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Effects of Imperialism in Southern Africa
Many centuries ago, more specifically, in 1846, The Cape of Good Hope – the southern tip of South Africa was discovered by a Portuguese explorer named Bartholomew Dias [1]. The objective was to find a trade route from Europe to India. However, the European explorers knew little of what was to come in the next couple centuries. The discovery of the Cape of Good Hope led to many consequences, both good and bad; the most notorious consequence – colonization and imperialism. Because of European imperialism, racial discrimination, culture differences, and modernization are all aftermaths of Europeanization.
To start, the development of apartheid or racial discrimination is one aftermath of imperialism. The most notorious place for this hierarchy was in South Africa. When the English left and granted South Africa independence, two political groups wrestled to take control of South Africa [2]. And in the late 1940s, the Afrikaner National party was able to earn a strong majority [2]. What then happened in 1948, the beginnings of apartheid were established, with race laws that degraded blacks in South Africa [2]. The Dutch settlers who integrated with the African group that deemed themselves the Afrikaners probably had an influence on the British people, who were still in the time in control of South Africa [3]. The British and their white companions whose relatives are from South Africa probably had a universal dislike for the more native Bantu populations. Therefore, like the Americans’ effort in the south to segregate blacks, the South African and Afrikaner coalition did the same.
Another effect of imperialism in Southern Africa is the culture changes in the native people of Africa. For example, when the Europeans colonized the land, they also brought their culture with them. One might summarize the bringing of culture with the three C’s: Christianity, Commerce, and Civilization [4]. Another might summarize the brining of culture as “Westernization.”[5] European nations convinced Africans – many from the southern region – that their ways were inferior, and that the European ways – ways derived from Europe – were the ways that the Africans were to follow. The native southern Africans were compelled to adhere to the mindset of the European. As a result, many of the Africans dropped their previous culture, and the practice of African culture became obsolete, disregarded, and ultimately unacceptable in public domain [5].
Finally, modernization is another effect of imperialism. Like many African regions, including southern Africa, the advancements and the works of the European nations to modernize the African colonies sometimes benefitted the Africans. For example, in South Africa, schools were built in an effort to civilize and better the natives of Sub-Saharan Africa, which included the southern portion of Africa [6]. The only problem was that European teachers were instilling European values to the African natives. Also, the death rates decreased thanks to European vaccines and European hospitals, although another problem rose with the higher birth rates [6]. Some benefits did arise as byproducts of imperialism, but they presented new problems. Modernization was probably the only, if not best impact of the native peoples due to imperialism.
Thus, effects of imperialism in southern Africa included racial discrimination, culture changes, and modernization. Southern Africa has been the target of many Europeans, and the natives have been most affected by the changes of imperialism. Imperialism has always discriminated people and preferred the white man over the blacks. Southern Africa has been notorious for its discrimination system, even after the British left. Although the original explorers who discovered the Cape of Good Horn had good intentions, they never knew what was coming for the next couple of centuries.
Effects of Geography on Southern Africa
Southern Africa has a very diverse geography, although it can be compared to Europe’s thanks to its relative location in the equator. The climates vary greatly from temperate in South Africa, to the deserts in Namibia. This diverse geography and climates make it difficult to discuss effects due to one sole climate. However, there are still problems effects of geography in the region of southern Africa. Because of the effects of geography, flooding is a consequence, resources found are a benefit, and imperialism is the ultimate effect as results from geography.
To start with, flooding is one issue of geography that pertains to South Africa. In the summer of 2011 in southern Africa, heavy floods damaged large areas of cropland [1]. The results were devastating afterwards. As a result of flooding, a food shortage occurred and those who depend on the farms are devastated. In poor countries north of South Africa, food insecurity has always been an issue there, for the reasons of poor soil and desert. With the coming of the flooding and the damage of the farmland, the food shortages that the countries were facing have exponentially become more of a concern to the country.
However, a positive effect thanks to the geography of the southern Africa region is that there are abundant resources found in southern Africa. Some natural resources that might be extracted for wealth can include uranium and diamonds [2]. The rarity and preciousness of the diamonds make it a potential resource to make profits upon. Other resources that are of mineral wealth include gold, copper, chromium, etc. [2]. These resources help contribute to the economy, although it is primarily based on a primarily agricultural economy.
It is safe to say, most importantly, Europeanization is the most important and significant effect and issue due to geography. Europeanization shaped the way of modern southern Africa, and it has also carved its history. Europeanization played a major role and influence to the natives of southern Africa. Europeanization is important, but why state that it is due to geography?
The climate plays a huge factor in the answer. South Africa has a climate that is heavily similar to the European climate; a mild Mediterranean and temperate climate, with four distinct seasons [3]. Although Mediterranean cities lie further away from the equator – 26° S. in Johannesburg, South Africa, opposed to 42° N. in Rome, Italy [3], their climates are comparable. Therefore, when the first Europeans went to settle there, they were pleased to see that the climate was relative to their homelands, making them feel more at “home.” The Europeans weren’t feeling in some foreign land where the temperatures were too hot to bear, but instead, they were feeling more comfortable when they settled in South Africa. What ended up happening was then no different to any other place in Africa. The Europeans introduced the idea of white supremacy in the southern regions of Africa and essentially forced southern Africans to labor. Even after British independence, apartheid remained as a remnant of imperialism and white supremacy.
To conclude, there were many impacts and issues due to the cause and diversity of geography in southern Africa, more specifically for the reasons of flooding, resources, and imperialism. Geography played an important role in what shaped Africa today, and it shaped the face of Africa through manipulation of Europeans throughout history. Like other regions of Africa, such as the western coast of the northernmost tip (Tunisia), the Europeans took advantage of climate similarities and used their powers and technologies to their advantages, eventually establishing a vast amount of land in Africa. Thus, the geography of Africa, although diverse, presents its many issues and benefits that are interesting to share.
Works Cited
South Africa a century ago; letters written from the Cape of Good Hope (1791-1801). <http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/barnard/letters/letters.html>
The History of Apartheid in South Africa. <http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html>
South Africa Begins Apartheid <http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/africa/Apartheid.html>
Africa Reading Part I.2
The Effects of Western Civilization and Culture on Africa <http://www.onlineresearchjournals.com/aajoss/art/53.pdf>
Sub-Saharan Africa: European Colonialism <http://www.harpercollege.edu/mhealy/g101ilec/ssa/afh/afcol/afcolfr.htm>
United Nations. <http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?Cr1=&NewsID=37480&Cr=FAO>
Africa’s Natural Resources – Southern Africa’s Natural Resources. <https://www.courses.psu.edu/test/test100_hkr/AFIM/Main_HTML/NR_S.html>
Latitude and Longitude of World Cities. <http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0001769.html>
Many centuries ago, more specifically, in 1846, The Cape of Good Hope – the southern tip of South Africa was discovered by a Portuguese explorer named Bartholomew Dias [1]. The objective was to find a trade route from Europe to India. However, the European explorers knew little of what was to come in the next couple centuries. The discovery of the Cape of Good Hope led to many consequences, both good and bad; the most notorious consequence – colonization and imperialism. Because of European imperialism, racial discrimination, culture differences, and modernization are all aftermaths of Europeanization.
To start, the development of apartheid or racial discrimination is one aftermath of imperialism. The most notorious place for this hierarchy was in South Africa. When the English left and granted South Africa independence, two political groups wrestled to take control of South Africa [2]. And in the late 1940s, the Afrikaner National party was able to earn a strong majority [2]. What then happened in 1948, the beginnings of apartheid were established, with race laws that degraded blacks in South Africa [2]. The Dutch settlers who integrated with the African group that deemed themselves the Afrikaners probably had an influence on the British people, who were still in the time in control of South Africa [3]. The British and their white companions whose relatives are from South Africa probably had a universal dislike for the more native Bantu populations. Therefore, like the Americans’ effort in the south to segregate blacks, the South African and Afrikaner coalition did the same.
Another effect of imperialism in Southern Africa is the culture changes in the native people of Africa. For example, when the Europeans colonized the land, they also brought their culture with them. One might summarize the bringing of culture with the three C’s: Christianity, Commerce, and Civilization [4]. Another might summarize the brining of culture as “Westernization.”[5] European nations convinced Africans – many from the southern region – that their ways were inferior, and that the European ways – ways derived from Europe – were the ways that the Africans were to follow. The native southern Africans were compelled to adhere to the mindset of the European. As a result, many of the Africans dropped their previous culture, and the practice of African culture became obsolete, disregarded, and ultimately unacceptable in public domain [5].
Finally, modernization is another effect of imperialism. Like many African regions, including southern Africa, the advancements and the works of the European nations to modernize the African colonies sometimes benefitted the Africans. For example, in South Africa, schools were built in an effort to civilize and better the natives of Sub-Saharan Africa, which included the southern portion of Africa [6]. The only problem was that European teachers were instilling European values to the African natives. Also, the death rates decreased thanks to European vaccines and European hospitals, although another problem rose with the higher birth rates [6]. Some benefits did arise as byproducts of imperialism, but they presented new problems. Modernization was probably the only, if not best impact of the native peoples due to imperialism.
Thus, effects of imperialism in southern Africa included racial discrimination, culture changes, and modernization. Southern Africa has been the target of many Europeans, and the natives have been most affected by the changes of imperialism. Imperialism has always discriminated people and preferred the white man over the blacks. Southern Africa has been notorious for its discrimination system, even after the British left. Although the original explorers who discovered the Cape of Good Horn had good intentions, they never knew what was coming for the next couple of centuries.
Effects of Geography on Southern Africa
Southern Africa has a very diverse geography, although it can be compared to Europe’s thanks to its relative location in the equator. The climates vary greatly from temperate in South Africa, to the deserts in Namibia. This diverse geography and climates make it difficult to discuss effects due to one sole climate. However, there are still problems effects of geography in the region of southern Africa. Because of the effects of geography, flooding is a consequence, resources found are a benefit, and imperialism is the ultimate effect as results from geography.
To start with, flooding is one issue of geography that pertains to South Africa. In the summer of 2011 in southern Africa, heavy floods damaged large areas of cropland [1]. The results were devastating afterwards. As a result of flooding, a food shortage occurred and those who depend on the farms are devastated. In poor countries north of South Africa, food insecurity has always been an issue there, for the reasons of poor soil and desert. With the coming of the flooding and the damage of the farmland, the food shortages that the countries were facing have exponentially become more of a concern to the country.
However, a positive effect thanks to the geography of the southern Africa region is that there are abundant resources found in southern Africa. Some natural resources that might be extracted for wealth can include uranium and diamonds [2]. The rarity and preciousness of the diamonds make it a potential resource to make profits upon. Other resources that are of mineral wealth include gold, copper, chromium, etc. [2]. These resources help contribute to the economy, although it is primarily based on a primarily agricultural economy.
It is safe to say, most importantly, Europeanization is the most important and significant effect and issue due to geography. Europeanization shaped the way of modern southern Africa, and it has also carved its history. Europeanization played a major role and influence to the natives of southern Africa. Europeanization is important, but why state that it is due to geography?
The climate plays a huge factor in the answer. South Africa has a climate that is heavily similar to the European climate; a mild Mediterranean and temperate climate, with four distinct seasons [3]. Although Mediterranean cities lie further away from the equator – 26° S. in Johannesburg, South Africa, opposed to 42° N. in Rome, Italy [3], their climates are comparable. Therefore, when the first Europeans went to settle there, they were pleased to see that the climate was relative to their homelands, making them feel more at “home.” The Europeans weren’t feeling in some foreign land where the temperatures were too hot to bear, but instead, they were feeling more comfortable when they settled in South Africa. What ended up happening was then no different to any other place in Africa. The Europeans introduced the idea of white supremacy in the southern regions of Africa and essentially forced southern Africans to labor. Even after British independence, apartheid remained as a remnant of imperialism and white supremacy.
To conclude, there were many impacts and issues due to the cause and diversity of geography in southern Africa, more specifically for the reasons of flooding, resources, and imperialism. Geography played an important role in what shaped Africa today, and it shaped the face of Africa through manipulation of Europeans throughout history. Like other regions of Africa, such as the western coast of the northernmost tip (Tunisia), the Europeans took advantage of climate similarities and used their powers and technologies to their advantages, eventually establishing a vast amount of land in Africa. Thus, the geography of Africa, although diverse, presents its many issues and benefits that are interesting to share.
Works Cited
South Africa a century ago; letters written from the Cape of Good Hope (1791-1801). <http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/barnard/letters/letters.html>
The History of Apartheid in South Africa. <http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html>
South Africa Begins Apartheid <http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/africa/Apartheid.html>
Africa Reading Part I.2
The Effects of Western Civilization and Culture on Africa <http://www.onlineresearchjournals.com/aajoss/art/53.pdf>
Sub-Saharan Africa: European Colonialism <http://www.harpercollege.edu/mhealy/g101ilec/ssa/afh/afcol/afcolfr.htm>
United Nations. <http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?Cr1=&NewsID=37480&Cr=FAO>
Africa’s Natural Resources – Southern Africa’s Natural Resources. <https://www.courses.psu.edu/test/test100_hkr/AFIM/Main_HTML/NR_S.html>
Latitude and Longitude of World Cities. <http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0001769.html>