Local Histories

By Tim Lambert Ancient Africa Scientists believe that Africa was the birthplace of mankind. By 100,000 BC modern humans lived by hunting and gathering with stone tools. From Africa, they spread to Europe. By 5,000 farming had spread to North Africa. People herded cattle and they grew crops. At that time the Sahara Desert was… Continue reading A Brief History of Africa

By Tim Lambert Early Algeria In 150 BC, Berber kingdoms existed in what is now Algeria. However, in 24 BC, they were annexed by the Romans. They built roads, cities, and aqueducts. Under the Romans, Algeria became Christian. The famous theologian Augustine (354-430) lived in Hippo (present-day Annaba). As the Roman Empire in the west… Continue reading A Short History of Algeria

By Tim Lambert In the Middle Ages what is now Angola was organized into kingdoms. The people lived by agriculture. Craftsmen made things of metal and pottery. The Portuguese first reached Angola in 1483 but at first, they showed little interest in the area. The first Portuguese colony in Angola was not founded till 1575.… Continue reading A Short History of Angola

By Tim Lambert Early Botswana The earliest inhabitants of Botswana were Stone Age hunter-gatherers. some hunters carried on their simple way of life until the 20th century. However in the years before Christ was born some converted to a pastoral way of life. Then after 500 AD Bantu-speaking, people migrated to Botswana. They herded cattle… Continue reading A Short History of Botswana

By Tim Lambert Early Ethiopia By 100 AD a kingdom called Axum arose in Ethiopia. Axum was highly civilised and it traded with Rome, Arabia, and India. Axum became Christian in the 4th century AD. In 642 the Arabs conquered Egypt. In 698-700, they took Tunis and Carthage and soon they controlled all of the… Continue reading A Short History of Ethiopia

By Tim Lambert The early Gambia By about 500 AD a sophisticated culture existed in the Gambia, which was able to build stone circles. Shortly afterward trade across the Sahara with the Arabs began and it later flourished. As a result of the trade powerful states were built in western Africa. In the 13th century,… Continue reading A Short History of The Gambia

By Tim Lambert Early Kenya The earliest inhabitants of Kenya were hunter-gatherers but from about 2,000 BC herders came to the region. Then from about 800 AD Arabs sailed to Kenya. Some settled and intermarried and they created the Swahili culture along the coast. The first European to reach Kenya was Vasco da Gama in… Continue reading A Short History of Kenya

By Tim Lambert Early Liberia It’s believed the ancestors of the indigenous people of Liberia migrated there between the 12th century and the 16th century. The Portuguese reached the coast in the 15th century and trade began in pepper, ivory, and slaves. In 1816 the American Colonization Society was formed. It aimed to resettle free… Continue reading A Short History of Liberia

By Tim Lambert Ancient Libya At first, Libya was inhabited by Berber tribes. After 1,000 BC a people from Lebanon called the Phoenicians settled in Tripolitania (western Libya). They founded Tripoli. Later, the ancient Greeks settled in Cyrenaica (eastern Libya). Later, both areas of Libya became part of the Roman Empire. A Roman Emperor called… Continue reading A Short History of Libya

By Tim Lambert Early Madagascar Until about 2,000 years ago Madagascar was uninhabited. Then the Indonesian people arrived. About 800 AD the Arabs started sailing to Madagascar. The first European to reach Madagascar was a Portuguese called Diogo Dias in 1500. However, at first, Europeans showed little interest in the island although pirates used it… Continue reading A Short History of Madagascar