History of Africa

Africa is the world's biggest continent, and it has a very old and long history. For many thousands of years the people of Africa created great cities, traded with distant places, and developed special ways of life. People in Africa have also made many important inventions including tools, techniques, and art.

Africa is made up of many different groups, and each group has its own unique story. People living in Africa thousands of years ago built big pyramid-shaped buildings. And in the Sahara Desert, they developed trading networks with people from other parts of the world.

People in West Africa created their own systems of writing and math. And people in East Africa built powerful empires and made advances in medicine, art, and technology.

In some parts of Africa there were great civilizations where art and culture flourished. In other parts of Africa people lived as nomads and herded animals like cattle and camels.

Europeans began arriving in Africa in the 1500s, bringing new technologies, religions, and ideas. This time was called the Colonial Era. Europeans created colonies, or areas they ruled, and some Africans were forced to leave their homes and were made to do hard labor.

Today, African people are reclaiming their history and all their cultures and celebrating the diversity, creativity, and strength that make up their great continent.