Africa Geography Research Paper

The first humans appeared in the Great Rift Valley, located in eastern Africa. As people moved outward from this area they were forced to develop technology to help them to survive in their surroundings. While migrating, these early people also unwittingly performed the other 5 major themes of history; cultural diffusion, trade, conflict, belief systems, and regional empires. This meant that Africa’s geography played a pivotal role in influencing the social, economic, political, and military aspects of these early people’s lives. First, Africa’s geography greatly influenced the early African society, or the people’s social aspect. Africa is the second-largest continent, so there are many different types of areas and climates, some of which are uninhabitable. One such example is the desert areas, which are unsuitable for human life, and hamper travel. Desertification even forced northern people to move to West Africa to find better farmland. Also, rainforests are partially uninhabitable due to the tsetse flies. These flies prevented Africans from raising animals in or near rain forests, and also prevented invaders from colonizing
fly-infested territories. Because of this, most African people live on savannas or grassy plains, located primarily on the Northern Coast and Southern tip. There people developed nomadic hunter-gatherer or herding lifestyles. Not only did Africa’s geography affect the people’s society, it also affected their economy and industry. Africa’s climate and geography forced people into nomadic hunter-gatherer or herding lifestyles. People learned to domesticate and raise animals for food; and while the topsoil throughout Africa is thin, and heavy rain would strip away the minerals, most years savannas supported abundant agricultural food production. This agriculture changed the people’s lives. It allowed people to build permanent shelters in a location and form settlements. As these settlements expanded, an increased food supply led to longer, healthier lives and an increased birth rate. More food also allowed some members of the community to practice specialised skills such as metalworking, making pottery, and crafting jewelry.
As these primitive societies became more complex, they required more organization, and governments were developed; meaning Africa’s geography also affected the society’s political structure.
Some of the governments that formed consisted of a village chief and a council of family group leaders. When strong groups extended their land by conquering weaker settlements, they would centralise their power and government. Some of these strong, centralised groups eventually developed into kingdoms or empires, such as the empire of Ghana. Ghana developed because as traders passed through the region of the Soninke people (later referred to as Ghana by Muslim traders), the rulers of the region became rich by taxing the goods that were carried through their territory. Ghana’s ruler acted as a religious leader, chief judge, and military
commander.
To effectively control trade, Ghana’s ruler needed to command a large army. With a strong army, he could demand taxes and gifts from the chiefs of surrounding lands. Also, although not directly stated in the text, having a strong army would mean the ruler would be able to enforce any action or law just by using brute force. If he had the most powerful army, Ghana’s ruler wouldn’t just be limited to controlling Ghana, he would even be able to exert his influence and power in any of the surrounding regions and kingdoms.
Africa’s geography played a pivotal role in the development of African society. By first influencing how societies developed, Africa’s geography inadvertently caused a chain of developments in areas such as economy and industry, government, and military. If Africa had a different geographical layout, I don’t believe it would have developed into the society it is today.