organizing community and family activities.

Growing CitiesAfrica south of the Sahara is one of the least

urbanized regions in the world, with only 30percent of the population living in cities.The region’s urban areas, however, aregrowing so rapidly that Africa has theworld’s fastest rate of urbanization, ormovement of people from rural areasto cities. In 1950 only about 35 millionAfricans lived in cities. Today it is esti-mated that about 270 million Africans areurban dwellers.

Africans leave their rural villages for urbanareas in order to find better job opportuni-ties, health care, and public services. At thesame time, population growth has causedcities to spread out into the countryside.Areas once made up of villages and towns

Medical Services In Botswana, one of thewealthiest countries in the region, governmentfunds help support a growing health-care system.

Region How does Botswana’s health-care sys-tem compare with other health-care systems inthis region?

Checking for Understanding1. Define sanitation, urbanization,

service center.

2. Main Ideas In a diagram like theone below, make notes aboutpopulation patterns in Africasouth of the Sahara. Then write a brief paragraph about theregion’s population.

Critical Thinking3. Drawing Conclusions How can

Africa south of the Sahara haverapid population growth and yethave relatively few people?

4. Identifying Cause and EffectHow do you think declining agricultural production in Africasouth of the Sahara contributes to urbanization? Explain youranswer.

5. Predicting Consequences How willinadequate health care ultimatelyaffect economies in this region?What steps would you recommendto help solve this problem?

Analyzing Maps6. Region Study the population

density map on page 488. Whichcountries have low populationdensities? What physical featuresaccount for this fact? Might thesecountries’ population patternschange in the future? Explain.

518 U n i t 7

7. Uneven Population DensityThink about the populationpatterns in Africa south ofthe Sahara. Brainstorm thereasons most people in theregion settle in coastal areas.Then write a paragraph thatexplains this pattern.

Applying Geography

Most cities in the region lie on the coast,along major rivers, or near areas rich invaluable resources. They developed largelyas trading centers. The largest city in theregion is the bustling seaport of Lagos(LAY•GAHS) in Nigeria, which has a popu-lation of more than 10 million. Other impor-tant cities include Cape Town, South Africa;Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Accra, Ghana; andDar es Salaam, Tanzania. Kinshasa, on thesouthern bank of the Congo River, is thepolitical, cultural, and economic hub of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo. In EastAfrica, inland cities––such as Nairobi,Kenya, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia––haveprospered from trade. Johannesburg,South Africa, also an inland city, owes itsorigins and growth to the mining of gold.

As in other regions of the world, Africasouth of the Sahara faces many challengesbecause of rapid urbanization. ManyAfrican cities have towering skyscrapersand trendy shopping areas, but cityresidents often must endure traffic con-gestion, inadequate public services, over-crowded neighborhoods, and slums that

lack water or sanitary facilities. In Chapter 22 youwill learn how Africans south of the Sahara aremeeting the challenges of their surroundings.

have mushroomed into service centers, convenientbusiness locations for rural dwellers, who travelthere by foot, bus, or boat.

Asmara, EritreaLike other African cities, Asmara—Eritrea’s capital—is rapidlyurbanizing. It has a population of about 500,000.

Region What drives rapid urbanization in Africa south of theSahara?

PopulationPatterns

Diverse Populations

Rapid Population Growth

C h a p t e r 2 1 519

Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowGlobal regions influence one anotherthrough trade, migration, and theexchange of ideas. What effect doyou think new contacts, products,and ideas have on cultural traditionsin each region?

Read to Find Out• What were the main achievements

of the ancient civilizations of Africasouth of the Sahara?

• How did European colonizationdisrupt African patterns of life?

• What challenges did countries ofthe region face after independence?

Terms to Know• domesticate

• apartheid

• universal suffrage

Places to Locate• Kush

• Axum

• Ghana

• Kumbi

• Mali

• Songhai

• Timbuktu

• Ethiopia

• Liberia

History andGovernment

A Geographic ViewHome of the ZuluThe [South African] district ofMsinga, . . . as deep into deepZululand as you can go, is thestrongest bastion [place of sur-vival] of inherited Zulu culture. . . .As you drive from Greytown . . .through the Mpanza Valley, . . .the avocado, pecan, andmacadamia plantations giveway to aloes and thorn trees.You wind down the escarpment,and there below is a sweepingview over the green folds andsteep valleys of Zululand, dotted withthatch huts and small patches of corn.

—Peter Godwin, “Zulu: People of Heaven, Heirs to Violence,”National Geographic, August 2000

Kraals—the traditional homesteads of the Zulupeople—have long been a familiar sight in what is now South Africa.Like many other ethnic groups in Africa south of the Sahara, the Zuluare descendants of the Bantu peoples. Massive Bantu migrations andmovements of other peoples shaped the region’s early history andare still influential today.

African RootsTens of thousands of years ago, people were already moving from

place to place across Africa to hunt and gather food. No writtenrecords exist of these people, but early paintings in places as wide-spread as Niger in the north and Namibia in the south offer clues totheir ways of life. Scenes painted in caves and on rocks are filled with

Rural community, South Africa

520 U n i t 7

people hunting, fishing, and celebrating. Laterpaintings show new peoples involved in newactivities—farming and herding.

First CivilizationsAround 2000 B.C. migrants fleeing a dramatic shift

in climate joined other settlers in Africa south of theSahara. For thousands of years, the climate to thenorth had been mild and wet. People who oncehunted and scavenged for food learned to plantseeds and domesticate, or tame, animals. Theydeveloped agriculture in the Sahara area. Around3000 to 2500 B.C., however, the climate became hot-ter and drier. Plants shriveled, forests perished, andrivers evaporated. Forced to move in order to sur-vive, many people migrated south. They took withthem their knowledge of raising crops and animals.

In northeast Africa, the Nile Valley remainedfertile and gave life to the great Egyptian civiliza-tion. Between 2000 and 1000 B.C., the Egyptianspressed south, bringing various cultures alongthe Nile under their control. When Egyptian civi-lization began to fade, the cultures under its swayrose to power. The kingdom of Kush, in what isnow Sudan, extended its rule north into Egyptianterritory. The Kushites then pushed south alongthe Nile, building a civilization around a newcapital called Meroë (MEHR•oh•WEE). Kushflourished until the A.D. 300s, when its traderoutes were attacked by Axum, a powerful trad-ing empire in northern Ethiopia.

Empires in the WestSeveral centuries later, trading empires began to

gain strength in West Africa. Today the WestAfrican countries of Ghana and Mali are namedafter two of these ancient empires. Ghana, one ofthe earliest of these trading kingdoms, emergedaround A.D. 700. Its empire grew rich by tradinggold for salt brought by camel caravans across theSahara. Peoples south of the Sahara highly valuedsalt for use as a food preservative.

Gold was plentiful in Ghana. The Spanish-Arabgeographer al-Bakri, who traveled to West Africain the 1000s, reported, for example, that even theking’s dogs wore collars of gold and silver.Ghana’s wealth was reflected in its large capital,Kumbi. This prosperous empire, which created atax collection system and charged tariffs onimports, flourished for almost 500 years.

The trading empires of Mali and Songhai(SAWNG•HY) succeeded Ghana and also grew richfrom the gold-for-salt trade. Mali, which extendedwest to the Atlantic and was larger than Egypt, hadas its center the wealthy city of Timbuktu. Songhaieventually took over Mali and then stretched east,prospering until about 1600, when it was overrunby Moroccans, a people from the north.

Bantu MigrationsIn central and southern Africa, Bantu-speaking

peoples had established settlements by A.D. 800.Although the origins of the Bantu and their routesof migration are debated, many historians believethat they spread across one-third of the continent. Inaddition to founding the central African kingdoms

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Early African Kingdoms

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AxumKushSonghaiGhana

MaliGold-miningareasTrade routes

1. Interpreting Maps Where did most of theearly trade routes begin?

2. Applying Geography Skills How did locationaffect the rise of early West African kingdoms?

C h a p t e r 2 1 521

of Kongo (Congo), Luba,and Luanda, the Bantuestablished states to thesoutheast in what are todayTanzania, Malawi, Zambia,and Zimbabwe. The influ-ence of the Bantu migrationcontinues, with about 150million Bantu speakers liv-ing in Africa today.

EuropeanColonization

Slowly, word of thewealth of Africa’s kingdomsreached Europe. Europeansbegan trading with Africansas early as the 1200s, bring-ing gold and other Africangoods to Europe. By thetime Columbus set sail, Portuguese explorers weresailing along the Africancoast. They set up tradingposts and way stationsalong coastal areas, whereenslaved Africans were heldfor transport. Foreign travel-ers who reached the tradingcenters of Timbuktu, Kano,Gao, and Wangara in thewest and Kilwa, Mombasa, and Sofala in the eastwere impressed with the bustling, abundant mar-kets and cultural life.

The Slave Trade in AfricaBy the 1600s and 1700s, Europeans were trading

extensively with Africans. They sought Africangold, ivory, textiles, and enslaved workers. Africanchiefs and kings had enslaved and traded prisonersof war for centuries. Arab traders had broughtenslaved Africans to the Islamic world since theA.D. 800s. The slave trade greatly increased whenEuropeans began shipping Africans to the Americasto work on large plantations where sugar, tobacco,rice, and cotton were cultivated.

Huge numbers of people from the African inte-rior were sold into slavery. As early as 1526, Nzinga

Mbemba, the king of Kongo, deplored the actions ofsome African rulers. He also complained to the kingof Portugal about Portuguese slave merchants:

“ [They] seize upon our subjects . . . andcause them to be sold; and so great, Sir,is their corruption . . . that our countryis being utterly depopulated.”Nzinga Mbemba, quoted by

Basil Davidson, in African Kingdoms, 1966

Once captured and sold, enslaved Africans faceda terrible trip across the Atlantic Ocean as humancargo in a ship’s hold. This passage from Africaclaimed millions of African lives. The loss of so

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Main sources of enslaved AfricansSlave trade routeTrade route for tobacco and sugarTrade route of cheap European manufactured goods

1. Interpreting Maps What were the major destination points forenslaved people leaving Africa?

2. Applying Geography Skills How did the arrival of Europeans changethe slave trade in Africa?

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522 U n i t 7

many young people to the slave trade was a majorsetback to the societies they left behind.

Government

Europe Divides and RulesIn the 1800s European powers regarded the region

as a source of raw materials for their growing indus-tries and a potential market for European manufac-tured goods. European countries quickly laid claimto African territory, and by 1914, all of Africa exceptEthiopia and Liberia was under European control.

In setting up their colonies, Europeans ignoredAfrican objections and created boundaries thatoften cut across ethnic homelands. By doing sothey set African groups against one another andstrengthened European rule in the region.

Among the earliest foreigners to explore Africa’sinterior, European missionaries often opposed theharsh treatment of Africans by the colonial tradersand officials. Yet they, too, promoted European cul-ture and weakened traditional African ways. Euro-pean businessmen also disrupted African village

MAP STUDY

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IndependentBelgianBritishFrenchGermanItalianPortugueseSpanish

European Colonial Rule, 1914

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1. Interpreting Maps Which two European powers ruledmuch of Africa south of the Sahara?

2. Applying Geography Skills How did colonialism affectAfrican countries after independence?

C h a p t e r 2 1 523

life by replacing locally centered agriculture withhuge plantation economies. These economiesfocused on the production of cash crops like coffeeand tea for world markets.

From Colonies to CountriesAlthough European rule dealt serious blows to

African life, many Africans benefited from new edu-cational opportunities and city development. Soonsome Africans demanded a share in government. By the mid-1900s, educated Africans had launchedindependence movements, and in the second half

of the century, the colonies became independent.(See map on page 522.) These new countries faceddifficult challenges, often the result of their coloniallegacy. European powers, for example, had usedAfrican colonies as a source of raw materials fortheir industries. They also set up colonial economiesthat met European, rather than African, needs. Colo-nial governments did not involve Africans much ingovernment, nor did they give Africans models fordemocracy. At independence, many of the newAfrican countries adopted the political boundariesset earlier by the colonial powers. As the map aboveshows, these boundaries divided people of similar

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Ethnic Groups, Colonial Rule, and Conflict

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2. Applying Geography Skills What problemsmight result from the political divisions createdby colonial powers?

Case Study: Conflict in Nigeria

1960 Nigeria becomes independent; ethnictensions divide the country.

1966 Military officials take control of Nigeria’s government.

1967 The Eastern Region secedes from Nigeria; its largely Ibo population sets up the Republic of Biafra.

1967– A civil war between Nigerian1970 government forces and Biafran

rebels results in Biafra’s defeat; warcasualties number about 1 million.

1970s Military officials rule harshly; corrup-tion and mismanagement squanderNigeria’s oil wealth.

1980s Brief period of civilian rule is followedby a return to military dictatorship.

1993 Military allows free elections but annuls vote; riots sweep Nigeria.

1998– Nigeria returns to civilian rule; free1999 elections are held.

2000 Tensions increase between Nigeria’sMuslim and Christian communities.

1. Interpreting Maps List three examples inwhich political boundaries divide an ethnic group.

language and ethnic background. Within the newcountries, rival ethnic groups struggled for power,and civil wars erupted.

Nigeria: A Colonial LegacyAn example of ethnic conflict in the region is

Nigeria. The time line next to the map on page 523shows key events in Nigeria’s ongoing ethnic strug-gles since independence. Nigeria’s problems stemfrom its colonial past.

In 1914 the British had formed thecolony of Nigeria from several smallerethnic territories. As a result, manydifferent ethnic and religious groupslived within Nigeria’s boundaries.In the north, various peoples haddeveloped cultures based on cen-turies-old Islamic influences fromNorth Africa. Those in the south hadcreated ways of life based on tradi-tional African religions or on Christian-ity. Despite these differences, Nigeriansunited to resist British rule. In 1960 thecolony of Nigeria finally became an independentcountry. The ethnic and religious differences inher-ited from the past soon erupted in civil war, however.Although the civil war eventually ended, ethnic andreligious divisions continue to plague Nigeria todayas it moves from harsh military rule to democracy.

South Africa: Road to FreedomDuring the early 1900s, South Africa became

independent of British rule. For most of the cen-tury, however, the country’s white minority pop-ulation ran the government. It imposed a policyknown as apartheid (uh•PAHR•TAYT), or separa-tion of the races, on South Africa’s black majorityand racially mixed peoples. Under apartheid,nonwhite South Africans were denied politi-

cal rights and equality with whites in edu-cation, jobs, and housing. They were

segregated into communities withsubstandard housing and few gov-ernment services.

Internal unrest and internationalpressures finally forced SouthAfrica to end apartheid in the early1990s. Nelson Mandela, the coun-

try’s most popular anti-apartheidleader, was released after 27 years

in prison. In 1994 South Africa heldits first election based on universalsuffrage, or voting rights for all adult

citizens. Nelson Mandela became South Africa’sfirst black president. Within a short time, SouthAfrica moved from a repressive society to onecommitted to democracy. Today, South Africafaces the challenge of ensuring a better quality oflife for many nonwhite South Africans.

524 U n i t 7

Checking for Understanding1. Define domesticate, apartheid,

universal suffrage.

2. Main Ideas Complete a time lineof Africa’s history based on themodel below. Then use your timeline to write a summary of theregion’s achievements and experi-ences of the past and present.

Critical Thinking3. Making Generalizations How

did contact with other empiresinfluence the West Africanempires?

4. Drawing Conclusions Why do youthink the West African tradingkingdoms were willing to tradegold for salt?

5. Identifying Cause and Effect Inwhat ways did colonialism affectthe region’s development and setthe stage for current conflicts inAfrica south of the Sahara?

Analyzing Maps6. Movement Study the map of early

African kingdoms on page 520. To what seas and oceans did theearly trade routes lead? Whatriver was a major trade route?

7. Movement of People Listsome of the major humanmigrations in Africa southof the Sahara. Then chooseone migration, and write aparagraph about the moti-vation for and the effects of the migration.

Applying Geography

2000 B.C. A.D. 2000

Nelson Mandela

Important Dates in AfricaSouth of the Sahara

C h a p t e r 2 1 525

Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowThink about ways in which Africansinfluence global culture. How do youthink aspects of African culture havespread to other parts of the world?

Read to Find Out• What languages do people in

Africa south of the Sahara speak?

• What are the major religions inAfrica south of the Sahara?

• What art forms have peoples ofthe region developed?

• How do lifestyles among peoplesof the region differ? How are theysimilar?

Terms to Know• mass culture

• lingua franca

• oral tradition

• extended family

• clan

• nuclear family

Places to Locate• Eritrea

• Madagascar

• Tanzania

• Dar es Salaam

Cultures andLifestyles

A Geographic ViewWedding TraditionsGuests begin to arrive . . . [for] a wedding week of camel racing,dancing, and feasting on goat meat,wheat porridge, and sweet tea.

Bekitta, the bride, stays in seclu-sion, veiled behind an elaboratemask called a burga, which shehas painstakingly decorated. . . .

When the day cools at sunset,a woman breaks into a dance.Clapping out the rhythm, themen sing: “The sun is setting, sowe sing before the dark!” As sheswirls in perfumed skirts, they punctuatetheir song with shouts of tribal pride: “Rashaida! Rashaida!”

—Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher, “African Marriage Rituals,” National Geographic, November 1999

Ethnic groups such as the Rashaida of Eritrea find their iden-tity in such traditions as wedding customs. People in Africa south of theSahara share a history of colonial rule and struggle for independence. Afurther bond is mass culture, or popular culture promoted by themedia. Despite general similarities, however, the region’s ethnicgroups are as diverse as they are numerous. In this section you willlearn about the languages, religions, arts, and lifestyles of Africasouth of the Sahara.

LanguagesAt least 2,000 different languages are spoken in Africa today. As

the map on page 523 shows, language experts put the many ethnicgroups and languages of Africa south of the Sahara into six major

Rashaida woman of Eritrea

526 U n i t 7

categories: Congo-Kordofanian, Nilo-Saharan,Afro-Asiatic, Khoisan, Malayo-Polynesian, andAfrikaans, an Indo-European language.

Languages in the African groups—Congo-Kordofanian, Nilo-Saharan, Afro-Asiatic, andKhoisan—are the most widely spoken and themost diverse. Originating on the African conti-nent, these languages include some 800 Bantu-based Congo-Kordofanian languages spoken bypeoples in central, eastern, and southern Africa.Among these are Swahili, Zulu, and Kongo. TheBantu-related languages of Guinea coast peoplesalso belong to the Congo-Kordofanian group.

The Sudanic peoples of the northwest and northeast corners of the region speak Afro-Asiatic languages. The Afro-Asiatic group includesAfrican languages, such as Hausa and Fulani, aswell as languages of North Africa and SouthwestAsia, such as Berber and Arabic.

Some languages spoken in the region are non-African. People on the island of Madagascar speak

the Malagasy language in the Malayo-Polynesianlanguage group. Indo-European languages spokenin Africa include English, French, and Afrikaans.Derived from the dialect of early Dutch settlers inSouth Africa, Afrikaans also contains wordsadapted from English, French, German, and Africanlanguages. Africa’s Indo-European languages wereintroduced by European traders, administrators,and missionaries. Some have become the officiallanguages of today’s African countries. French orEnglish often serves as a lingua franca, or commonlanguage, throughout the region.

ReligionsA variety of religions claim followers in Africa

south of the Sahara. Most people are Christian orMuslim. Christians make up the largest religiousgroup. Missionaries and traders from Egypt and theMediterranean area introduced Christianity toEthiopia in the A.D. 300s. The Ethiopian Coptic

Muslim

Traditional religions

Other religions

220,000,000

118,000,000

50,000,000

Christian 269,000,000

Religion Number of Followers

Other religions 7%

Christian 41%

Muslim 34% Traditional

religions 18%

Sources: World Almanac, 2001; Britannica Book of the Year, 2000

GRAPH STUDY

Africa South of the Sahara: Religions

2. Applying Geography Skills What factorsaccount for the variety of religions in Africa?Give examples to support your answer.1. Interpreting Graphs What is the dominant

religion in Africa south of the Sahara?

C h a p t e r 2 1 527

Church has played an important role in Ethiopianlife ever since. Christian beliefs did not spreadamong other African peoples until the colonialperiod, however. Since then, many Africans haveadopted Christianity, especially along the coasts,where Africans had greater contact with foreigners.Most Muslims in the region live in West Africa,where Muslims ruled the kingdoms of Mali andSonghai along the Niger River during the 1400s and1500s. Today Nigeria has the largest Islamic popula-tion of any African country south of the Sahara.

Traditional religions in Africa south of the Saharaare numerous and diverse, but they have manycommon elements. For example, most traditionalreligions profess a belief in the existence of asupreme being and a ranked order of lesser deities.In the late 1700s, Olaudah Equiano, an Africanknown for his vivid account of slavery, stated thatthe supreme god of his people, the Igbo, was “oneCreator of all things, and he lives in the sun, . . . andgoverns all events, especially . . . deaths.” Thesesame characteristics describe the supreme beingsof other African groups. Most followers of tradi-tional African religions also believe in the existenceof nature spirits and honor distant ancestors andfamily members who have recently died.

Religion plays an integral role in everyday life inAfrica. Although many followers of different reli-gions live together peacefully, conflict sometimesoccurs between competing religious groups. Inrecent years Nigeria and Sudan have been scenesof conflict among Christians, Muslims, and fol-lowers of traditional African religions.

EducationAfricans have always valued education, but it has

taken many different forms. In the past, African chil-dren did not attend school but apprenticed to tradessuch as wood carving and metalworking. Large-scale, formal schooling became widespread in theearly 1900s, as European powers sought to fill civilservice and industrial jobs with African workers.

Educational AdvancesSince independence, higher education has

expanded. In 1960 only 120,000 students in theregion enrolled in universities, but by the late 1990smore than 2 million had. Public school attendance

and literacy have also increased, but only about 60percent of people aged 15 and older can read andwrite. Rural areas, which often are short ofschools, materials, and qualified teachers, gener-ally have lower literacy rates than do urban areas.In some places few children receive even an ele-mentary education; parents there are too poor tosend their children to school.

Culture

New Ways of LearningTelevision has become an efficient teaching tool,

but exposure to newer technology is limited.Fewer than 10 personal computers per 1,000 peo-ple exist in the region, and Internet service is notyet widely available. In some countries, such asSouth Africa and Zambia, however, use of theInternet is becoming more widespread.

The ArtsAfrican art, often expressing traditional religious

beliefs, comes in many forms, from ritual masks to

Traditional Dancers Dance is an importantreligious and social tradition of the Masai of Kenya.

Region What are some common characteristicsof traditional African religions?

528 U n i t 7

rhythmic drum music to folktales. Strong examplesof African visual arts include 2000-year-old terra-cotta heads produced by the Nok culture andbronze plaques that appeared in the palace court-yard of the Benin kingdom. Another art mediumflourishing today is textiles, with patterns reflect-ing distinct ethnic groups—Ghana’s kente cloth orEast Africa’s khanga cloth, for example.

Music and dance are art forms that are part ofeveryday African life. Entire communities partici-pate, while dancers wearing masks honor specificdeities, spirits of their ancestors, or a specialoccasion, such as a birth. Today African music ispopular around the world and has influenced con-temporary music. Paul Simon, Sting, and PeterGabriel are only a few of the popular Western

musicians who have borrowed from Africanmusic. In fact, the entire blues and jazz tradition ofNorth America has its roots in the music enslavedAfricans brought with them.

Oral literature, which is chanted, sung, orrecited, has a strong tradition in Africa south of theSahara. Oral tradition, the practice of passingdown stories from generation to generation byword of mouth, is evident in folktales, myths, andproverbs and has helped preserve African history.Storytellers command great respect with tales ofhow the world began. In Mali, the Fulani peoplehave this version:

“ At the beginning there was a huge drop of milk.

Then Doondari came and created the stone.Then the stone created iron;And iron created fire;And fire created water;And water created air.”Ulli Beier, trans. in The Origins

of Life and Death, 1966

music of AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA

Important elements in African music are complex rhythms,improvisation, call-and-response singing, and the majorrole of dance.

Instrument SpotlightThe talking drum has an hourglass shape and a bodycarved from wood. On the open ends of the body,skins are held together by leather thongs or stringsthat stretch from one rim to the other. The drumis held under the arm and against the uppertorso, and the drum head is struck with acurved wooden mallet. As the strings aresqueezed down with the arm, the headsare stretched tighter and the pitch ofthe drum becomes higher. Many differ-ent pitches can be achieved by loosen-ing and tightening the strings, andthis gives the drum its characteristic“talking” sound.

World Music: A Cultural Legacy Hear music of this region on Disc 2, Tracks 1–6.

Student Web Activity Visit the Glencoe World GeographyWeb site at tx.geography.glencoe.com and click on Student WebActivities—Chapter 21 for an activity about West African textiles.

C h a p t e r 2 1 529

Checking for Understanding1. Define mass culture, lingua

franca, oral tradition, extendedfamily, clan, nuclear family.

2. Main Ideas On a web diagram likethe one below, fill in informationabout the cultural features of thisregion. Then write a paragraphdescribing one cultural feature.

Critical Thinking3. Comparing and Contrasting How

are urban families in the regiondifferent from rural families? How are they similar?

4. Making Inferences Why do youthink storytellers are respectedfigures in African communities?

5. Making Generalizations Writethree general statements to sum-marize religion in Africa south ofthe Sahara. Support your general-izations with specific examplesfrom your reading.

Analyzing Maps6. Place Study the map on page 523.

What language/ethnic groups arecommon in countries borderingthe Sahara?

7. Lifestyles Think about thevaried lifestyles in Africasouth of the Sahara, andstudy the population density map on page 488.Would people living inextended families be morecommon in Namibia orSouth Africa? Explain.

Applying Geography

Lifestyles

ReligionLanguage

Arts

Education

Cultural Features

Written literature developed mainly in north-east Africa, where societies came in contact withearly Mediterranean systems of writing. In recenttimes written literature has become prominent inAfrica south of the Sahara as well. Two Africansfrom the region have won the Nobel Prize in liter-ature—Wole Soyinka of Nigeria in 1986 andNadine Gordimer of South Africa in 1991.

Varied LifestylesLifestyles in the region are as varied as the ethnic

groups who live there. Tanzania, with some 120 eth-nic groups, is a perfect example. The Sukuma farmthe land south of Lake Victoria, and the Chaggasgrow coffee in the plains around Kilimanjaro andconduct business in small cities like Moshi andArusha. In the north live the nomadic cattleherders,the Masai, and in major cities, such as Dar es Salaam,Western urban lifestyles and dress prevail.

No matter how different their lifestyles, mostAfricans value strong family ties. In rural areas,most people still live in extended families, orhouseholds made up of several generations. Fami-lies also are organized into clans, large groups ofpeople descended from an early common ancestor.Individuals often marry within their clan. In thecities, however, the nuclear family—made up ofhusband, wife, and children—is rapidly replacingthe extended family.

Urban Shopping A supermarket in Gabarone,Botswana, provides shoppers with a variety of foodproducts.

Place In which areas of Africa south of the Saharado Western lifestyles prevail?

THE STORY OF AFRICA in the lasttwo centuries includes the tale ofEuropean conquest and its after-math. Beginning in the late 1800s,European nations set up colonies

in most of Africa. Although African nationshave since gained independence, the linger-ing effects of European rule have causedinstability and conflict in many regions.

Central Africa, home to the peoples ofRwanda and Burundi, is one of Africa’s mostunstable regions. Hutu and Tutsi peopleslived there peacefully for centuries. Sincethe late 1950s, however, the two groupshave been at war. Their conflict has itsroots in a tortured history in which Europeplayed a key role.

Exploration and Colonization

In the early 1800s, Africa was a mystery to Europeans. Fewwho ventured into Africa’s inte-rior came out alive. But withimproved steam-powered trans-portation and new medicinesto treat disease, mid-centuryexplorers successfully madetheir way inland. One of thefirst explorers was British doc-tor and missionary DavidLivingstone. Besides findingunspoiled beauty and rich

Congo R.

WhiteNile R.

DEM. REP.OF THECONGO

TANZANIA

ZAMBIAMALAWI

ANGOLA

KENYA

RWANDA

BURUNDI

UGANDA

EQUATOR

200

2000 mi.

0 km

Soldiers patrol in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, where Rwandans have come seeking refuge.

▲

CONFLICT IN CENTRAL AFRICA: HUTU VERSUS TUTSICONFLICT IN CENTRAL AFRICA: HUTU VERSUS TUTSI

AND

GEOGRAPHYHISTORY

530 U n i t 7

ethnic cultures, he discov-ered a flourishing slavetrade. Livingstone called for Europeans to spreadcommerce, Christianity,and their civilizationthroughout Africa to stopthe evil trade.

The European powers—mainly Britain, France, Portugal, and Germany—were competing toexpand their empires and to protect trade routes. With the outcryagainst slavery, Europeans moved swiftly into Africa. In less than 40years, they carved the continent into more than 40 colonies.

Europe’s Legacy

The Europeans introduced new crops, legal systems, basic schooling,roads, and medicine—all of which brought benefits to Africans. Formany Africans, however, especially those in Central Africa, Europeancommercial and labor practices caused hardships and great loss of life.

At the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, where European powersdivided Africa, Rwanda and Burundi were given to Germany. In 1919the lands were awarded to Belgium. Both the Germans and Belgiansviewed the Tutsi as a superior people. Hence the Tutsi were favoredand were promoted in society. Most Hutu were exploited farmers.They were denied positions of authority.The stage was set for conflict.

The killing began in 1959 with a Hutu uprising in Rwanda.WhenBurundi and Rwanda achieved independence in 1962, Hutu and Tutsipolitical groups began a struggle for control of the two countries.Violence led to more violence, spilling into the neighboring countriesof Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sincethe 1960s, more than a million Hutu and Tutsi men, women, and chil-dren have lost their lives. Millions more have been driven from theirhomes in a cycle of violence that seems to have no end.

Looking Ahead

Much of Africa today bears the scars of colonial rule.Why arepeace and prosperity in Central Africa difficult to achieve?

Foreign ministers of 14European nations decide thefuture of Africa at the BerlinConference in 1884.

▲

1850s Dr. Livingstone (photoabove) explores Africa

1884–1885Leaders at BerlinConference giveRwanda and Burundi toGermany

1881–1912Europe occupies Africa,claiming more than 40colonies

1919 Belgium controlsRwanda and Burundi

1959 Hutu rebel in Rwanda

1962 Rwanda and Burundigain independence

1970s–1980sViolence escalates;refugees (backgroundphoto) flee to neigh-boring countries

1990s Rwandan and Burundiangovernments worktoward democracy;fighting continues

1997 War crimes trials beginin Rwanda and Burundi

U n i t 7 531

Learning the SkillGeneralizations are conclu-

sions or judgments that peopleform based on the facts at hand.Using knowledge and experi-ence, people make generaliza-tions to help understand andexplain the world. Geographers,like scientists, develop general-izations based on observation.Then they test these theoriesagainst further evidence theycollect. This process is key to thescientific method.

Generalizations help us under-stand the world, but they cansometimes be misleading. Forexample, the generalization aboutPhiladelphia was based on onlytwo visits. But what are the realreasons the friend heard peoplespeaking Spanish while visitingthat city? Were the speakers long-time citizens who grew up speak-ing Spanish in a traditionallyHispanic neighborhood? To saythat Philadelphia has had a recentwave of immigrants from Spainmay be an overgeneralization, ora statement that is too broad.

Use the following steps tomake useful generalizations:• Gather facts, examples, or

statements related to thetopic.

• Identify similarities or pat-terns among these facts.

• Use these similarities or pat-terns to form generalizationsabout the topic.

• Test your generalizationsagainst other facts and examples.

Practicing the SkillComplete the following activi-

ties about making generalizations.

1. Identify a generalization youhave recently heard.

2. Describe ways you can avoidmaking an overgeneralization.

3. Write a generalization basedon the following statements:

In 1994 Nelson Mandela succeeded F.W. de Klerk aspresident of South Africa.Mandela’s party, the AfricanNational Congress, received

63 percent of the vote; deKlerk’s party, the NationalParty, received only 20 percent.

Making GeneralizationsSuppose a friend says, “Both times I’ve been to Philadelphia, I

heard someone on the street speaking Spanish. Philadelphiamust have had a recent wave of immigrants from Spain.” Yourfriend formed a generalization about Philadelphia. Whether thegeneralization is valid, or true, depends largely on the supportingdetails.

532 U n i t 7

The Glencoe Skillbuilder Interactive Workbook,

Level 2 provides instruction andpractice in key social studies skills.

South Africans line up to vote in the country’s historic election of 1994.

Read an article about Africa southof the Sahara in a newspaper or onan Internet news site. Write a gen-eralization based on what youread. Provide details from the arti-cle to support your generalization.

C h a p t e r 2 1 533

Key Points• The uneven distribution of the 629 million

people in Africa south of the Sahara is linked to the region’s physical geography.

• The spread of AIDS has significantly impactedhealth and economic development in theregion.

• Africa south of the Sahara is urbanizing fasterthan any other region in the world.

• Thousands of ethnic groups make up the population of Africa south of the Sahara.

Organizing Your NotesUse a diagram like the onebelow to help you organize yournotes for this section.

Terms to Know• domesticate• apartheid• universal suffrage

Key Points• The movement of different groups, including

the migrations of Bantu peoples, helped shapethe history of Africa south of the Sahara.

• From the A.D. 700s to the 1600s, powerful trad-ing empires arose and prospered in West Africa.

• European colonization cut across traditionalethnic territories.

• Most of the countries in Africa south of theSahara won independence in the second half of the 1900s.

Organizing Your NotesUse a table like the one belowto organize your notes abouteach major stage in the historyof Africa south of the Sahara.

Terms to Know• sanitation• urbanization• service center

Terms to Know• mass culture• lingua franca• oral tradition• extended family• clan• nuclear family

Key Points• The many languages of Africans south of the

Sahara contribute to the diversity of the region.

• The peoples of the region are followers of Chris-tianity, Islam, or traditional African religions.

• The various art forms created by Africans southof the Sahara have influenced cultures aroundthe world.

• Although they have diverse lifestyles, most peoples in the region value family ties, andmany live in extended families.

Organizing Your NotesCreate an outline using the for-mat below to help you organizeyour notes for this section.

SECTION 1 Population Patterns (pp. 515–518)

SECTION 2 History and Government (pp. 519–524)

SECTION 3 Cultures and Lifestyles (pp. 525–529)

SUMMARY & STUDY GUIDE

Rapid Population Growth

Growing Cities Diverse Population

PopulationPatterns

Early Period Colonial Independent

Cultures and Lifestyles

I. LanguagesA. African

1.2.

B. Indo-European1.2.

II. Religions

Critical Thinking1. Predicting Consequences In what ways

has urbanization affected traditional ways oflife in Africa south of the Sahara? Explain.

2. Drawing Conclusions How did trade playa major role in early African societies?

3. Comparing and Contrasting Use a Venndiagram like the one below to compare andcontrast the role of music in African culturesand in American culture. Then write a para-graph summarizing your conclusions.

Reviewing Key TermsWrite the key term that best completes each ofthe following sentences. Refer to the Terms toKnow in the Summary & Study Guide on page 533.

1. A strong _____ has helped preserve many lit-erary forms in Africa south of the Sahara.

2. A(n) _____ includes several generations.

3. The strict separation of races in South Africawas called _____.

4. Under _____ , or equal voting rights, all adultsof voting age may cast a vote.

5. _____ unites African people of different eth-nic backgrounds.

6. Rapid _____ has caused problemsin the region’s cities.

7. A(n) _____ includes a husbandand wife and their children.

8. _____ and disease are importanthealth issues in Africa south ofthe Sahara.

9. People began to _____ animalsmany years ago.

Reviewing FactsSECTION 1

1. What physical features influencepopulation density in Africasouth of the Sahara?

2. Why is food production in theregion inadequate?

SECTION 23. What ancient kingdoms and

empires developed in EastAfrica? In West Africa?

4. What was the major develop-ment in Africa after World War II?

SECTION 35. What religions are practiced in

Africa south of the Sahara?

6. What is the origin of many ofthe art forms of Africa south ofthe Sahara?

Locating PlacesAfrica South of the Sahara: PoliticalGeography

Match the letters on the map with the places in Africa south of the Sahara.Write your answers on a sheet of paper.

1. Angola2. Johannesburg3. Mali4. Liberia

5. Namibia6. Botswana7. Lagos8. Rwanda

9. Chad10. Cameroon11. Ethiopia12. Kinshasa

TROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR

TROPIC OF CAPRICORN

0º

10ºN

20ºN

10ºS

20ºS

30ºS

A

B

L

E

F

I

J

GH

C

K

D

N

Lambert AzimuthalEqual-Area projection

800

8000

0

mi.

km

ASSESSMENT & ACTIVITIES

534 U n i t 7

Africancultures

American culture

Both

C h a p t e r X 535

Some standardized test questions askyou to answer a question using achart. Do not try to answer these types

of questions from memory. First, read the question.Then skim the chart. Next, read each answer choice,deciding whether it is correct or incorrect by referringto the chart. Finally, choose the answer choice that iscorrect according to the chart.

Self-Check Quiz Visit the Glencoe WorldGeography Web site at tx.geography.glencoe.comand click on Self-Check Quizzes—Chapter 21 toprepare for the Chapter Test.

Using the Regional AtlasRefer to the Regional Atlas on pages 486–489.

1. Human-Environment Interaction Whatis the relationship between areas of highpopulation density and bodies of water?

2. Location Where are many of the capitalsof West African countries located? Why doyou think this pattern emerged?

Thinking Like a GeographerHow did past climate changes in the Sahara affectpopulation patterns? What predictions can youmake about future climate changes in the region?

Problem-Solving ActivityContemporary Issues Case Study Many citiesin Africa south of the Sahara have rapidly growingpopulations. Research and write a case studyabout an African city. Identify the processes caus-ing the city’s growth, such as location, resources,and transportation. Then describe the challengesthe city faces and outline solutions. Design anddraw maps and graphics for presentation.

GeoJournalNewspaper Article Use your GeoJournal towrite a newspaper article about an aspect of thecultural geography of Africa south of the Sahara.Remember to answer the 5-W questions (Who?What? Where? When? Why?). Your article shouldbe impartial and factual, but be sure to includedetails that will hold your readers’ interest.

Technology ActivityUsing an Electronic Spreadsheet

Using a world almanac, select 10 countries in Africasouth of the Sahara, and find information abouttheir birthrates, death rates, life expectancies, andrates of population change. Create a spreadsheetto compare and contrast these figures. If possible,also create graphs to illustrate your findings. Thenwrite a summary of your analysis and possibleexplanations for your statistical findings.

Choose the best answer for the following multiple-choice question. If you have troubleanswering the question, use the process ofelimination to narrow your choices.

Facts About Tanzania

1. Which of the following statementsregarding Tanzania’s population is NOTimplied by the chart?

A Dar es Salaam’s population increased by about 950,000 people.

B Between 1996 and 2000, many of Tanzania’s residents moved out of cities and into traditional rural settings.

C The percentage of Tanzanians living inurban areas increased from 21 percent to 22 percent.

D Tanzania’s population density was lowerin 1996 than it was in 2000.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

C h a p t e r 2 1 535

Sources: World Almanac, 1997, 2001; 2001 World Population Data Sheet

1996 2001

Population 29,058,470 36,200,000Percent urban 21 22Percent rural 79 78Population density of 80 per sq. mi. 99 per sq. mi.entire country (31 per sq. km) (38 per sq. km)Population of current 1,400,000 2,347,000capital, Dar es Salaam