Africa Throughout History

Africa, a country that throughout history is recognized through poverty and hunger. Africa has had its ups and downs throughout history. In this essay we are going to dig deep within Africa’s history to the 1500s. Seeing how and what Africa has had to endure as a country.This includes external conflicts as well as internal conflicts. First,let's focus on Africa’s cultures. Africa has an estimate of over 800 native languages,yet the most commonly spoken language in the 1500s was Swahili. Other languages like French and some unheard of languages such as Hausa,Berber are very common in Africa still today as they have taught and learned through the years.Africa’s cultures also focus on their art which is very different compared to other countries.

One of the first kingdoms to be developed near the Southeast of Africa was the Ghana kingdom.The Ghana kingdom lasted from approximately 750-10176. The kingdom was developed through a huge change in the economy near the South which conducted more centralized states to be established. Camels helped slowly bring about a change in trade bring able to send things like gold,salt,and ivory to the east and north in North Africa,Europe, as well as the Middle East,who traded manufactured goods. The Ghana empire possessed lots of it wealth to trans-Saharan trade and the location by the salt and gold mines. Gold and salt were highly requested resources of income,that were traded for things like cloth,textiles,and other products,Koumbi Saleh was the main trade center. Ghana’s Kingdom was said to have been started when several groups of Soninke people,a West African ethnic group, came together while they were under the rulership of a King Dinga Cisse. Ghana lacked most natural resources aside from gold and salt, also they were good at being able to create things from iron. Iron was used to make iron tipped spears for warriors,which helped in battle while fighting against weapons of stone,wood,and even wood.Trade in Ghana became faster and bigger with the help of the camel,which also became a main transport. Ghana’s tax system was forced by the king who had made it where exporters and importers percentage free through

One powerful king ruled from 1230-1255 A.D that king was Sundiata. He led his people through the conquering and also the expanding of the kingdom so it could be as great as the Ghana kingdom was. However the greatest and most powerful king of Mali was Mansa Musa, who ruled from 1312-1337, he helped his kingdom become very wealthy and powerful through the salt and gold trade of Mali. King Mansa Musa was known as a Muslim he also built mosques, a muslim place of worship, in western Africa. Mansa Musa took a journey in 1324 to Mecca along with 60,000 attendants and 4,000 pounds of gold carried by 80 camels to give to the poor. Out of the 12,000 attendants 500 held a staff made out of pure gold,showing off wealth and power to those he met. After Mansa Musa’s death in 1337,the kingdom of Mali weakened and there were no kings with power like Mansa Musa. Later on Berbers entered the area along with others from the south who came to claim parts of the kingdom as territory. After the fall of the Mali kingdom an advanced African Kingdom rose and took Mali’s place, the Kingdom of