The history of all of Earth's continents is old and violent. But none more so than the history of Africa.
Africa's history begins with the birth of hominids. They evolved in rainforests. They then moved to the woodlands, and began walking on two feet. That led to hunting and bigger brains. Then, they learned to use tools.
Modern humans all come from East Africa. The first Homo erectus evolved in Africa around 2 million years ago. The mainstream view is that around 1.8 million years ago, they left Africa. They left looking for food.
Around 13,000 years ago, the Sahara became a desert. It was too dry to grow crops. Many people left Africa in search of fertile land. North Africa became entwined with the Middle East.
In Ancient times, people spread across Central Africa. The Bantu expansion took place during the first millennium BC. Many languages mixed.
The most famous ancient civilization is Ancient Egypt. In 3,100 BC, Egypt became one power. It was ruled by Narmer. He was a divine king.
Ancient Egypt had a big military. They built many beautiful structures. They began trading with other groups.
In 30 BC, the Egyptian rule came to an end. The Romans took control of Egypt. They ruled in their own way.
The kingdom of Nubia was present at the same time as the Ancient Egyptians. Their presence led to a rivalry between the two groups. But they experienced times of peace. They traded with each other.
In the medieval times, Africa flourished. Most of North Africa was Muslim. Islam spread from the Middle East in the 7th century.
Africa's geography influenced where people lived. People lived in villages. Most villagers were related. Many were farmers. It was a more peaceful time.
Of course, that peace did not last for long. The 16th century saw the birth of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Europeans kidnapped people from Africa. Then, they sent them to America. They were treated like cargo. There, they were exploited. They were sold to work. Some worked in fields. Some were servants. It is estimated that 12 million people were displaced.
But taking slaves was not enough. Europeans wanted to own Africa. By the 1850s, British and German missionaries arrived in Africa. They spread Christianity. Germany declared much of South East Africa was part of Germany.
That was the beginning of the Scramble for Africa. European nations fought for ownership of parts of Africa. This lasted for 15 years. They thought that Africa needed help. They thought that they could not be trusted to rule by themselves. They caused many factions within countries. By 1914, Europeans owned 90% of the continent. They made Africa suffer. It relied on Europe.
After World War II, Africa began decolonization. The transfer of power was mainly peaceful. Only some countries went to war.
Now, Africa contains 54 countries. Many of which are still developing. Africa is now the world's fastest growing continent. But the harm that was caused by Europe cannot be understated.