HIST 200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Malaria, Niger River, Soil Fertility
10 Sep 2013
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The idea of africa 2: continents and geographies. What does it matter if continents are just a myth: might divide people along lines that don"t make sense to the people actually living there, creates a generalization/assumptions that might do violence or mask complexity ex. Assumption of unity - diversity reduced to sameness. Solidifies the idea of separation: remember that social conventions are real. Huge, vast from west to east across continent. Massive trade - major commodity was salt. Significant effect on human life - human settlement along rivers/oasis which are located near the edge. Agriculture is hard ex. sand fences to stop the fast expansion of the sahara. Camels have been used for over 2000 years to do long distance trade across the dessert. First genocide by colonial powers: zone: savannah. Where most people live - more grass, more animals, and people - more rain. Forestation increases as you go farther from dessert and equator - more rain.
