The Arabs migrated into North Africa from Arabia in a number of waves; the first of those waves occurred in the 7th century ce.

Archaeological evidence indicates that the continent has been inhabited by humans and their forebears for some 4,000,000 years or more. Anatomically modern humans are believed to have appeared as early as 200,000 years ago in the eastern region of sub-Saharan Africa.

Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Africa has the most physically varied populations in the world, from the tallest peoples to the shortest; body form and facial and other morphological features also vary widely. Such a loss of people, together with the devastating warfare and raiding associated with it, was the major cause of the subsequent weakness and decline of African societies. The Great Mosque of Djenné is a large banco or adobe building that is considered by many architects to be one of the greatest achievements of theSudano-Sahelian architectural style. Skirmishes and battles and political upheavals continue, and all the while Mali’s great natural and human beauties remain at risk…. Attendant, but unassociated, with the scramble, French and Italian settlers also established new communities in North Africa and, to some extent, western Africa. Internal movements during that time contributed to the heterogeneity and complexity of native African societies. It is the continent with the greatest human genetic variation, reflecting its evolutionary role as the source of all human DNA. Van Riebeeck was an explorer and originally ‘discovered’ South Africa in 1652.

(More detail is given in the regional history articles North Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, Western Africa, and Eastern Africa.) The Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to the Sterkfontein Caves, and could very well be the birthplace of mankind as we know it. Although the precise number is unknown, there are several thousand different societies or ethnic groups in Africa. Most Africans speak more than one language, and frequent migrations and interactions, including intermarriage, with other peoples have often blurred ethnic distinctions. They also spread Islam southward along the east coast, largely through trading and kinship relationships. There are an estimated 900 to 1,500 different languages, but many distinct political units share a common or similar language (as among the Yoruba, Hausa, and Swahili-speaking peoples). Women in traditional clothing, Kenya, East Africa. Those areas reflect differences in the cultural adaptation of traditional societies to varying natural habitats. It was the foundation of Cape Town that started an influx of Dutch settlers to South Africa. 10 Famous South Africans. Find them between the criss-crossing grids of sand-caked streets; see them in the muddy walls of the Sankore Mosque; or discover them underneath the spiked rises of the Djingareiber. Timbuktu Here is a list of famous people from South Africa. Oh, and that’s not even mentioning the mystery of Timbuktu! Nairobi contributes 60% to Kenya’s GDP.

The colonial era began to disintegrate in the 1950s. Lets explore the best places to visit in Mali: For many a Berber trader and Bedouin caravan man Timbuktu marked the end of the arduous trek across the shifting sand dunes of the great Sahara. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Thorn woodland, grassland, and semidesert vegetation, Africa - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Africa - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Unfortunately, recent conflicts have all but placed this fascinating country in the heart of West Africa out of bounds for would-be travelers. https://briefly.co.za/19146-list-famous-south-africans.html Dutch settlers first arrived in South Africa in 1652; their descendants now constitute the main Afrikaner, or Boer, population. The Berbers are most numerous in Morocco and least in Tunisia, where, as a result of culture contact and intermarriage, they have become largely assimilated with Arabs, who speak a Semitic language. Nairobi, Kenya – 3.5 million People. Get kids back-to-school ready with Expedition: Learn! For the purposes of this discussion, the principal regions are northern, western, west-central, eastern, and Central and Southern Africa; Madagascar is also included. Complicating the situation in the 20th century was the creation of new “tribes” (such as the Zande [Azande] and Luo) that had not been distinct polities before the colonial era. Africa is now widely recognized as the birthplace of the Hominidae, the taxonomic family to which modern humans belong. North Africa from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Nile River delta has been the site of conquests and movements of peoples for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence indicates that the continent has been inhabited by humans and their forebears for some 4,000,000 years or more. Meanwhile, the capital at Bamako is surely one of the continent’s most enthralling.