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Historical Facts

the history of southern Africa involves a blending of colonialism with African cultures and the development of gold-trading empires

Culture

Theater, during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s a thriving formal elite and informal popular performing art, has recently fallen on hard times.

Among Christian denominations, the Calvinist Dutch Reformed Church is by far the largest as most White and some Coloured Afrikaners belong to it

Economy

the economy in south Africa is the most advanced in Africa

many countries are struggling to raise the standard of living for blacks, who get the worst jobs, own the least productive land, and attend the worst schools

Society

Pre-Christian marriage in black communities was based on polygyny and bridewealth, which involved the transfer of wealth in the form of livestock to the family of the bride in return for her productive and reproductive services in the husband's homestead.

Despite the fragility of marital bonds, marriage ceremonies are the most visible and important occasions for sociability and often take the form of an elaborate multi-sited and lengthy communal feast involving considerable expense.

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Historical Facts

Europeans first began their African colonization in Central Africa

Culture

Protestant Central African churches, once aligned with the denominations of the early missions, have splintered into several factions as a result of competition for leadership in the clergy.

Popular dance music, a local version of the style characteristic in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, has been recorded and sold commercially and played on the radio.

Economy

Central Africa's economy is still recovering from the effects of colonialism: the loss of resources, the disruption of its political systems, and the cultural and ethnic oppression of its people

Central Africans are mostly self-sufficient, growing their own staples (manioc, sorghum, peanuts, sesame, corn, and squash), supplemented by wild tubers, leaves, and mushrooms.

the most sought-after employment is in government service. In 1989, there were 25,000 persons in government service and only about 4,300 in the private sector, most of them in Bangui.

Society

The young man is obliged to work for the girl's family for as long as up to four years, after which his family pays a bride price.

Divorce traditionally depends on the return of the brideprice, with added contributions that depend on the number of children.

The woman's family can continue exacting payments as long as she bears children, who become members of the man's lineage.

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Historical facts

West Africa includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

West Africa is a cultural hearth, and its ideas and practices spread to North America and Europe

Culture

West Africans cultures such as Ashanti and Benin elaborate craftwork and colorful textiles.

The Ashanti are known for their work in weaving colorful asasia- what Westerners usually call kente cloth

Benin artisit made beautiful objects of metal and terra cotta

music is large part of West Africa

West Africa popular music involves a blend of traditional African music with Americans forms of jazz, blues.

Economy

the economics of West Africa range in strength from the relatively solid economy of Sierra Leone

the economic well-being of West Africa is based on the sale of its products to industrialized countries in Europe, North America, and Asia

Society

Art, such as this bronze head from Benin, is used to recount the history of the kingdom and its rulers

men dominated women in West Africa

As previously noted,
it was common for men to take two or more wives, and, to a degree,
custom held women to be the property of men.

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Historical facts

North Africa includes Algeria, Egypt,  Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia.

Egypt and the Nile River Valley formed a cultural hearth, a place where ideas and innovations come together to change a region.

Culture

North African culture is a combination of Arabic and traditional African ethnic groups.

A country souk opens early in the morning Tents are erected, and storytellers, musicians, and fortunetellers entertain the crowds.

Algeria is home to rai, rai is a kind of music developed in the 1920s by our urban children

Economy

over the course of history, it evolved into an economy based on the growth of cash crops and mining.

now it revolves around the discovery of oil in the region

oil makes up about 99 percent of Libya's exports

Libya and Algeria supply the European Union with much of its oil and gas

Society

the role of women, especially, has shifted during the past several years

households tend to be centered around males.

women's roles change, having more than one wife at s time has been abolished

abuse has increased

women can now seek divorces.

girls underage can no longer arrange marriages and requires equal ay for equal jobs

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Historical Facts

Early civilizations developed there, for example, Aksum, which began in present-day Ethiopia.

In the 1800s, European nations colonized much of Africa, but Ethiopia fought back and escaped colonial rule.

Culture

Two major ethnic groups: Masai and Kikuyu

Clothing include calf-skin or buffalo hide

Economy

Rely on cash crops, such as coffee, tea, sugar

Tourism one of main economic activities, especially wildlife parks

Society

Family