Africa - Global Geopolitics podcast review

There is a quest going on on this blog, the quest for Africa. The drive to listen to educational podcasts is the drive to knowledge and understanding. Since I detected a gaping hole in my knowledge about Africa, both contemporary and historically, I am especially on the lookout for podcasts that shed some light on the large continent. Few do, which explains why this search turns to quest.

The next stop in this uncertain journey is the Global Geopolitics podcast (feed) by Stanford's professor Martin Lewis. Lectures 7 and 8 are dedicated to North-Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Especially lecture 8 on what we used to call 'dark' Africa, fills some of the gaps. Look at this map of the various empires, states and cultures who reigned in Africa over the centuries.



Little is said about these, but seeing them on the map and having them named, at least gives some pointers to more research. The podcast however, since it's main purpose is not to dwell on history, but rather on showing modern geopolitics in maps, continues with the various points of interest. The process of decolonization, the various wars and civil wars and the current hot spots. Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan (also featured in North-Africa), Uganda, Central Africa, Kenya, Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia. Give or take another country - the gaps remain enormous.

More:
The Kingdom of Ghana,
World history outside the European box,
Thinking Outside the European Box,
Descriptive and prescriptive mapping,
Global Geopolitics - Martin Lewis,
A listener's guide to Geography of World Cultures,
Geography of World Cultures by Martin W. Lewis
Podcast Review: Africa Past and Present,
Africa - Stanford Travel,
Africa - Counsel for Foreign Relations.