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Islam as a religious term is quite unclear when we talk about its principles in Western Africa. This region is a specific example of overlapping influences, religions, cultures and ideas. Potentially, in the context of New York 2001 dramatic events, 'Africa should answer' as S. Huntington describes it in his famous work. African presence was completely surprising, when it showed its own way of treating...
In the article Africa's position in the achievements of the main representatives' geopolitical thought has been described. In the period until 1945 considerations about this continent as an object of expansion were preferred, it was also emphasized Africa's little significance in the context of a lack of sufficient power on the global scale. An interesting exception has been created by Halford Mackinder,...
Rivers have always been in great importance in the process of arising and developing the human civilisation. Many ancient cultures were very powerful because of the huge rivers systems. Such civilizations as Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China came into being in the grand rivers valleys (Nil, Tiger, Euphrates, Indus, Ganges, Yangtze and Huang He). Nowadays those rivers also play the vital role because...
The paper discusses the problem of borders existing in our times or only appearing between various ethnic groups of West Africa. It also deals with overcoming the borders and creating new identities because of their activation. The interactions are presented with the examples of mixed marriages, entered by the Mossi and the Kurumba people in the area of Pela Kingdom founded by the Kurumba in the area...
Ethiopia shares its frontiers with 5 countries: Sudan, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, and Djibouti. It has border disputes with all above mentioned countries. However, the nature and the extent of the problem vary; based on the specific relations with individual country. This article focuses on the major Ethiopian wars of border with Somalia and Eritrea. The politics of post-independence Somalia during...
The article examines transnational character of the Senegalese Diaspora in Spain. A short account of the history of migrations from Senegal to Europe introduces the subject. Special emphasis is put on the continuation of the colonial discourse in the representation of African immigrants. The main focus of the analysis is on the transnational practices of the Senegalese in Spain. These are conducted...
It is estimated that the informal sector represents around 43% of the official GDP in Africa - so it is almost the same as the formal sector. The problematic of the informality raises directly very important questions - how to judge the informality, as an example of "social capital" in motion, effectively helping millions to survive or predatory activity, based on policy discrepancies, undermining...
The author of the article describes briefly the history of this area, belonging from 1886 to 1976 to Spain. The article presents the way of seizing this territory by Spain and colonial institutions, as well as the way it was treated by the dictator of Spain General Franco and the structure of Spanish administration. The author elaborates on the process of decolonization in this area of Africa and...
The article concerns the Sahel that is vast area between Sahara on North and Sudan on South. On this area, poor and unstable states (Senegal, Somalia, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan and Ethiopia) are situated. From the end of 60's to the end 80's of the 20th century the Sahel was the place of dramatic events caused mainly by economic and political factors connected with negative climatic changes...
Adherents of traditional religions use two ways of relating to space; one is a cosmic dimension and the other is in the living area dimension. Generally speaking the first type of relationship puts in order the vastness of the cosmos through sacralization of celestial bodies and natural phenomena, whereas the latter demarcates on living spaces "intimacy circles", which vary in the intensity...
The characteristic "tourist invasion" and other aspects of modern globalisation now ongoing in Africa and specifically in Mali cause substantial changes in the local culture. In particular it affects the Dogon tribe, attractive to many. At the same time ethnologists begin to realize that something is „becoming missing". A certain research age comes to an end and scientific materials...
This article aims to draw attention, perception that refugees generally as a people passive, abrasion of specificity of culture, places and history, they do not necessarily have to reflect that. In the refugee camps sometimes arise very aware of their subjectivity refugee communities. Anthropologist Aristide Zolberg calls them "The New Palestinians", or "Refugee-Warriors". They...
On an enormous field of Africa, composed of different countries, sometimes outlying, money circulates, franc CFA, which is not under the control of political units, called independent states. This monetary area is called zone of franc. It connects former French colonies of West Africa, Central Africa and Indian Ocean. Some call this situation monetary neocolonialism. So, it is possible to put question...
The author analyses selected examples of realization of the exhibitions concerning Africa that were presented at the State Eth- nographic Museum in Warsaw, the National Museum in Szczecin, the Town Museum of Żory, and the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography in Lodz. She discusses possibilities and ways in which authors presented categories of the real geographic space of Africa, its national, ethnic,...
In this article I present and critically analyze the main ideas of the Nigerian thinker, Ifeanyi A. Menkiti, on the problem of African borders for the future of the African state. Menkiti appears to consider that the basic condition for the successful coexistence of the various groups of peoples (ethnic groups, tribes) occupying the states of Africa is for relations between them to rest on equitable...
Starting from April 1994 that is from the very moment of abolishment of apartheid, the experience gathered through the common existence on the territory of the Republic of South Africa of both white and black people, produced a completely new quality which has since then been proudly defined as the Rainbow Nation. New liberal policy of the state brought about changes and a true transformation in the...
Problem of borders and borderland is very crucial for contemporary Africa, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The problem could be investigated in two perspectives. The first one focuses on the negative impact of arbitrary established boundaries by colonial powers and its maintenance by new independent states. Such "old-new" boundaries delimitated without respect of ethnic diversity groups...
German politics against colonies has been significantly modified for over two centuries of its history. In the first period, from the end of the 17th to the end of 19th century, its character can be described as economical. To win the market for the products of their industry, German traders set up merchant posts. This situation changed in 19th century, when the other European countries started to...
Contemporary Africa is a very specific expanse where territories and boundaries always played major role. The shape of boundaries is one of the main problems in African countries since long time. Boundaries imposed by colonist countries often didn’t mirror the real divisions and differences on relevant territory. These days many scientists notice a huge value of boundaries and territories on African...
Sudan is a country divided into two parts - the North and South. The domestic wars between South Sudan and the government in Khartoum, which have lasted since gaining independence in 1956, as well as a still lasting conflict in Darfur, led to creation of the biggest group of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in this country. The IDPs have emigrated from South Sudan to North, most often to the suburbs...
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