key terms
The interdisciplinary approach to the study of people of African descent, largely in the
U.S. It emerges
in the late 1960s as a response to the lack of
university courses on
African Americans.
Disciplines include History, Anthropology, Economics, Biology, Music, Literature, and Psychology
African American Studies
areas of land, sub continents, regions, and continents which have an abundance of geographical features. I.E. Africa contains deserts, rainforests, semi-arid areas, river deltas, mountains, and inland lakes.
Geographically Diverse
A river in Central Africa that flows into the Atlantic Ocean from the Congo Rainforest
Congo River
The spread of Bantu-speaking peoples from their homeland in what is now southern Nigeria or Cameroon to most of Africa, in a process that started ca. 3000 B.C.E. and continued for several millennia.
Bantu Migration
An attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.
Colonialism
A dispersion of people from their homeland
Diaspora
A huge desert stretching across most of North Africa
Sahara
A river in Central and Southern Africa that flows into the Indian Ocean.
Zambezi River
This early empire has its home along Africa's longest river, with a detailed form of writing. Political organization around Pharaohs and Dynasties. Participated in long distance trade with Europe and Asia
Egypt
These West African kingdoms, including Ghana, Mali and Songhai, flourished between about 500 and 1600 CE. The Sudanic empires became important trading partners with Muslim and North African merchants after the domestication of the camel.
Sudanic Empires
Academic approaches that combine traditionally separate disciplines, such as biology and history.
interdisciplinary studies
Belt south of the Sahara where it transitions into savanna across central Africa. Semi-arid region of agriculturally fertile land. It means literally 'coastland' in Arabic.
Sahel
the longest river in South Africa
Orange River
A civilization to the south of Egypt in the Nile Valley, noted for development of an alphabetic writing system and a major iron working industry by 500 BCE
Nubia
Traded with caravans and camels across Sahara. Controlled gold: enforcing law that only kings could own gold nuggets and kept location of gold mines secret. Also made gold scarce thus maintaining high prices fell due to expansion northward into Almoravids territory.
Ghana Empire
societies with large settled populations, an extensive division of labor, monumental architecture, and occupational specialization
complex socities
An area of grassland with scattered trees and bushes
Savanna
The world's longest river, which flows northward through East Africa into the Mediterranean Sea. River around which Egyptian and Nubian empires developed
Nile River
A kingdom in northwestern Ethiopia that was a sizable trading state and the center of Christian culture.
Aksum
From 1235-1400, this was a strong empire of Western African. With its trading cities of Timbuktu and Gao, it had many mosques and universities. The Empire was ruled by two great rulers, Sundiata and Mansa Musa. Thy upheld a strong gold-salt trade. The fall of the empire was caused by the lack of strong rulers who could govern well.
Mali Empire
Lasted from 16th century until the 19th century. Trade of African peoples from Western Africa to the Americas. One part of a three-part economical system known as the Middle Passage of the Triangular Trade.
Atlantic Slave Trade
the longest river in West Africa, and a kind of trading highway in early times
Niger River
Collective name of a large group of sub-Saharan African languages and of the peoples speaking these languages.
Bantu
West Africa's earliest known culture; lived in what is now Nigeria; between 500 B.C. and A.D. 200; first people known to smelt iron; fashioned iron into tools for farming and weapons for hunting
Nok
A powerful West African state that flourished between 1450 and 1591, when it fell to a Moroccan invasion. Capitalizing on the Saharan trade routes, traded gold & salt.
Songhai Empire