Cultural Landscape

Africa is made up of over fifty nations with an estimated one thousand different
languages spoken and as many distinct ethnic group. Africa is perhaps the most
linguistically and ethnically diverse of the entire worlds continent. Africa is
divided into a large number of ethnic cultures.
1. Folklore and Religion
Culture and religion are closely related and play vital roles in Africa.
the continent's various populations and individuals are mostly
adherents of Christianity, Islam, and to a lesser extent Traditional
African religion.
Although religious customs are sometimes shared by many local
societies, they are usually unique to specific populations or
geographic region.
Folktales also play an important role in many African cultures.
Stories reflect a group cultural identity.
Different ethnic groups in Africa have different rituals or ceremonies
for storytelling, which creates a sense of belonging to a cultural
group.
2. Arts and crafts
Africa has a rich tradition of arts and crafts.
African arts and crafts find expression in a variety of woodcarvings,
brass and leather works, sculptures, painting, pottery and clothes.
African art, the object was not as important as the soul force behind
the creation of the object.
Certain African cultures has always placed emphasis on personal
appearance
and jewellery has
remained
an
important
personal accessory
Many pieces of such jewellery are made of cowry shells and similar
materials
Similarly, masks are made with elaborate designs and are an
important part of some cultures in Africa.
3. Clothing
Women's
traditional
clothes
in Ethiopia are
made
from cloth called shemma and are used to make habesha kemis
Men wear pants and a knee-length shirt with a white collar, and
perhaps a sweater
Men often wear knee-high socks, while women might not wear
socks at all.
Men as well as women wear shawls, the netela.
4. Cuisine
The various cuisines of Africa use a combination of locally
available fruits, cereal grains and vegetables, as well as milk
and meat products.
In Central Africa, the basic ingredients are plantains and cassava.
A variety of local ingredients are used while preparing other dishes
like spinach stew, cooked with tomato, peppers, chillis, onions, and
peanut butter.
In the inland savannah, the traditional cuisine of cattle-keeping
peoples is distinctive in that meat products are generally absent.

Cattle, sheep and goats were regarded as a form of currency and a

store of wealth, and are not generally consumed as food

5. Music
a large part of Sub-Saharan music is rhythmic and centered on the
drum.
Sub-Saharan music is polyrhythmic, usually consisting of multiple
rhythms in one composition.
Other African musical traditions also involve strings, horns, and very
little poly-rhythms. Music from the eastern Sahel and along the Nile,
among the Nilo-Saharan, made extensive use of strings and horns in
ancient times.
Other African musical traditions also involve strings, horns, and very
little poly-rhythms. Music from the eastern Sahel and along the Nile,
among the Nilo-Saharan, made extensive use of strings and horns in
ancient times.
6. Language
The main ethno-linguistic divisions in Africa are Afro-Asiatic (North
Africa, Horn of Africa), NigerCongo (including speakers from
the Bantu branch) in most of Sub-Saharan Africa, Nilo-Saharan in
parts of the Sahara and the Sahel and parts of Eastern Africa,
and Khoisan (indigenous minorities of Southern Africa).
The continent of Africa speaks hundreds of languages, and if
dialects spoken by various ethnic groups are also included, the
number is much higher.