Regions of West Africa West African Civilizations 500 – 1600 CE

Regions of West AfricaWest African Civilizations500 – 1600 CE

Desert Region• Hot, dry climate• Daytime temperature =

100-140 o F • Night time lows may reach

freezing or lower• Rainfall 1-4l 4 inches per

year• Size of the Sahara limited

the influence of Africans on Europeans and vice versa

Ergs & Regs• Ergs= sand dunes• Regs= plains of sand

mixed with red, black or white gravel

Above is a picture of a reg in the Western Sahara. To the right is a reg with rock outcroppings in the distance.

Chotts• Chotts= depressions

in the Sahara that accumulate salt as moisture evaporates in the spring and summer

• Salt is the most important trade item of the Sahara

Sparse Vegetation• Few trees

• Doum palm• Date palm• Acacia tree

• Trees have deep root systems• Up to 80 ft.

underground

• Scrub brush is the most common vegetation

Tuareg People• Pronounce TWAH-

reg• Call themselves “the

blue people”• Loose cotton or linen

clothing, often indigo or light blue• Protects head, face,

and arms from wind and heat

Although the Sahara is sparsely populated, the Tuareg call it home.

Nomadic Lifestyle• Tuareg people were

originally nomadic• Live(d) in temporary

tents made of either• Goat skin• Palm fiber

Ships of the Desert

• Too vast to cross by foot

• Extremely harsh conditions

• Few natural landmarks• Camels essential for

survival in the Sahara• Carry heavy loads• Up to 17 days w/out food

or water

Trade Caravans• Experts at crossing

the Sahara• Managed trans-

Saharan trade between Arabs and Africans• Salt• Gold• Slaves• Metals

Semiarid Region

• Harsh, barren grasslands• Sparse rainfall 10”-20”

per year• Unpredictable droughts• Hearty plants

• Small, thorny bushes• Waxy leaves• Tufts of scattered, stumpy

grass

Sahel• In the north, the

edge of the Sahara is called the sahel.

• Sahel means “shore of the desert”

• It is the semiarid region of North and West Africa

Baobob Tree• Cork-like bark is fire

resistant• Can reach 100 feet• Can survive droughts• Mature trees hollow

out to provide shelter animals or people

• Produces fruit, called “monkey bread” which is rich in vitamin C

Monkey Bread

Limited Farming• Only two permanent

bodies of water in semiarid region:• Niger River• Lake Chad

• Villages are often constructed along the banks of the Niger

• limited farming

Millet• In the Sahel region,

millet is estimated to account for about 35-65 percent of total cereal food consumption

• The farmers to the right harvest and bundle pearl millet.

Peanuts• Also known as

ground nuts • Part of the legume

(bean) family• Indigenous to the

Americas, but have become very popular in Africa in modern times

Herding Animals• Most people in the

region herd goats, sheep, or camels

• Rely on ancient wells, waterholes, rivers, streams, and lakes for water

• Water sacks made of animal bladders & leather

Savanna Regions

• Most diverse climate zone in Africa

• One predictable wet season

• One dry season• Densely populated• Diverse human

adaptations Acacia trees dot the savanna’s horizon at intervals between the tall grass.

Fishing and Farming

• Along the Niger River or beside Lake Chad, Fishing and small-scale farming are the basis of the economy

• Staple crops:• Millet• Rice• sorghum

Sorghum• Sorghum often

grown on the savanna

• Used by humans to make flour, syrup, and beer

• Also used as feed for poultry or cattle

Harvesting sorghum in Sudan

African Rice• African rice was one

of the staple grains grown by farmers of the savanna

Picture credit: Weller, Keith. Paleoethnobotany Research Guide. Digital image. - Journals and Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.

Storing Grains

• Each village has at least one granary

• Granaries are storehouse for grains

• Typically elevated to keep grains dry

• Saved and used during the dry season

Herding Cattle• Most people herd

livestock because they produce:• Milk• Meat• Hides

• To a lesser extent some hunters follow the wild herds of zebra, gazelle, etc.

Housing

• Dwellings vary • People use the materials

that are readily available:– Woodland Savanna (forest

mixed with grasses)– Acacia Savanna (smaller

trees mixed with grasses)– Bushveld Savanna (baobob

trees with mixed shrubs and succulents)

Building a Hut/Room

• A wooden frame is constructed

• Insulation is added• Wet adobe is

applied • Structure dries• Thatched roof is

attached

This photograph was taken by a Western anthropologist in Nigeria between 1920 and 1947.

African Architecture

In the Sudan, family compounds may be connected by walls made of mud, clay, and dung.

Each building operates as a separate room:• Kitchen• Bedroom• Storehouse

Family Compounds• A family encloses its

buildings:• Adobe walls• Woven fencing

• Buildings linked with common walkways

Rain Forest Regions

• Cover 8% of Africa• Rainfall 60” or more

per year• Average temperature

70-90o F• Diverse plant life• Very limited

cultivation due to top soil erosion from rain

Tubers• Root, or tuber, crops

can be raised• Cassava (a.k.a. manioc)• Yams

• In the Niger River basin, yams are a popular tuber plant and a staple food.

Kola Nut• The kola nut

supplements the diet of rain forest dwellers.

• It produces caffeine.• It’s used to flavor

beverages (drinks)

Bananas and Plantains

Hunting & Fishing• Hunting is important

to the nomadic and semi-nomadic people of the rain forest

• Men traditionally use bows & arrows to hunt: monkeys, squirrels, and birds

• Women and girls do most of the fishing

Tse-tse Fly

• The bite of the tse-tse fly causes sleeping sickness in humans

• It is fatal for domestic animals, like cattle and horses (ungulates).