Diverse Societies in Africa A Land of Geographic

Diverse Societies in Africa

A Land of Geographic Contrasts n Geography of Africa • Large continent, but coastline has few ports, harbors, or inlets n Challenging Environments • Africa has many deserts, including huge Sahara • The southern edge of expanding Sahara is called the Sahel. • Rainforests are found near the central part of the continent.

A Land of Geographic Contrasts n Welcoming Lands • Northern Coast and southern tip of Africa have Mediterranean Climates • Savannas, or grasslands cover most of Africa

Early Humans Adapt to their Environments n Nomadic Lifestyle • Earliest peoples are nomadic hunter-gatherers. • Herders drive animals to find waters and graze pastures. n Transition to a Settled Lifestyle • Agriculture probably develops by 6, 000 B. C. • As the Sahara dried up farmers move to West Africa or Nile Valley. • Agriculture allows permanent settlements and governments to develop

Early Societies in Africa n Societies organized by Family Groups • Extended families made up several generations • Families with common ancestors form groups known as clans n Local Religions • Early religions usually include elements of animismbelief in spirits inhabiting objects n Keeping a History • Few African societies have written languages • History, literature, culture passed on by story tellers called griots. • Cultures in West Africa are advanced long before outsiders arrive.

West African Iron Age n Learning about the past • Artifacts reveal how people lived in the past. • Evidence of sub-Saharan cultures producing iron around 500 B. C. n Nok Culture • Nok—West Africa’s earliest known culture—made iron tools and weapons