Africa
The Problems and Culture of its People - by Parker Rose
Problems
Desertification - desertification is a problem where dry land becomes increasingly arid and loses all of its bodies of water as well as vegetation and wildlife. It is occurring mainly in Northern African countries including Algeria, Chad, Niger, and Libya.
Problems (cont.)
Overpopulation - overpopulation is a problem where the number of people exceeds the carrying capacity of a certain region. It's a problem in countries such as Ethiopia and Nigeria.
Problems (cont.)
Apartheid - an Afrikaans word meaning "the state of being apart," or simply racial segregation. It is still a problem in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela: Rachel Maddow talks about the history of apartheid in South Africa
Problems (cont.)
Genocide - the intentional killing of a large group of people from a specific ethnic group or nation. Genocide is a huge problem in Rwanda.
Rwanda Genocide documentary
Problems (cont.)
Civil Wars - a civil war is a war between citizens of the same country. Civil war is a problem in most, if not all African countries.
Problems (cont.)
Disease - an abnormal condition, a disorder of a bodily structure or function, that affects the organism. Disease is a problem in all African countries.
Question: How can a lack of education contribute to the problems above?
Answer: Africa's lack of education is the reason for the disease problems on the continent. Most of the diseases that Africa suffers from have cures that have been discovered. Because of the lack of education, however, doctors aren't educated enough to learn about them. Plus people aren't educated enough to learn proper hygiene to avoid the diseases.
Culture
Rites of Passage - a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life.
Rites of Manhood: Crocodile Scars
Culture (cont.)
Swahili - the official language of several East African countries including Kenya, Somalia, and Rwanda.
Culture (cont.)
Polygamy - the custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. South Africa and Sudan are two countries where polygamy is legal.
Culture (cont.)
Bantu - a branch of languages spoken by most African populations. There are about 650 Bantu languages.