Fri, September 22, 2017 at 12:21 pm GMT
Hello Karen.I am fine and let me keep you busy to learn history
3;DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AND THEIR IMPACT.
A:AGRICULTURE.
Agricultue is an art of growing crops and keeping animals. Growing of crops involves digging, planting, weeding and harvesting of crops. Keeping animals involves dairy farming, fishing and poultry keeping. Agriculture was originally practiced in South West Asia around 10,000years ago. From Asia agriculture spread to Africa through Egypt. Egyptians grew wheat in the fertile soil of Nile Valley. The first crops grown in Africa were sorghum and millets.
Types of agriculture practiced in Africa.
(i)Permanent crop cultivation.
(ii)Mixed farming.
(iii)Shifting cultivation.
(iv)Pastoralism.
(i)Permanent crop cultivation. This is the types of agriculture were permanent crops are grown. Perennial crops such as bananas, yams and potatoes are grown. This type of agriculture is suitable in the areas which:
(i)Receive heavy rainfall and reliable.
(ii)Had fertile soil.
(iii)Free from pests and disease.
In East Africa, these areas includes the Kikuyu highlands of Kenya, Buganda, Kenyan highlands, Kilimanjaro, Kagera and some part of Kigoma Karagwe.
Impacts of permanenat crops cultivation.
1.Permanent crop cultivation influenced growth of population. The increase in food production attract more settlement, as a result number of people grew in these areas.
2.They invented the use of iron technology among the society. The production of iron tools was increased due to the need of iron tools.
3.Handcraft industries become more developed due to need of tools and trade activities .
4.Development of large centralized states such as Bunyoro, Buganda, Busoga, Toro, and Ankole.
5.They influenced sedentary (settled) life. People were now able to settle in permanent areas.
(ii)Mixed farming.
This is the type of farming which involves both crops farming and animal husbandry. It was practiced in areas which are characterized by easy exaustion of soil fertilty and unreliable rainfall. Crops grown are sorghm, maize, cassava, beans and millets and animals kept weregosats, donkeys, cattle, horses and sheeps.
Mixed farming are common among the Sangu, Gogo, Sukuma, Kurya, Fipa of Tanzania, Luya in South West Kenya and the Basoga and Gisu in Uganda.
Result of mixed farming include
1.Specialist classes in the societies. Some became specialized in pastoralism and others in crop cultivation.
2.Development of industries due to iron technology. Iron is a raw material for the production of goods, they are also needed in production of iron tools which are used in agriculture and defence.
3.Development of centralized states like Mwenemutapa, Luba Lunda, Kazembe, Lozi etc.
4.Growth of modern agriculture in several fertile land of Africa.
5.Increase the number of people because of availability of availability of food.
(iii)Pastoralism
Was practiced in the areas with very little rainfall ie in arid and semi arid areas.The societies such as Maasai, Barbaig and Nyaturu of central Tanganyika, Nandi, Ndebele, Pokot, Karamajong, Fulani of western Sudan, the Hottentos of South Africa, the Galla and Somali of semi desert regions of Horn of Africa. Animal kept were Donkeys, cattle, sheep and goats.
There is nomadic pastoralism and sedentary pastoralism
Nomadic pastoralism is the seasonal movement of people with livestock in search of water and pasture.These nomadic pastoralists were Barbaig, Oromo, Fulani, Karamajong and Maasai.
Sedentary pastoralism: This is the process of living with livestocks in the same area. They did not move with livestocks from place to place. For example, the Kwavi among the Masai cultivate some crops and at the same time keep livestocks
Characteristics of pastoral societies
(i)They lived nomadic life in search for pasture and water.
(ii)System of production based on age group.
(iii)Had a lot of livestocks for the use value.
(iv)Where pastoralists conquered the crop cultivators they assumed the role of ruling class over the cultivators. For example the Chwezi and the Luo of Bunyoro-Kitara dominate the interlocustrine crop cultivators. Also in western Sudan, the Fulani pastoralists dominated the Hausa farmers. In Rwanda and Burundi the pastoral Tutsi dominated the Hutu.
(iv)SHIFTING CULTIVATION
This is the type of farming practised in the areas were by there is no enough rainfall and little soil fertility and the societies move from one plot to the other to look for its fertility.After cultivation of one season they shift to the other part of the land.
Characteristics of shifting cultivation. Livestock farming was difficult due to the presence of tsetse fly and other livetsock disease.
Communal mode of production continued for a long time with little surplus. The societies includes Makonde, Zaramo, Zigua, Kerewe,Yao and Makua.
The contribution of technology to the development of agriculture
The application of science and technology in agriculture has contributed as follows:
1.The cultivated areas were widened due to use of iron tools.
2.Trade were made possible due to the availability of trade items made of iron e.g. Spears, arrows, axe and swords.
3.Food storage skills made possible the availabilty of food. For example the use of smoke in storing grains and meat among the Fipa help in the presence of food.
4.Irrigation made land to be productive throughout the year e.g. Among the Egyptians irrigation was used to grow crops along the Nile Valley system.
5.Transport facilities such as the use of cannoes, horses and camels help in the development of trade among the African societies.
The impact of envirornment to the development of agriculture
1.Reliable rainfall led to the development of permanent crop cultivation.
2.Fertile soil togather with reliable rainfall led to the development of permanent crop cultivation.
3.Pests free areas enabled pastoralism possible in the areas.
4.Availability of iron made it possible for the making of iron tools such as hoes, axes and knives.
5.Rivers and the lakes were the basis to the development of irrigation agriculture.
Impacts of agriculture to the development of man
1Assured food supply to the man.
2.It led to the development of labour sprecializations e.g. pastoralists, cultivators, iron smelters and rainmakers.
3.Made it possible the surplus production.
4.Exchange (trade) relation develop within the communities because it assured the availability of goods and services.
5.Population increased due to increase food supply.
6.It led to the growth of political states in Africa such as Mali, Ghana, Songhay, Mwenemutapa, Buganda etc.
B:Handicraft industries and mining in pre colonial africa
Handcraft industries were the activities which were carried out in Africa using hands to produce goods for their own use and also for trade. These were like metal works, rugs and carpets, furniture making, wood carving, pottery, basketry, iron smelting, cloth making and salt making
