French West Africa

commercial relations with the Berber tribes and made treaties with them to ensure their cooperation in the exploitation of raw materials. By the 5th century B.C.E., Carthage, the greatest Phoenician colony, had extended its hegemony across North Africa, where the distinctive civilization of Punic came into being. Punic settlements on the Libyan coast included Oea (later Tripoli), Libdah (later Leptis Magna) and Sabratha, in the area later called Tripolis, or "Three Cities", name that gave…

the advanced techniques of lost wax, or cire perdue, generally considered a form of casting only present in technologically advanced cultures. One of the longest living and most developed, historical kingdoms that ever existed on the continent of Africa, the Benin Kingdom was a prosperous country that inhabited Western…

“Griots and Storytellers” (Duckers). The singers of the Mali empire were known as Griots, and they functioned in West African societies as: storyteller’s, musicians, and historians. Griots would usually work for the richer class members and they work at any moment they are called upon. The Griots and Griottes (girl Griots) had to have some of the best memories in all of West Africa. Typically the role of a Griot is passed down from generation to generation, that is a ton of pressure to know…

The rise and fall of the three great West African empires is a tale of conflict, leadership, and pure circumstance. In the savannah these civilizations flourished on trans-saharan trade, environmental benefits, and strong leadership; Islamic influences from North Africa soon thereafter provided a strong cultural influence on these states. With this foundation three empires rose up sequentially in West Africa – the empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. From this same base came the downfall of each…

Because beads are seen as a luxury good, their use is still limited to the most powerful communities of Africa, such as the Kom Kingdom. In the lavish area of the Grasslands of Cameroon, objects, such as the Bowl Figure, that belong to the powerful rulers of the kingdom were made into royal symbols through the application of tiny, glass, colored iridescent…

Religion or Wealth? A Historical Look at Spanish and Mali’s Success It is no secret that religion has played a big role in the development of modern civilizations. Furthermore, spreading religion is at the foundation of both Christianity and Islam. This being said, does religion or wealth play a more important role in the rise of empires? To answer this question, we will look at two historical texts about two different groups of peoples. At their prime, both the Spanish and Mali empires were…

it to Africa to handle the situation? Is it a good idea to spend all this money on something that could never happen in America again? Yes, the U.S. needs to take whatever steps necessary to stop the spread of Ebola. This is why the U.S. and other countries should enforce travel restrictions across the world to help stop the spread of Ebola. It is very difficult for this virus to spread, but it is so dangerous if you have the Ebola virus. All it takes is one doctor or nurse to travel to Africa…

Over the past year, Ebola has been making headlines due to the toll it has taken over the West African population and over those that have come in close contact with Ebola victims.Over nine thousand people have died out of the 23,000 infected. As a responsible world citizen, the US has helped Africa by sending hundreds of troops to Africa. They were sent to build dozens of hospitals and train people to take care of the patients and contain the deadly virus. "Today…

One of the most influential events that shaped West Africa was the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Rather than indulging in slaves, Africa was mostly responsible for selling and distributing them. Africans would occasionally have slaves of their own, however during the slave trade, Africa was more or less a slave vendor. Their role as sellers had an astronomical impact on West Africa as a whole. The social, economic and political implications of West Africa completely changed and evolved as a result…

The republic of Mali is located in western Africa, with a population of around 15 million people. Making it the 24th largest country in the world. Mali also is notably one of the poorest countries in the world. Last summer, I had the opportunity to travel alongside with other students as part of the Students Travel and Exposure South Africa (STAESA) to provide a helping hand to the people of the village of Tiby, which is located in the southern region of the city of Segou. The STAESA is…