Africa: history of a continent

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2018-03-19 12:26:01

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Africa, whose history is full of mysteries mysteries in the distant past and the bloody political events in the present – it is a continent called the cradle of mankind. The huge continent is one-fifth of the total land area on the planet, its land is rich in diamonds and minerals. To the North stretched a lifeless, harsh and hot desert in the South – pristine tropical forest with numerous endemic species of plants and animals. Not to mention the variety of peoples and ethnic groups on the continent, their numbers ranging in the several thousands. Small tribes numbering two villages and large Nations – creators of the unique and inimitable culture of “black” the mainland.

Africa story

How many countries on the continent, where Africa, the geographical position and history of the study of the country – you will learn it from the article.

History of the continent

The history of the development of Africa is one of the most topical issues in archaeology. And if Ancient Egypt attracted scientists since the antique period, the rest of the continent remained in the “shadow” until the 19th century. Prehistory of the continent is the longest in the history of mankind. It was discovered the earliest traces stay hominids that lived on the territory of modern Ethiopia. History of Asia and Africa was in a special way, due to the geographical location they were connected by trade and political relations before the onset of the bronze age.

Documented the first journey around the continent were committed by the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho in 600 BC. In the Middle ages the interest in Africa began to show the Europeans who were actively developing trade with the Eastern Nations. The first expedition to the distant continent was organized by the Portuguese Prince, it then opened the Cape Bojador and drawn the wrong conclusion that it is the most southern point of Africa. Years later another Portuguese – Bartolomeo Diaz in 1487 discovered the Cape of Good Hope. After the success of his expedition, Africa pulled and other major European powers. In the end, the beginning of the 16th century all the territory West sea coast were discovered by the Portuguese, the British and the Spaniards. Then began the colonial history of Africa and the active slave.

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Geographical position

history of Asia and Africa

Africa is the second largest continent with an area of 30.3 million sq km It stretches from South to North a distance of 8000 km, and from East to West – 7500 km of the mainland are characterized by the predominance of flat terrain. In the northwestern part there are the Atlas mountains and the Sahara desert-highlands Tibesti and Ahaggar, in the East – Ethiopian, South – Drakensberg and the Cape mountains.

The Geographical history of Africa is closely associated with the British. Appearing on the mainland in the 19th century, they actively explored it, revealing its awesome beauty and grandeur of the natural sites: Victoria falls, lake Chad, Kivu, Edward, albert etc. In Africa is one of the largest rivers world-Nile, which since the beginning of time was the cradle of Egyptian civilization.

history of Africa

The Mainland is the hottest on the planet, the reason is its geographical position. The whole area of Africa is located in tropical climatic zones and is crossed by the equator.

The continent is extremely rich in minerals. The world's largest known deposits of diamonds in Zimbabwe and South Africa, gold in Ghana, Congo and Mali, oil in Algeria and Nigeria, iron, lead and zinc ores on the North coast.

The Beginning of the colonization

Colonial history of the countries of Asia and Africa has very deep roots in antiquity. The first attempts to subdue the land the Europeans had taken in 7-5 centuries BC, when along the shores of the continent there have been numerous settlements of the Greeks. This was followed by a long period of Hellenization of Egypt as a result of the conquests of Alexander the great.

Then, under the pressure of many of the Roman troops had consolidated almost the entire Northern coast of Africa. However, the romanization it has been very weak, the indigenous tribes of the Berbers simply went deeper into the desert.

Africa in the Middle ages

During the decline of the Byzantine Empire history of Asia and Africa, made a sharp turn completely in the opposite direction from European civilization side. Berbers revitalized completely destroyed the centers of Christian culture in North Africa, “cleanse” the territory of new conquerors-the Arabs, who brought with him Islam and pushed the Byzantine Empire. The seventh century of presence in Africa randeurope States is almost reduced to zero.

A Radical change occurred only in the final stages of the Reconquest, when mainly the Portuguese and the Spaniards conquered the Iberian Peninsula and fixed his gaze on the opposite shore of the Strait of Gibraltar. In the 15-16 centuries they were in Africa active policy of conquest, capturing a number of strongholds. At the end of the 15th century they were joined by the French, British and Dutch.

A New history of Asia and Africa due to many factors were closely interrelated. Trade South of the Sahara desert are actively developed by the Arab States resulted in the gradual colonization and the entire Eastern part of the continent. West Africa has resisted. Did the Arab neighborhoods, however, the attempts of Morocco to subjugate this area failed.

The Race for Africa

history of Africa

Colonial partition of the continent during the second half of the 19th century to the outbreak of the First world war was called “race for Africa”. This time was characterized by hard and sharp competition of the leading imperialist powers of Europe for the conduct of military operations research in the region, which ultimately was aimed at the seizure of new lands. Particularly strong, the process unfolded after the adoption at the Berlin conference of 1885, the General act, which declared the principle of effective occupation. The culmination of the partition of Africa was a military conflict between France and great Britain in 1898, occurred in Upper Nile.

By 1902, 90% of Africa was controlled by Europeans. To defend the independence and freedom was only Liberia and Ethiopia. With the beginning of the First world war ended the colonial race, which was divided almost all of Africa. The history of the development of the colonies were in different ways, depending on under whose protectorate it was. The major possessions were in France and the UK, less so in Portugal and Germany. For Europeans, Africa was an important source of raw materials, minerals and cheap labor.

Year of independence

It is considered a Turning point in 1960, when one after another young African States began to emerge from the power of the metropolis. Of course, the process has not begun and is not completed in such a short period. However, it was 1960 proclaimed ‘African’.

Africa, whose history did not develop in isolation from the world, turned out to be one way or another, but is also involved in the Second world war. The Northern part of the continent affected the hostilities, the colonies were picked from last forces, to provide the metropolis with raw materials and food, and people. Millions of Africans took part in the hostilities, many of them “settled” later in Europe. Despite the world political situation for the “black” on the continent the war was marked by economic recovery, this is the time when construction of roads, ports, airfields and airstrips, enterprises and factories etc.

A New round of history of the countries of Africa have received after making England the Atlantic Charter, which affirms the right of peoples to self-determination. And though politicians have tried to explain that it was a question about occupied Japan and Germany peoples colony interpreted the document in its favor including. In matters of independence Africa were far ahead more advanced Asia.

the newest history of countries of Asia and Africa

Despite the undisputed right to self-determination, the Europeans were in no hurry “release” their colonies float freely, and in the first decade after the war, any speech for independence were brutally suppressed. The precedent was the case when the British in 1957 has provided the freedom to Ghana – the most economically developed state. By the end of 1960, half of Africa gained independence. However, as it turned out, that nothing is guaranteed.

If you pay attention to the map, you will notice that Africa, whose history is very tragic, divided by the country's clear and smooth lines. Europeans did not understand the ethnic and cultural realities of the continent, simply dividing the territory in its sole discretion. As a result, many peoples were divided into several States, while others United in one along with sworn enemies. After independence, all of it has spawned numerous ethnic conflicts, civil wars, military coups and genocide.

Freedom was obtained, that's just what to do with it nobody knew. The Europeans left, taking with them everything that was possible to take....


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Alin Trodden - author of the article, editor
"Hi, I'm Alin Trodden. I write texts, read books, and look for impressions. And I'm not bad at telling you about it. I am always happy to participate in interesting projects."

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