Early SettlementsThe West African coastal country of Senegal once was a part of the great West African Empire of Mali, Ghana and Tekrur. Its name comes from the Senegal River along its northern and eastern borders that form the border between Senegal and Mauritania. Even though, Senegal has many different types of ethnic groups, one in particular stands out regarding the early settlement. The Lebou people were noted to have lived in the area since the 11th century.
The Lebou people are originally from the Nile Valley in Upper Egypt. They are considered the “people of the sea”. They migrated to Senegal in small groups over time and their presence was noted in the kingdom of Djolof (Wolof) in Central Senegal in the 11th century. The Lebou rebelled against the king’s authority and moved west. Eventually, they settled in the Cape Verde peninsula. The Cape Verde Peninsula is the home of the current capital city, Dakar. The Lebou people are known fishermen. Fish is one of the main natural resources in Senegal. They used this resource for food, jobs and trading. Their access to the sea was very beneficial to them in gaining the majority control of the fishing industry. They have acquired ownership of a lot of land in Dakar because they were the first to settle in that area. In Guns, Germs, and Steel, people in certain geographical areas were able to progress more than others in different parts of the world. The Lebou people were able to be progressive in gaining wealth and power in the region they settled because of the resources around them. They were able to master the fishing industry, allowing them to never experience hunger. They were able to own an abundant amount of land because they were the first to settle in that area. Other ethnic groups are able to thrive in Senegal because of the agriculture and animal production. The major agricultural crops are peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, and cotton. Diamond’s Theory mentioned that if the people of New Guinea were in a different geographical area of the world they would have been able to progress in their society and become more modern. The disadvantage of New Guinea is that it is an island. The Lebou people had the pleasure of being on the second largest continent in the world. So if one area was lacking something they could easily move around unlike people who are limited to a small island. As previously stated, The Lebou people originated from Upper Egypt and migrated southwest to the Western Coast. They had many advantages that the New Guinea people did not have because of their geographical area.
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For more information on the history of Senegal visit:
~~Senegal- History and Background
http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1309/Senegal-HISTORY-BACKGROUND.html
You can find general historical information on Senegal. THe location of the country, the colonization by France, to the independence. This can give you a quick overview of basic history of Senegal.
~~History of Senegal- The Senegal and Gambia Rivers http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac64
You can find historical information about Senegal starting from the 15th Century up to about 1990's. It talks about how the European countries were fighting over which land they would colonize, which lead to the separation of the land. Senegal being colonized my France and the Gambia by Britain. This sources talks about the independence from the European colonizers.
References
Ecotour Voyage Nature,. (2015). Les Lébous de Yoff. Retrieved 14 July 2015, from http://www.ecotour-voyage- nature.com/ecoinfos/236-les-lebous-de-yoff
Everyculture.com,. (2015). Culture of Senegal - history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family. Retrieved 13 July 2015, from http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Senegal.html
Nationsencyclopedia.com,. (2012). Agriculture - Senegal - export, area, crops, farming, system. Retrieved 13 July 2015, from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Senegal-AGRICULTURE.html
Ecotour Voyage Nature,. (2015). Les Lébous de Yoff. Retrieved 14 July 2015, from http://www.ecotour-voyage- nature.com/ecoinfos/236-les-lebous-de-yoff
Everyculture.com,. (2015). Culture of Senegal - history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family. Retrieved 13 July 2015, from http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Senegal.html
Nationsencyclopedia.com,. (2012). Agriculture - Senegal - export, area, crops, farming, system. Retrieved 13 July 2015, from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Senegal-AGRICULTURE.html
POPULATION PYRAMIDS
The population pyramid displays the current 2015 population of Senegal. The current population has more children and young adults then elderly.
http://populationpyramid.net/senegal/2015/ |
The population pyramid displays Senegal 30 years into the future. It shows that the birth rate has decreased over the 30 years. The amount of elder has increased slightly.
http://populationpyramid.net/senegal/2045/ |