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For at least 5,000 years, much of North Africa has been occupied by the Sahara Desert. Just south of this desert lies a wide band of grassland known as the savanna, stretching across Africa from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. The savanna became home to large numbers of people herding cattle and sheep. These people learned to smelt iron and grow crops, and developed complex communities with craftsmen, warriors, and traders. South of the savanna are the tropical rain forests of equatorial Africa. The Sahara was a barrier separating the peoples of sub-Saharan (below the desert) Africa from the rest of the world. But trade was never cut off completely, because the Sahara has oases with fresh water springs. Once merchants (people who trade) knew the location of these oases, they could cross the desert on camels, which could go several days, without water. Merchants crossed the Sahara for gold and other riches they could obtain from trade with West Africa. At the same time, West Africans lacked salt. Merchants, moving in caravans across the desert, picked up blocks of salt from desert salt beds along the way to exchange for gold. A thriving trade developed, based on gold-salt trade.
LIFE ON THE AFRICAN SAVANNA
LIFE ON THE AFRICAN SAVANNA
A short film by Catherine Brooks that displays the diverse array of plant and animal life within the African savanna ecosystem, explaining the vital roles that many species play and highlighting the importance of preserving this habitat.
"MAN VS WILD" AFRICAN SAVANNAH EPISODE
"MAN VS WILD" AFRICAN SAVANNAH EPISODE
In this clip, Adventurer Bear Grylls travels to Africa to show you how to survive in the Savannah.
ANCIENT CITIES ALONG THE NIGER RIVER
ANCIENT CITIES ALONG THE NIGER RIVER
This video gives a small description of the ancient cities, empires, and civilizations which manifested on the Niger River.
LIVING IN THE SAHARA DESERT
LIVING IN THE SAHARA DESERT
This video shows Ali and his wife, Deida, as they carry on the nomadic traditions in the desert.
LIFE IN THE SAHEL
LIFE IN THE SAHEL
This video describes the Sahel region and how people are making environmental changes to save this area.
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