History of West Africa
HISTORY OF WEST AFRICA
Overview
The history of West Africa is the long history of human movements, incursions, displacements, intermixtures of peoples, and of the impact of these on the beliefs, attitudes, social and political organization to the peoples West Africa.
The history of West Africa can be divided into three major periods: first, its prehistory, second, colonial period, in which Great Britain and France controlled nearly the whole of the region and the post-independence era, in which the current nations were formed.
1.
Geographical location & regional environmental variation in brief
Without a geographical basis, such story of West Africa and any other country in the world would be like dead body having neither life nor motion at all. (Ajayi and Michael Crowder p1). -Development of West Africa is often conditioned by the nature of environment with addition to the development of science and technology.
-West Africa occupies an area 2.4 million square miles, or approximately one-fifth of Africa.
It extends roughly from 5 degrees to 25 degrees north latitude and from 17 degrees west to
15 degrees east longitude.
-West Africa constitute Benin, Burkina, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, GuineaBissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone,
Togo.
-West Africa is a very diverse region. It has desert landscapes and tropical rain forests.
1
WEST AFRICA GEOGRAPHICAL BELT
Coastal belt
Forest belt
Savanna belt
Sahara belt
1.
The coastal belt
- Dominated by lowlands between 0-200 km.
- It is true in some areas like Niger delta, there are few river inlets.
- Temperature is high throughout the year (25 -300C)
- High rainfall (between 1500 – 2000) throughout the year
- Economic activities include cultivation of root tubers like kolanuts
2.
The Forest belt
- Located in the Niger delta
- Mangrove swamps
- Economic activities fishing (supported by Niger
Overview
The history of West Africa is the long history of human movements, incursions, displacements, intermixtures of peoples, and of the impact of these on the beliefs, attitudes, social and political organization to the peoples West Africa.
The history of West Africa can be divided into three major periods: first, its prehistory, second, colonial period, in which Great Britain and France controlled nearly the whole of the region and the post-independence era, in which the current nations were formed.
1.
Geographical location & regional environmental variation in brief
Without a geographical basis, such story of West Africa and any other country in the world would be like dead body having neither life nor motion at all. (Ajayi and Michael Crowder p1). -Development of West Africa is often conditioned by the nature of environment with addition to the development of science and technology.
-West Africa occupies an area 2.4 million square miles, or approximately one-fifth of Africa.
It extends roughly from 5 degrees to 25 degrees north latitude and from 17 degrees west to
15 degrees east longitude.
-West Africa constitute Benin, Burkina, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, GuineaBissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone,
Togo.
-West Africa is a very diverse region. It has desert landscapes and tropical rain forests.
1
WEST AFRICA GEOGRAPHICAL BELT
Coastal belt
Forest belt
Savanna belt
Sahara belt
1.
The coastal belt
- Dominated by lowlands between 0-200 km.
- It is true in some areas like Niger delta, there are few river inlets.
- Temperature is high throughout the year (25 -300C)
- High rainfall (between 1500 – 2000) throughout the year
- Economic activities include cultivation of root tubers like kolanuts
2.
The Forest belt
- Located in the Niger delta
- Mangrove swamps
- Economic activities fishing (supported by Niger