Intro to ancient Africa Intro to ancient Africa

““The birthplace of the human The birthplace of the human race”race”

Oldest human remains have been Oldest human remains have been found in Africafound in Africa

Africa’s Beginning…Africa’s Beginning…

• 5000 BCE—Sahara was a grassland site for HUNTING, FISHING, and FARMING COMMUNITIES

• 4000 BCE—Africa’s climate became drier.

• This caused people to move SOUTHWARD to look for water

• The dry air caused the Sahara area to become a DESERT

1350 BCE—Aksum defeated Kush

• Controlled TRADING ROUTES that connected Africa and Europe

• The Aksum Empire

was influenced by trade

with the ROMAN EMPIRE—

so they embraced

Christianity

WEST AFRICAWEST AFRICA

• Traders crossed the Sahara to exchange SALT and COPPER for west Africa’s GOLD and KOLA NUTS

• In West Africa—GHANA, MALI, SONGHAI grew wealthy kingdoms

• These kingdoms were located just SOUTH of the TRANS-SAHARA route and became major trade centers

salt

copperCopper and salt moved WEST

gold

Kola nuts

Gold and kola nuts moved EAST

Africa’s 5 RegionsAfrica’s 5 Regions

• Africa is the 2nd largest continent next to Asia

• Lies in every HEMISPHERE

• HAS A VARIETY OF CLIMATE ZONES

• HAS A WIDE VARIETY OF MINERAL SOURCES

AFRICA IS DIVIDED INTO 5 AFRICA IS DIVIDED INTO 5 PHYSICAL REGIONSPHYSICAL REGIONS

• AFRICA HAS A SERIES OF 8 PLATEAUS

NORTH:

Sahara desert, Nile River delta, Atlas Mts.

--excellent farmland

• WEST: Sahel---semi dry area --rich in mineral resources-oil and mining

• CENTRAL: rainforest—tropical jungles

• rainforest animals

Most endangered animals

• EAST: Rift Valley—a sunken valley Serengeti—tall grass lands were animals inhabit

• Lake Victoria—2nd

largest fresh water

lake

• SOUTH:– Desert lands—Kalahari and Namid – Swamp lands—Okavango Delta

Namid sand dune

Okavango Delta