Overview

For over one thousand years foreign powers, such as Arabs, Portuguese, Spanish, British, French, and now Chinese, interfered in African affairs to pursue economic and political gains. In a similar way African rulers exploited this foreign presence for their own ends. These foreigners came in search of slaves, gold, other natural resources, and land and manpower for plantations. This process dragged Africa into the global geopolitical scene, resulting in civil wars, colonialism, and environmental demise.This book provides a brief outline of Africa's pre-colonial and colonial history, analyzing the economic, sociopolitical, and cultural fields, on the level of the continent as a whole but emphasizing the diversity of the actors involved. It concludes by explaining the main current challenges facing Africa: peace and security, food supplies, and sustainable development.

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9781558764613

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Reviews

[Hugon] opposes two common ideas: that of a marginalized Africa and that of a uniform Africa. He emphasizes contrasts and the intertwining of the political, economic, and cultural dimensions to give meaning to the internal and international challenges confronting African societies that are in the midst of transformation. - Les Clionautes

Author Information

Philippe Hugon, University of Paris, Nanterre, is the director of research at IRIS, and author of more than fifteen books on Africa.

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