"West African" redirects here. For the airline see West African Airlines.   Western Africa (UN subregion)   Maghreb

West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:1  Benin  Burkina Faso  Cape Verde  Cote d'Ivoire  The Gambia  Ghana  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Liberia  Mali  Mauritania  Niger  Nigeria  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Togo

With the exception of Mauritania all of these countries are members of the ECOWAS or Economic Community of West African States. The UN region also includes the island of Saint Helena a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. Contents 1 Background 2 Geography and climate 3 Culture 3.1 Recreation 3.2 Music 4 History 4.1 Prehistory 4.2 Empires 4.3 Slavery and European contact 4.4 Colonialism 4.5 Postcolonial era 5 Regional organizations 5.1 Women's peace movement 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Background

West Africa is west of an imagined north-south axis lying close to 10 east longitude. The Atlantic Ocean forms the western and southern borders of the region. The northern border is the Sahara Desert with the Ranishanu Bend generally considered the northernmost part of the region. The eastern border is less precise with some placing it at the Benue Trough and others on a line running from Mount Cameroon to Lake Chad.

Colonial boundaries are reflected in the modern boundaries between contemporary West African nations cutting across ethnic and cultural lines often dividing single ethnic groups between two or more countries.

The inhabitants of West Africa are in contrast to most of Southern and Middle Africa non-Bantu speaking peoples. Geography and climate Dust Plumes off Western Africa.

West Africa if one includes the western portion of the Maghreb (Western Sahara Morocco Algeria and Tunisia) occupies an area in excess of 6140000 km2 or approximately one-fifth of Africa. The vast majority of this land is plains lying less than 300 meters above sea level though isolated high points exist in numerous countries along the southern shore of the region.

The northern section of West Africa is composed of semi-arid terrain known as Sahel a transitional zone between the Sahara and the savannahs of the western Sudan forests form a third belt between the savannas and the southern coast ranging from 160 km to 240 km in width. Culture

Despite the wide variety of cultures in West Africa from Nigeria through to Senegal there are general similarities in dress cuisine music and culture that are not shared extensively with groups outside the geographic region. Further information: Islam in Africa The Great Mosque of Djenn is built in the Sahelian architectural style prevalent in the interior regions of West Africa.

Islam is the predominant historical religion of the West African interior and the far west coast of the continent; Christianity is the predominant religion in the central and southern part of Nigeria and coastal regions of Ghana; and elements of indigenous religions are practiced throughout. African traditional religion is also prevalent. Along with historic migrations these religions have culturally linked the peoples of Northern Africa more than those in other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. Traditionally musical and oral history as conveyed over generations by Griots are typical of West African culture. Recreation The game oware is quite popular in many parts of West Africa. Soccer is also a pastime enjoyed by many either spectating or playing. The national teams of some West African nations especially Nigeria Ghana and the Ivory Coast regularly qualify for the World Cup. Music The talking drum is an instrument unique to the West African region. Mbalax Highlife Fuji and Afrobeat are all modern musical genres which enjoing listeners in this region. A typical formal attire worn in this region is the flowing Boubou (also known as Agbada and Babariga) which has its origins in the clothing of nobility of various West African empires in the 12th century. History Main article: History of West Africa The history of West Africa can be divided into five major periods: first its prehistory in which the first human settlers arrived developed agriculture and made contact with peoples to the north; the second the Iron Age empires that consolidated both intra-African and extra-African trade and developed centralized states; third Major polities flourished which would undergo an extensive history of contact with non-Africans; fourth the colonial period in which Great Britain and France controlled nearly the whole of the region; fifth the post-independence era in which the current nations were formed. Prehistory Early human settlers arrived in West Africa around 12000 B.C. Sedentary farming began in or around the fifth millennium B.C as well as the domestication of cattle. By 400 B.C ironworking technology allowed an expansion of agricultural productivity and the first city-states formed. The domestication of the camel allowed the development of a cross-Saharan trade with cultures across the Sahara including Carthage and the Berbers; major exports included gold cotton cloth metal ornaments and leather goods which were then exchanged for salt horses textiles and other such materials. Local leather cloth and gold also contributed to the abundancy of prosperity for many of the following empires. Empires Mansa Musa depicted holding a gold nugget from a 1395 map of Africa and Europe. The development of the region's economy allowed more centralized states and civilizations to form beginning with the Nok culture which began 500 B.C. and the Ghana Empire in the 8th century AD which stretched to the Mali empire. Based on the city of Kumbi Saleh in modern-day Mauritania the empire came to dominate much of the region until its defeat by Almoravid invaders in 1052. The Sosso Empire sought to fill the void but was defeated (c. 1240) by the Mandinka forces of Sundiata Keita founder of the new Mali Empire. The Mali Empire continued to flourish for several centuries most particularly under Sundiata's grandnephew) Musa I before a succession of weak rulers led to its collapse under Mossi Tuareg and Songhai invaders. In the fifteenth century the Songhai would form a new dominant state based on Gao in the Songhai Empire under the leadership of Sonni Ali and Askia Mohammed. Meanwhile south of the Sudan strong city states arose in Igboland such as the Kingdom of Nri in the tenth century Bono in the 12th century which eventually culminated in the formation the all powerful Akan Empire of Ashanti while Ife and Benin rose to prominence around the fourteenth century. Further east Oyo arose as the dominant Yoruba state and the Aro Confederacy as a dominant Igbo state in modern-day Nigeria. Slavery and European contact Two slightly differing Okpoko manillas as used by Europeans to purchase slaves. Following the 1591 destruction of the Songhai capital by Moroccan invaders a number of smaller states arose across West Africa including the Bambara Empire of Sgou the Bambara kingdom of Kaarta the Fula/Malink kingdom of Khasso and the Kndougou Empire of Sikasso. Portuguese traders began establishing settlements along the coast in 1445 followed by the French and English; the African slave trade began not long after which over the following centuries would debilitate the region's economy and population. The slave trade also encouraged the formation of states such as the Asante Empire Bambara Empire and Dahomey whose economic activities include but not limited to exchanging slaves for European firearms. The expanding trans-Atlantic slave trade produced significant populations of West Africans living in the New World recently colonized by Europeans. The oldest known remains of African slaves in the Americas were found in Mexico in early 2006; they are thought to date from the late 16th century and the mid-17th century.2 European and American governments passed legislation prohibiting the Atlantic slave trade in the 19th century though slavery in the Americas persisted in some capacity through the century; the last country to abolish the institution was Brazil in 1888. Descendants of West Africans make up large and important segments of the population in Brazil the Caribbean Latin America and the United States. Colonialism French colonies in West Africa circa 1913. In the early nineteenth century a series of Fulani reformist jihads swept across Western Africa. The most notable include Usman dan Fodio's Fulani Empire which replaced the Hausa city-states Seku Amadu's Massina Empire which defeated the Bambara and El Hadj Umar Tall's Toucouleur Empire which briefly conquered much of modern-day Mali. However the French and British continued to advance in the Scramble for Africa subjugating kingdom after kingdom. With the fall of Samory Ture's new-founded Wassoulou Empire in 1898 and the Ashanti queen Yaa Asantewaa in 1902 most West African military resistance to colonial rule came to an effective end. Britain controlled The Gambia Sierra Leone Ghana and Nigeria throughout the colonial era while France unified Senegal Guinea Mali Burkina Faso Benin Cte d'Ivoire and Niger into French West Africa. Portugal founded the colony of Guinea-Bissau while Germany claimed Togoland but was forced to divide it between France and Britain following First World War due to the Treaty of Versailles. Only Liberia retained its independence at the price of major territorial concessions. Postcolonial era Following World War II nationalist movements arose across West Africa. In 1957 Ghana under Kwame Nkrumah became the first sub-Saharan colony to achieve its independence followed the next year by France's colonies (Guinea in 1958 under the leadership of President Ahmed Sekou Tour); by 1974 West Africa's nations were entirely autonomous. Since independence many West African nations have been submerged under political instability with notable civil wars in Nigeria Sierra Leone Liberia and Cte d'Ivoire and a succession of military coups in Ghana and Burkina Faso. Since the end of colonialism the region has been the stage for some of the most brutal conflicts ever to erupt. Among the latter are: Nigerian Civil War First Liberian Civil War Second Liberian Civil War Guinea-Bissau Civil War Ivorian Civil War Sierra Leone Civil War Regional organizations The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) founded by the 1975 Treaty of Lagos is an organization of West African states which aims to promote the region's economy. The West African Monetary Union (or UEMOA from its name in French Union conomique et montaire ouest-africaine) is limited to the eight mostly Francophone countries that employ the CFA franc as their common currency. The Liptako-Gourma Authority of Mali Niger and Burkina Faso seeks to jointly develop the contiguous areas of the three countries. Women's peace movement Since the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000 women have been engaged in rebuilding war-torn Africa. Starting with the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace and Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET) the peace movement has grown to include women across West Africa. Established on May 8 2006 Women Peace and Security Network - Africa (WIPSEN-Africa) is a women-focused women-led Pan-African non-governmental organization based in Ghana.3 The organization has a presence in Ghana Nigeria Cote dIvoire Liberia and Sierra Leone. Regional leaders of nonviolent resistance include Leymah Gbowee4 Comfort Freeman and Aya Virginie Toure. Pray the Devil Back to Hell is a documentary film about the origin of this peace movement. The film has been used as an advocacy tool in post-conflict zones like Sudan and Zimbabwe mobilizing African women to petition for peace and security.5 See also Africa portal 2004 locust outbreak Akan people Ashanti people African American people Atlantic slave trade British West Africa Empire of Ashanti French West Africa Fula people Ghana Empire Hausa people Igbo people Jews of the Bilad el-Sudan (West Africa) Mali Empire Mande people Manillas A form of archaic money unique to West Africa Nsibidi Script - An indigenously developed West African writing system Seedies and Kroomen Songhai Empire Vai syllabary Western Sahara World Heritage Site Yoruba people References The UN office for West Africa "Skeletons Discovered: First African Slaves in New World". January 31 2006. LiveScience.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-27. WIPSEN "WIPSEN EMPOWERS WOMENTo fight for their rights" (article). Ghana Media Group. December 11 2010. http://todaygh.com/2011/03/14/wipsen-empowers-women-to-fight-for-their-rights/.  November 2009 MEDIAGLOBAL External links West Africa by Region and Country African Studies at Columbia University ouestaf.com Online source for news and current affairs in west Africa. 1 - The loss of Togo in result in World War 1 Loccidental The News reference for West Africa. West Africa Review An e-journal on West Africa research and scholarship. 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