Africa

GeographicallyMajor Rivers

NileNigerZambezi

MountainsDrakensberg

MountainsRainforest

Sierra LeoneGabon

GrasslandsZambia

DesertSahara

Rift ValleyMozambique

HistoryFirst human traces

10,000 years agoClimate change

Ice AgeWetter climate

Most conducive to farming

Ancient CivilizationsEgypt 5,000 years agoKush/Aksum (Ethiopia)Bantu (Cameroon)Ghana/Mali (Sahel)Great Zimbabwe (S.

Africa)

Trade and Enslavement

1500 C.E.Europeans tradeGold, Ivory, slavesCoastal kingdoms

ravagedColonialism

Mid-1800sEuropeans abolished

slavery, developed industryColonies set up in Africa to

secure raw materials and markets for European goods

Advantages: highways, educational opportunities, medical advances

Disadvantages: political and cultural divisons

Independence and New Challenges

1960sMost African nations

independentProblems

Colonialism left povertyMassive loans= debtEthnic and military turmoilMilitary coups

1990sDemocracy

South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana

TodayFood, Aids, Ethnic

conflict

Social Indicators of Development

MDCs use part of their wealth to provide schools, hospitals, and welfare servicesPeople are better

educated, healthier, and better protected from hardships

Infants more likely to survive, Adults live longer

In turn, well-educated, healthy, and secure population can be more economically productive

Health and Welfare

People are healthier in MDCs

Health influenced by dietMDCs: eat more calories

and proteinLDCs: receive less than

the daily minimum allowance of calories and proteins

MDCs health care is a public serviceIn LDCs individuals pay

more than 50% of costs

Aids in Africa

Demographic Indicators of Development

Life expectancyLive into 60s in LDCsLive into 70s in MDCsGap between males and

females greatNumber of young people

6X the number of older people in LDCs

Infant Mortality RateBetter health allows

more infants to survive6% die in LDCs, less than

1% in MDCsGreater in LDCs because:

Babies die from malnutrition, lack of medical attention, dehydration, poor medical practices

Higher the level of development = greater quantity and quality of a country’s education

Measure quantity of education is the average number of school years attended

Quality of education is measured in two ways:Student/teacher ratioLiteracy rate

Percentage of a country’s people who can read and write

Ethnic Competition

Countries:Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia

Sudan

Ethiopia and Eritrea

EritreaLocated along Red SeaItalian colony in 1890Was independent for

2000 years prior to 1890

Independent after WWIIUnited Nations “gave”

Eritrea to EthiopiaEthiopia banned Eritrea

language and dissolved government

Eritreans rebelled

Ethiopia and Eritrea

30 year war for independence (1961-1991)

665,000 Eritrean refugees fled to Sudan

Eritreans defeated Ethiopian army in 1991

Became independent state

Dispute over border in 1998 led to more conflict

Ethiopia defeated Eritrea in 2000 and took disputed land

EritreaPopulation of 5

millionSplit between

Christian and MuslimNine major ethnic

groupsComplex multi-ethnic

stateGroups:

Amharas- ChristianOromo- Muslim

fundamentalists, largest ethnicity

Tigres- Orthodox Christian

SudanPopulation of 40 millionCivil war since 1980’s2 million, 5% of population

died from civil war1 million migrated to

EthiopiaWar “winding” down in

2005, sharing of government

Wanted full independence from Sudan

Arab-Muslim government vs black Christians and Animists

Resisting government attempt to convert country to Islamic state

Adopted laws to segregate sexes in public

Single-sex schools

DarfurEthnic war in western

SudanResented

discrimination and neglect of government

Black Africans launched rebellion in 2005

Janjaweed crushed farmers

450,000 have been killed

2.5 million living in refugee camps in harsh desert environment

SomaliaOverwhelmingly

Sunni Muslim and speak Somali

Share sense of nation, national history, and culture

Population of 9 million6 ethnic groups,

clans:Isakk, Darod, Dir,

Digil, Hawiye, Rahanwayn

SomaliaDarod clan ruled Somalia

until 1991RebellionsNational government

collapsedClans and sub-clans

claimed control over the government

Seized food, goods, weapons and forced less powerful clans to flee

US sent troops in 1992 after 300,000 mainly women and children died

Islamic militias took control in 2006 and overthrew the warlords

Somali Pirates

Ethnic CleansingDefinition: process in

which a more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful one in order to create an ethnically homogeneous region.

Point is not to simply to defeat but completely exterminate

Involves removal of males, females, and children

Central AfricaRwanda

Hutus: farmersTutsis: cattle-herders,

took control of region around 400 years ago and turned Hutus into their serfs

Became a colony of Belgium

Right before Rwanda gained its independence in 1962 led to ethnic cleansing of Tutsis out of fear that they would control government

1994Hutu president shot downTutsis and Hutus battled

over a million killedSpilled into neighboring

countries such as: Democratic Republic of

the Congo

CongoThought the have the world’s

deadliest war since 1945Tutsis overthrew Congo

president Joseph Mobutu in 1997During his rule he limited

European influence and changed name to Zaire

Changed city names to “African name”

Amassed a personal fortune while impoverishing the rest of the country

Tutsis led a rebellion, replaced him with Joseph Kabila

Kabila split with Tutsis, Kabila sided with Hutus

Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe came to help Kabila

Was assassinated in 2001Son negotiated accord with

rebels in 2002

Africa’s Food Supply Crisis

Sub-Saharan Africa cannot keep food production ahead of population growth

40 million Africans face famine

1/3 of Africans are estimated to be malnourished

Africa’s ClimateMost severely affected

region:Horn of Africa

Somalia, Ethiopia, SudanSahel

Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad

Why? Limited agricultureProblem: population

growthOverproduction, soil

erosion, overgrazingResulted in declining

production

Genetically Modified FoodWhat is it?

Crops and livestock that has been genetically modified

Involves mixing genetic material among two or more species that would not otherwise mix in nature

HistoryFarmers have been

manipulating crops for thousands of years

Selective reproductionScience of genetics

expanded during 19th century

In the U.S.Widespread in

processed foods63% of worlds GM

crops grown Positives

Higher yieldsIncreased nutritionResistance to pestsBetter tasting?

Dilemma for Africa

NegativesSafety problems

Lowered resistance to antibiotics

Destroy long-standing ecological balances in local agriculture

European dilemmaEurope opposes GM foodIf Africa grows GM crops,

can’t sell to EuropeIncreased dependence

Need GM seeds from U.S. corporations

“Terminator” geneDependence on new

seeds every year