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Africa

Africa. Diverse Societies. A Land of Geographical Contrasts. Second largest continent in the World Deserts uninhabitable North: Sahara South: Kalahari Prevents movement of people to more welcoming lands Rain forest (Natures Greenhouse) uninhabitable

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Africa

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  1. Africa Diverse Societies

  2. A Land of Geographical Contrasts • Second largest continent in the World • Deserts • uninhabitable • North: Sahara • South: Kalahari • Prevents movement of people to more welcoming lands • Rain forest (Natures Greenhouse) • uninhabitable • Very little sunlight due to dense canopy of tree branches • Tsetse fly- very dangerous for African animals and Europeans • Prevented colonization and farming

  3. A Land of Geographical Contrasts • Coast lines: North Med./Southern tip • Very welcoming to farmers and herders • Fertile soil • Mediterranean type climates • Savannas: Grassy Plains • Most people live here • Covers 40% of Africa • Dry seasons alternate with wet seasons • Soil is very thin and is easily striped away, but in most years the savanna produces abundant agriculture.

  4. Early Humans and Their Environment • Nomadic lifestyle • Transition to a settled lifestyle • With our already known knowledge of the above material, what do you think allowed this transition to occur?

  5. Early Societies in Africa: South of the Sahara • Basic Social Units • Family: parents and children • Also began to include grandparents, Aunts/Uncles and cousins • Combination of all of the above was known as a: Clan • Religions • Animism- a religion in which spirits play an important role in daily life. • Spirits are present in animals, plants, ect., they take on the form of the souls of their ancestors.

  6. Early Societies in Africa:West • History • Few societies had written language • Griots- storytellers kept history alive by passing it from parent to child. • Archeologists were able to find proof of Western Griots stories of advance civilizations in modern Mail and Nigeria.

  7. Early Societies in Africa:Iron Age • Moved past the Copper and Bronze Age and right to the Iron Age • Nok Culture: • Earliest known culture • Lived in what is now Nigeria • Smelted iron into farm and hunting tools • Made their way into the far trade routes

  8. Development of Cities • Djenne-Djeno • Located on a tributary of the Niger River • Huge trade town • Water routes • Camel routes • At it height 50,000 people claimed it as their home • Round reed homes transferred to mud brick homes • Economically: traders and artisans

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