Unit One: Why Study Africa?

Teacher Discussion:

Image 1 shows a camel caravan, or a group of people traveling together through the desert. For centuries, the caravan has been the best way to travel the immense distances through the desert in North Africa. Even today, caravans are still used, as there are many problems with using automobiles in the desert. Note that only a few major roads travel through the Sahara, and only a few places to stop for fuel or get repairs exist. Massive sandstorms can also make the road ahead suddenly disappear.

Image 2 shows two men on a motorcycle in West Africa. Motorcycles are often used for transport in rural areas in Africa, as they travel well on the many gravel roads, and don't cost as much, use as much fuel, or require as much maintenance and repairs as regular cars do.

Image 3 shows a typical bus that takes people back and forth between places outside the capital in southern Africa. Many people don't have cars, and the buses get them where they need to go quickly and efficiently. Even businesspeople and traders use the bus for their transport; in this picture, you can see that huge parcels of dried fish are being loaded on the top of the bus to be transported to the capital where they can be sold.

Image 4 shows a shaded area used to park bicycles in a rural area in southern Africa. Bicycles are a much-used form of transportation in rural Africa, as they are inexpensive, easy to use, and travel well on the gravel roads.

Image 5 shows cars on a modern road in eastern Africa. As the transportation map underneath the pictures show, there are modern road networks all over Africa, and lots of traffic travels these roads, just like in the U.S.

Image 6 shows the mode of transportation perhaps used most often by people in most of Africa: walking. It's not uncommon to see people setting off to their destination on foot, confident that along the way they will be able to "hitch" a ride in a car or truck or bus. People with automobiles are much more likely to stop and pick up others who need a ride, often for a small fee, especially in rural areas. Also, walking is the way in which most children get to school; this picture shows several students on their way from their homes (in the background) to the local school, which is 2-3 miles away. Notice that the younger children wear uniforms. These students woke up at 5am to get ready, finish their chores, and be to school by 7:00.