The true size of Africa And Why it

The true size of Africa And Why it matters

Mercator Projection ● Developed in 1569, it distorts the world at the poles for navigational purposes ● Note how Greenland appears to be the same size as Africa.

Actual size of Greenland compared to Africa

Gail-Peters Projection ● This is a much more accurate representation of the Earth.

Who says the Northern Hemisphere has to be on top? Having the North on top denotes power, this was offered as a corrective in the early 20 th century.

Africa is Huge

Countries which would fit into Africa ● China, the U. S. , India, Europe excluding Russia, and Japan could all fit into Africa

Africa is much more diverse than commonly thought

Languages spoken in Africa There are 1250 to 3000 languages spoken in Africa

There is also incredible diversity within regions ● Linguistic Map of the Horn of Africa

Early African Empires and city-states ● Far from a "dark" or "empty" continent, early Africa had several city states, empires, and nations, many spurred by the Migration of Bantu speaking peoples

Trans-Saharan trade routes Gold and Salt were the main commodities traded in West Africa. The world "salary" comes from Rome as soldiers were paid a monthly sum to buy salt.

Empires of the West Sudan ● Key empires of this region are Ghana, Mali, and Songhai

Religion in West Africa ● Islam spread to North Africa through trade. ● Most people continued to follow animist beliefs, fusing them with Islam. ● Today Africa is roughly split into a Muslim North and Christian South, although much blending still occurs

The Rise of Mali ● The collapse of Ghana allowed for the kingdom of Mali to Emerge around 1235 CE ● The first great leader of Mali was Sundiata. ● He was the first ruler to be called "Mansa" ● Following Sudiata's death in 1255, Mali's next rulers became Muslims. ● The most famous of Mali's rulers (possibly Sundiata's grandnephew) was Mansa Musa, perhaps the richest man in world history.

Great Mosque of Djenne, Mali