The rivers of Guinea-Bissau were some of the first of Africa to be discovered by the Portuguese. Portugal claimed Portuguese Guinea in 1446. But very little trading post were established before the 1600’s. Portuguese entered the slave trade and exported large quantities of Africans to the Western Hemisphere. African rulers prospered greatly from the slave trade but did not allow Europeans to move more inland than were there trading post were. Independence was declared on the 24 of September in 1973. The country was controlled by a revolutionary council until 1984. The first multi-party elections were held in 1994, but an uprising in 1998 led to the Guinea- Bissau civil war and the president ousting in in June 1999.
Guinea-Bissau is part of North-West Africa. It is along the border near the North Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is Bissau. The flag of Guinea is black, red, yellow, and green. The black star stands for the unity of Africa. The red stands for the bloodshed and struggle for independence, yellow stands for the sun, and the green represents hope. The flags design was heavily in...
Though the Atlantic Slave Trade began in 1441, it wasn’t until nearly a century later that Europeans actually became interested in slave trading on the West African coast. “With no interest in conquering the interior, they concentrated their efforts to obtain human cargo along the West African coast. During the 1590s, the Dutch challenged the Portuguese monopoly to become the main slave trading nation (“Africa and the Atlantic Slave Trade”, NA). Besides the trading of slaves, it was also during this time that political changes were being made. The Europe...
What is culture? Culture is the characteristics that describe a certain group of people. Culture defines those groups of people through religion, language, food and arts among many more. Culture is made up of many long lived traditions passed on through different regions. Brazilian culture is one of the most diverse out there. Some would say it has similarities to American culture when relating it to a "melting pot". Over 75% of the country follows the Roman Catholic faith. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese due to mass Portuguese settlements in much earlier centuries. Brazilian culture has a main focus on family unity and most Brazilians have a large number of family members.
Western attitudes to African people and culture have always affected how their art was appreciated and this has also coloured the response to the art from Benin.
The immediate cause of the European voyages of discovery was the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. While Egypt and Italian city-state of Venice was left with a monopoly on ottoman trade for spices and eastern goods it allowed Portugal and Spain to break the grip by finding an Atlantic route. Portugal took the lead in the Atlantic exploration because of the reconquest from the Muslims, good finances, and their long standing seafaring traditions. In dealing with agriculture, The Portuguese discovered Brazil on accident, but they concentrated on the Far East and used Brazil as a ground for criminals. Pernambuco, the first area to be settled, became the world’s largest sugar producer by 1550. Pernambuco was a land of plantations and Indian slaves. While the market for sugar grew so did the need for slaves. Therefore the African Slave start became greatly into effect. Around 1511 Africans began working as slaves in the Americas. In 1492, Columbus embarked on his voyage from Spain to the Americas. The Euro...
After the slavery abolition in 1888 and throughout the 20th century, Africa figured relatively low in Brazil’s foreign policy agenda, which have mostly focused in the relations with the global powers such as the United States and European countries. This configuration started to change significantly in the early 2000s, when the improved macroeconomic situation of Brazil coincided with Africa’s economic revival. The turning point was, with no doubt, under former President Lula’s mandate (2003-2010).
Brazil’s Atlantic Coastal Plain begins in the northeast of South America at Cabo San Roque and expands southward ending in Rio de Janeiro. The Coastal Plain is located between the Atlantic Coast and the escarpment which runs parallel to the plain. This area is characterized by its warm and humid climate which is ultimately considered tropical. Most climatic patterns have been influenced by the plains proximity to the Atlantic Ocean (Kent 236). The region’s precipitation is considered moderate with rainfall ranging from 1,300 mm to 1,600 mm; essentially the region has little to no real dry season (Kent 237)
There are several countries which are located within the Combined Joint Task Force- Horn of Africa AOR. This paper will discuss the cultural influence of the Republic of Djibouti as well as its influence on bordering countries within its region. Additionally, this paper will portray Djibouti’s global significance and its effect on United States interest within the AOR. Historically, Djibouti’s strategic location and status as a free trade zone within the Horn of Africa has played a major role in this country’s importance throughout the globe. Hence, Djibouti maintains relationships with numerous countries and to date openly welcomes negotiations with other countries that can contribute to the country’s economic development. Continued U.S. interest within the nation ensures the financial growth of the region and has a significant impact on the development of the Djiboutian government. As a high context environment the Djiboutian people recognize the importance of maintaining a good rapport with other nations in the best interest of their local government and the economic progress of their nation.
The first West African state of record was Ghana which had been ruled by over forty kings by the year 300 A.D. The early Ghanaians were a peaceful and prosperous people who developed an economy based on agriculture and...
Brief History From the 1500s to the 1700s, African blacks, mainly from the area of West Africa (today's Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Dahomey, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Gabon) were shipped as slaves to North America, Brazil, and the West Indies. For them, local and tribal differences, and even varying cultural backgrounds, soon melded into one common concern: the suffering they all endured. Music, songs, and dances as well as traditional food, helped not only to uplift them but also quite unintentionally added immeasurably to the culture around them. In the approximately 300 years that blacks have made their homes in North America, the West Indies, and Brazil, their highly honed art of the cuisine so treasured and carefully transmitted to their daughters has become part of the great culinary classics of these lands. But seldom are the African blacks given that recognition.
When it comes to the African continent we could say that we've heard a lot and nothing at the same time, this is because the history of Africa is barely starting to be written and we are somehow ignorant to the great wonders of this huge and vast continent. Its large and magnificent empires, kings and queens that ruled for generations, centuries at times and also is host of spectacular ruins scattered widely throughout the continent, but even with all these wonderful things that this continent offers to this day there are those who say, and think that Africa is a continent without history, culture and has offered nothing to the world in any form or manner. Africa has always been seen and perceived as the dark continent, this because Europeans claimed and saw the Africans as people without culture, progress and because they were different Europeans concluded that the continent was plunged into a dark age and this is where the term "dark continent" comes from. Africa has always been a source of debate in terms of culture, technology, economy, and in every way you can imagine, it has been labeled as the dark continent from centuries ago just for not being at the forefront as the other continents and although it not called in this way anymore there are still people who think of Africa in the same way. Oyebade argues:
The concept of the slave trade came about in the 1430’s, when the Portuguese came to Africa in search of gold (not slaves). They traded copper ware, cloth, tools, wine, horses and later, guns and ammunition with African kingdoms in exchange for ivory, pepper, and gold (which were prized in Europe). There was not a very large demand for slaves in Europe, but the Portuguese realized that they could get a good profit from transporting slaves along the African coast from trading post to trading post. The slaves were bought greedily by Muslim merchants, who used them on the trans-Sahara trade routes and sold them in the Islamic Empire. The Portuguese continued to collect slaves from the whole west side of Africa, all the way down to the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), and up the east side, traveling as far as Somalia. Along the way, Portugal established trade relations with many African kingdoms, which later helped begin the Atlantic Slave Trade. Because of Portugal’s good for...
“Ghana, a land full of gold. Africa, a land full of resources.” Where is Ghana and what is it known for? In my paper, we will learn the location, population, how they citizens received their known name, and many more interesting facts.
Cameroon’s crest (Appendix B), Anthem (Appendix C), and motto (Appendix D) all emphasis work, peace, and the love of the land. The colors of the Cameroonian flag (Appendix A) represent the pan African spirit. Today, Cameroon’s population is pretty evenly divided between rural and urban areas. The most densely populated parts of Cameroon, however, are some of the major cities such...
Nigeria, an African country on the Gulf of Guinea, is known for its natural landmarks
The liberation of Africa was a slow, often violent, process. The continent, having been torn apart by colonial powers was fraught with ethnic and tribal divides. This made liberation movements complicated because of the necessity for non-existent nationalization. In most countries this caused the movement towards liberation to be a violent struggle, often resulting in war, mass murder, and in one instance, genocide. Even in some of the semi-successful transitions, warlords or autocratic dictatorships. The liberation of the Congo is one such example. Few countries were able to transition fully without violence or major issues. The country of Ghana was the first to gain independence in Africa, also being one of the only successful liberation