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impact of colonialism on african countries
impacts of colonialism in africa
poverty problem in africa
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Colonialism is a feature of European expansion that took control of territory and people across the world starting in the 16th century. The last wave of colonialism was in Africa during the late nineteenth century, and these African colonies did not gain independence until the end of World War II. Decolonization was followed by years of economic, political, and social instability that made living conditions worse for the individuals in society. In this era of globalization, the economic strength of Western powers has created a new type of imperialism over the developing nations. A growing inequality gap between rich and poor countries has resulted in lower living standards in areas such as Sub-Saharan Africa, where a majority of the population suffers from a lack of basic human needs. Sierra Leone is a nation on the West Coast of Africa that was unable to develop in the past as a result of British occupation, bad governance, corruption, and civil war. Today, it faces new challenges as it tries to develop in a highly integrated market economy that is dominated by the Western powers. In the 1980’s, development efforts made by Bretton Woods institutions within Sierra Leone focused on short-term stability of the economy based on neoliberal economic policies. The country has seen some economic stability, but this has not resulted in higher living standards. Today, it is still one of the poorest countries in the world, and efforts are now being shifted to focus on poverty reduction.
Sierra Leone was one of the first African nations to be affected by the slave trades of America starting in the seventeenth century. In 1787, the British helped return about 400 freed slaves from different parts of Africa back to Sierra Leone. The Briti...
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Works Cited
Appelbaum, Richard P. Introduction To Global Studies: politics & economics. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2004.
Chang, Ha-Joon. Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade And The Secret History Of Capitalism. Bloomsbury press, 2007.
Danzer, Gerald A. Atlas of World History. London: Laurence King Publishing LTD, 2000.
Fyle, C. Magbailey. Historical Dictionary of Sierra Leone. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, Inc. 2006.
Millennium Development Goals Report For The Republic Of Sierra Leone. 2005:
Spielman, James Peter. “World Leaders Stress Unity to Fight Crisis” The Seattle Times 24 Sept 2009.
Opala, Joseph. “Bance Island in Sierra Leone.” The Gullah: Rice, Slavery, and the Sierra Leone-American Connection. http://www.yale.edu/glc/gullah/03.htm.
"In the 1970s and 1980s Sierra Leone had a thriving tourism industry,” says Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the UK, after his trip to Sierra Leone. Later, however, the economy began staggering to a halt, and a new group rose to power with what many believed were strong and good willed beliefs.
"Sierra Leone." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1-3. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 November 2013.
In conclusion there are several reasons for which the income consumption poverty has arisen due to the agriculture industry in Sierra Leone. Firstly many Sierra Leone citizens are choosing to work in the mining industry instead of agriculture which results in a shortage of food and a lowered wages for those already mining. Some Sierra Leone citizens have begun importing foreign rice due to higher prices in Sierra Leone which lowers the incomes of farmers. Due to the war many farm families were displaced and their farms were no longer operational. This led to a shortage in food which increased the price, making it unaffordable for many. Due to these issue faced in the agriculture sector of post war Sierra Leone many of there citizens have succumbed to poverty and has resulted in Sierra Leone becoming the eight most impoverished country in the world.
According to the novel, “The Gullah: Rice, Slavery, and the Sierra Leone-American Connection” by Joseph A. Opala, the Gullah is still predominantly present in South Carolina and Georgia. Many Gullah have broken away from isolation and have left their rural lives for more modernized lives. Younger generations of the Gullah are seeking higher education and high-paying jobs. Most parts of the Gullah cities have been technologically updated including the use of television, telephones, bridges, better roads and ferries. While many of their older customs are not practiced, the Gullah still celebrates their culture.
They also did not due it through there influences. What happen was simply the west took Sierra Leone over by force and with no restraints. An eyewitness in Sierra Leone wrote, “The policemen’s (indigenous people in service to the Belgians) treatment gave rise to this war. When they were sent to collect the tax, they used to ill-use the natives, and took their wives. They beat the man and assaulted the wife and daughter, and threatened his daughter with a knife if she cried out.” Not only did the Belgium police commit these terrible crimes and act of torment. They just came in looking for tax money and stayed talking over Sierra Leone for their own. Installing their way of living. Sierra Leone was one of the many eastern countries taken over by the west using brutality and military
In 1787, Sierra Leone was colonized by freed slaves from England. When Britain completely took over the nation, they began to exploit Sierra Leone’s natural and valuable resources, such as minerals and fish. Britain’s discovery had a negative impact on Sierra Leone since they were being deprived of the benefits from their resources. Chinese investment in Sierra Leone is a different form of imperialism than Britain in the past, due to the opposite effects on Sierra Leone’s economy, the contrasting way Britain and China were accepted into the nation, and the diverging effects both nations had on Sierra Leone’s development.
There was a magnificent kingdom called “Sierra Leone” and it was so big that it occupied almost the whole planet.Since it was big,it was hard to control everything and to organize things.Centuries later the great kingdom of love and glory turned to a place of dirt and poverty.Everything was messed up besides the capital-it was a paradise like place with Kadupul flowers and buildings made of gold.After the election Ronald the fool came to power.He was a little bit dumb but people thought that he would be a fair leader whose decisions are based on humanity.So he came to power and first thing that he did is he made everybody somehow equal and spreaded capital’s architecture to all regions and outskirts.
Portuguese navigators were the first to explore the land of Sierra Leone back in 1462 (“Sierra Leone”, 2013). Sierra Leone is located on the west coast of Africa with the Atlantic Ocean providing a coastline of about 300miles (“Sierra Leone Embassy”, 2013). There are currently about seventeen ethnic groups and about twenty different languages (Kanu, A,C. 2000; Sierra Leone Embassy 2013). The ex-slaves, “little by little created a common language, a modified English known as Krio (Creole in English)…”
Religion in Sierra Leone West Africa has changed and evolved over the last two to three thousand years in many different ways. Religion can be described as set of beliefs that explain the universe; religion is more than spirituality and is complicated in understanding the world. Religion can be described as belief concerning one or more deities and incorporating ceremonies, ethical guidelines and rituals.
Sierra Leone has many unique features that make it a culturally flavored country with multiple ethnic groups’ of people, tropical climate, rich history, food and customs.
In this essay, two countries, one developed and one developing, will be compared based on their economic growth and living standards, while also touching base upon the countries inflation rate, unemployment rate, and their current balance. The two countries chosen for comparison are the United Kingdom (developed) and Sierra Leone (developing). Based on previous knowledge, it is expected that the research conducted for this essay will show that the United Kingdom is further ahead in the world than Sierra Leone in respect to their economic growth and living standards as well as their current balance and unemployment rate. Before any of the above topics are discussed, it’s important to know a bit about the chosen countries background.
Sierra Leone first established its history in 1787, as a plan was established to settle some of London's "Black Poor" in Sierra Leone in what was called the "Province of Freedom". A number of "Black Poor" arrived off the coast of Sierra Leone on May 15, 1787, accompanied by English tradesmen. This was organized by the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor who preferred it as a solution to continuing to financially support them in London. They were given their freedom after seeking refuge with the British Army during the American Revolution (Bah, 2013).
Colonialism was a concept of superiority of one territory over another; it was a concept that originated centuries ago. Colonialism had been put into action throughout a long line of history and did not end after World War II in 1945. Even with resistance and efforts from independent states after the war, colonialism did not disappear and continued as a dominant system. It remained and changed its form, resulted in the process of globalization, which continued to control over newly independent states following World War II. Globalization, a form of colonialism, maintained power for the system over states or regions through economic terms with the development of the World Bank, and its derivation of structural adjustments. This financial institution was formed and contributed to colonialism; it assisted in the economic affairs of colonized nation(s). Along with class, professor Manfred B. Steger's book, Globalization: A Very Short Introduction, and I.B. Logan and Kidane Mengisteab's article, "IMF – World Bank Adjustment and Structural Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa," discussed the indirect rule of colonial powers through globalization.
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney, was one of the most controversial books in the world at the time of its release. The book seeks to argue that European exploitation and involvement in Africa throughout history. This is the cause of current African underdevelopment, and the true path to the development is for Africa to completely sever her ties with the international capitalist economy. Rodney describes his goal in writing the book in the preface: “this book derives from a concern with the contemporary African situation. It delves into the past only because otherwise it would be impossible to understand how the present came into being and what the trends are for the near future” (vii). Rodney writes from a distinctly Marxist perspective by arguing that the inequalities inherent in European capitalism and required exploitation of certain countries in order to sustain capitalism.