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.

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. Diseases (Malaria and AIDS/HIV)

2. Famine and starvation

3. Effects of colonialism and slavery

4. Warfare and Terrorism

5. Unstable and corrupt governments

6. Difficulty of climate and terrain

7. Poor infrastructure

Regions and Issues of Africa

North Africa

East Africa

West Africa

CentralAfrica

South Africa

NORTH AFRICA

WEST AFRICA EASTAFRICA

CENTRALAFRICA

SOUTH 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/book-

discussion-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.