AFRICAN CIVILIZATIONS GEOGRAPHY Its huge! 1/5 of Earths land surface Narrow coastlines on either side of central plateau Waterfalls and rapids make navigation impossible to or from the coast CHALLENGES Deserts unsuitable for life Sahara & Kalahari Rainforests partly uninhabitable Dense canopy & deadly insects, prevented livestock use WHERE DO THEY LIVE? Northern coast and southern tip have Mediterranean- type climates & fertile soil Savannas, or grassy plains, cover 40% of continent Dry seasons and rainy seasons Mountains and swamps Most people live here ADAPTING TO THE ENVIRONMENT Earliest people were nomadic hunter-gatherers Learned to domesticate & became pastoralists Agriculture began by 6000 BC and allowed for settlements to develop EARLY SOCIETIES Organized themselves into family groups or clans Developed religions to help them understand the world Elements of animism, where spirits play an important role in regulating daily life HISTORY Few African societies had written languages. Griots, or storytellers, kept the history by sharing stories orally from one generation to the next Discoveries show West Africans developed advanced societies before outsiders came to the continent. NOK CULTURE (500 BC AD 200) Skipped copper and bronze age and moved directly to Iron Age Iron fashioned into tools for farming and weapons for hunting DJENNE-DJENO (600 BC-AD 1400) Located on a tributary of the Niger River Found tons of artifacts 50,000 residents living in reed huts and later houses of bricks Became a trading center Developed cities, culture, and technology MIGRATION A permanent move from one country or region to another Causes of Migration Environmental Economic Political MIGRATION Push-Pull Factors Factors that either push people out of an area or pull them into an area Examples? BANTU-SPEAKING PEOPLES Originally lived in Savannas south of Sahara Farmers and nomadic herders who developed iron working 2,000 years ago, small groups began moving south and east Slash and Burn farming BANTU-SPEAKING PEOPLES Shared skills with people they met Adapted methods to suit environments Followed Congo River through rainforests and farmed the riverbanks Moved into savannas and learned to herd goats, sheep, and cattle Learned to cultivate new crops, including the banana EFFECTS When the Bantu settled, change happened. Territorial wars often broke out Exchanged ideas and intermarried Created new cultures, language, and helped unify the continent. AKSUM Controls International Trade Hub for caravan routes Access to sea trade Traders from Egypt, Arabia, Persia, India, and the Roman Empire Salt, rhino horns, tortoise shells, ivory, emeralds, and gold AKSUMITE RELIGION Traditionally believed in one god: Mahrem King was descended from god Also Animists- offered sacrifices Converted to Christianity AKSUMITE INNOVATIONS Writing in Geez Minted coins Terraces advanced agriculture Built canals, dams, and cisterns FALL OF AKSUM Lasted for 800 years Declined due to Islamic Invaders Isolated from Christian settlements Moved capitals and cut off from trade