African Nations Gain Independence Chapter 16 Section 3

African Nations Gain Independence Chapter 16 – Section 3

Colonial Africa

Africa Today

Africa’s Colonies Gain Independence �Africa is the world’s second largest continent. �Africa is geographically diverse: - Tropical rain forests cover central Africa’s Congo Basin and coastal West Africa. - Vast savannas, or grasslands with scattered trees, make up interior West Africa, East Africa, and much of central and southern Africa. - The Sahara is the world’s largest desert. Africa has rich deposits of minerals such as gold, copper, and diamonds. § Africa has large petroleum reserves. §

Colonies Demand Independence �More and more Africans demanded freedom from European colonial powers. � Skilled speakers and organizers such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, and Leopold Senghor of Senegal led independence movements in their countries. �The liberation movement turned to unrest and violence in many countries where large numbers of Europeans settled.

Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana

Confronting Ethnic Divisions � European colonial powers had drawn boundaries between their colonies without regard for the territories of the continent’s hundreds of ethnic groups. � Most African nations gained independence as a patchwork of peoples with diverse languages and religions. � Once freedom was won, many Africans felt their first loyalty was to their own ethnic group, not to a faceless national government. � As a result, ethnic and regional conflict plagued many nations.

Dictators Seize Power � Many early leaders established a one-party political system leading to dictatorships. � Dictators often used their positions to enrich themselves and a privileged few. � When bad government policies led to unrest, the military often seized power. � More than half of all African nations suffered military coups. � A coup, or coup d’etat is the forcible overthrow of a government. � Some military leaders were brutal dictators, and often gave up power by other military coups.

Revolutionary United Front: RUF Overthrew the Sierra Leone government

Foreigners Jostle for Influence � Although African nations gained independence, colonial powers often retained control of businesses, resulting in many new nations remaining economically on their former colonizers. � During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the United States competed for military and strategic advantages trough alliances with several African countries. � Countries like Zaire (Congo), Angola, Somalia, and Ethiopia sparked superpower interest because they controlled access to the Red Sea, a vital shipping route connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa.

The Stories of Five African Nations Ghana Kenya - Kwame Nkruma… - White settlers… - The French - Ghana name = - In 1966… - Jerry Rawlings - Kikuyu… - The Mau… - Jomo Kenyatta Algeria Democratic Republic of Congo Nigeria - A vast region= - Population= - National - Katanga… - Independence Liberation Front - Patrice -Biafra… - Oil and gas Lumumba… caused… - Military rulers - Joseph Mobutu - Islamist Party