1. Africa: An Introduction Overview & Objectives
KNOW:
5 major regions of Africa
Natural resources of Africa
Distinctive characteristics of African culture
Main ethno-linguistic groups in Africa
Main language groups in Africa
Comprehend :
How Islam, Christianity, and indigenous religions influence Africa
Impact of European Colonialism
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

2. 5 Major Regions of Africa
North Africa
World largest hot desert
Sahara
Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara
2. West Africa
Mostly Equatorial Jungle
Benin (Bya neen), Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire (coot de vwah), the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cape Verde

3. 5 Major Regions of Africa
3. Central Africa
Congo River (map)
Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome (sow toe MAY, Principe

4. 5 Major Regions of Africa
4. Eastern Africa
Highlands, Large lakes, Mt Kilimanjaro
World’s longest River
Nile
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius (moe heet zus), Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, the Comoros (com oh rose), & Seychelles (say shell)

5. 5 Major Regions of Africa
5. Southern Africa
Savanna, sub-tropical
Botswana, Lesotho (les sow toe), Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland

6. Natural Resources Mineral Resources Diamonds! Gold Other minerals:
De Beers (video)
Gold
Other minerals:
Chromite, Cobalt,
Manganese, & Uranium
Nigeria, Angola, Sudan - significant oil resources

7. Natural Resources, cont.
Agricultural Resources
“Agriculture will provide the engine for growth in Africa”
Most African farmers are subsistence farmers
Melanie Stetson Freeman / © 2008 The Christian Science Monitor
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

8. Conflicts Over Resources
Controversy rages over who “owns” natural resources
In civil war, factions get illegal control over a resource
Use money earned to supply troops so it can keep fighting
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

9. African Culture Distinctive Characteristics
Strong system of extended families is an essential part of traditional African cultures
Polygamy’s Impact
Widespread, controversial
Significance of Oral Tradition “Griot”
Storytellers - much language spoken, rather
than written

10. African Ethno-Linguistic Groups
Definition:
Group of people who share common language & culture
Majority:
Black Africans - original inhabitants of sub-Saharan Africa
North Africa?
Arabs & Berbers - predominantly Muslim

11. African Ethno-Linguistic Groups, Cont.
Afrikaners & Other Europeans
17th / 18th centuries:
Dutch, German, French Protestant farmers settled in what is now South Africa
Melanie Stetson Freeman / © 2002 The Christian Science Monitor
People of Mixed Race and Asians
South Africa, “coloured” is proper term for people of mixed race
In Africa, Asians refers to people from India subcontinent

12. Main Language Groups in Africa
Africa has more languages spoken than any other continent—about 2,000!
Most have very small numbers of speakers
Classified into 4 major families:
Niger-Congo
Afro-Asiatic
Nilo-Saharan
Khoisan (koi sahn) – Click Language Video (FF to 00:54)
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

13. Roles of European & Asian Languages
Many Africans speak more than one language
In countries with many different indigenous languages, no one tongue is dominant
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

14. How Islam, Christianity, & Indigenous Religions Influence Africa
Africa - a lively spiritual marketplace
Despite rise of Christianity & Islam, traditional religions are still important
Unfortunately, large numbers of Christians & Muslims living near each other sometimes leads to….
CONFLICT!
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
Mary Knox Merrill / © 2009 The Christian Science Monitor

15. Colonial Period of African History
Transatlantic slave trade began w/ Portuguese in late 15th century
Leading colonizers of Africa
British
Dominant slaving power in 18th century
French Colonies:
French West Africa
French Equatorial Africa
Colonies in Arab north

16. History & Impacts of African Independence
Nationalists criticized Europeans for failing to appreciate richness of indigenous cultures
After WWII, British saw need to give up their empire
Transitions were generally relatively peaceful
Exceptions were in places w/ many European settlers
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

17. History & Impacts of African Independence
Many countries, such as Nigeria, were artificial entities created by European rulers
Didn’t follow natural borders
Or respect traditional homelands of different ethnic groups
Chapter 3, Lesson 2
Melanie Stetson Freeman / © 2002 The Christian Science Monitor

18. History & Impacts of African Independence
South Africa - special case
Apartheid
System of legal racial segregation enforced by Afrikaner white-minority govt
Made country an outcast

19. History & Impacts of African Independence
Nelson Mandela
Anti-apartheid activist
Released from 27 yrs in prison
Led multiracial democracy in 1994
Became South Africa’s first non-racial democratically elected president
Won Nobel Peace Prize