ORIGINS AND TIMEFRAME OF EARLY TRADE
The connections of West Africa with the Mediterranean world is a very old one, which long predates the rise of Islam in the late 6th century CE. Several centuries before the ...
COLONIAL RULE IN WEST AFRICA
The European scramble for Africa culminated in the Berlin West African Conference of 1884-85. The conference was called by German Chancellor Bismarck and would set up the parameters for the ...
EUROPEAN CONTACT WITH WEST AFRICA
European sailors first reached sub-Saharan Africa in 1442, when Portuguese ships reached the Senegal river. The Portuguese had been sailing the coasts of Morocco and Western Sahara since 1413, when ...
THE HISTORICAL ANTECEDENT OF THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT IN WEST AFRICA
The land of West Africa consists of contrasting kinds of physical environment. The forest environment differs from the savanna environment, a mountainous area from a flat lowland area, riverine area ...
PROBLEMS OF INDEPENDENT WEST AFRICAN STATES
Most West African leaders were very optimistic about their countries’ future at independence. They hoped to transform their newly independent countries so that their citizens would enjoy the fruits of ...
CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES IN WEST AFRICA
The expansion of the missionary movement into Africa was part of the growing conception of Christian responsibility for the regeneration of African peoples. The anti-slavery issue and the humanitarian conscience ...
THE ALMORAVID DYNASTY
The term ‘Almoravid’ comes from the Arabic word ‘al-Murabit, literally meaning “one who is trying” but figuratively meaning “one who is ready for battle at a fortress”. The Almoravid dynasty ...
THE SOKOTO CALIPHATE
Created by a jihad launched by Usman dan Fodio (also spelt Usman Ibn Fodio, Uthman Dan Fuduye, or Uthman Ibn Fodio) between 1804 and 1810, the caliphate of Sokoto was ...
THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN WEST AFRICA
Africa was the first continent, that Islam spread into out of Arabia in the early seventh century. Almost one-third of the world’s Muslim population resides today in the continent. It ...
BENIN HISTORY AND CULTURE
The people of Benin have lived at their inland settlement for many centuries. They speak Edo language. Some historian trace the founding of Benin to about 12th century. It is ...