Category Archives: Traditional Arts & Culture

Unknown Beauty

Nigeria was recently in the news a few months back about the spread of Ebola, with quick response we became the first African country to combat Ebola without foreign aid. Nigeria is a proud country and rightly so i should add. The medias constant butchering of Africa has left view with the impression that all of Africa is waste land and ruin with famine, poverty and death. i would like to shed a different light by sharing with you the beauty of Nigeria like i have experienced first hand. Nigeria has very similar sites like ones you would find in America. Lets view a hand full

Nigeria has various tourist attraction one of which is their art. with a number of ethnic groups you can imagine the wide spread variety of art.

Sculpture of Calabar

the lovely sculpture of Calabar is an example of art you would find all round Nigeria. Showing that we are artistic and intelligent just like other parts of the world.

Zuma Rock

Zuma Rock is one of the biggest rocks in. A great place for tourist or locals to go rock climbing and site seeing. This rock is so huge that it can be seen from almost anywhere in the capital of Abuja

The Niger Bridge

The Niger bridge crosses the river Niger and river Benue, similar to the golden state bridge and various other bridges located in the U.S.

Lagos, Nigeria

This is a beautiful night view of the larger cities in Nigeria, just in case nigeria was misunderstood as a poor country with famine and death this should debunk a lot of false depiction of Africa. i personally grew up in this busy city. I would compare it to N.Y Manhattan. Being the largest populated country in Africa you do see a lot of people. The streets of Lagos are lighted by dull street lights that allow you to see where it is you are going but also to enjoy the beauty of the stars in the skies at night.

Government House in Port Harcourt

The government house in Port Harcourt is one of many great works of architect you’ll see in Nigeria. Houses are typically made with cement and stone.

Other resorts that you wont hear advertised in the media is our beaches and hotels. Nigeria has several beaches and a five star hotel. Below is Eleko Beach located in Nigeria. Nigeria weather is very nice, tropical breeze with plenty of sun for torist to tan and a beautiful golden sand clear water.
Next is Sheraton Hotel a world know five star hotel located in Nigeria has great service, beautiful compound and pools and hot tub for tourist to enjoy.

Eleko Beach

Sheraton Hotel

I have always known what a beautiful place Nigeria was, but i didnt know was how wrongly africa is made to look in the media. When i came to this country i was rushed with questions like “did you live in a hut?” “do you hunt lions and Tiger?” and i was confused. As i grew older i began to see where kids were getting these ideas of Africa from. I would just say not every information you get from the news is true. Do your own research to learn about Africa the next time you hear a story on the news.

The Land of Beauty – Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is well known for the beauty of the land where it has “Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean border is neither the widest nor the deepest waterfall in the world – but many claim it to be the largest in sheer volume of water. More than a mile (1.6 km) wide, cascades of water plummet 350 feet (108 m) to crash on rocks below. The roaring falls kick up such a heavy spray that you can’t even see the base of the falls during the wet season.”

Victoria Falls is only one of many stunningly beautiful sights in Zimbabwe. Located in southeast Africa, Zimbabwe (formerly Southern Rhodesia) lures travelers from all over the world to experience its national parks, wildlife, beauty, and culture.

Whether you want to travel with a wildlife safari or try your hand at white-water rafting down the thundering Zambezi River, Zimbabwe has a lot to offer—including a thriving community of Latter-day Saints.

here are more than 23,000 members of the Church living in Zimbabwe. Membership has grown swiftly in the last 35 years. Prior to 1980 for example, there were just over 1,000 members.

The prophetic declaration issued by President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) on June 8, 1978, that “all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color” (Official Declaration 2) had a positive impact on the growth of the Church in Zimbabwe.

Many Latter-day Saints have helped strengthen the Church in Zimbabwe. Here is a brief look at some of those pioneers.

Missionaries were sent to Southern Rhodesia for a limited time in the early 1930s. Yet by 1935 all missionaries were pulled from Southern Rhodesia (then part of the South African Mission) and the area was closed because of the shortage of missionaries and the distance from the mission home in Cape Town, South Africa.

In September of 1950, eight missionaries were sent to reopen Southern Rhodesia. Five months later, the first convert baptism in the area took place.

Born in England in 1926, Hubert Henry Hodgkiss moved to Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, in 1949. He initially learned about the Church from a friend who was investigating the gospel. Hugh had doubts about the restored gospel and set out to prove to his friend that the Church was not true. Instead, after searching the gospel closely, Hugh developed a testimony of its truthfulness and decided to be baptized. “I was wrong,” he told his friend. “I am joining the Church.”

Hugh was baptized February 1, 1951, marking the first convert baptism in Southern Rhodesia. He enjoyed being around people and made friends everywhere he went. His friendly nature allowed him to make great contributions to the growth of the Church in the area.

In 1959 Hugh became president of the Salisbury Branch. His counselors were also local members. This was the first time this branch presidency consisted of local members. Before this, full-time missionaries had always filled the responsibilities of the branch presidency.

Ernest Sibanda met two Mormon missionaries on bicycles—Elder Black and Elder Kaelin—in December 1978. They left a Book of Mormon with him. Before their visit, Ernest had already spent many years studying religion. In fact, he had been a teacher for his church for nine years and a pastor for three years.

The night Ernest received his copy of the Book of Mormon he stayed up until 2:00 in the morning reading enthusiastically. He couldn’t wait to meet the missionaries the following day. Ernest told them that he had learned more from Joseph Smith about Jesus Christ than all the ministers he had ever met. Ernest was baptized shortly thereafter, followed by his wife and children a few weeks later.

Of his baptism day, he wrote, “I felt very free. I felt released from every evil. I found there was love in me for my family. I found there was love within me for the Church.”

Ernest Sibanda proved to be a great strength to the Church. He served as Sunday School president, branch clerk, and second counselor in a branch presidency. He also fulfilled an assignment from the South Africa mission president to translate hymns from English to Shona.

Reference:

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/03/zimbabwe-land-of-beauty-people-of-faith?lang=eng

To answer the following question

How does this impact your original thinking (stereotype, bias, neutrality) of the country?

I honestly thought that Africa was a very poor country but after taking this class you will be aware of the reasons behind this. Also because of my several researches about Zimbabwe I came to know that Africa is a very beautiful country but no only that the people are trust worthy as well. What I find interesting through our class discussions is that we are so ignorant about Africa and only view Africa in a stereotypical perspective.

The danger of a single story

As I was researching an interesting article other than one on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, bombings in Nigeria or Kenya, I stumbled across a short speech in relation to African stereotypes. In one of her short speeches given at a Ted talk in 2009, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie addressed a few of many of these misconceptions and its’ consequences Africans experience, not only within the continent, but also abroad.

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a well renowned Nigerian novelist. Her works have been translated in 30 languages and is a role model of mine. Unknowingly many of us may have heard her voice in Beyonce’s single ”flawless” where she including an excerpt of the author defining the term “Feminist”. In this video, Chimamanda gives the audience an insight on the troubles she faced as a young Nigerian girl, evolving without any figure she could relate to within the Literary world.

” I was an early reader, and what I read was British and American children books ” she states as she begins to recollect her early childhood in Nigeria. Learning about different cultures and countries is great, however, it becomes a problem when these foreign depictions are the only ones being told, which in turn causes the child to not fundamentally grasp his/hers capabilities. I often hear local Liberians say “that’s for white people” when activities mostly seen and done by Westerners are invoked despite the fact that they may have the same if not better abilities.

The absence of relatable figures is a hinderance to the development of a child’s imagination and subconscious that will amplify during adulthood if it is not destroyed. Without knowing any better, these young minds mature with dream-like ideas of the Western world. The author states “Because all I had read was books in which characters were foreign, I had become convinced that books by their very nature had to have foreigners in them, and had to be about things in which I could not personally identify.” This is a sad reality I’ve personally witnessed. Breaking down to some of the young local children in Monrovia that they can actually become whomever, do whatever and transcend is often difficult. It is as if my claims are so farfetched from the truth. As a result, they only take my words with a grain of salt, while nodding their heads out of respect.

The question at hand is who is to blame for this? Who is responsible for this lack of education and opposite stereotyping from both ends? As Chimamanda states, only one story in Literature has been told throughout the history of this continent; that of a poor, miserable, deadly, primitive Africa. This is precisely the dangers of a single story and what many fail to realize: just like literature, mainstream media outlets such as CNN, BBC and others are the ones primarily televised in these regions of Africa.Therefore, the viewers not only perceive a glorified version of America but those who do not know any better only see the negatives of Africa, a crippled view of Africans, and thus a tarnished vision of themselves.

After moving to America for college, she faces a different type of challenge. The higher-level educational institutions where one’s vision and understanding of the world is meant to flourish suffers severely from the one side of a story syndrome. She recalls, “The professor told me that the characters were too much like him, an educated and middle-class man. My characters drove cars, they were not starving, therefore they were not authentically African.” If individuals with such distinctions cannot imagine an African resembling themselves, then who are children to speculate such travesty?

Indeed, the youth will only imitate, and believe what they are taught. This ignorance is indeed is widespread disease. “My American roommate was shocked by me. She asked where I had learned to speak English so well and was confused when I said Nigeria happened to have English as their official language” states the novelist. This statement is one that I, and millions of Africans in various locations of the globe are familiar with.

Questions such as “ do you have electricity in Africa?”, “are there roads?”, and my all-time favorite statement “ you do not look African” become standard, even in this day and age. “I come from a conventional middle class Nigerian family. My father was a professor, my mother was an administrator.” Although she may have come from a normal average household, to many Americans, it is almost unfathomable that common cars exist, putting her upbringing at an unimaginable thought. This is primarily due to the fact that there still aren’t many stories, films and pictures depicting the reality of the real African lifestyle in mainstream media. Having solely learned about safaris, the continent’s beautiful houses and mansions, immense sky-scrappers and most importantly, its’ refined, intellectual and civilized groups of people seem to have lost it’s way to major news outlets: proof of the perpetual cycle of stereotyping.

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Abidjan, La Cote d’Ivoire at night

Chimamanda delivered an honest, genuine, account of her experiences with stereotyping. I believe the platform she spoke on, TED talk, allowed her to give such a truthful speech. I do not think other media stages such as CNN would permit her to express herself as freely, without trying to steer her toward their goal. Many of the terms she employed (and we studied in class ) such as “pity”,”dying in poverty”,”catastrophe”,”aids”,”darkness” would still be used but in a completely different context.

Nonetheless, I hope one day I would not have to specifically mention where Liberia is when asked about my origins, because almost no westerner I met here knew where it was (before the Ebola outbreak). I am confident one day, when I tell my adopted teenage sisters that living in America is not the utopia they have heard of, they will not look at me as if I’ve completely lost my mind. I pray for many more billionaires such as Nigerian Aliko Dangote, Nobel peace Prize winners like Liberian Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, so that the mediocre stereotypes associated to such an amazing collection of people is forever destroyed.

Link:http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en#t-488506

Uganda, land of adventure !

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Looking for a green sanctuary to explore? Uganda is your destination. Nested in East Africa and Named “Top Tourist Destination for 2013”, Uganda shares boarders with Kenya, Sudan and Tanzania amongst others, establishing itself as a natural and cultural hub. The natural pleasures of Uganda are simply legendary.

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Also known as the “Pearl of Africa” for centuries, numerous explorers visited this beauty including Winston Churchill, who gushes about Uganda is his 1908 novel novel, “my African journey.” He states, ” For magnificence, for variety of form and color, for prosusion of brilliant life – bird, insect, reptile, beast – for vast scale- Uganda is truly “the Pearl of Africa.”

Over a century later, the country has most certainly flourished.

One of Uganda’s main features is it abundance in water resources, counting over twenty-five lakes and eighteen rivers . Indeed one fifth of it’s total area is open to water or swampland covering 44000sq/km. If you’re looking for amazing waterfalls, vast rivers and lakes or even water-based activities, Uganda has it covered…

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The nation is home to the largest lake in Africa, and the second largest fresh-water lake in the World. All 68800 sq km of Lake Victoria is a stunning sight to see., as she drains trough the Victoria Nile where most fishermen try their luck at the remarkable 100 kg Nile Perch.

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  • The Nile River

Cruising, yachting and fishing are the most common actives at Lake Victoria. If kayaking is more of your scene, rivers such as the Nile – the longest river in the world – would certainly be your number one stop. Flowing through the southern part of Uganda, it’s a unique water channel travelling beyond 6600 km. Other rivers include the spectacular Semilikiand energetic Murchison.

Amongst it’s picturesque and natural waterworks, the Murchison waterfall is very distinctive. It is of a 40 km drop from which the Nile explodes violently and has a reputation of being one of the worlds scariest journeys for rafters. If you’re willing to venture to the crown, you’ll never forget the sound of the Nile crashing through at an outstanding rate.

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  • Murchison Waterfall

Populating the high mountains and low valleys is wide range of animals. Indeed it’s fauna is unique to the continent and the world. In fact, Uganda is a birder’s paradise. Over half of all birds found in Africa are actually found in it’s lands. It’s avifauna includes over 1061 various species of birds. Actually, 60 out of 233 species are hawks, kites and eagles.

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Below the skies, Chimpanzees and gorillas are the most visible in Uganda than anywhere else in the world., making it a primate loving visitor’s sanctuary. Their preservations are a great source for international held research and tourism. The Ngamba Island Chimapanzee Sanctuary is a retreat for rescued primates that would not be able to integrate themselves natural habitats.

In the midsts of all these organic features, Ugandans is one of the most welcoming in Africa. Their sense of family, love and pride can be felt throughout the entire country where friendliness and loyalty are cherished values. although conservative, they’re known to be the life of the party in East Africa. With a great majority of their population being under 30, Ugandans have a strong endurance when it comes to having a good time. Once the sun sets, the wolves come out to play.

 For those who are interested in having a memorable getaway with a blend of culture, music and food, try bar hoping in Kabalagala, a Las Vegas-like strip in Kampala. There, you would find a wide range of casinos, bars, restaurants, nightclubs and karaoke places ready to operate until sunrise.

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During the day, the National Theatre has several facets of entertainment covered; whether it’s ballet, musicals or even latin shows, there’s a wide range of options for a wide range of tourists.

Foodies are also welcomed to enjoy it’s plentiful organic products. Bananas, pineapples are amongst the most abundant locally and internationally ! Ugandans indulge in fresh juices and smoothies, leading healthy habits and diets.

Uganda is unlike any other country. The “Pearl of Africa” is one of the continent’s successes, powerfully eloping from devastation towards a rapid road to development and security prosperity. The ultimate eco-destination, rising star of the safari culture , Uganda is most certainly a worthwhile travel experience.

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Ancient Influence on Botswana

It is a well-known fact that history has molded us into what we are today. We often neglect the past, and do not appreciate the influence it has in our modern world. Sometimes, we view ancient history as fables and fail to realize the greatness of our ancestors. Although I am African, I have very little knowledge of my ancient history as many of us do. It is fascinating to learn of the great kingdoms that ruled ancient Africa, and their continued influence on many countries Such as Botswana. The infamous Bantu people were a very prominent tribe in precolonial Africa and had a great influence on central to southern Africa especially Botswana as their expansion thought sub-Saharan Africa grew. However, Botswana was not only settled by the Bantu people but also by the San and Khoi people.

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The Bantu, San and Khoi group all initially migrated from northern Africa to the south looking for uninhibited land. The website KnowBotswana states that, the Bantu were the “first settlers in the Cape area in South Africa in 300A.D.” The Bantu groups were later followed by the San people into the Cape area but were driven out and were the first to settle in Botswana. Eventually, the Khoi and Bantu people followed the San’s into Botswana. As previously stated, ancient history has a huge influence in present civilization or society. Today San people are predominantly found in Botswana after  continuously being pushed out by other tribes from the Cape area.

To understand the influence that these tribes have had on Botswana today, it is important to truly know who they were and what they did. The San groups were also known as the Bushmen or the Khoisan, they were hunter gathers.  The Khoi who are also known as Hottentots or KhoiKhoi were herders. Why is this important? Aside from the fact that these groups are still relevant today their evolved trades play a role in Botswana’s economy. Aside from their mass production or mining of diamonds Botswana is also a seller of beef to European countries. This stems from their roots of herders which is still very prevalent today in Botswana.

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However, the Bushmen (San and Khoi people) were sadly overthrown by a more superior group called the Tswana speakers. The Tswana speakers moved north of the Cape area in the 14th century into Botswana. They were skilled in agriculture, iron working practices, and had various dialects. This intimidated the San and Khoi people who at this time felt inferior to the Tswana people. The superiority of the Tswana people eventually caused the Bushmen to retreat into the Kalahari which is basically desert land.

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There is so much more ancient history about African nations such as Botswana that is accessible to us on websites such as thuto.org, knowbotswana.com, and so on. The most fascinating thing that I learned as I researched the history of Botswana is the fact that it can be traced by inscriptions and paintings of the ancient people. The migration of the San people into Botswana was traced by similar inscription and paintings by the San people in northern Africa found in caves and beautiful stone structures in southern Africa. Sometimes we look at how advanced we have become and belittle the intelligence and greatness of those who came before us but without them where would we be.

Pre-colonial Mali and the rich history of Timbuktu by Jimin Chun jyc5842

 

My country Mali is located in the Western part of Africa that has rich history of ancient kingdoms. The Mali Empire, also known as the Manden Kurufaba according to other sources, was an ancient kingdom of Mali that existed from 1230 to 1600. Their history is important because they greatly inspired the spread of language and customs throughout the western part of Africa.

The cities of Mali became important trading centers for all of West Africa as well as famous centers of wealth, culture, and learning. Timbuktu, an important city in Mali, became one of the major cultural centers not only of Africa but of the entire world. Vast libraries and Islamic universities were built. These became meeting places of the famous poets, scholars, and artists of Africa. Mansa Musa, who was Muslim, was perhaps best known outside of Mali for his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 C.E. According to some accounts, 60,000 people accompanied him, along with 200 camels laden with gold, silver, food, clothing, and other goods.

 

The Mali Empire had ties with the Ghana Empire. It was an essential trading partner for Manden Kurufab as it heavily relied on trade. Thus Mali Empire grew and prospered by monopolizing the gold trade and developing the agricultural resources along the Niger River. Like Ghana, Mali prospered from the taxes it collected on trade in the empire. All goods passing in, out of, and through the empire were heavily taxed. All gold nuggets belonged to the king, but gold dust could be traded. Gold was even used at times as a form of currency, as also were salt and cotton cloth. Later, cowrie shells from the Indian Ocean were introduced and used widely as currency in the internal trade of the Western Africa

 

The Mali Empire’s most famous king was Mansa Musa. He divided the empire into provinces, each with its own governor, and towns that were administered by a mayor. A huge army kept the peace, putting down rebellions in the smaller kingdoms bordering the central part of the empire, and policing the many trade routes. Timbuktu became a center of learning, luxury, and trade, where citizens traded with merchants from other parts of Africa, the Middle East, and even Europe.

The great scholars of Timbuktu are known for their records of their knowledge and research known as the Manuscripts of Timbuktu. It refers to the large number of historically important manuscripts that have been preserved for centuries in private households. The collections include manuscripts about art, medicine, philosophy, and science. Also, the merchants of Timbuktu were known for their trade. They established many trade routes that allowed for other kingdoms to adapt to Timbuktu’s cultures and traditions.

After doing some research on the internet/in library catalogs about Mali and its ancient kingdoms, I found out that there is vast amount of information about them. They included books, eBooks, and news articles about Mali and the rich history of Timbuktu. I enjoyed using websites on the ancient kingdoms of West Africa because they outlined the resources I need well with good organization and presentation.

Sources: http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/resources/mali/

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/119/

http://geography.about.com/cs/worldfacts/a/timbuktu.htm

http://africa.mrdonn.org/mali.html

http://mali.pwnet.org/history/history_mali_empire.htm

 

Kingdom of Nri – the history of Nigeria

Nigeria has so many precolonial history and kingdoms. Before modern day, Nigeria were divided into many ethnic groups, such as, Yoruba, Nri (Igbo), Benin, Hausa, and Nupe. But one that takes my attention the most is the Kingdom of Nri (also known as Igbo). The kingdom of Nri political had been existed since 948 until 1911 when the British troops forced them to end its political power. But the cultures still exists in the Nigeria country. Nri had many cultures and great rulers. Kingdom of Nri was located in the west-African region, now is the area of Nigeria country.

The formation of Nri kingdom was back to 9th century by the founder of Nri and Igbo people then became the center of Igbo cultures. After the god-liked founder died, ending of the Eri period, the first king of Nri period, Ìfikuánim, started his reign in 1043.  The capital city of Nri was Igbo-Ukwu. Its official language was Igbo. The main religion of Nri was Odinani. Odinani aims to comprehend its world (called “Uwa”) and has gods (called “Chukwu”). It had elective monarchy regimen. Nri had Manillas as a currency. Manillas are armlet created from bronze, copper, or sometime gold.

Kingdom of Nri was a theocratic state. The eze Nri was a ruler with mystic powers. Eze Nri didn’t have military power, therefore, in the common sense, eze Nri was like a ritual leader rather than a king. On changing of the position, eze Nri was elected by a group of people who observed the man with supernatural power. Eze Nri was cited as a divine ruler. The religious and political power of Nri was called Ikenga. The first eze Nri (the founder in the Eri period) was eze Eri.

The kingdom of Nri had good economy until 16th century. Unlike other African countries, Nri didn’t have slave trading, therefore, Nri was said to be the heaven place for escaped slaves. Nri also had great connection of trading, either internal, or external. Nri also gained wealth by hunting and agriculture.

The kingdom of Nri had many great cultural points. For arts, Nri were famous with their bronze. Bronze sculpting by Nri often used natural aspects as the template. Different from others, Nri bronze sculpting focused on the natural details and didn’t add extra details. Bronze in the sculpture by Nri also purer than other neighbor kingdoms arts sculpture, such as Ife and Benin. For religion, Nri people believed the world was formed by Chineke (the creator). Nri oral tradition also indicate that fertility came from the ruler blessing. Nri also had interesting traditions, such as scarification. A selected man will get a wave-liked scar on his forehead. This tradition came from the Nri myth.

Nri used oath to expand itself. The most interesting and successful point of Nri kingdom was it didn’t use military force. Nri was the real peace kingdom with a great administration. The king sent converts to other settlements to expand the kingdom. But in the 19th century, British troops invaded the kingdom and force them to resign their Ikenga or the ritual and political power. But it ‘kingdom’ still exists in Nigeria country.

The resources for this article of Nri kingdom is vague because time makes evidences to be lost. Luckily, some evidence, such as bronze arts still can be discovered. Oral tradition comes into play as a role of Kingdom of Nri evidence. The history organizations don’t emphasize the kingdom much.

Precolonial history of Ivory Coast

     There is almost nothing known about the very ancient Ivory Coast. There’s no clue of the original inhabitants in Ivory Coast. Historians believe that the original inhabitants were either displaced or absorbed by the ancestors of the present inhabitants. As far as the historical record shows, the trade of basic supplements expanded from the Saharan area. As a result, several places in the West Africa became prosperous. The boom in trade made the route of trade southern. More and more people moved south, which is now the territory of the Ivory Coast.

     Empires and rulers near this area kept emerging and declining. Noticeably, in the 11th century, Islam was brought to western Africa by the traders from North Africa. Later, the Islam was rapidly spread  and was accepted and embraced by many empires in the West Africa. By the time rulers of Sudanic empires started to embrace the Islam, Islam spread southern to the north part of contemporary Ivory Coast. In 14th century, the northern Ivory Coast was ruled by the Mali Empire. But later on, the reign was ended by internal discord and by the revolt of vassal states. Another empire Songhai emerged and the empire flourished during 14the century and 16the century. However, the empire collapsed also because of internal discord. Then, fractional warfares in this region made people move south to the rain forest. The dense forest created barriers between the south part and the north part of the country so that people who moved to the south part could live away from the political and military conflicts. After that, people settled down in the south and started village life. They earned their livings mainly by agriculture and hunting.

     As time went on, more and more empires and states emerged in Ivory Coast. The Muslim Kong Empire was established by the Juula in the early eighteenth century in the north part of the country. Kong became the center of agriculture and crafts during that time. However, ethnic diversity and religious discord gradually made the kingdom collapse. Meanwhile, in the south, the Abron kingdom of Jaman, which was established early in the 17th century, existed. This kingdom finally expended its hegemony over the Juula in Bondoukou. Bondoukou  then became a major center of commerce and Islam. The kingdom’s Quranic scholars attracted students from all parts of West Africa. In the mid-eighteenth century in east-central Ivory Coast, other Akan groups fleeing the Asante established a Baoulé kingdom at Sakasso and two Agni kingdoms, Indénié and Sanwi. The Baoulé, like the Asante, elaborated a highly centralized political and administrative structure under three successive rulers, but it finally split into smaller chiefdoms.

     There isn’t many information about  the ancient history of Ivory Coast. But there are still some sort of websites which focus on African history, where I can find some clues. Also, learning the history of nearby countries is a good way to learn more about the history of Ivory Coast, since there has been interactions between these countries and these countries shared the same cultural and historical in a way. The reason why there’s little known about ancient Ivory Coast is that the history of this country is merged with the history of other significant empires in the African history. What’s more, Ivory Coast was not one of the origin of African civilization. The country was built because of the migration of people from north to south in the past.

The luster pearl–Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast, as its name suggested, is located in the west coast of Africa. Ivory Coast used to be the most prosperous country in the Africa during the Cold War. People saw Ivory Coast as a luster pearl in West Africa in the past time. Although today’s Ivory Coast is no longer the most prosperous country in the whole Africa, Ivory Coast is still a good place to visit for the old cities, historical buildings and incredible natural beauty.

   There are two major cities in Ivory Coast: Abidjan and Yamoussoukro. Abidjan was the capital city in the past and Yamoussoukro is the capital city right now. However, Abidjan is actually the center of economics and culture till now. The whole city Abidjan was built on several small islands and peninsulas near the Ebrie lake. Those islands are connected by bridges, which make Abidjan a beautiful coast city.  Since Ivory Coast was one of the colony countries of France and Abidjan was the main city in the past, Abidjan has a French style. The beautiful streets, fantastic parks and historical universities made Abidjan the “little Paris” in the West Africa. Besides, Abidjan is located on the west coast of African continent, where near the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, the beaches in Abidjan is absolutely fantastic. One of the most famous beach in Abidjan is Assinie Beach. There are clear sky, cool sea water and soft white sands. It’s a perfect place for vacation. It’s not as crowded as Miami Beach and it’s not as expensive as Cancun. Besides beach, the location of Abidjan brings prosperous port economy. Abidjan Port was the biggest port in West Africa and the second biggest port in the whole Africa. If you walk along the port, you can not only enjoy the warm breeze, but also see how prosperous the economy of Ivory Coast was and how they created the “20-year miracle” during the Cold War.

     Another wonderful city in Ivory Coast is the capital city Yamoussoukro. The government of Ivory Coast changed the capital city into Yamoussoukro in 1983. Yamoussoukro started to become famous and dynamic since 1983. One of the most important crop in Yamoussoukro is cacao. There was a famous saying that one half of the cacaos we used nowadays is from Ivory Coast. The plantation of cacao is the core of Ivory Coast economy. Besides the development of economy, the culture and public infrastructure developed a lot since 80s. One of the most famous building in Yamoussoukro is Basilique de Notre Dame de la Paix de Yamoussoukro–the peace Notre Dame church of Yamoussoukro. This church is largest Catholic church all over the world. It was built during 1985 and 1989. It cost the government of Ivory Coast 3 billion dollars to build this church. After 1989, the church became the most famous and hottest attraction in Yamoussoukro. 

    The climate of Ivory Coast is tropical rainy climate, so there monsoon in Ivory Coast. In order to have a wonderful vacation in Ivory Coast, the best time to visit Ivory Coast is late spring. You can have the best travel experience in Ivory Coast if you visit in April or May.

To draw a brief conclusion, Ivory Coast is definitely a fantastic place for travel. Welcome to Ivory Coast.

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Mali, the Best Country in the World

Did you know that Mali was once part of three famed West African empires that controlled the transportation of gold, salt, slaves and other precious commodities? It is a country with long and unique history that has many characteristics ideal for any tourists!

981280.  Motorized canoes and rice fields in the flooded Niger River.

West Africa’s major destination and the jewel in the region’s crown, Mali is a rapidly developing nation. It is a surreal place to explore as it contains fascinating mix of cultures and attractions.As the largest country in West Africa, Mali shares thousands of kilometers of land borders with many other nations such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast. Its geography is special also with the majority of its terrain being arid or semi-desert. Thus, just 5% of Mali’s land can support agriculture. The Niger River serves a crucial role such as irrigating, and transporting food!

The country’s climate ranges from tropical Savannah (trees and grass, with tree density increasing as one travels south) in the south to arid desert in the north, with Sahel in between. Much of the country receives negligible rainfall; droughts are frequent. Late May or early June (depending on how north one is) to mid or late October or early November is the rainy season!

Culture – Although there is much to see in Mali, its mosques are perhaps the most impressive sights. Timbuktu in particular is known to be dotted with these beautiful places of worship such as the Sidi Yahaya, Sankore and Djingerebur, and the Kankan Moussa in the ancient city of Gao is a must see!

 

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Wildlife & Nature – There is a good range of wildlife in Mali, with local parks to make getting a glimpse of these creatures easier. Amongst the most popular wildlife consortium is the La Boucle de Baoule National Park that features animals from southern Sahelian including everything from the ‘gigantic’ giraffe to the lazy hippo!

History & Sightseeing – Amongst the many historical sites that have brought the region of Mali fame are the ancient villages that carved into the cliffs of Bandiagara. The Dogons are credited for chiseling their homes into the cliffside that serves as an awe-inspiring reminder of this ancient tribe. This truly spectacular village has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of Mali’s most popular attractions!

Markets & Shopping – Mali’s markets have earned a reputation of being full of life with various kinds of traditional commodities. Mopti’s town center called the Marche des Souvenirs is a renowned market place often frequented by travelers. Mali’s capital of Bamako also has a huge market full of traditional gift shops and other local specialties!

Dining & Nightlife – The unique cuisine of Mali makes eating out just as much fun as exploring the markets themselves. You will find great places to eat in every market as locals consider the regions cuisine a celebrated tradition!

So what are you waiting for? Come to Mali with your families and friends to experience the most beautiful country is Africa !

Sources:

http://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//9/9a/Great_Mosque_of_Djenn%C3%A9_%28cropped%29.jpg

http://wikitravel.org/en/Mali

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-18785895

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02059/hippo-chat_2059230i.jpg

http://www.infoplease.com/country/mali.html

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ml.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/mali-travel-warning.html

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mali

http://www.worldtravelguide.net/mali

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g293812-Mali-Vacations.html