AFRICA AND THE BANTUChapter 11, Lesson 1

CLIMATE OF AFRICA

The majority of the continent of Africa lies between 23 ½ ° N, the Tropic of Cancer, and 23 ½ ° S, the Tropic of Capricorn. What does that tell us about the overall climate of Africa?

The climate of Africa is generally temperate or warm. There are no cold or subarctic climates in Africa

Do geography and climates effect the way that people live?

Yes….. Consider activities, agriculture, plants, animals, housing. How?

How would you live differently?

WHAT IS A GEOGRAPHIC BARRIER?

Have physical barriers stopped the migrations of people?

Physical barriers, like lakes, rivers, mountains, deserts, and rainforests, have separated regions. People have overcome physical barriers to migrate to new areas.

THE HISTORY OF AFRICA

Historians know much about North Africa. Why?

Europeans were close to North Africa, just across the Mediterranean Sea. They had traded closely with North Africa.

European and North African Civilizations have been in contact since Ancient times.

HISTORY OF AFRICA

Historians have less knowledge about Africa south of the Sahara desert.

Until recent times, the Sahara Desert cut off sub-Saharan Africa from the rest of the world.

With modern technology, historians are continuing to research the history of this area.

Historians have learned a great deal from the oral histories of traditional African storytellers, called griots.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA

AFRICA MAP ACTIVITY

Sahara Desert

Rainforests

Savannas

Savannas

Deserts

Fertile lands are the northern most and southernmost tips

AFRICA’S PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

The savanna is an area of grasslands with few trees. Many of Africa’s large animals live on the savannas like elephants, lions, zebras, and hippos.

The Sahara Desert stretches across most of North Africa, and is the world’s largest desert.

Hot, dry landscape with sand dunes and rugged terrain.

There are oases throughout the desert, which help travelers navigate and survive.

Why is there little farming in the desert?

Why would cattle be herded on the savanna?

CLOSING QUESTION

What can we conclude about the way Africa’s climate and geography affect people’s lives?

THE BANTU PEOPLE

The physical barriers formed by lakes, forests, mountains and rivers did not stop the movement of people across Africa.

Around 4000 years ago, many families left where they lived in West Africa moved in search of better farmland.

As the Bantu people moved through Africa, they also spread their languages. Today, more than 200 million Africans speak Bantu languages. Many languages spoken in sub-Saharan Africa belong to the Bantu family.

BANTU CULTURE

Other groups of Bantu-speakers migrated south into the dry, grassy, west coast of southern Africa. The land was best suited for raising herds of goats, sheep and cattle.

Bantu speaking people were traditionally fishers, farmers, and herders living in small village clans.

Clans are groups of families related to one ancestor.

BANTU CULTURE

The Bantu are a matriarchal society.

The Bantu clans trace their ancestry through their mothers rather than their fathers.

Property and positions of power are passed through their mother’s side of the family.

Is the United States a matriarchal or patriarchal society?

BANTU CULTURE

Bantu people moved slowly from traditional homelands in search of better farmland and grazing lands.

As the Bantu migrated, they encountered different environments and had to adapt or change the way they lived.

They often had to learn to raise different crops or raise different animals.

THE SPREAD OF BANTU CULTURE

The Bantu often moved into areas where other people lived. When this happened, the Bantu :

Joined the other group, and the two cultures would merge together. The other group would often take on the Bantu culture.

Or, the two groups would go to war and the Bantu would force the people already living there to leave their homes.

SPREAD OF BANTU CULTURE

The Bantu were skilled ironworkers.

Iron tools gave the Bantu more control over their environment.

They created better farming tools and weapons.

The Bantu passed on their knowledge of metal working to other cultures.

SPREAD OF BANTU CULTURE