Tag: africa

Events

Revisit:EAST AFRICAN CITY STATES (1000-1500)

From approximately 1000 to 1500 AD, a number of city-states on the eastern coast of Africa participated in an international trade network and became cosmopolitan Islamic cultural centers. The major autonomous, but symbiotic, city-states stretched over 1,500 miles from Mogadishu (in modern day Somalia) in the north to Sofala (in modern Mozambique) in the south and included Mombasa, Gedi, Pate, Lamu, Malindi, Zanzibar, and Kilwa. Each of these … Continue reading Revisit:EAST AFRICAN CITY STATES (1000-1500)

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FOUR COMMUNES OF SENEGAL (1887-1960)

The Four Communes of Senegal in French West Africa, Gorée, Dakar, Rufisque, and Saint-Louis, were the only places during the African Colonial period, where African inhabitants were granted the same rights as French Citizens. As early as 1840, the importance of Gorée Island and Saint-Louis (located on an island of the Senegal River) as key French trading post settlements led to the establishment of a General Council in each colony. In 1848, … Continue reading FOUR COMMUNES OF SENEGAL (1887-1960)

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GORÉE ISLAND, SENEGAL (CA. 1000- )

Gorée Island, located two miles from the Senegalese capital, Dakar, was a critical trading port for Europeans and played a major role as an entrepot for slaves taken from West Africa.  Long before being conquered by the Europeans, the island was called Bezeriche Island or Ber and, according to some accounts, was settled by a population of Wolof (West African ethnic group) fishermen. In 1444, Portuguese explorers seeking new trade routes “discovered” and claimed Ber, which they … Continue reading GORÉE ISLAND, SENEGAL (CA. 1000- )

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Revisit: KINGDOM OF BENIN

Benin, a pre-colonial kingdom in what is now southwestern Nigeria, is believed to have been established before the eleventh century. It was founded by Edo-speaking peoples, but became more ethnically diverse when invaders from the grasslands of the Sudan settled and intermarried with local women. Based on oral tradition, Benin is said to have begun as family clusters of hunters, gatherers, and agriculturalists who eventually created villages.  By … Continue reading Revisit: KINGDOM OF BENIN

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