Homework

• Thematic Essay on Geography due tomorrow.

Aim #2: What is the lasting effect of imperialism on

Africa?

I. Contemporary Problems in Africa A. Tribalism – Most of the current national boundaries

in Africa were established during the colonial period by Europeans. These boundaries placed different ethnic groups in the same nation, many of which hate each other. This has led to violence and genocide: • Rwanda (1994): Country is 85 percent Hutu, 14 percent

Tutsi. In 1994, Hutu extremists launched a genocide against the Tutsis. 500,000 were killed in just a few months, while the U.N. and the United States did nothing to help. Eventually, a Tutsi-led rebel army seized control of the government and stopped the genocide.

• Darfur in Western Sudan (2003-Present): The government of Sudan unleashed Arabic militias on the villagers in Darfur because the villagers had been demanding more rights and better living conditions. 200,000 villagers have been killed, and 2 million more have become refugees.

II. Contemporary Problems in AfricaB. Other problems:

– Harsh dictators in many African countries.

– Overpopulation = poverty and famine in many places.

– Cash crop economies: Countries like Nigeria focus on producing profitable cash-crops (like oil) for the world instead of food for their own people. Can lead to famine and also economic collapse if prices for the cash-crop go down (this happened to Nigeria when oil prices went down in the 1980s).

– Many African nations have borrowed money from Europe and

the U.S. to achieve industrial growth. This has led to massive debt!

– AIDS has spread rapidly through African nations since the 1980s.

Concluding Question

• Is European imperialism the primary cause of the problems that Africa faces today? Why or why not?