Africa
Africa
Page Updated December 2024
Africa,
to 1500 Aksum to the 800s, ancient Ghana, Mali, empire in Central
Africa, empire in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Muslims in East Africa, and Benin expands
and sells slaves to the Portuguese.
Africa,
1801 to 1860 Britain and other European powers outlaw the slave trade,
guns, war and slavery among Africans, the British, French, Omani Arabs and
Ottoman Empire in Africa, Africans, the Moroccans in the far north to the Boers
and Xhosa in the far south.
Africa and Independence, into the 1990's The End of Apartheid, 1964 to 1994, the failure of Kwame Nkrumah's socialism. Kenya. Cold war and the Congo. Rise of African military. From Frank E. Smitha's "World History."
African Country Profiles Full country profiles that provide a guide to history, politics and economic background of the country including a picture of the current leader. From the BBC.
African Voices An online exhibit from the Smithsonian, this Web site explores Africa's past, examines her present, and hypothesizes about her future. Students will find the images and information provided on this site to be interesting and entertaining.
Africa History From Historyworld.net
Africa Wikipedia.
Algeria Wikipedia.
Angola Angola's outlook is bleak. After more than 20 years of war the countryside is littered with mines, the infrastructure is in ruins. From Historyworld.net
Angola Wikipedia.
Benin The modern Republic Of Benin, given that name in 1975 is the successor to one of West Africa's longest lasting kingdoms, Dahomey. From Historyworld.net
Benin Wikipedia.
Botswana Botswana is an African success story. A long-neglected British protectorate, Botswana achieved its independence in 1966 and immediately thereafter discovered three of the world's richest diamond mines. From Historyworld.net
Botswana Wikipedia.
Botswana WikiVoyage.
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world, but the people are principally known for their don't-worry-be-happy philosophy and reputation for hospitality. From Historyworld.net
Burkina Faso Wikipedia.
Burundi Burundi is one of the most densely populated nations in the world. The Tutsi minority - which has effectively controlled the country since independence in 1964 - killed about 200,000 Hutus in 1972, forcing another 100,000 to flee. From Historyworld.net
Burundi Wikipedia.
Cameroon Sweltering rain forests and strutting sultans, game parks and grilled chicken: Cameroon is one of Africa's most naturally and culturally diverse countries. In addition to its French and British colonial past, there are over 130 ethnic groups. From Historyworld.net
Cameroon Wikipedia.
Canary Islands Wikipedia.
Canary Islands WikiVoyage.
Cape Verde Islands Islanders are a mix of African, Portuguese, Mediterranean and Latin influences and come out with a flavor that's distinctly 'Cabo'. From Historyworld.net
Cape Verde Islands Wikipedia.
Cape Verde Islands WikiVoyage.
Central African Republic The Central African Republic has possibly the most pristine national park in the whole of Africa, where you are guided through a forest that is the domain of elephants and rare lowland gorillas. From Historyworld.net
Central African Republic Wikipedia.
Chad In the 1980s it was classified as the poorest nation on earth. The potential for conflict between armed insurgents and government security forces is largely confined to the region of Chad's northwest. From Historyworld.net
Chad Wikipedia.
Comoro Islands Wikipedia.
Democratic Republic Of The Congo Known formerly as the Belgian Congo, this country is rich in mineral wealth. From Historyworld.net
Democratic Republic Of The Congo Wikipedia.
The
Republic Of The Congo Known formerly as the French Congo. From Historyworld.net
The
Republic Of The Congo Wikipedia.
Cote d'Ivoire Cote d'Ivoire, more off the beaten path, is especially renowned for its Senoufo and Dan people, both of which produce some of Africa's finest craft work. From Historyworld.net
Cote d'Ivoire Wikipedia.
Djibouti Injuries of a civil war have only recently begun to heal. From Historyworld.net
Djibouti Wikipedia.
Egypt The Pharaohs, the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Turks and the British have all ruled Egypt. Modern Egypt is an amalgam of these legacies and the influences of Islam and the 20th century. From Historyworld.net
Egypt Wikipedia.
Egypt WikiVoyage.
Eritrea Eritrea is battle-scarred from 30 years of fighting for independence and, more recently, from a border dispute with Ethiopia. From Historyworld.net
Eritrea Wikipedia.
Ethiopia Wikipedia.
Ethiopia WikiVoyage.
Gabon
Gabon is not high on the list of most travelers' itineraries. From Historyworld.net
Gabon Wikipedia.
Gambia, The Although The Gambia is largely defined by its natural features - the country's greatest draw lies in its people, their culture and the amiable atmosphere of daily life. From Historyworld.net
Gambia, The Wikipedia.
Ghana With the appointment of Ghanaian Kofi Annan as UN secretary general, national hopes were high that Ghana - a country with a wealth of human and natural resources - would take on a leading role in Africa. From Historyworld.net
Ghana Much of the attraction of Ghana is based upon its legacy as the center of the gold, ivory, and slave trade during the 17th and 18th centuries, when the mighty Ashanti dominated.
Ghana Wikipedia.
Ghana WikiVoyage.
Guinea Wikipedia.
Guinea Bissau Following the most protracted period of war in Africa, Guinea-Bissau finally appears to be emerging from the smoldering ruins left behind. Travelers should however seek the latest embassy information before planning to visit Guinea-Bissau. From Historyworld.net
Guinea Bissau Wikipedia.
Kenya Wikipedia.
Kenya WikiVoyage.
Lesotho Landlocked by South Africa, but geographically distanced from it by huge mountain ranges, Lesotho is an often-surprising combination of rapidly developing modernity, and ancient culture. From Historyworld.net
Lesotho Wikipedia.
Liberia Human rights abuses are a subject for concern amongst watchdog agencies like Amnesty International. Until the streets become safe and the tourism infrastructure is rebuilt, travel to Liberia poses more personal safety risks than it's worth. From Historyworld.net
Liberia Wikipedia.
Libya
Libya has been destroyed by constant warfare and the violent end to the
Gaddafi regime. The future here is very much in doubt. From Historyworld.net
Libya
Wikipedia.
Lonely Planet: Africa Travel to some of the safer destinations in Africa with Lonely Planet articles and videos.
Madagascar The Malagasy people are a mixture of Asians and Africans, and have been on Madagascar for 1500 to 2000 years, although stone artifacts indicate an older culture possibly existed there. From Historyworld.net
Madagascar Wikipedia.
Madagascar WikiVoyage.
Malawi Scenery is gorgeous with national parks and game reserves, mountain hiking and plateau trekking and the massive Lake Malawi! From Historyworld.net
Malawi Wikipedia.
Malawi WikiVoyage.
Mali Unfortunately Mali is rapidly being swallowed up by the desert, and is still suffering the aftershocks of a drought of biblical proportions accompanied by the full chapter and verse in plague, pestilence and famine. Timbuktu, the legendary city on the banks of the Niger River, rose up on the gold and ivory trade and it was once the richest city in Africa. From Historyworld.net
Mali Wikipedia.
Mauritania The biggest attraction Mauritania offers is the very desolation that keeps so many people away. For those with the true spirit of adventure, Mauritania is one of the least trodden spots in the world. From Historyworld.net
Morocco Morocco, a Muslim land so rich in mystique it seems to hover like a magic carpet somewhere between myth and reality. Morocco’s fierce independence has helped preserve one of Africa's most fascinating cultures. A trekker's paradise with four magnificent ranges of the Atlas mountains, Morocco also harbors the urban adventures of Fez and Marrakesh. From Historyworld.net
Morocco Wikipedia.
Morocco WikiVoyage.
Namibia Namibia, a land of Gold and Diamonds, with its grand coastal desert and Kaoko Veldt, is a land of breathtaking landscapes. In the north of the country is the famous birdwatcher's Mecca, Etosha National Park. From Historyworld.net
Namibia
Wikipedia.
Namibia
WikiVoyage.
Niger Wikipedia.
Nigeria The country, 5th largest oil producer is currently plagued with violence based on ethnic and religions rivalries and it's mineral wealth. From Historyworld.net
Nigeria Wikipedia.
PBS Living Edens: Etosha Africa’s untamed wilderness in Namibia and its unique animal life in Etosha National Park are featured. Included is a trivia quiz, screen savers and related Web site links.
PBS
Living Edens: Namib Visit Africa’s Namib desert. Follow 24 hours in the
Namib, learn about climate, wildlife and this remote area.
PBS Living Edens: Ngorongoro National Park Located in Tanzania’s Rift Valley area, Ngorongoro is one of Africa’s premier wildlife sanctuaries.
Rwanda Mentioning 'Rwanda' used to evoke images of mountain gorillas and breathtaking mountain views. Now it prompts memories of the attempted genocide of the Tutsi tribe in 1994. A troubled but improving area. From Historyworld.net
Rwanda Wikipedia.
Senegal
Tropical Senegal is lauded for its beauty, from its urbane capital, Dakar
- to its fertile southern region of forest and farmland, especially when
compared to the expansive deserts that surround it. From Historyworld.net
Senegal
Wikipedia.
Sierra Leone As a result of civil war the outlook for peace and prosperity is grim. It is likely Sierra Leone will be off-limits to visitors for some time. From Historyworld.net
Sierra Leone Wikipedia.
Somalia Beware! One thing that Somalia does have in abundance are kidnappings, hijackings, and young men with guns. Peace seems a long way off while the internal rot continues to carve the country up. From Historyworld.net
Somalia Wikipedia.
South Africa With post-apartheid optimism melding South Africa into a new society of great energy and significance, travelers are returning. One of the most geographically varied countries of the African continent, including rolling, fertile plains, a wide open savanna, and the peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains. From Historyworld.net
South Africa Wikipedia.
South Africa WikiVoyage.
Sudan Wikipedia.
Swaziland Wikipedia.
Tanzania Step out into the vast open plains that dominate much of Tanzania and you suddenly feel very, very small. And so you should. You've just joined one of the largest, wildest animal populations in the world! Tanzania's incredible Serengeti and Ngorongoro national parks are home to more game animals than anywhere in the world and it is in Tanzania that we find the physical soul of Africa, the towering Mt. Kilimanjaro. From Historyworld.net
Tanzania Wikipedia.
Tanzania WikiVoyage.
The Living Edens: Madagascar Find out more about the geography of Madagascar and about the lifestyles of its citizens, and its animals.
The Story of Africa The story of Africa tells the history of the continent from an African perspective. Africa's top historians take a fresh look at the events and characters that have shaped the continent from the origins of humankind to the end of South African apartheid. From the BBC.
Togo Only a pencil-thin strip of land, it is currently udergoing civil strife and not ready to make progress yet. From Historyworld.net
Togo Wikipedia.
Tunisia From the stone-age settlements near the oasis at Kebili to the space-age sets of Star Wars (parts of which were filmed at Matmata), its lush-to-lunar landscapes have seen more action than the New World nations combined. However still undergoing civil strife at this time. From Historyworld.net
Tunisia Wikipedia.
Tunisia WikiVoyage.
Uganda With Uganda's long string of tragedies since independence most people still regard the country as a volatile place to be avoided. Its great beauty led Winston Churchill to refer to it as the 'Pearl of Africa'. On the long road to rehabilitation! From Historyworld.net
Uganda Wikipedia.
Zambia The excellent national parks teeming with birds and animals, and Victoria Falls and the River Zambezi - two of the region's major tourist highlights, make Zambia part of what many people view as the 'real' Africa. From Historyworld.net
Zambia Wikipedia.
Zambia WikiVoyage.
Zimbabwe
With more than a passing resemblance to a National Geographic best-of
issue, Zimbabwe is a beautiful and usually safe country to visit. Currently,
however, Zimbabwe is in a state of turmoil. Zimbabwe is a wonderland of water. Once thought to be the mythic site of
King Solomon's mines, Zimbabwe's real wealth can be found in the roaring
splendor of Victoria Falls.
Zimbabwe Wikipedia.