GEOG.388                                                                                   Bridgewater State College

Geography of Africa

                                                                                                                    Instructor: Prof. V. Domingo

Office: Science Bldg. 302A                                                                      http://webhost.bridgew.edu/vdomingo

B.U. African Studies Outreach Center  http://www.bu.edu/africa/outreach/

To study any region is to embark on a voyage if discovery; it is to create a coherent picture in words, ideas, and images of a certain part of the world. regional geography, sometimes called “the highest form of the geographer’s art”, synthesizes and relates seemingly unconnected aspects of an area in its attempts to explain how people within the region, live, work, play, interact, and die.

            This particular regional geography course analyzes the complexity of the continent of AFRICA and develops a framework within which both the unity and the complexity of the continent can be examined. Africa is presented here as a fascinating region with serious problems as well as hopeful prospects. The people and places of this continent need careful study to fully appreciate the role that Africa continues to play in our world.

            Using concepts from the literature of development studies, the course explores the relationships between the physical basis of the region (soil, climate, minerals, topography) and the human aspects (culture, politics, economics) in order to explain the great mosaic that is Africa.

            Specific case studies of sub-regions will be introduced so that the scale differences and connections can be appreciated. In addition, analysis will not always be limited to countries as constrained by present political boundaries and the perspective will often be transnational. 

            While we will develop a strong understanding of the historical context, the main concern will be to explain the present-day Africa realities. You are expected to keep abreast of current events in Africa and to relate these to the course. as we put the pieces of the regional puzzle together, a truism should become clear: we study other regions and peoples , not only to better understand their living conditions, but also to learn more about ourselves an about the society we live in.

Course topics:

1) The nature of regional geography

2) The physical basis of Africa

3) African perceptions of the environment

4) Colonialism

5) Cultural variations in a diverse continent

6) Literature - especially Soyinka and Achebe

7) Ethnicity and class in Africa

8) Economic development and structural adjustment

9) International trade

10) Religion in Africa

11) The position of women in Africa

12) Development projects

13) Urbanism

14) Agriculture

15)  Case studies - Cape Verde, Nigeria, South Africa

16) The African diaspora

Texts: Attoh, Samuel Aryeetey (ed), Geography of sub-Saharan Africa, 3rd edition,

           Prentice Hall, 2010.

           Africa, Global Studies, 12^th edition, Sluice Dock, CT: Dushkin, 2009.

           Readings in class.

                …………………………………………………………

Course requirements:

                 In-class discussion

                 2 Class tests

                 Class assignments

                 Term paper

                 Final exam

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                                Final grade:    

Current Events: During class periods we will discuss current events related to Africa, so keep up with the news from Africa. Listen to NPR (90.9 or 89.7).

Also on the web: All Africa http://allafrica.com/

Africa Online (http://www.africaonline.com/),

OneWorld News Service (http://www.oneworld.org/), Africa News Online (http://www.africanews.org)

Here is the link to the B.U. African Studies Outreach tutorial:

<http://www.bu.edu/africa/outreach/>