Peoples of North Africa. Wild tribes of africa

The oldest history South Africa is fairly well known. On the territory of South Africa, archaeologists have found tools from the Paleolithic era.

Findings of bone remains the oldest man, studied by paleanthropologists, prove that the entire southern tip of the continent was inhabited by people already in the very the most ancient era... Found in many stone tools almost everywhere give clear picture gradual development and improvement stone tools up to the Upper Paleolithic, and in some places the Neolithic.

Bushmen

By the time the first European settlers appeared in South Africa, the entire western part of the present Cape South African province was occupied by the Hottentot tribes, to the east of which the Bushmen tribes lived. Both, according to their anthropological type, constitute one race, called the Khoisan. However, the life and culture of these peoples were different. Hottentots are warlike tribes of pastoralists. Culturally, they were far superior to their Bushmen neighbors. The Bushmen were hunters and led a very primitive life. They did not have permanent huts; hiding in the bushes for the night, they made temporary huts made of branches. Therefore, the first Dutch settlers called them Bushmen ("people of the bush"). The Bushmen themselves call themselves only by belonging to the tribe, without a common self-name.

The material culture of the Bushmen was distinguished by exceptional poverty. Their main hunting weapons were a small bow and arrows with stone tips. The study of the manufacturing technique of these points showed that they do not differ from stone tools found by archaeologists and identified by them as tools of the Upper Paleolithic Wilton culture. With the advent of Europeans, the Bushmen began to make arrowheads from bottle glass, which they hammered in the same way as a stone. They sometimes used iron tips, which they exchanged with their neighbors - the Hottentots and the Bantu tribes. All the weapons of the Bushman hunter consisted of a bow and arrows, a small leather bag for killed game and a strong stick. The only garment was a leather loincloth. The Bushmen had almost no household items. They kept water, so necessary in the dry steppes of South Africa, in vessels made of ostrich eggs. From the shell of these eggs, they made a kind of beads, which were very highly valued among them. Bushmen knew how to weave small bags, baskets, etc. from plant fibers.

The men spent all their time hunting game. The only domestic animal, companion of the hunter-bushman was a dog. In hunting, the Bushmen were very skillful and unusually hardy; there are cases when a bushman chased an antelope for two or three days and, having overtaken it, killed the first stone that came to hand. Hunters used a wide variety of traps, and also organized round-ups for big game. At the same time, women and children with branches and palm leaves in their hands lined up in two rows, cordoned off the hunting area and drove the game to the hunters.

The Bushmen also used various poisons that poisoned the arrowheads. The most famous are the strophanthus and the juice secreted by the larva of one of the beetle species.

On the rocks in the Drakensberg Mountains there are drawings of bushmen depicting dances, scenes of hunting life, etc. One of the most famous drawings depicts a hunter sneaking up on a group of ostriches. Drawings

The social structure of the Bushmen has been studied very little. By the time the Europeans appeared, the Bushmen inhabited the areas of Grikvaland in the basin of the river. Orange and areas to the east of it. From all these areas, the Bushmen were ruthlessly expelled. The Dutch settlers actually hunted them, exterminating men and women like wild animals. The Bushmen are now driven into the waterless regions of the Kalahari Desert, where they are doomed to extinction. Previously, numerous tribes now number several dozen people, others have been completely exterminated. The library of Cape Town has preserved records of the richest folklore of the Hamka-kwe Bushmen who once lived in the lower reaches of the river. Orange and now completely exterminated. From these records one can judge about their former tribal organization.

Bushmen now live in small groups of 50-150 people, usually with paternal relatives. Each of them has a certain territory, the right to hunt in which belongs only to her. In the dry, hungry season, these groups are divided into small cells of 10-12 people. and led by experienced hunters roam the scorched steppe in search of food. The Bushmen do not have any common tribal organization now, and only the language binds the members of the tribe. In total, there are up to 20 Bushman languages. The total number of Bushmen is now estimated at about 7,000.

Hottentots

The Hottentots constitute a special group of tribes, close in some respects to the Bushmen.

Some anthropological signs serve as the basis for their unification. In addition, linguists note many similarities in the Bushman and Hottentot languages ​​in the field of both phonetics and grammatical structure and vocabulary. By uniting the Hottentots and Bushmen into one group, anthropologists speak of the Khoisan race, or racial type, and linguists, of the Khoisan group of languages. This name is conditional and is composed of the words koi + san. Koi in the language of the Hottentots means “person”, and the Hottentots call themselves “koikoin” (“people of people”, that is, real people). The second part of the conventional name is dignity. The Hottentots call their Bushmen neighbors San, which seems to be a contemptuous name.

Although the Hottentots and Bushmen belong to the same group, they are nevertheless completely different peoples. In the middle of the 17th century, that is, by the time the first Dutch colonists appeared in South Africa, the Hottentots inhabited the entire southern tip of Africa - from the Cape of Good Hope to the river. Kei. The Ttentots represented at that time a large group of pastoralist tribes. Huge herds of cattle constituted their main wealth. They also raised sheep and goats. External life and customs of the Hottentots from the very beginning of the 18th century. are beautifully described by the Dutchman Peter Kolb. The Hottentots lived in round huts made of twigs, covered with skins on top. The huts were located in a circle, inside which cattle were driven. The first Dutch colonists called such settlements kraals; 300-400 people lived in each of them. The kraals were temporary; when there was not enough pasture in the vicinity, the population moved to new places.

The livestock was in the possession of large patriarchal families, some of which had several thousand heads. Cattle care was the responsibility of men. The women prepared food and churned butter in leather sacks. Dairy food was the mainstay of nutrition. Taking care of the preservation of the livestock, the Hottentots avoided stabbing livestock, and hunting provided them with meat. Animal skins were used for clothing, utensils, etc., huts were covered with skins, sacks and raincoats were sewn from them.

The weapons were spears with iron tips, bows and arrows, long throwing clubs - kirri. All the necessary iron tools were made by the Hottentots themselves. They knew how not only to process iron, but also to smelt it from ore. Kolb describes the technique of processing iron as follows:

“The way they smelt iron from ore is briefly as follows. They dig a rectangular or circular hole in the ground about 2 feet deep and make a strong fire there to heat the earth. When, after that, they throw ore there, they make a fire there again so that from the intense heat the ore melts and becomes fluid. To collect this molten iron, make another one or 1.5 feet deeper next to the first pit; and since a chute leads from the first smelting furnace to the other pit, liquid iron flows down it and cools there. The next day, they take out the molten iron, break it into pieces with stones and again, with the help of fire, make of it whatever they want and need. " Hard stone replaced the anvil with them, the hammer was stone, and on the stone they polished the finished object. “Anyone,” says Kolbe, “who knows their arrows and Assegai, will be surprised that they were made without the help of a hammer, tongs and other tools, and will abandon any thought of considering the Hottentots stupid and ignorant at the sight of these testimonies. their beautiful sound mind "1.

The Hottentots were divided into many tribes, each of which spoke its own particular language. At the head of the tribe was the chief, who was in charge of all affairs, with him there was a council of the oldest members of the tribe. Among the Hottentots, there was already significant inequality in wealth. Along with the rich, who owned huge herds, there were the poor, who had one or two bulls and several sheep or goats. Slavery also existed among the Hottentots; the captives captured in the war were not killed, the slaves, along with the poor, grazed the cattle of the rich.

There is every reason to believe that the Bushmen and Hottentots once inhabited the entire southern and significant part of East Africa: tribes still live on the territory of Tanganyika, whose languages ​​are close to the languages ​​of the Bushmen and Hottentots. Obviously, these tribes are the remnants of the former population of Tanganyika. Later, all of Eastern and most of South Africa was settled by the tribes of the Negroid race and speaking the Bantu languages.

Bantu

The resettlement of the Bantu dates back to a very distant time. In any case, more than a thousand years ago, the Bantu inhabited the eastern shores of Africa up to Natal. There is no doubt that throughout East Africa there was constant movement of tribes, caused by a variety of reasons.

Some Bantu tribes moved southward from what is now Northern Rhodesia. On this basis, some historians of South Africa are trying to "prove" that the indigenous African population of the Bantu of South Africa are the same conquerors as the Dutch and the British, who, as you know, appeared in South Africa, some in the 17th century, others in the 19th century. Thus, Professor Brooks, who “represented” “the interests of the indigenous population” in the South African Senate, brazenly declared that “the Bantu are the same conquerors, the same foreigners in South Africa, like the Europeans” 1. Such statements by the ideologists of South African imperialism arouse indignation even among bourgeois scholars studying African history, languages ​​and culture of the Bantu peoples. The author of the Basuto grammar E. Jacote writes, for example: “The Basuto tribes have inhabited this country for centuries. Now, however, it is customary in so-called stories to argue that the Basuto were only humans invading their own country. Soon it will probably be argued that the Europeans arrived there before them and that the Basuto, and not the Boers of the Orange Republic, were the aggressors. This is not a history book, and we are not going to discuss wars between whites and blacks. But we want to take this opportunity to protest against the falsification of the history of South Africa, which is now in full swing and which can be found even in school textbooks ... We are well aware of what cause they are helping with this ”1.

By the time of the appearance of Europeans in South Africa (mid-17th century), the Bantu inhabited all of South Africa, excluding the western part of the present Cape South African province, where the Bushmen and Hottentots lived. Along the entire southeast coast from the river. Great Fish, up to the present Portuguese colony of Mozambique, bounded from the north by the Drakensberg Mountains, lived numerous tribes that had developed by the beginning of the 20th century. in two nationalities, the scythe and the Zulu. In the depths of the country, on the other side of the Drakensberg mountains, lived groups of Basuto and Bechuan tribes, who inhabited the whole country between the Orange and Vaal rivers and further to the north, to the valley of the river. Limpopo, as well as all modern Bechuanaland. In the northern part of the present-day Transvaal lived the Bavenda tribe, and to the north of it a group of Mashona tribes: Makaranga, Wazezuru, Wandau and many others. They inhabited the plains of present-day Southern Rhodesia and the adjacent part of Mozambique right down to the ocean. The Watsongs lived in the rainforests of Mozambique; they made up three groups, each of which included many distinct tribes.

The Kalahari Desert separated this southern group of Bantu tribes from the small group of tribes living west of this desert. These included the Herero tribes - the Ovagerero, Ovambandieru and others, the Ovambo, Ovakuanyama, Ovandonga tribes, close to them in language, and others. Among them lived small groups of mountain ladies (or mountain Damars); they spoke the languages ​​of the Hottentots, but in their physical type were close to the Bantu peoples.

By the beginning of European colonization, the Bantu tribes were at a much higher level of development than the Bushmen and even the Hottentots. The main livelihood was cattle breeding. Along with cattle breeding, the Bantu tribes knew well-developed hoe farming. Of all the South African Bantu tribes, only the Herero were limited to cattle breeding and did not engage in agriculture.

As with the Bantu tribes living in other areas, gathering of wild fruits and hunting served as a great help in the economy. The hunter's armament consisted of a throwing spear, an ax, a club and, for some tribes, a bow and arrows with iron tips. Traps and snares were set up to catch small animals and birds. For elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, etc., they organized a collective hunt, a round-up by the forces of the entire village, clan, or even a whole tribe. For the round-up, two long palisades were built, converging at an angle, an exit was left in the corner, behind which a long deep hole was dug. Wild animals, driven into the narrow passage formed by the palisades, rushed into the remaining free exit and fell into the pit. Sometimes on the animal paths leading to the watering hole, they set up trapping pits, covered them slightly with brushwood and grass, and placed sharp poisoned stakes at the bottom.

The domestic industry had reached significant development before the European conquest, and the first steps were already outlined towards the separation of handicrafts from agriculture. Bantu iron and wood were used to produce tools and household items, animal skins were used to sew clothes and shields. They did not know weaving.

Iron was smelted in extremely primitive, small-sized smelting pit furnaces, where the ore was laid along with charcoal. The air was supplied by hand bellows. Each fur was a sack; a wooden tube was firmly attached to one end without gaps; the other end, open, ended with two planks, which when squeezed the bag tightly closed the hole. A person sat between two bellows and, opening or closing them alternately, created a constant flow of air. Pure iron cannot be obtained in this way immediately. Typically, smelting was repeated and fairly pure iron was obtained. Hammers and tongs were made of iron. The iron hammer was used only for light work; a stone hammer was used for forging large kritz, and a strong stone served as an anvil. Iron was used to produce hoes, axes, knives, spearheads and arrowheads, jewelry (wrists, etc.), and even needles without ears. Copper was also smelted, which was used mainly for the manufacture of jewelry (bracelets, necklaces). Not everyone possessed the art of smelting metal, and not everyone could acquire the necessary devices and tools. Few were engaged in metal smelting and blacksmithing, and they were considered noble members of society.

The potter's wheel was not yet known to the southeastern Bantu. Earthenware was made starting from the bottom by building up earthen rings; then they burned it at the stake, putting it in the middle of dry grass. After firing, the surface of the dish was covered with layers of red ocher and graphite and polished to a high gloss. Handles for metal tools and tools, spoons, cups, etc. were made of wood. Wooden items, especially cups and goblets, were decorated with rich geometric patterns. The Bechuan and some other tribes gave the spoon handles the appearance of figures of various animals, especially giraffes.

Grass and reeds were used to make mats, mats, granaries, baskets and many other household items.

The Bantu achieved great skill in the processing of skins and the manufacture of clothing for them. Men and women wore kaross, a kind of cloak or capes made of skins, which they used to cover themselves at night. Nakarossas are skins of antelopes, gazelles, silver jackal and other animals, less often a bull. The skin removed from the killed animal was dried, cleaned from the skin with crushed sandstone and kneaded with greased hands until the skin became soft and elastic like silk. Fresh bull hide was dressed in a slightly different way: it was stretched on the ground, dried, and then scraped off fat and meat with a scraper; she was kneaded by a group of men to the sound of a choral song. Sometimes a geometric ornament was applied to the skin. The Karossians of the clan and tribal nobility were made from the skins of lions, panthers and jackals; wearing these skins was the privilege of the nobility and distinguished them from ordinary members of the community. Kaross was worn with fur inside and fastened to the shoulder with leather straps.

In addition to kaross, they wore legguards and aprons, usually of lambskin. The man's legguard was a triangular piece of hide, a long corner of which was passed between the legs and attached to the waist at the back. Women wore an apron, a short rectangular piece of hide. The same piece of hide, only with a long slit in the middle, was attached at the back. The skins of animals were used to make sandals and bags for storing and carrying food, and in addition, the Bechuan made capacious vessels for delivering milk from distant pastures.

Ornaments were strings of beads, hand, foot and neck rings made of iron or copper, various pendants, bracelets and headbands. Fur hats were worn on their heads, and sometimes conical hats woven from grass were worn.

The South African Bantu tribes were subsistence farming before the European conquest. The division of labor was still mainly age and gender. The men were engaged in cattle breeding, hunting and the manufacture of products from iron and wood. Agriculture was the business of women, but the virgin lands were raised by men. On the shoulders of the woman lay almost all the chores around the house. She carried water, procured fuel, grinded millet on grain graters, cooked food, brewed beer, and kept order and cleanliness in the hut. She was engaged in collecting wild-growing fruits, making pottery, matting, etc. When the hut was built, the men erected the skeleton, and all other work was left to the women. Teenagers grazed cattle, helped their fathers or older brothers, and girls, under the guidance of adult women, were engaged in household chores.

Economic ties were expressed in mutual assistance, in the organization of collective hunting and in the intra-tribal exchange of household products: blacksmith's crafts, earthenware and wooden utensils, jewelry, weapons, grain and livestock. The Bantu did not know about production for the market, and there were no bazaars. The exchange was exclusively local, casual. There was no universal equivalent, but certain proportions were already established: for an earthen pot they gave as much grain as it could fit; odinassegai was equated with a bull.

Intertribal exchange was more significantly developed. It was led mainly by the tribal nobility, in whose hands a large number of cattle, skins and various products of the domestic industry accumulated; ivory and the skins of some animals were the monopoly property of the tribal leaders, and only they could exchange them. Ordinary members of the tribe conducted external exchange only with the permission of the leader and with the payment of a certain share to him.

A lively exchange was maintained between the Bantu tribes, on the one hand, and the Hottentots and Bushmen, on the other. In the area along the middle reaches of the river. Orange arose something like the annual fairs at which the Bechuan and Hottentots met. Bechuan “in the rainy season crossed the desert separating them from the koi-koins and brought with them tobacco, spoons and ivory wrists, copper rings and bracelets, copper and iron necklaces, axes and spears with iron tips, fine leather kaross and exchanged all this on livestock "1. The Hottentots served as intermediaries between the Bantu tribes and the Bushmen, exchanging ostrich feathers and eggs, skins of wild animals and horns from the latter. An equally lively exchange took place between the Zulu and Basuto. Basuto offered leopard skins, ostrich feathers, crane wings and received livestock, hoes, spearheads, copper rings and necklaces.

A strong impetus to the development of exchange was given by the appearance of the Portuguese in Mozambique, the Boer colonists on the Cape Peninsula, the English merchants in Natal, and the penetration into the hinterland of hunters and buyers of ivory, merchants, missionaries and travelers who delivered the products of European industry. The English missionary R. Moffat reports that although the Matabele had the right to trade with foreigners and whites belonged to the leader - Moselekatse, women secretly brought him milk and other products in order to exchange European curiosities; as you can see, the leader's monopoly was already being shy and was gradually undermined. European goods were just beginning to penetrate Matabela. On September 17, 1857, Moffat wrote to his wife that he saw the first Matabele in a European suit - an old jacket and short trousers; it was one of the generals close to Moselekatse who rode out to meet Moffat. Moselekatse showed Moffat two large baskets filled with European goods: plaid fabrics, printed chintz, handkerchiefs, window curtains. All this lay unused; Moselekatse's wives were not interested in textiles, and he himself was primarily concerned with the acquisition of guns for protection from the Boers, and vans, since he did not have any means of transport.

The main form of settlement for most of the tribes was the kraal, in which, as a rule, one large family lived. All kraals had almost the same circular layout: in the center of the kraal there was a stockyard, fenced with a palisade, wattle fence, stone or adobe fencing. Around the barnyard, huts were located in a certain order: closer to the exit from the barnyard - the hut of the first wife or mother, then the hut of the second wife, the third, the hut of the children, etc. Near each hut there is an extension for cooking and sometimes another extension - a storage room ... The grain was stored in special granaries - in pits, the walls of which were coated with clay, or in huge domed baskets on a scaffold.

The Bechuans adopted a different form of settlement - large settlements, numbering up to a thousand or more huts. In essence, these are the same kraals, but located in a heap. This was caused by the lack of water sources in the Bechuan country, and the population was grouped around a few reservoirs.

The South African Bantu were dwelling in round huts at the base. They were built as follows: long, thin perches were buried in the ground in a circle, their tops were bent, intertwined and tied; on the resulting hemispherical skeleton, a layer of grass tied in bunches was applied. This skeleton was supported by one or more pillars; in the center of the hut there was a hearth, and in the roof above it there was a chimney. Beds, tables, chairs replaced matting, grass mats. The Bantu did not know wooden buildings. Some tribes, like the Bechuan, had stone-built huts and adobe ovens.

There are not so many places on our planet where you can see communities of people living in everyday conditions that have practically not changed over the centuries. One of these places is Africa, where people have survived who live by hunting, fishing and gathering. These tribal communities lead a largely secluded lifestyle, rarely coming into contact with the surrounding population.

Although recently the traditional way of many nationalities and tribes has undergone significant changes, and they are increasingly integrated into modern commodity-money relations, many continue to engage in subsistence farming.

These communities are characterized by low-productivity agriculture. Their main economic task is self-sufficiency in basic foodstuffs in order to prevent prolonged hunger. The weakness of economic interaction and the complete absence of trade often become the cause of interethnic contradictions and even armed conflicts.

Other tribes reached a higher level of economic development, gradually assimilating with the larger state-forming peoples, and at the same time losing their distinctive features.

The abandonment of natural forms of management, and the increasing involvement in modern economic relations, contributes to an increase in cultural and technological development. Which is expressed in increased productivity, and a general rise in material well-being.

For example, the introduction of the plow to some agricultural peoples and tribes in West Africa, led to significant increases in yields and increased cash, which in turn led to the creation of favorable conditions for further modernization of agricultural work, and the beginning of mechanization.

List of largest African tribes and peoples

• Masai
• Makonde
• Mbuti
• Mursi
• Kalenjin
• Oromo
• Pygmies
• Samburu
• Swazi
• Tuareg
• Hamer
• Himba
• Bushmen
• Gourmet
• Bambara
• Fulbe
• Wolof
• Malawi
• Dinka
• Bongo

More than 1 billion

a person lives on the African continent or 34 people per square kilometer. In fact, the population of Africa is unevenly distributed. Scorched by the heat, waterless deserts, where there is no rain for years, are almost deserted.

What peoples inhabit Africa and how are they distributed on the mainland? (Only briefly pzhl)

In the impenetrable forests of Equatorial Africa, only a few tribes of hunters have cut paths. And in the lower reaches of large rivers, every piece of land is cultivated. Here, the population density increases dramatically.

Over three thousand people live in the Nile oasis per square kilometer.

The northern and eastern coasts of the mainland, the shores of the Gulf of Guinea are also densely populated. International trade and modern industry, banks and research centers are concentrated in large cities.

North Africa is inhabited by Arabs and Berbers, who belong to the southern branch of the Caucasian race.

12 centuries ago, the Arabs came to the Mediterranean coast. They mixed with the local population and passed on their language, culture, religion to it. Ancient buildings testify to the high art of Arab architects, the taste and skill of the people.

The ancient Arab cities have still retained their unique appearance. Narrow streets sheltered from the sun, merchants' shops at every corner, artisan workshops.

Sub-Saharan Africa stretches across the vast territory of Central Africa.

Numerous black peoples live here: Sudanese peoples, pygmies, Bantu peoples, Nilots. They all belong to the equatorial race. Distinctive features of the race: dark skin color, curly hair - evolved for a long time under the influence of natural conditions. Among Negroids there are hundreds of different tribes and nationalities with unique facial features, head shape, and skin tone.

The Nilotic peoples, for example, are the tallest people on the mainland. The average height of a male Nilot is 182 cm, and the growth of a pygmy is 145 cm. In the forests of Equatorial Africa live the shortest people on earth, skilled trackers and hunters.

The appearance of African huts has remained unchanged for centuries. Most of the population of Central Africa lives in such villages. The source of food is agriculture. The main instrument of labor is the hoe.

In the savannah and woodlands with rich grass cover, cattle are grazed by nomadic pastoralists. In addition to agriculture and animal husbandry, the inhabitants of the coast are engaged in fishing.

And some peoples have completely linked their lives with the water element.

In the east of Africa, on the territory of Ethiopia and Somalia, there are peoples of a mixed race (the peoples of Ethiopia and Somalia, the Nilots, the Bantu peoples). The ancient ancestors of the Somalis and Ethiopians probably evolved from a mixture of Caucasians and Negroids.

Thin facial features like those of Caucasians, dark hair color and curly hair like those of Negroids. Excavations in Ethiopia showed that 4 million people lived there.

years ago.

The indigenous population of South Africa is Bushmen, Hottentots, Boers. South Africa is the most developed part of the black continent due to the South African industry.

The island of Madakascar is located off the east coast of the mainland.

Malgashs, representatives of the Mongoloid race, live here. 2000 years ago, the Malgash sailed to Madagascar from Indonesia.

Many scholars believe that Africa represents the emergence of man. Archaeologists who excavated in East Africa in the second half of the 20th century have found the remains of a "smart man" that is about 2.7 million years old.

Older human remains have been found in Ethiopia for about 4 million years.

Africa by region, as well as by region, ranks third (after Eurasia) between continents.

The population of the continent is made up of national and foreign residents, with a population of about 600 million. Representatives of all major races are represented here.

Representatives of the southern branch of the Caucasian racial group (characterized by dark skin, narrow nose, dark eyes) live in North Africa. These are indigenous peoples - Berbers and Arabs. Sub-Saharan Africa is inhabited by black people belonging to the equatorial race, which includes the underground and numerous groups of nations.

The most diverse non-native population living in the south of the Sahara and the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. Hundreds of tribes and peoples differ in color, height, facial features, language, lifestyle, and occupy these territories.

The war zones, East and South Africa, are inhabited by people belonging to the Bantu group. In the equatorial forests there are pygmies that stand out among blacks, small stature (up to 150 cm), lighter skin color, thin lips.

The deserts and semi-deserts of South Africa are inhabited by the Hottentots and Bushmen, bearing the characteristics of the Mongoloids and Negaroids.

Part of the inhabitants of the continent is of mixed origin, since it was formed by mixing two or more races, the inhabitants of the Nile Delta, the Ethiopian Highlands, the island of Madagascar. An important part of the population is made up of newcomers. Former European colonies live in almost all countries: on the Mediterranean coast - on the French and southern continents - for Boers (descendants of Dutch settlers), British, French, Germans and others.

The continent's population is extremely uneven.

Political map. Many African countries are ancient civilizations. Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, Benin, Dahomey, etc. The European colonization of the slave trade negatively affected the development of the economy and culture of nations in Africa.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, almost all of the continent was divided by capitalist states. Before World War II, there were only four independent states on the continent - Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia and South Africa. Early sixties XX. Centuries in Africa have developed an active liberation struggle of peoples for independence.

In 1990, the last colony of Namibia gained independence.

There are 55 countries on the continent. With the exception of South Africa, which is economically developed, the rest of the countries are developing. Countries of North Africa. The territory of North Africa includes the territory of the Atlas Mountains, sandy and rocky expanses of the hot Sahara and savannah in Sudan.

Sudan is a natural region stretching from the Sahara (north) in the Congo Basin (in the south), from the Atlantic (in the west) to the foothills of the Ethiopian Highlands (in the east). Geographers often look at this area as part of Central Africa.

North African countries include Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and others. All countries have a corresponding geographic position, reaching the Atlantic Ocean and flowing into the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

The population of these countries has long-term economic and cultural ties with the countries of Europe and South-West Asia. The northern territories of many North African countries are located in subtropical regions, mainly in the tropical desert zone.

The most populous coastline of the Mediterranean, the northern slopes of the Atlas Mountains and the Nile Valley.

In the Sahara, life is concentrated mainly in oases, of which there are quite a few.

Most people created them in places close to underground waters, on the outskirts of sandy deserts and on dry canals. The populations of the countries are fairly homogeneous. In the past, this part of the continent was inhabited by Berber in the 8th century. Century.

People living in Africa

came the Arabs, there was a mixture of peoples. Hairdressers converted to Islam and the spelling of the Arabs. In the countries of North Africa (in comparison with other countries of the continent) there are many cities and towns in which a significant part of the population lives. One of the largest cities in Africa - Cairo - the capital of Egypt.

The underground countries of North Africa are rich in mineral resources.

In the Atlas Mountains there are minerals, manganese and polymetallic ores, phosphorites, and in Egypt there are traces. There are large reserves of oil and natural gas near the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara. The pipelines are stretched from the fields to the ports of the city.

Countries of Sudan and Central Africa.

Zaire is located in this part of the continent. Angola, Sudan, Chad. Nigeria and many small countries. The lands are very diverse - from dry low grassy to wet high meadow savannas and equatorial forests. Part of the forest has been reduced and tropical plants have been built in their place.

Countries of East Africa. The largest countries in the region are Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia. They are located in the highest and most mobile part of the continent, characterized by deep crustal faults, defects, volcanoes, and large lakes.

The Nile River begins on the East African plateau.

The nature of the countries of East Africa, despite the fact that almost the entire territory is located in the same subequatorial zone, is very diverse: tropical deserts, various types of saunas and humid equatorial forests. At the height, on the slopes of high volcanoes, the height is clearly expressed.

The modern population of East Africa is the result of a mixture of different races. Representatives of the Ethiopian small race are primarily in favor of Christianity. Another part of the population belongs to the Negroid people - Bantu, who speak Swahili.

Here and the previous population - Europeans, Arabs and Indians.

Countries of South Africa. There are ten countries in this narrow, southernmost part of the continent (South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, etc.), and many of them are very small (Lesotho, etc.). Nature is rich and varied - from deserts to tropical rainforests. The relief is dominated by high plains, raised along the edges. The climate varies from north to south and east to west.

South Africa has the largest amount of diamonds, uranium ores, gold, non-ferrous metal ores not only on the continent, but also in the world.

The indigenous peoples are the Bantu, Bushmen and Hottentots, and Madagascar lives in Madagascar. The first Europeans to migrate to South Africa were the Dutch, and later they also appeared in English. From the mixed marriages of Europeans with Africans, a group of people called colored people arose.

The modern population of South Africa, in addition to being autochthonous, is made up of Europeans, especially the descendants of the Dutch settlers (Boers) and the British, people of color, and also Asians.

Peoples of Africa

Peoples of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa

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A significant part of the African continent to the south is inhabited by numerous peoples of the Benue-Congo linguistic subgroup, some of which are united under the common name Bantu. The Bantu knew well hoe farming, and some peoples even agriculture with artificial irrigation.

The farmers are the Bantu tropical zone in the Congo Basin. The Bantu were engaged in smelting iron and copper, mined gold, possessed a high technique of laying stone buildings from blocks. They created a number of independent state entities: Bakongo, Baluba, Butanda, Monomotapa. The Bantu had two main economic cult types: agricultural and cattle breeding. For all of Africa, a slash-and-burn farming system with hoe tillage is characteristic.

On the slopes of the hills - terraced farming. Due to the lack of suitable land, Bantu peasants extend the life of their field plots by alternating crops of different crops, applying fertilizers and using an irrigation system. Cattle breeding has its own characteristics: there are few domestic animals in the Congo Basin, and the lack of meat is covered by hunting and fishing products. As for East Tropical Africa (BTA), cattle breeding is more developed here. The main transport here is donkey and horses.

As for the South African cattle breeding, it was and remains grazing. The mass death of cattle from the plague in the 19th century, the seizure of land by European colonialists, and the expulsion of the Bantu to inconvenient reserves undermined their cattle-breeding economy.

The Bantu peoples are familiar with the metallurgy of iron and copper. The blacksmith's craft took artistic forms here, i.e. weapons differed in quality and finish. Bantu settlements are large and small villages surrounded by high hedges. The dwellings are based on a wicker frame, on the sides and on top there are reeds, palm leaves or straw.

Each village has a special house or shed for public gatherings of men. Among the peoples of South Africa, the main form of settlement is the kraal, which is inhabited by a large patriarchal family. Near each house there is a building for cooking. Clothing: in hot conditions, a minimum of clothing is used: both men's and women's loincloths woven from grass or animal skins.

Weaving was unknown to most Bantu. Recently, imported textile fabrics and clothing of European cut have begun to spread. The head of the village was the eldest maternal uncle. He distributed the land and directed the religious rituals of the community. Most of the peoples of the CTA in the last century retained a patriarch.

The land is jointly owned by the village-community.

Each member is endowed with a field plot (which cannot be bought, sold or donated). The clan and tribal leaders, with the support of the colonial administration, became the operational elite. The tribal system of East Africa is in the process of decomposition. The main economic unit is the individual family. All government of the country is in the hands of the nobility, who from their midst chooses a "tsar", first along the female line, and then they began to choose on the paternal side. The state of the Congo lasted until the end of the 19th century.

The penetration of capitalism into C, V and South Africa hastened the disintegration of tribal relations and contributed to the development of commodity-money relations.

The unification of the previously scattered tribes into large ethnic communities began.

Each family worshiped its male ancestor, and the tribe as a whole worshiped the ancestors of the leader.

The Bantu is characterized by vague ideas about the local god:

1. God was endowed with the features of his creator - man.

2. God is an "anthropomorphic" being who sends rain.

3. God for Bantu is simply the personification of the sky.

Peoples of Western Asia

Western Asia occupies vast areas of the Eurasian continent (the peninsula of Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Iranian Highlands, Levant).

There are a number of states here: the Republic of Turkey, the Islamic Republic, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Lebanon, Bahrain, the Arab Emirates, and many others). Natural conditions - the dominance of arid landscapes with widespread deserts.

The major rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates.

The first evidence of the ethnic composition of the ZA appears at the turn of 4-3 thousand BC, when the Sumerians created the most ancient state in southern Mesopotamia and invented cuneiform writing.

A significant number of languages ​​are widespread in WA, which belong to different branches of 3 language families: Indo-European (Iranian branch: Farsi, Pashto, Tajik, Kurdish, etc.); Semitic-Hamitic (Arabic literary language with its own dialects and dialects) and Altai (Turkic languages ​​included in different branches: Turkish branch, Azerbaijani, Tatar, Turkmen, etc.).

According to anthropological characteristics, almost the entire population of ZA belongs to various racial types of the large Caucasian race.

The modern ethnic composition is complex and most of it is multinational. Establishing the ethnic composition of Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan is connected with difficulties. Official language and writing: Arabic (common in Arab countries), and, for example, in Israel - the Hebrew language, and the writing is based on the Hebrew alphabet.

The economy employs most of the ZA (with the exception of industry).

2 economic and cultural types: plow farming and nomadic cattle breeding (nomadism). The fields are irrigated in two ways: by gravity (arable land lies below the river level), water pumping (when the level is below the cultivated fields). "Kyariz irrigation" is a system of drainage galleries through which subsoil waters are brought to the day surface (a chain of wells).

In desert and dry areas, small fields are irrigated from artificial reservoirs in which rain or melt snow water accumulates, as well as from wells. In some countries, especially Iran and Afghanistan, "rainfed" agriculture takes place in the mountains, in which the fields are not watered, relying on natural rainfall. The land is cultivated with a wooden plow with an iron opener, hoes, shovels, and modern mechanized agricultural implements have only well-to-do farms.

Farmers breed domesticated animals as a draft force and for obtaining milk, meat, wool.

In most of the Arab countries, the main agricultural crops are: wheat, barley, date palms, in some areas industrial crops, rice, citrus and vegetable crops, in Yemen - coffee. A lot of cotton, grapes, tobacco, fruit trees are grown in Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan.

Especially high-quality rice varieties are sown in Iran. There are opium poppy plantations.

Livestock raising is carried out by farmers in stall and distant forms.

In the deserts and mountains of ZA, there is a nomadic economic culture type: nomadic, semi-nomadic and semi-sedentary cattle breeding.

Crafts and home production were highly developed, there are craftsmen in the smelting and processing of metals (the famous Damascus weapon steel was invented). Carvers of stone, bone, and expensive sorts of wood have achieved great perfection. The world's best carpets are weaved here.

Rural settlements significantly predominate over urban ones and their appearance differs depending on natural conditions and local traditions (for example, Turkey - settlements located on the sea coast, in Iran - in the foothills, in Afghanistan - in mountain valleys).

Farmers' settlements are large, in mountainous areas they are small. In the center of a large settlement there is a market square, a mosque (church), a coffee shop and administrative buildings.

Curved streets branch out from the center, and water pipes are located mainly in the city center. The settlements of nomads and semi-nomads are temporary and seasonal.

Most durable in summer. The types of dwellings of the agricultural and pastoralist population are diverse. These are agricultural structures (plains and foothills) rectangular, square, in the form of a mud brick house with a flat roof.

The poor live in single-cell residential buildings, the wealthy in multi-cell. Interior: bedding-carpets on the floors, trestle beds, chests with property. Others (Turkey and Iran) have low-rise furniture, while the wealthy population has factory furniture.

Nomadic dwellings (for example, among the Turkmens) are wagons made of a collapsible wooden frame, covered with felt. All others have tents made of woolen fabric or tarpaulin stretched over poles.

Traditional utensils: for the farmer and herders - earthenware. Food is cooked in cauldrons. Food ration: wheat cakes, dishes from plant and dairy foods, wealthy people eat meat. Drinks: tea with mint, coffee. Traditional vehicles consist of horse, pack, wheeled and water transport.

The costume of most of the population is similar in type, and the variety is observed in headdresses. The men's suit consists of a wide (knee-length) shirt with sleeves, pants with a wide step, a cloak-robe.

In winter - a sheepskin coat. The traditional costume was preserved mainly by the nomads. Women's clothing - a long shirt-dress and tight long pants, caftans, raincoats, robes.

Family and family relations are based on the norms of religious and customary law (Muslims - polygamy, marriage-purchase, ortho-cousin marriages, among nomads - tribal endogamy and levirate).

The position of women is unequal. There is variegation in social relations even today, and feudal remnants (Turkey) remain in them.

Spiritual culture.

Oral creativity is especially developed among nomadic peoples, and folk musical culture is developed among sedentary farmers. Musical instruments plucked, percussion, wind. In folk medicine, natural remedies are used in conjunction with religious and magical beliefs.

Folklore genres: fairy tales, legends, satirical works. Popular street folk theater of puppets and shadows and sports are popular. There is illiteracy in villages and poor urban areas.

By religious affiliation, most of the population belongs to different denominations of Islam (a monotheistic religion that developed in Arabia on the basis of ancient beliefs).

The holy book is the Koran. Islam has currents: Sunni and Shi'ism. In ZA there are syncretic religions - this is the result of a mixture of Christianity, Islam and ancient pagan beliefs. Religion holds a very strong position in this region.

Peoples of South Asia

This region occupies the territory of the Indian subcontinent, the island of Sri Lanka, the Lykkodiv, Amindiv, Andaman and Nicobar islands.

States: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Republic of Maldives.

There are about 200 peoples in South Africa. The population speaks the languages ​​of the Indian, Iranian and Dardic branches of the Indo-European family, as well as the languages ​​of the Dravidian, Auto-Asian and Sino-Tibesian families.

Intensive linguistic processes are taking place in South Africa, which are expressed in the transition of small peoples to the languages ​​of their more numerous neighbors. Anthropologically, the population of the north of South Africa belongs to the southern Caucasians.

In 3-2 thousand BC. tribes that spoke the Dravidian and Munda languages ​​began to penetrate.

Anthropological Dravidians, Southern Caucasians were the creators of civilization in the Indus Valley. During the migrations, the Dravidians and Munda encountered the Veddoids and were assimilated. Groups and populations speaking Indo-European languages ​​came to South Africa from the north. In the northeast, anthropological-type Mongoloid groups were formed.

The production economy began to emerge early. Most of the BA peoples are farmers, use plow farming with livestock and handicraft production (economic culture type).

Rice and wheat (little), millet and legumes, cotton, sugar cane, coffee, tobacco, tea are grown in India. Livestock is sacred, therefore the number of unproductive animals is large, which in turn complicates the development of agriculture. Farming is carried out in an irrigated form. They use a plow, reap with sickles. Other economic and cultural types are gradually taking shape:

1. Nomadic and semi-nomadic cattle breeding (Pashtuns, Baluchis).

They were subordinate to the states on whose lands they lived, developed class relations began to arise after settling and the transition to agriculture.

2. Hoe farmers: hoe farming using artificial irrigation and more archaic farming on parched forest areas.

3. Intermediate economic culture type: the complex economy of the backward forest peoples, which was based on primitive hoes and on hunting, gathering, fishing.

A significant part of the population lives in rural areas.

The layout, types of their dwellings are different: street-type settlements, according to the tradition of castes (in different quarters), large settlements, nomadic settlements and villages on the hills. In peasant houses there are low trestle beds on which they sit and sleep, low stools, tables.

The clothes are colorful, sewn and unstitched. For men: dhoti (unstitched loincloth), pants, shirts, jackets, turban caps (no leather shoes), go barefoot or rag shoes.

Women - saris (a long piece of unstitched fabric), blouses, shawls, a lot of jewelry.

Utensils are mainly made of metal, earthenware, wooden dishes. Food - vegetable and dairy. Transport - a cart with a team of oxen, zebu, pack.

The family and social structure differ according to the level of socio-economic development and belonging to the Hindu, Muslim or other religion.

The Hindu and Muslim families had large patriarchal families. Parents agreed on marriages (marriages only between members of the same caste). Maternal name and inheritance. Women had equal rights with men. In family and marriage relations of small peoples, there is a pairing family and family forms that are transitional to monogamy. lass relations arose thousands of years ago, but some peoples have vestiges. There is a caste system, i.e.

professional castes or castes by origin. There are 4 main castes (varnas):

1. Brahmanas (priests).

2. Kshatriyas (warriors).

3. Vaishya (farmers).

4. Shudra (servants).

Epic works "Mahabharata", "Ramayana" and others. They are read, chanted and recited. The representations of magicians (fakirs) are popular. Musical instruments - plucked, bowed, drums. The fine arts and architecture (the architectural complex of Agra, Taj Mahal) reached high development, woodcarving and miniatures were developed.

The people are famous for medicine - natural medicines, impact on the human psyche, yoga.

Who inhabits Africa

Various religious beliefs are observed: the largest number of believers is from Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism. Hinduism is rooted in the religions of the ancient Aryans - a polytheistic religion, the deities Vishna and Shiva, Lakshmi. There is also a cult of ancestors.

Buddhism originated in North India in the 6th and 5th centuries. BC. Buddhism recognizes everyone as equal. Jainism emerged around the 6th and 5th centuries. BC. Also does not recognize caste systems.

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There are not so many places on our planet where you can see communities of people living in everyday conditions that have practically not changed over the centuries. One of these places is Africa, where people have survived who live by hunting, fishing and gathering. These tribal communities lead a largely secluded lifestyle, rarely coming into contact with the surrounding population.

Although recently the traditional way of many nationalities and tribes has undergone significant changes, and they are increasingly integrated into modern commodity-money relations, many continue to engage in subsistence farming. These communities are characterized by low-productivity agriculture. Their main economic task is self-sufficiency in basic foodstuffs in order to prevent prolonged hunger. The weakness of economic interaction and the complete absence of trade often become the cause of interethnic contradictions and even armed conflicts.

Other tribes reached a higher level of economic development, gradually assimilating with the larger state-forming peoples, and at the same time losing their distinctive features. The abandonment of natural forms of management, and the increasing involvement in modern economic relations, contributes to an increase in cultural and technological development. Which is expressed in increased productivity, and a general rise in material well-being.

For example, the introduction of the plow to some agricultural peoples and tribes in West Africa, led to significant increases in yields and increased cash, which in turn led to the creation of favorable conditions for further modernization of agricultural work, and the beginning of mechanization.

List of largest African tribes and peoples

• Makonde
• Mbuti
• Mursi
• Kalenjin
• Oromo
• Pygmies
• Samburu
• Swazi
• Tuareg
• Hamer
• Himba
• Bushmen
• Gourmet
• Bambara
• Fulbe
• Wolof
• Malawi
• Dinka
• Bongo

More than 1 billion people live on the African continent, or 34 people per square kilometer. In fact, the population of Africa is unevenly distributed. Scorched by the heat, waterless deserts, where there is no rain for years, are almost deserted. In the impenetrable forests of Equatorial Africa, only a few tribes of hunters have cut paths. And in the lower reaches of large rivers, every piece of land is cultivated. Here, the population density increases dramatically.

Over three thousand people live in the Nile oasis per square kilometer. The northern and eastern coasts of the mainland, the shores of the Gulf of Guinea are also densely populated. International trade and modern industry, banks and research centers are concentrated in large cities.

North Africa is inhabited by Arabs and Berbers, who belong to the southern branch of the Caucasian race. 12 centuries ago, the Arabs came to the Mediterranean coast. They mixed with the local population and passed on their language, culture, religion to it. Ancient buildings testify to the high art of Arab architects, the taste and skill of the people. The ancient Arab cities have still retained their unique appearance. Narrow streets sheltered from the sun, merchants' shops at every corner, artisan workshops.

Sub-Saharan Africa stretches across the vast territory of Central Africa. Numerous black peoples live here: Sudanese peoples, pygmies, Bantu peoples, Nilots. They all belong to the equatorial race. Distinctive features of the race: dark skin color, curly hair - evolved for a long time under the influence of natural conditions. Among Negroids there are hundreds of different tribes and nationalities with unique facial features, head shape, and skin tone. The Nilotic peoples, for example, are the tallest people on the mainland. The average height of a male Nilot is 182 cm, and the growth of a pygmy is 145 cm. The shortest people on earth, skilled trackers and hunters live in the forests of Equatorial Africa.

The appearance of African huts has remained unchanged for centuries. Most of the population of Central Africa lives in such villages. The source of food is agriculture. The main instrument of labor is the hoe. In the savannah and woodlands with rich grass cover, cattle are grazed by nomadic pastoralists. In addition to agriculture and animal husbandry, the inhabitants of the coast are engaged in fishing. And some peoples have completely linked their lives with the water element.

In the east of Africa, on the territory of Ethiopia and Somalia, there are peoples of a mixed race (the peoples of Ethiopia and Somalia, the Nilots, the Bantu peoples). The ancient ancestors of the Somalis and Ethiopians probably evolved from a mixture of Caucasians and Negroids. Thin facial features like those of Caucasians, dark hair color and curly hair like those of Negroids. Excavations in Ethiopia showed that a man lived there 4 million years ago.

The indigenous population of South Africa is Bushmen, Hottentots, Boers. South Africa is the most developed part of the black continent due to the South African industry.

The island of Madakascar is located off the east coast of the mainland. Malgashs, representatives of the Mongoloid race, live here. 2000 years ago, the Malgash sailed to Madagascar from Indonesia.

Under the Bantu peoples, it is customary to understand a name common to more than 400 ethnic groups, in some cases simply sounding like “the Bantu people”. In fact, this is a whole group of peoples, the largest of which are Rwanda, Malawi, Makua, Shona, Rundi, Congo, Kosa and Chokwe. The Bantu habitat is the entire territory of sub-Saharan Africa.

Different nationalities are united by similar languages ​​and common traditions. Many Bantu have two or more languages, the most common of which is Swahili. According to a rough estimate of scientists, about 200 million Bantu representatives live on the continent today, the greatest concentration of which is in Central, South and East.

According to the leading scientists-researchers of the African continent, these tribes, together with the Hottentots, gave rise to the formation of the so-called South African colored race. The Bantu and their race still cause a lot of controversy in the scientific community.

The classic features of the appearance of the representatives of the tribes of this group are dark skin, coarse hair, the structure of which is very unusual - each hair curls in a spiral, a low bridge of the nose, wide wings of the nose, thick lips and high growth, in some peoples in its average value exceeding 180 cm. Bantu are very willing to make contact with tourists, allowing them to take photos for a small fee and entertaining foreigners with excursions to their villages.

The system of religious views of various Bantu tribes is made up of traditional animistic beliefs, Christianity and Islam. Moreover, religion in the lives of these people is closely connected not only with traditions and rituals, but also with everyday life.

Tribal settlements are villages of varying sizes and layouts. The most typical type of dwelling is a wicker round house, often covered with a layer of clay. In the southern part of the settlement area (the territory of South Africa), it is customary to plaster and paint houses, and in the northern part and on the southeast coast, houses are rectangular, and the roof has two or four slopes or is made in the form of a flat earth layer. The main occupation of the Bantu to this day is agriculture. They grow legumes, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, sesame and millet.

Since ancient times, Bantu have been dressed in loincloths or in aprons, independently made from grass or animal skins. Today, when civilization has almost completely destroyed most of the traditions and characteristics of many, for example, such as the Bantu and Zulus, the clothes of local African residents are no different from the inhabitants.

Continuing a video demonstrating the concept of beauty in the Bantu tribe and their way of life.

Many scholars consider Africa to be the birthplace of man. Archaeologists, having carried out excavations in East Africa, in the second half of the XX century, discovered the remains of a "Homo habilis", whose age is about 2.7 million years. In Ethiopia, even more ancient human remains were found, about 4 million years old.

In terms of population, as well as in area, Africa ranks third (after Eurasia) among the continents. The mainland's population consists of indigenous and newcomers, with a total population of about 600 million people. There are representatives of all major races here.

North Africa is inhabited by representatives of the southern branch of the Caucasian race (distinctive features are dark skin, narrow nose, dark eyes). These are indigenous peoples - Berbers and Arabs. To the south of the Sahara live negroids belonging to the equatorial race, which includes subraces and numerous groups of peoples. The most diverse is the Negroid population living south of the Sahara and on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. Hundreds of tribes and peoples, differing in skin color, height, facial features, language, way of life, occupy these territories.

The Congo Basin, East and South Africa are inhabited by peoples who belong to the Bantu group. In the equatorial forests, pygmies live, which stand out among the Negroids by their small stature (up to 150 cm), lighter skin color, thin lips. The deserts and semi-deserts of South Africa are inhabited by the Hottentots and Bushmen, with signs of both Mongoloids and Negroids.

Part of the mainland's population is of mixed origin, as it was formed from the mixing of two races or more, these are the inhabitants of the Nile Delta, the Ethiopian Highlands, the island of Madagascar. A significant part of the population is made up of alien peoples. Europeans live in almost all countries - former colonies: on the Mediterranean coast - the French, and in the south of the mainland - the Boers (descendants of the Dutch settlers), the British, the French, the Germans, etc. The population is distributed extremely unevenly across the mainland.

Political map. Many peoples of Africa have an ancient civilization: Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, Benin, Dahomey, etc. The European colonization of the slave trade had a detrimental effect on the development of the economy and culture of the peoples of Africa. By the beginning of the 20th century, almost the entire territory of the mainland was divided by the capitalist countries among themselves. Before World War II, there were only four independent states on the continent - Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia and South Africa. At the beginning of the 60s of the 20th century, an active liberation struggle of peoples for independence unfolded in Africa. In 1990, the last colony, Namibia, gained independence.

There are 55 states on the continent. With the exception of South Africa, an economically developed country, the rest of the countries are developing countries. Countries of North Africa. The territory of North Africa includes the region of the Atlas Mountains, sandy and rocky expanses of the hot Sahara and the savannah of Sudan. Sudan is a natural area stretching from the Sahara Desert (in the north) to the Congo Basin (in the south), from the Atlantic (in the west) to the foothills of the Ethiopian Highlands (in the east). Geographers often consider this area as part of Central Africa. The countries of North Africa include Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and others. All countries have a convenient geographical position, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The population of these countries has long-standing economic and cultural ties with the countries of Europe and South-West Asia. The northern territories of many North African countries are located in the subtropics, and most of them are in the tropical desert zone. The most densely populated are the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the northern slopes of the Atlas Mountains and the Nile Valley.

In the Sahara, life is concentrated mainly in oases, of which there are quite a few. Most of them were created by man in places of close occurrence of underground waters, on the outskirts of sandy deserts and along dry channels. The population of the countries is fairly homogeneous. In the past, this part of the continent was inhabited by the Berbers, in the 8th century AD. the Arabs came, there was a mixture of peoples. The Berbers converted to Islam and the writing of the Arabs. In the countries of North Africa (in comparison with other countries of the mainland) there are many cities and towns, in which a significant part of the population lives. One of the largest cities in Africa - Cairo - the capital of Egypt.

The bowels of the North African countries are rich in mineral resources. In the Atlas Mountains, iron, manganese and polymetallic ores, phosphorites are mined; there are deposits of the latter in Egypt. Near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and in the Sahara there are large reserves of oil and natural gas. Pipelines stretch from oil fields to port cities.

Countries of Sudan and Central Africa. Zaire is located in this part of the mainland. Angola, Sudan, Chad. Nigeria and many small countries. The landscapes are very diverse - from dry low-grass to wet high-grass savannas and equatorial forests. Part of the forests has been cleared, in their place, plantations of tropical crops have been created.

Countries of East Africa. The largest countries in terms of area are Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia. They are located within the highest and most mobile part of the continent, which is characterized by deep faults in the earth's crust, faults, volcanoes, and large lakes.

The Nile River originates on the East African Plateau. the nature of the countries of eastern Africa, despite the fact that almost the entire territory is located in one subequatorial zone, is extremely diverse: tropical deserts, various types of savannahs and humid equatorial forests. On the highlands, on the slopes of high volcanoes, the altitudinal zonation is clearly expressed.

The modern population of East Africa is the result of a mixture of different races. Representatives of the Ethiopian minor race profess mainly Christianity. Another part of the population belongs to the Negroids - the Bantu peoples who speak the Swahili language. There are also newcomers here - Europeans, Arabs and Indians.

Countries of southern Africa. On the territory of this narrowest, most southern part of the mainland, there are 10 countries, both large (South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, etc.) and very small in area (Lesotho, etc.). Nature is rich and varied - from deserts to tropical rainforests. The relief is dominated by high plains, raised along the edges. The climate changes from north to south and from east to west.

The largest deposits of diamonds, uranium ores, gold, and non-ferrous metal ores are located on the territory of South Africa, not only on the continent, but also in the world. The indigenous population is made up of the Bantu peoples, Bushmen and Hottentots; Malgash live in Madagascar. The first of the Europeans to settle in South Africa were the Dutch, and later the British appeared. From mixed marriages of Europeans with Africans, a group of people was formed, which is called colored. The modern population of the countries of South Africa, in addition to the indigenous, consists of Europeans, mainly the descendants of the Dutch settlers (Boers) and the British, the colored population, as well as immigrants from Asia.