A New Berlin Conference: Redrawing the Map of Africa This is a lesson using Chapters 6 & 7 of your textbook. You will also be asked to employ your analytical skills and creative abilities to create a new political map of Africa populated with stable, viable countries and provide written information about how you came to your decisions. Africa, the Continent Africa is a poor country. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have heard this statement from college students taking my World Regional Geography course and it never fails to raise my ire. Students repeat this refrain even after I raise my voice during lectures to shout Africa is a continent, not a country! But, to be honest, it is no wonder students continue to hold to their previous view about this landmass. Students have been conditioned to think of Africa as a single political entity by grade-school teachers who were equally uninformed about the world s second largest continent. Given our country s education system, one that still values all things European, students get very little coverage of the Dark Continent. The same student would never confuse Europe as a unified political entity, even if they are aware of the rise of the European Union. France is distinct. The United Kingdome is distinct. The same is true of Italy and Germany and Greece. So why isn t there the same recognition for Ghana, Tanzania and Angola? Americans simply don t know geography that well, and they certainly don t know anything beyond the trivial in regard to Africa. Another issue of concern is the basic assumption that all of Africa is poor. To be sure, many African countries are mired in poverty and deep international debt. But to assume every country is poor, or more specifically that every city and region in these countries is poor, is flatly wrong. There are indeed some very affluent places across the realm. It s only when one averages out economic data for a particular country that everyone seems poor. So the stereotypical family living on the savanna hunting wild game and subsisting on roots and berries just doesn t apply. Moreover, while some people in the rural areas (i.e. farmers or herdsmen) live in grass dwellings, most people have a suitable house (especially if they are in or near a city). Thus, even though Africa is poor by American standards it doesn t mean they don t have access to modern amenities. You ll see this in your research. The intended purpose of this assignment is to develop a greater understanding of Africa and its complex physical, economic and human geography. It is intended to dispel the myth that all they do is fight and commit genocide. It is intended to dispel the myth that everybody has HIV/AIDS. In short, it is intended to bring depth and dimension to your understanding of Africa. No one doubts that Africa has problems, but I hope with this assignment you can create a brighter Africa through your research. The Dark Continent For centuries Africa was known as the Dark Continent to Europeans since little was known of the land except for the coastlines. Navigators sailing for India stopped in a few ports-of-call to replenish vital food and water supplies. European penetration of Africa s interior was hindered by Africa's complex physical geography (e.g. escarpments, deserts, rainforests and difficult-to-navigate rivers). That is why Africa was colonized last even though it was geographically closest to Europe. Contrary to basic assumption, this continent wasn t named for the dark-skinned peoples who dwelled here. The dark of Dark Continent had to do with the limited knowledge Europeans had about Africa ( dark equaled mysterious ) and the lack of Christianity within Africa s boundary ( dark equaled lost souls or unenlightened individuals ). Not until the latter half of the 19th century did foreign explorers reach deeply into the interior of Africa. (See image below.) About the same time, Africa was in the early stages of being carved into colonies by various European powers, notably Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. (See
the colonial map further below.) Though national control and boundaries of colonies changed from time to time, the continent remained under colonial rule until roughly the middle of the 20th century (depending on the colony). Many new African nations then emerged, especially in the decade of the 1960s. A statue of David Livingstone, British explorer, in Zimbabwe at Victoria Falls What you see of Africa today is a manifestation of the Berlin Conference. (Please read in your textbook the section titled The Scramble for Africa on pages 169-72.) In the process of drawing lines on a map to divvy up colonial spheres, the Europeans severed traditional African trade routes, merged warring ethnic groups and divided formerly unified tribes and territories. Couple this tragedy with the earlier transatlantic slave trade (1500-1870) which exported 12 million humans to the Western Hemisphere and one might come to understand how Africa became so dysfunctional. Map Source: http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/
An example for you to follow Much like what you are asked to do in this assignment, Joel Garreau published a book with the same purpose titled The Nine Nations of North America in 1981. He presented his version of a new regional geography for North America based on environmental, economic and cultural factors. His regions are mapped below. Notice that he has an economic region in the northeast (The Foundry), an environmental region in the west (Ecotopia), and a cultural region in the southeast (Dixie). Take note that each region has a capital. Garreau argued that the conventional national and state borders of North America were largely artificial and irrelevant, and that his "nations" provided a more accurate way of understanding the true nature of North American society. Garreau s critique was indeed a new regional understanding of a complex continent dominated by three large countries: Canada, the United States and Mexico. His borders clearly demarcated the regions, illustrating how each one is cohesive within. For example, the unpopulated interior he called Empty Quarter is where few people live due to the lack of sustainable water supplies and formidable climate (e.g. rain shadow desert, boreal forest, tundra, etc.). Even though I have not provided all of the supporting documentation he provided in his book, you should be able to understand some of Garreau s organizing thought process. The regions he created also show the unique nature of the inhabitants within (e.g. Francophone Quebec ). And, as always, there are exceptions to the rule. Notice that the Islands region also includes mainland southern Florida. This is due to the fact that Miami is the gateway city to the Caribbean. These are the considerations with which you will have to cope when dividing Africa anew. But please note: while some of the boundaries on Garreau s map do adhere to establish political borders, most of the boundaries are newly invented. You should feel free to be just as creative in your work with Africa.
Redrawing the Map of Africa: The Assignment Criteria Just as Garreau redrew the map of North America, you will redraw the boundaries of Africa. Not only will you provide a map, but you will also submit a typed document validating your choices for the new countries. Here I give you basic parameters for how you will remake the continent: You first need to investigate maps and material pertinent to the entire continent, meaning all of Sub-Saharan Africa (Chapter 6) and North Africa (found in Chapter 7). Thematic maps like the ones in your textbook are a really good place to start. Climate maps or language maps, for example, will go a long way to describing the differences across this continent. You need to focus your attention on three main topics for each new country: 1. Environment Climate (arable farmland, ample rainfall) Resources (fossil fuels, metals, minerals, timber, etc.) Access to the ocean (via either coastline or navigable rivers) 2. Culture Language Religion Social customs 3. Economics (data tables are found in your textbook) GNI per capita GDP average annual growth rate Adult literacy rate You must have at least ten, but no more than 15, countries on your new map of Africa. You need to describe your rationale for drawing the boundaries. You need to describe your rationale for the capital you chose. You must clearly color your map just as the one above was colored, either by submitting a MS Paint version of your map or scanning a digital image of your hand drawn map, creating a.jpeg file. (Follow this link to obtain your blank outline map of Africa. Please see my screen capture and description below of how to create the map with computer programs.) You will be graded on the following criteria: Creativity (e.g. country names, boundaries, etc.) Functionality of your new countries (i.e. could these really be viable countries) Depth of research (i.e. did you note all of the potential strengths and weaknesses of the country) Map basics (i.e. title, orientation, date, author, legend, cleanliness/readability, purpose, etc.) Spelling/grammar of your print document This is a 50-point assignment and I will assign point values in the manner I deem appropriate. In this assignment you will hopefully correct the problems facing Africa. Your analysis of physical geography, human resources and economic potential will lead to a brighter day for the new African countries you create.
My double screen capture of the MS Paint and MS PowerPoint programs
Feel free to use this table to document the criteria for your new countries. It will definitely help you organize your new political entities. Country Name Capital Environmental Factors Cultural Factors Economic Factors Strengths Weaknesses Strengths Weaknesses Strengths Weaknesses