Africia

Berlin Conference

Meeting at which Europeans agreed on what parts of Africa they would take.

1960

African countries became independent.

Hump of Africia

West

Horn of Africa

East

African Deserts

Sahara, Kalahari, Namib

What percentage of Africa is desert

40%

Desertification

the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

Sahel

Coastline

What percentage of Africa is tropical rain forest.

10%

Leeching

The process of the soil losing its nutrients due to excess rain

Tsetse fly

African fly carrying a human disease called sleeping sickness

What percentage of Africa is savanna.

40%

What is the lifestyle of the Efe?

Semi Nomadic

In which country do the Efe primarily reside?

Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.)

What is the typical group size of the Efe?

Groups of 10 to 100 related members

What type of shelters do the Efe use?

Grass and bush shelters

What prompts the Efe to move to a new location?

Using up resources

What type of society do the Efe belong to?

Hunter and Gatherer society

Who settles disputes among the Efe?

The leader

What products do the Efe trade?

Honey, wild game, and other products

Pastoral Societies

societies based around the domestication of animals

Where do the Masai primarily live?

Tanzania and South Kenya

What is a measure of wealth for the Masai?

Size of herd

What is the primary diet of the Masai?

Meat, blood, and milk

How do the Masai typically organize their living arrangements?

In small bands of 12 houses

Slash and Burn agriculture

a farming technique in which trees are cut down and burned to clear and fertilize the land

Stateless Societies

cultural groups in which authority is shared by lineages of equal power instead of being exercised by a central government

How are disputes settled in Igbo culture?

Respected elders from different lineages settled the problem.

What type of governance did European colonizers expect in Igbo society?

King and queen rule.

Patrilineal society

Determines kinship, names, property, and titles through the male line.

Matrilineal society

a society in which descent & inheritance come through the mother's kinship line

Animism

the attribution of a soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena.

Yoruba

Chief God Oduduwa sent his son Okanbi down from heaven in a canoe to create the first humans.

The Ashanti

Nayme joined by his sons or lesser gods who could not be trusted

Humans have a spark of fire and must do rituals.

Griots

Professional oral historians who served as keepers of traditions and advisors to kings within the Mali Empire

500 B.C.

West African Iron Age

What time period does the Nok Culture date back to?

-500 BC to 200 AD

Where is the Nok Culture located?

West Africa

What is significant about the Nok Culture in relation to iron?

First to smelt iron in West Africa

What modern village is the Nok Culture named after?

Nok

How far along the Niger and Benue Rivers have artifacts from the Nok Culture been found?

300 miles

What type of sculptures are associated with the Nok Culture?

Terracotta Sculptures in an elongated style

What is the time period during which Djenne Djeno was inhabited?

-600 BC to 200 BC

What is the significance of Djenne Djeno in terms of urban development?

Oldest Walled city

What was the approximate population of Djenne Djeno?

50k residents

What type of housing was commonly found in Djenne Djeno?

Round mud huts with grass roofs

What metalworking skill did the inhabitants of Djenne Djeno acquire?

Learned how to smelt iron

What natural resource did the people of Djenne Djeno utilize for fishing?

Niger River

What was Djenne Djeno known for in terms of commerce?

Major trade center

Around what year was Djenne Djeno abandoned?

Around 1400

In what year was Djenne Djeno discovered?

1977

Push-Pull Factors

Conditions that draw people to another location (pull factors) or cause people to leave their homelands and migrate to another region (push factors)

Where is the Kuba located?

Democratic Republic of the Congo

What language do the Kuba people speak?

Bushong

What are the Kuba known for?

Masks that represent spirits or ancestors

What type of conflicts did the Bantu have with South Africa?

Bantu conflicts

What type of weapons did the Bantu use?

Iron tipped spears

What type of weapons did the Mbuti and San use?

Stone tipped spears

Where are the Mbuti located?

In the Congo

Where do the San people live?

Around the Kalahari Desert

What territorial wars exist between the Mbuti and San?

Territorial wars due to language differences with Bantu

Swahili

Mix of Bantu, Arabic, Persian, German, English, and French

240 million

Bantu as first language

50 million

Speak swahili

Swahili Means the Coast

Swahili

Hakuna Matata = No worries

Simba = Lion

Mufasa= King

What is the primary religion of the Kingdom of Aksum?

Eastern Orthodox Christian

What is the name of the port city associated with the Kingdom of Aksum?

Adulis

When did Arab people first come to Africa?

As early as 1000 BC

What significant event occurred in 715 BC regarding Kush?

Kush conquered Egypt

What significant event occurred in 350 BC regarding Aksum?

Aksum conquered Kush

Who founded the Kingdom of Aksum and when?

Menelik I and the Queen of Sheba in 400 BC

What year did the last ruler of Aksum, Haile Selassie, die?

1975

Who was noted as the first king of Aksum by the Greeks and when?

Zoskales in AD 100

King Ezana

reached Aksum's height between AD 325 and 360

Converted to Christianity b/c a Syrian Slave informed him of Eastern Orthodox Christianity

Church of St.George

Built out of solid stone

Pillars of Aksum

The Aksumites developed a unique stele architecture that used no mortar on the stones used to construct vast palaces and public buildings. They carved the stones to fit together tightly

Terracotta farming

Dams and advanced in farming

632

Islam took over b/c of Muhammad's death

710

Muslims destroyed Adulis

100 B.C.

Aksum made it's first alphabet and calendar.