What Africa Looked Like Before It Was Colonised

Maps of Africa

Before Africa was colonised, the continent was characterised by a large degree of pluralism and flexibility. The continent consisted not of closed reproducing entities, equipped with unique unchanging cultures, but of more fluid units that would readily incorporate outsiders (even whites) into the community as long as they accepted its customs, and where the sense of obligation and solidarity went beyond that of the nuclear family ~stiffkitten

SEE ALSO: Africa has more than 2000 native languages spoken, how do they keep up

 

Most people will be forgiven for thinking Africa’s borders were always the way they are today. In-fact European colonisation of Africa developed rapidly in the Scramble for Africa of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Below are maps of Africa before and after colonisation.

 

Map of Africa before colonisation [scroll down to video]

 Map showing Africa’s Kingdoms & Empires

Another map of Africa before colonisation with a different take

Map showing Africa in 1870, still largely uncolonised except for small areas of possessions or independent European colonies illustrated by the colouring.

Map showing larger part of Africa colonised in 1910.

African Countries featuring dates of independence

Africa as it looks now

Video showing A Brief History Of European Colonization in Africa

 

Source: nmyafricanow