Regions of West Africa

1. Regions of West Africa West African Civilizations 500 – 1600 CE

2. Desert Region • Hot, dry climate • Daytime temperature = 100-140 o F • Night time lows may reach freezing or lower • Rainfall 1-4l 4 inches per year • Size of the Sahara limited the influence of Africans on Europeans and vice versa

3. Ergs & Regs • Ergs= sand dunes • Regs= plains of sand mixed with red, black or white gravel Above is a picture of a reg in the Western Sahara. To the right is a reg with rock outcroppings in the distance.

4. Chotts • Chotts= depressions in the Sahara that accumulate salt as moisture evaporates in the spring and summer • Salt is the most important trade item of the Sahara

5. Sparse Vegetation • Few trees • Doum palm • Date palm • Acacia tree • Trees have deep root systems • Up to 80 ft. underground • Scrub brush is the most common vegetation

6. Tuareg People • Pronounce TWAH-reg • Call themselves “the blue people” • Loose cotton or linen clothing, often indigo or light blue • Protects head, face, and arms from wind and heat Although the Sahara is sparsely populated, the Tuareg call it home.

7. Nomadic Lifestyle • Tuareg people were originally nomadic • Live(d) in temporary tents made of either • Goat skin • Palm fiber

8. Ships of the Desert • Too vast to cross by foot • Extremely harsh conditions • Few natural landmarks • Camels essential for survival in the Sahara • Carry heavy loads • Up to 17 days w/out food or water

9. Trade Caravans • Experts at crossing the Sahara • Managed trans-Saharan trade between Arabs and Africans • Salt • Gold • Slaves • Metals

11. Semiarid Region • Harsh, barren grasslands • Sparse rainfall 10”-20” per year • Unpredictable droughts • Hearty plants • Small, thorny bushes • Waxy leaves • Tufts of scattered, stumpy grass

12. Sahel • In the north, the edge of the Sahara is called the sahel. • Sahel means “shore of the desert” • It is the semiarid region of North and West Africa

13. Baobob Tree • Cork-like bark is fire resistant • Can reach 100 feet • Can survive droughts • Mature trees hollow out to provide shelter animals or people • Produces fruit, called “monkey bread” which is rich in vitamin C Monkey Bread

14. Limited Farming • Only two permanent bodies of water in semiarid region: • Niger River • Lake Chad • Villages are often constructed along the banks of the Niger • limited farming

15. Millet • In the Sahel region, millet is estimated to account for about 35-65 percent of total cereal food consumption • The farmers to the right harvest and bundle pearl millet.

16. Peanuts • Also known as ground nuts • Part of the legume (bean) family • Indigenous to the Americas, but have become very popular in Africa in modern times

17. Herding Animals • Most people in the region herd goats, sheep, or camels • Rely on ancient wells, waterholes, rivers, streams, and lakes for water • Water sacks made of animal bladders & leather

19. Savanna Regions • Most diverse climate zone in Africa • One predictable wet season • One dry season • Densely populated • Diverse human adaptations Acacia trees dot the savanna’s horizon at intervals between the tall grass.

20. Fishing and Farming • Along the Niger River or beside Lake Chad, Fishing and small-scale farming are the basis of the economy • Staple crops: • Millet • Rice • sorghum

21. Sorghum • Sorghum often grown on the savanna • Used by humans to make flour, syrup, and beer • Also used as feed for poultry or cattle Harvesting sorghum in Sudan

22. African Rice • African rice was one of the staple grains grown by farmers of the savanna Picture credit: Weller, Keith. Paleoethnobotany Research Guide. Digital image. - Journals and Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.

23. Storing Grains • Each village has at least one granary • Granaries are storehouse for grains • Typically elevated to keep grains dry • Saved and used during the dry season

24. Herding Cattle • Most people herd livestock because they produce: • Milk • Meat • Hides • To a lesser extent some hunters follow the wild herds of zebra, gazelle, etc.

25. Housing • Dwellings vary • People use the materials that are readily available: • Woodland Savanna (forest mixed with grasses) • Acacia Savanna (smaller trees mixed with grasses) • Bushveld Savanna (baobob trees with mixed shrubs and succulents)

26. Building a Hut/Room • A wooden frame is constructed • Insulation is added • Wet adobe is applied • Structure dries • Thatched roof is attached This photograph was taken by a Western anthropologist in Nigeria between 1920 and 1947.

27. African Architecture • Each building operates as a separate room: • Kitchen • Bedroom • Storehouse In the Sudan, family compounds may be connected by walls made of mud, clay, and dung.

28. Family Compounds • A family encloses its buildings: • Adobe walls • Woven fencing • Buildings linked with common walkways

30. Rain Forest Regions • Cover 8% of Africa • Rainfall 60” or more per year • Average temperature 70-90oF • Diverse plant life • Very limited cultivation due to top soil erosion from rain

31. Tubers • Root, or tuber, crops can be raised • Cassava (a.k.a. manioc) • Yams • In the Niger River basin, yams are a popular tuber plant and a staple food.

32. Kola Nut • The kola nut supplements the diet of rain forest dwellers. • It produces caffeine. • It’s used to flavor beverages (drinks)

33. Bananas and Plantains

34. Hunting & Fishing • Hunting is important to the nomadic and semi-nomadic people of the rain forest • Men traditionally use bows & arrows to hunt: monkeys, squirrels, and birds • Women and girls do most of the fishing

35. Tse-tse Fly • The bite of the tse-tse fly causes sleeping sickness in humans • It is fatal for domestic animals, like cattle and horses (ungulates).