ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

The History of Africa

Africa's history is a general name to describe time from the first human presence in Africa to the present. According to the common opinion in the study of human evolution, the origin of human species is believed to be in East Africa.

The northern part of the continent has a history mainly related to developments that took place in Asia and Europe. This area grew into ancient kingdoms and entities, such as Ancient Egypt and Carthage, which reached a very high level of development. In contrast, the southern part of the continent beyond the Sahara Desert took place within the history of the rest of the world. Unlike the north of this region, tribal societies like the Batwa and Bushmen.

In the following centuries, the northern mainland was first conquered by Greece and then by Rome. Those who inherited Christianity and distanced themselves from polytheism before them. However, Christianity did not remain in control over the region for long, and in the seventh century, the region was conquered by the Muslim Empire, with Islam becoming the dominant religion in North Africa to this day, accounting for 40% of African citizens as of 2009.

Sub-Saharan Africa remained economically and culturally exposed and detached from the rest of the world. However, it has also been able to grow several independent kingdoms. About a thousand years after the conquest by the Muslim Empire, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, most of the region was incorporated into one political entity under the Ottoman Empire.

Meanwhile, European empires began to feel what was happening in Sub-Saharan Africa, which had always suffered from economic emptiness. These powers initially explored the continent, then sent missionaries and settlers, and finally conquered the area. By the mid-19th century, the entire continent except Ethiopia and Liberia had been under colonial rule.

The history of Africa has predominantly been passed down through oral tradition in most African cultures, with the word being revered as a sacred part of their heritage. The spread of Islam from the seventh century CE played a significant role in shaping the history of North Africa, while European colonization had a profound impact on African societies and economies.