In the Middle of It

Central Africa is a geographically rich region that lies on the equator and borders the Atlantic Ocean. It has a hot and wet climate that cultivates a diverse rainforest ecosystem. The Congo River system supports this ecosystem and provides the region with navigable water. Besides having over 1,000,000 square kilometers of rainforest, central Africa also has vast savannas and valleys that are home to a variety of exotic species.

The region of Central Africa includes Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, The Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and São Tomé & Principe. The languages spoken in this region all originate from the Bantu group of the Niger-Congo language family, along with some European languages (Birmingham). Central Africa started technological advancement around the same time Europe did during the iron age. This social and economic innovation was crucial to the development of the agricultural and hunting communities (Birmingham). Iron production became an important skill not only in the local communities but also for interregional trade. Shortly after, copper production also became a large demand for the region, and it became one of the main copper mining locations on a global scale. These industrial developments led to the growth of trade in Central Africa, later leading to larger trade industries like long distance salt trade and the growth of the textile industry.

Works Cited: https://uoregon-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/agordon8_uoregon_edu/EXmPxEGBXXBKuhuzal5LUl0Bh_K9nQvSdh_Ujg5WpENAnw?e=HiZper