Nigeria has been home to a number of ancient and indigenous kingdoms and states over the millennia. However, the modern state of Nigeria largely dates back to the British colonial rule that started in the 19th century; its present territory took shape with the merging of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria in 1914.
Nigeria became independent in 1960 and in 1963; the country adopted a republican constitution. The country also underwent military dictatorships; Nigerians witnessed bloodshed and violence by various groups. This continued until 1999; that was when a stable democracy came to power.
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The mystical place Timbuktu is very famous. The famous trading region is situated in modern day Mali. Mali was once part of the three great pre-colonial Sudanic empires: Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.
Botswana is named after its dominant ethnic group, the Tswana. Botswana is Africa’s oldest and longest continuous multi-party democracy.
In 1957, Ghana gained independence from its British rulers and became the first country to break free from colonial rule. Its economy has flourished since then. Ghana has become a major African power due to its economic prosperity and democratic political system.
Before the 1920s, we did not have a country called Libya. In its place, there were three historical regions- Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Fezzan which were ruled by the Ottomans. The Italians later colonized this region and unified them to form a single colony. Thus Libya was born.
Egypt is a land of antiquity. The civilisations and rulers of Egypt were highly regarded around the world.
Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980 and since then, veteran President Robert Mugabe dominated its political landscape for almost four decades.
Mozambique’s wealth lies in its natural resources. Unfortunately, it is still one of the poorest nations because of underdevelopment.
Ethiopia was never colonized by anyone. In fact, it is the only African country which was never colonized. Italy occupied it twice, but they couldn’t establish themselves as rulers.
Remember Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa? He was jailed for 27 years because he fought for freedom. Before Mandela came to power, the country was ruled by a British minority government. Their rules strictly kept apart the two ethnic groups- the whites and the blacks.
Cameroon is noted for its geographical and cultural diversity. It is known as ‘Africa in miniature’ for the same reason. The Sao civilization flourished near Lake Chad in Cameroon and the southeastern rainforests were inhabited by the Baka hunter-gatherers.
Many of the fossil remains of ancient Man have been found in Kenya. Kenya was colonized by the British in the 19th century. The colony did not have a peaceful atmosphere like many others.
Africa is the oldest inhabited territory on Earth; human beings originated here! The continent was home to many ancient civilizations including those of Egypt, Congo and the Ashanti people, which flourished before Arab or European contact. Africa is noted for its jarring ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity. It’s the second largest and the second most-populous continent.
Let’s talk about our motherland now. Apart from its history, what is special about our country? Here are some interesting facts about India.
Before communism took shape, China was ruled by empires after empires for at least 2000 years, the last of them being the Qing dynasty. China established itself as a great power in the 18th century.
Cambodia and Vietnam have one thing in common; both the countries were ruled by the French for almost a hundred years. Though Cambodia tried to remain neutral during the Vietnam War, the country was in trouble as the war spread across the borders. The country’s peace was affected by the bitter fighting between the US troops and the Vietnamese communists.
Vietnam was colonized and ruled by the French for almost a century until the 1950s. The French rule came to an end when the communists took over the northern part of the country in 1954.
Years ago, North and South Korea were a single country. World War II divided the country into two. How did this happen?
Bangladesh has close connections with India. It was once part of India. During partition, Bangladesh became a part of Pakistan and was known as East Pakistan.
Japan was ruled by various emperors and warlords before the 19th century. Things started to change in the 19th century as Japan aimed to expand its borders to become a powerful empire. It waged wars with China and Russia. Japan occupied many territories including Korea by the end of the 1900s.
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, commonly known as the Soviet Union, was the largest country when it existed. We now have 15 independent states in its place including Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Russia. How did the Soviet Union take shape? Why did it collapse? Let’s take a look.
As their flag shows, Bhutan is known as the Land of Thunder Dragon. Squeezed between India and China, Bhutan is a tiny country in Asia which gives more importance to Gross National Happiness rather than Gross Domestic Product. It is also the first country to ban the production and sale of tobacco.
Finland has strong neighbours who played a key role in shaping its history. It is a small nation positioned between Sweden and Russia and has often been a tool to prove the power of its neighbours. Sweden started to gain control over Finland from the 1100s which was later lost to Russia in the Napoleonic War.
Sweden was not known to the world till Vikings explored this land. Sweden prospered under the rule of Vikings who fought wars to expand their territory.
Oil once made Venezuela rich beyond expectations; it was one of the richest Latin American countries which obtained half of its earnings from the oil industry. However, the oil prices began to drop from the 1960s.
