Africa Past and Present

1. The physical setting of SubSaharan Africa: physical regions- plateaus, basins, rift valley, Sahel, mountain peaks; biomes- tropical rain forests (jungle), savannas, desert (Kalahari); Mostly on high plateaus. Plateau- inverted bowl, steep droppings, except in Liberia, Ghana, Ivory coast. Few harbors, limited trade and invasions. Sahara/Kalahari deserts, Tropical rainforest with jungles providing breeding grounds for deadly insects. Mostly in center on west coast of Africa. Mountain peaks that break plateau in eastern part. Basins- five deep basins up to 600 feet wide 5000 feet below plateau. Rift valley- most remarkable feature, steep-sided runs north and south on eastern edge houses long narrow lakes. Sahel- savanna that is south of Sarah with unpredictable rainfall.

2. Africa's past: oral traditions, linguists, Bantu language.; Linguist helped discover mystery of Bantu language ( closely related languages spoken all over Africa) "Craddle land" in Nigeria then migration southward to Cameroon. Spoken on Zanzibar island. Oral tradition- stories passed from generation to generation. Families preserve memories by telling poems. Reciters would sing important events.

3. Ties to Indonesia: music, banana, Malagasy language.; Studied music (xylophone) and African bananas to show people from Indonesia migrated to east Africa in 300 AD. Malagsy language (spoken in Madagascar) is common with words spoken in Indonesia islands.

4. Early domesticated crops of Africa. Millet, sorghum, pennisetum, eleusine in Sahel. Grain staple crop of Subsaharan Africa. Also sesame brought by Sumer.

5. Cultural patterns: matrilineal, role of the village. Small independent villages led by chiefs or elders. Survived rise and fall of kingdoms (basic unit of society and economy) Part of African heritage. Relationship of kingship, age, and sex provided ties. Women were crucial due to matrilineal society. Agriculture cycles of planting and harvesting.

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