European Colonialism In Africa MSC Notes PDF

European Colonialism in Africa Found africa, a land rich in natural resources during 1600s Natural resources include: Diamond Raw materials for: Sugar, Iron, Cobalt, Gold, Uranium, Copper, silver, petroleum and many more Land area of africa: 30.37 million square kilometres Africa is 3 times...

European Colonialism in Africa Found africa, a land rich in natural resources during 1600s Natural resources include: Diamond Raw materials for: Sugar, Iron, Cobalt, Gold, Uranium, Copper, silver, petroleum and many more Land area of africa: 30.37 million square kilometres Africa is 3 times larger than China. Usa, China and Canada combined is smaller than Africa Africa has inhospitable deserts Also has milder areas ideal( good) for growing crops Also has agricultural products First industrial revolution ranged from mid 1700s to mid 1800s People in europe needs natural resources to produce goods but they couldn’t be found within their europe Population of europe high compared to land size - cause overpopulation / overcrowding Many lived in bad conditions and poverty was widespread Some European powers saw Africa as a way to increase their natural resources and a way to give economic opportunity to people in their own country. (selfish much…) People send out to set farms, mines or other types of businesses to make and get products from Africa and to send back to europe. People from different countries in europe claimed same land, this lead to disputes Some disputes lead to fighting and war too  In 1885 - 1884, diplomats from great britain, germany, france, belgium, spain, italy met up to talk about the situation in africa Meeting was called Berlin Conference because it was held in berlin Outcome of meeting : They agreed to divide after among themselves to be ruled as colonies Laws of colonised countries based on the laws of the country that colonised it Vocab - Diplomat is a person who represents their country in another country Colony is a place far away from one country yet ruled as a part of that country New Countries in Africa Many past civilizations in africa were rich and prosperous When european countries colonised africa, the african civilizations declined European powers had more advanced weapons than africa colonises 🙁 so they were able to colonise africa, establishing african Colonised boundaries very different from traditional boundaries between people Culture was also very different  Effects of colonised boundaries being drawn: - Separated people and tribes that shared same culture, values, beliefs - People of very different culture, languages and values were placed in the same area - This lead to war, disputes, and conflicts Eventually european colonies powers withdrew from african colonies The colonies became too expensive or difficult to manage People in colonies wanted to set up their own government Only countries that were not colonised: Liberia and Ethiopia Modern day egypt formed in 1922, yet some parts were controlled by great britain along the suez canal till 1956 Most of the rest africa received independence after 1956 West areas become independent in 1960 Traditional African Art Traditional Wooden Art: Combines stone, wood, clay, iron, brass, gold and more Items made for different purposes in each culture that created them Examples include masks, statues, paintings, and fabric African stone art - earliest form of traditional african art Earliest known stone art - Carving of giraffes found in Dabous, Niger in 6500 BCE Wood used to make expressives masks, figures, doors and ornaments  In west africa, many created wooden carvings used in ceremonies. Carving used to represent loved ones, animals and important figures Some cultures, such as the Dan of present-day Ivory Coast, created ceremonial masks made of solid wood and decorated with gold, copper, silver, and cowrie shells. Most of the time, the masks were worn by special people in society like the king, or other important people in the Society. African art also included sculptures, plaques and decorative doors. New type of mask created by Kuba kingdom around 1700 CE. It was called Ndop which was a wooden structure. Ndops are wooden carvings that were created to represent the king and his personality Later kings had their own Ndops made to create their own legacy. Traditional Metallic Art: Used materials such as gold, copper, iron, and other metals The Nok civilization in present-day Nigeria and Benin created metallic art forms. The Nok civilization was one of the first civilizations to experiment with and begin the Iron age around 1500 BCE After Nok, african civilization began the process of metal smelting Smelting is the process that separates metals from rocks dug out of the earth Often mixed metals to create masks or ornaments Some of the most impressive examples of traditional African art come from the Igbo Ukwu civilization in present-day Nigeria and Benin. Bronze artwork was used throughout the Kingdom of Benin in the 16th and 17th centuries. Artists of Benin created very detailed representations of their culture through the use of advanced bronze and copper smelting. The artwork that was created during the rise of the Kingdom of Benin is among the most detailed and impressive representations of Ancient African culture on the continent.