5.11 Summary Unit 5

Ok so, maybe a slight overstatement....

What you did

  • You watched Instructor Videos and read the Canvas content for Unit 5
  • You took three quizzes
  • You participated in two Discussion Activities
  • You completed Assignment 5

What you learned

  • You know the location and countries of Sub-Saharan Africa
  • You know that the shared experience of colonization and slavery, rather than language, religion or culture binds this region together
  • You know that the center of Africa is a plateau with low coastal plains
  • You know that the continent was the center of Pangea and that other continents have not collided with Africa
  • You understand the roll of Plate Tectonics in creating the African Rift Valley
  • You know about the deserts of Africa: the Sahara, the Namib and the Kalahari
  • You know where the Congo Basin is and its importance
  • You know about the Ethiopian Plateau and the "horn of Africa"
  • You know the characteristics of the three great African lakes:Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi
  • You know the 6 major rivers of Africa
  • You know that most of Africa is Tropical or Sub-Tropical and that Cape Town, South Africa has a Mediterranean climate similar to our own.
  • You know that the continent's deserts are a result of continentality and the Sub-Tropical Highs
  • You know what desertification is and the factors that contribute to it: population growth, tree removal, overgrazing, soil erosion and climate change
  • You know that the Congo is the second largest rainforest in the world and that deforestation here is primarily due to local clearing for subsistence farming, charcoal making etc.
  • You know that despite the fact the Africa has the world's greatest number or large mammals it also faces an extraordinary number of extinctions due to: climate change, loss of habitat, poaching, population growth, hunting bush meat.
  • You know that climate change will increase the extreme weather events in Africa as it will everywhere and in particular, in may increase the frequency, length and intensity of already common droughts.
  • You know that Africa is the birthplace of the human race and has been the home of ancient and complex societies.
  • You know that slavery pre-dates Europeans in Africa but the European slave trade was much more extensive and brutal than any that had preceded it.
  • You know that slavery continues in Africa, as it does elsewhere in the world.
  • You know that colonization had a profound impact on Africa and that the continent has served as a source of raw materials for European nations while those nations in return, did little to improve the infrastructure or economies of the countries they colonized.
  • You know that at the Berlin Conference, Europeans carved up Africa to benefit them without regard to existing tribal boundaries, languages or cultures. In many cases, they actively sought to "divide and conquer" existing communities.
  • You know that colonization left behind countries with little political infrastructure and limited national identity.
  • You know that after WW II most African nations became independent, initially embracing democracy and then falling into autocracy. Authoritarianism replaced democracy and was encouraged by the colonial legacy
  • You know that today must African governments are at least nominally democracies though many have significant limitations on personal freedoms.
  • You know that the boundaries drawn to create African nations sewed the seeds of ongoing armed conflict.
  • You know that African economies rely on commodities - raw materials and naturals resources - and are therefore, at the mercy of global trends and economics.
  • You know that many African nations ended up indebted and that social and economic progress suffered as these nations tried to repay their debts
  • You know that China and India have stepped in, as China has in Latin America, to invest in Africa in return for access to commodities. They are not, however, helping Africans to develop local industry and  to diversify their economies.
  • You know that more educated Africans are returning home to Africa and starting business and finding solutions for African problems.
  • You know that traditional African religions survive  and thrive today and that Christianity is expanding. 
  • You know that Islam dominates the northern portion of the region.
  • You know that there is no language that binds Africans together and that many languages are spoken.
  • You know that ethnic conflicts which are often part of the legacy of colonialism, still tear Africa apart - the Hutus and the Tutsi's
  • You know the population characteristics of Africa: it is the youngest, poorest, fastest growing region
  • You know that it will be the fastest urbanizing region on Earth in the next 30 years with the 10 fastest growing cities
  • You know that infrastructure in Africa's cities are not keeping pace with growth.
  • You know that Lagos, Nigeria is the largest city in Africa and is projected to be the largest city in the world by 2100
  • You know that conflict remains a major challenge for the region and you know about a number of the ongoing conflicts.
  • You understand food and water insecurity in Africa and their causes
  • You understand the challenges HIV/AIDS have created and the strides that have been made to combat the disease

End of Semester Survey

This survey is completely anonymous and is optional. I am hoping for your feedback on what things you liked or you thought were helpful about this course and what things you think could be improved. I really value any suggestions you may have. This is my first semester teaching this course online and I feel that I have a lot I can learn from you.

Thank you for sticking with class and putting up with my mistakes. I hope you all enjoy a nice vacation from your computers over winter  break. Stay healthy and stay interested in the world outside of your Covid bubble!!!