AFRICA

GEOGRAPHY
CLIMATE AND VEGETATION ZONES
• Africa has three main climate/
vegetation zones:
• Desert
• Tropical Savannah
• Tropical Rainforest
 THE LAND
• Over half of Africa is desert.
• The Sahara desert is the largest desert in the
world. It spreads 800-1200 miles north/south
and 3000 miles east to west. It is about the
size of the United States
• Most of Africa south of the Sahara is a
plateau.
 WHAT IS DESERTIFICATION?

• Desertification is the process in

which once fertile lands become
deserts. This can be caused from
over-grazing and erosion.
THE AFRICAN SAVANNAH
13 MILLION SQ. MI.
AFRICAN RAIN FOREST

• Annual rainfall of up to 17 ft.

• Covers 37 countries.
• 15% of the land surface of Africa.
THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY
• The Great Rift Valley is a 6000 mile crack in the earth’s
crust that stretches from Lebanon to Mozambique.
• The Rift Valley was formed from the separating of the
tectonic plates. It is also comprised of around 30
active and semi-active volcanoes.
 MOUNTAINS IN AFRICA
• Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest
mountain in Africa and is located
in northeastern Tanzania (on the
Equator). It also has the cones of
3 extinct volcanoes.
Δ Mt. Kenya

Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro
 MAJOR RIVERS
• There are 4 major
rivers in Africa:
• The Nile River
• The Niger River
• The Congo River
• The Zambezi River
THE NILE RIVER
• The Nile River is the longest
river in the world, 4132
miles!
• The Nile allowed ancient
civilizations to grow and
prosper. Even today it serves
as a means of irrigation,
transportation, and
recreation.
 THE CONGO RIVER
• The Congo River is the 5th largest river in the world and second in Africa. (2,720
miles long)
• The river basin covers 12% of the continent.
• Extends over 9 countries.
• It is the biggest transportation source in Central Africa. It has a number of
cataracts throughout its course and is home to some scary-looking species of
animals.
 THE ZAMBEZI RIVER
• The Zambezi River is the 4th largest river in Africa.
• One of the outstanding aspects of the Zambezi River is
the Victoria Falls. It is twice as big as the Niagara Falls.
 THE NIGER RIVER
• The Niger River is unique in that it is a boomerang
shaped flowing river.
• Covers 7.5% of the continent.
• Extends over 10 countries.
• 2,600 miles long.
 AFRICA’S LARGEST LAKE
• Lake Victoria is the largest freshwater
lake in Africa and only second in the
world to Lake Superior in North
America.
• It covers parts of Tanzania, Uganda,
and a bit of Kenya. It is 210 miles long
and 150 miles wide. It reaches a depth
of 270 feet.
• Lake Victoria is home to much
wildlife and has an abundance of
fish that helps the economy of this
area. It also has many archipelagos.
RESOURCES IN AFRICA
 WEST
AFRICAN
KINGDOMS
 EMPIRE OF GHANA
• Ghana Controls
Trade: Why would
controlling trade
routes make Ghana
powerful?
GHANA’S BEGINNINGS

• The earliest people in Ghana were farmers,

who banned together for protection.
• Ghana had an advantage over neighboring
groups because of their ability to take
advantage of iron resources (weapons and
tools).
 TRADE IN VALUABLE GOODS
• Located between Sahara Desert and vast forests…why
would this be an advantage for Ghana?
• Two Resources Traded in Ghana:
• Gold (from the south near Gulf of Guinea and along the
Niger River) was valuable because of its beauty and
status
• Salt (from the Sahara) was valuable because people
need salt In their diet to survive and it could be used to
preserve food.
• Silent bartering: people exchange goods without
contacting each other directly. Why do you think this was
the preferring method?
 EMPIRE OF GHANA
• Growth of Trade: in addition to salt and gold, Ghana also traded wheat, cattle,
honey, leather, cloth, tassels
• Taxes and Gold:
• Ghana raised money by requiring all traders to pay a special tax on the goods
he carried. They also forced neighboring villages that they conquered to pay
tributes.
• The money was used to
support Ghana’s army.
• Why would the king have such
tight control over the gold
markets?
• This is an example of a
COMMAND ECONOMY!
 EXPANSION OF THE EMPIRE
• Ghana was able to expand due to a
powerful army. They conquered other
centers to trade which expanded
Ghana’s wealth.
• In order to control their large territory,
Ghana’s kings allowed conquered kings
to stay on as governors for their region
that answered to the king.
DECLINE OF GHANA

• Causes for Decline:

• Invasion – the Almoravids from north
Africa
• Overgrazing – due to Almoravid
invasion; they brought herds of animals
with them
• Internal Rebellion – rebels overthrew
government, but couldn’t keep order and
the empire weakened as a result.
MALI AND SONGHAI

Chapter 13, Section 2

 MALI
• The kingdom of Mali is found along
the upper Niger River.
• Mali’s location provided fertile soil for
growing food and its location on the
river allowed its people to control
trade.This made the empire grow rich
and powerful.
 SUNDIATA
• Mali’s rise to power began under the ruler
Sundiata. After winning back his country’s
independence, he then conquered Mali.
• He took over the Ghana and gold and salt trades.
He worked to improve agriculture clearing land
for beans, onions, rice and a new crop – cotton.
• Sundiata took away power from local leaders
called mansas.The leaders had religious and
political authority. Sundiata took their title away
from them and by doing so took on the religious
authority that these leaders held.
 MANSA MUSA
• Mali’s most famous ruler was a Muslim named Mansa Musa.
Because of his influence Islam spread though a large part of West
Africa.
• Mansa Musa ruled Mali from 1312
to 1337. He added many
important trade cities including
Timbuktu.
• Mansa Musa supported education
and set up schools in Mali, so that
Muslims in his empire could read
Arabic.
CLOSE-UP:
TIMBUKTU
Textbook Page 336
 THE FALL OF MALI
• When Mansa Musa died his son Maghan
took the throne, he was a weak ruler.
• Raiders from the south east came into Mali
and set fire to schools and mosques. Mali
never fully recovered and the empire
continued to weaken and decline.
• In 1431 the Tuareg nomads seized
Timbuktu. By 1500 the lands that the Mali
empire had once covered had been
reduced to a small area.
SONGHAI
• In the 1300s Mansa Musa conquered the Songhai,
adding their lands to his empire. As the Mali
empire weakened in the 1400s the people of
Songhai rebelled and regained their freedom.
• Because the Songhai leaders were Muslim, the
North African Berbers were willing to trade with
Songhai.
• Songhai gained wealth and expanded their
territory. This expansion was led by Sunni Ali
who became the ruler in 1464.
• Sunni Ali worked to unify, strengthen, and enlarge
his empire by taking over land that once belonged
to Mali.
 ASKIA THE GREAT
• Sunni Ali died in 1492. His son Sunni Baru was not Muslim. The
Songhai people feared that if he did not support Islam that Songhai
would lose their trade with Muslim land, therefore they rebelled.
• The leader of the rebellion was General Muhammad Ture. He took the
title of Askia eventually
becoming known as Askia
the Great.
• Askia supported education
and learning and Timbuktu
flourished. The city became
known for the University of
Sankore.
 SONGHAI FALLS TO MOROCCO
• A northern rival of Songhai, Morocco wanted control of Songhai’s salt mines.
• The Moroccan Army had very advanced weapons and were able to overpower the
Songhai, and destroy the cities of Timbuktu and Gao in 1591.
• Changes in trade patterns completed
the fall of the Songhai empire.
Overland trade declined and cities on
the Atlantic coast became more
important.
• Slowly the West African empires came
to an end.
 EUROPEANS IN AFRICA

Part 1 –
The Slave Trade
 RELATIONS WITH EUROPE
• The first Europeans to arrive in
The Netherlands Africa were Portuguese explorers.
Britain
They were soon followed by the
Dutch, French, and British.
France
• At first, the Europeans and
Portugal Africans traded as equals
• Traded with people in North Africa for
salt
• Traded with Ghana and Mali for gold
 SLAVERY IN AFRICA
• Slavery existed in Africa during the Mali and Songhai empires - each
had thousands of slaves that worked as servants, farmers workers,
and soldiers
• In the 15th century, Africa’s relations
with Europe changed and the
Europeans introduced a form of
slavery that devastated African
society
THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE
• It is estimated that from 1520 – 1860, 10 to 12
million Africans were sold into slavery and sent to
Europeans colonies in North and South America.
• Many more were captured, but died of disease or
starvation before arriving at their destination
 THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE
• Who became slaves?
• European traders raided towns to capture
unwilling Africans.
• Some were captured in wars and sold to the
Europeans by other Africans
• About 2/3 of those taken were men ages 18-30
THE SLAVE TRADE WAS PART OF THE
TRIANGULAR TRADE ROUTE SYSTEM.
IMPACT ON AFRICA

• Traders chose young, strong,

healthy people, leaving few
behind to lead families and
villages
• African cities and towns didn’t
have enough workers
• Family structures were
destroyed
Part 2 – Colonization
 EUROPEAN COLONIZATION
• When the slave trade ended in the mid-1800s, Europeans did not
lose interest in Africa.
• The Industrial Revolution had changed economies in Europe
• African could supply Europe with both raw materials and new
markets for goods
 EXPLORERS AND MISSIONARIES
• Scientists and explorers were intrigued by
Africa’s interior, its wildlife, and its natural
resources
• Missionaries also traveled to Africa to do
religious and social work. They wanted to
convert the Africans to Christianity. Many also
taught European ways of thinking, which often
conflicted with and destroyed African
traditions
COMPETITION FOR AFRICA
• In the 19th century, European nations
began to compete for control of
Africa – wanted the biggest and
richest colonies and to control trade
• To avoid wars over Africa, leaders of
several European countries met in
Berlin in 1884 to discuss rules of how
European countries could claim
African land (no Africans were invited)
COMPETITION FOR AFRICA
• Over the next 20 years, Belgium,
France, Britain, Germany, Italy,
Spain, Portugal, and the
Ottoman Empire established
colonies in Africa. By 1912, only
Ethiopia and Liberia remained
independent.
ANALYZE
THE
CARTOON
IMPACT OF COLONIZATION ON AFRICA
• Most Europeans cared only about
gold, diamonds, and other
resources in Africa.
• Europeans disrupted social
systems and governments and
robbed Africa of its resources.
• Many Europeans looked down on
African cultures and tried to make
them more like Europeans.
• In some cases, Europeans created
conflicts among ethnic groups that
had not existed before.
 MOVING TOWARD
INDEPENDENCE
• Many Africans rejected European rule, but
had little power to act.
• Colonial leaders allowed some Africans to
attend universities in Europe and the U.S.
and these students returned to Africa with
dreams of independence and nationalism
grew strong in many parts of Africa
• Nationalism: loyalty and devotion to a
nation
 PAN-AFRICANISM
• In the 1920s, Africans formed a movement
called Pan-Africanism, which stressed unity
and cooperation among all Africans from
around the world.
• The 1st Pan-African Congress was organized
in 1919; The 5th Pan-African Congress met
in 1945.
• “…We are determined to be free. We want education. We want the right to
earn a decent living; the right to express our thoughts and emotions, to
adopt and create forms of beauty. We demand for Black Africa autonomy
and independence…”
- from the 5th Pan-African Congress
GAINING INDEPENDENCE
• From 1951-1980, most of the
colonies south of the Sahara
gained independence. For some
the path to nationhood was
smooth, but for others it was not.
Complete the African Colonization map
you have been given by coloring each
country based upon who colonized it