8.1 Diverse Societies in Africa

1. 8.1 Diverse Societiesin Africa

2. A Land of Geographic Contrasts • Geography of Africa • Large continent, but coastline has few ports, harbors, or inlets • 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.

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

4. Early Humans Adapt to their Environments • Nomadic Lifestyle • Earliest peoples are nomadic hunter-gatherers. • Herders drive animals to find waters and graze pastures. • 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

5. Early Societies in Africa • Societies organized by Family Groups • Extended families made up several generations • Families with common ancestors form groups known as clans • Local Religions • Early religions usually include elements of animism-belief in spirits inhabiting objects • 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.

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

7. West African Iron Age • Djenne-Djeno • From 600-200 B.C., cities began to develop near rivers and oases • Djenne-Djeno, Africa’s oldest known city, was discovered in 1977. • It was a bustling trade center that was linked to other West African towns through camel trade routes.