1. West Africa

2. Class Objective
Students will investigate the history, religion, ethnicity, customs, language, and government of West Africa.

3. West Africa
The original interest for the conquering of West Africa was to capture people for the slave trade.
Most European Nations participated in the slave trade.
In the early 1800s most nations had abolished the slave trade.

6. After Slavery
When the European people stopped the slave trade they did not just leave Africa. They found new things to trade such as: palm oil, feathers, ivory, rubber, and other products from the interior.
Eventually the Europeans wanted to gain complete control of the products they traded.

7. The African people were not willing to give up their land easily
The African people were not willing to give up their land easily. Often they met fierce resistance.
For example, the French fought for control of Senegal for several years. Samory Toure led a revolt against the French in Senegal. He continued fighting off and on from 1883 until 1898 when he was finally captured.

9. By the early 1900s, France, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, and Portugal had claimed almost all of West Africa.
Liberia, which had become a republic in 1847, was the only independent state in that area. Because former slaves from the United States had settled Liberia, the United States helped keep the country from becoming a European colony.

11. Religion Like North Africa, West Africa is mostly Islamic.
Countries farther to the south practice Christian religions and native religions.
Native religions believe that spirits of their ancestors play an important part in their lives. People seek advice and help from spirits in times of trouble or sickness.
Many also believed in animism. This is the belief that animals, trees and such have spirits.

13. Mosque

14. Ethnicity
West Africa is very ethnically diverse. To the north they share more commonalities with peoples of North Africa, Arab and Berber.
Farther to the south the ethnicity changes to a forest people of the area near the Congo.

16. Customs
With all of the different ethnic groups in the region customs have changed.
In the north the lifestyles are influenced by the Islamic religion.
Families are based around several households. Members work together to support the household and take care of older people and young children.

17. Language
Most of the West African countries speak a language based around the Niger-Congo language family.
Arabic is also spoken in northern areas.
During the colonial era, English and French became second languages in much of Africa.

18. Economy
One of the largest issues facing West Africa is a rapidly growing population.
Agricultural production has not kept pace with the population growth.
Food shortages and malnutrition have become more common.

19. Government
In the past 10 years, civil wars have been fought in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Thousands of people have been killed in these civil wars.

20. Liberia Civil War (8 Years)

21. Civil War in Sierra Leone

22. Diamond Mining

24. Environment
West Africa’s natural environment is being destroyed very rapidly.
Lumber companies harvest tropical rain forests for timber.
Areas are cleared for farming causing the extinction of some plants and animals.

26. Agricultural production has also contributed to the desertification of many areas. Desertification is where the environment is turning into a desert due to drought and population factors.
This has forced farmers to reduce the size of their livestock herds or relocate to new areas.

27. Disease
Malaria has long been a problem. Malaria is caused by exposure to mosquitoes carrying the virus.
The most deadly of all diseases in the area is HIV/ Aids.
There is no cure for the virus and treatments are very expensive.
Poor, malnourished, and poorly educated people are particularly vulnerable to the disease.