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
Category: Articles
A Short History of Kenya
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
A Short History of Libya
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
A Short History of Madagascar
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
A Short History of Mozambique
By Tim Lambert Early Mozambique After 100 AD Bantu Bantu-speaking people arrived in what is now Mozambique. They lived by farming and they made iron tools. They were organized into small kingdoms. By the 9th century, Arab merchants arrived at the coast of Mozambique. For centuries afterward, there was trade between Africans and Arabs. Then… Continue reading A Short History of Mozambique
A Short History of Morocco
By Tim Lambert Early Morocco The written history of Morocco began about 1,000 BCE when a people called the Phoenicians from what is now Lebanon sailed there. The Phoenicians were great traders, and they founded trading posts in Morocco. The Phoenicians founded the city of Carthage in what is now Tunisia. Soon, Carthage became the… Continue reading A Short History of Morocco
A Short History of Malawi
By Tim Lambert Ancient Malawi Two thousand years ago there was a simple stone-age culture in Malawi. The people lived by hunting and gathering. However, by the 4th century AD, Bantu people arrived in the area and introduced iron tools and weapons. They also introduced farming. In the 15th century, people who lived south of… Continue reading A Short History of Malawi
A Short History of South Africa
By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Anthony Simon Pursell Early South Africa Over a hundred thousand years ago people in what is now South Africa lived by hunting animals and gathering plants. They used stone tools. Then about 2,000 years ago people in the west learned to herd sheep and cattle. About 200 AD people mixed… Continue reading A Short History of South Africa
A Short History of Senegal
By Tim Lambert Early Senegal The first human beings in Senegal were hunters but by about 3,000 BCE they had learned to farm. About 500 BCE knowledge of how to make iron tools reached West Africa. By 500 AD a sophisticated society arose in Senegal capable of building stone circles. Towns and trade flourished. In… Continue reading A Short History of Senegal
A Short History of Namibia
By Tim Lambert Early Namibia In 1487, a Portuguese named Bartholomew Diaz reached what is now Namibia. However, Europeans showed little interest in Namibia until the 19th century because of the desert along its coast. However, in 1884 Namibia became a German colony. Yet at first, the Germans showed little interest in Namibia. The number… Continue reading A Short History of Namibia