AMSCO Unit 6.4 Vocabulary

Substinence Farming

A form of farming in which nearly all of the crops or livestock raised are used to maintain the farmer and the farmer's family, leaving little to no surplus.

Cash Crops

Crops such as tea, cotton, sugar, oil palms, rubber, and coffee that were grown for the sole purpose of selling and making a profit. Demand for these had negative effects on the areas growing them because they replaced food crops, and prices rose.

Export Economies

The demand for raw materials that could be processed into manufactured goods and shipped away turned the focus of colonies into exports.

De Beers Mining Companies

In 1871, Cecil Rhodes and his brother joined the diamond rush and went to Kimberley, the center of mining activity. Rhodes acquired some of the De Beers mining claims and formed the De Beers Mining Company in 1880. By 1891, De Beers accounted for 90 percent of the world's diamond production.

Apartheid

Racial segregation that was common in Africa during the 20th century. Cecil Rhodes’ racist policies paved the way for this.

Monocultures

A lack of agricultural diversity, particularly in developing nations. Large areas were often cleared of forests to make room for farming, which took its toll on biodiversity and the climate. Cash crops such as cotton rapidly depleted the soul's natural fertility and crop diseases/pests spread more easily.