Evolutionarly speaking, if Africa is the cradle of life, why is it in the condition it is in?

Question

Why if africa beget mankind, is it as worse off as it is now, by evolutionary standards shouldnt it be the greatest of all civilzation? Even the first civilizations began in Africa.

Answer 1

cause its not the cradle of life

Answer 2

i heard that. ride on buddy.

Answer 3

I think if you look you see that civilization was promoted in countries close to the ocean.  The ones with the best boats/ships became the rulers.  Places such as central Europe are still struggling.  China could have ruled the world but they had the idea of China being the center of the world and didn't bother.  Today, we see this being carried forward in space "ships."

Answer 4

Two major slave trades which drained out the strong men women and children of Africa. (Arab & Atlantic)

Between 650 -1900 more than a mellenium

40,000,000 people stolen from Africa and placed around the world to produce free labour = major profit for the Arab trade leaders (now Middle East) & Atlantic trade leaders (now Western world) while Africa only loosed out.

Then European colonisation of Africa after slave trading abolished. Colonising only possible because of weakened Africa as most the strong men to fight were gone and communitys devastated by tribal wars thought during slavery so no unity.

During these time the western world are able to have industrial revoulutions unlike Africa because industrial need a large workforce (a lot of men) which Africa lacked.

Colonisation done by ignorant Europeans put many tribes together in man made countrys which when later independant fight for the countrys power as you hear many African civil wars.

Your answer is because Africa opened its doors to Arabs and Europeans to steal make profit off dictate then leave Africa on its knees.

Answer 5

By that argument, China, the Middle East and Egypt should have greater and more advanced civilizations then the United States. They don't.

Civilizations develop and decline. There's "The glory that was Greece" the Roman Empire, the "Age of the Pharaohs" and the dynasties in China. Each were one the highest civilization in the world. Each has bequeathed  ideas and concepts that we use today.

Africa suffered in the 1800s from colonization, Nations were created that included incompatible tribes or had borders simply drawn on a map. That is perhaps the greatest contribution to the continents distress. Toss in HIV, drought, lack of resources, corruption  and war and things only get worse.

Answer 6

I know it is politically correct to blame Europeans & even Americans for Africa's ills, but this is pure drivel. Too many love self imposed guilt trips & simply ignore the fact that Africa's problems are caused by Africans. The main problem is lack of education & plain old corruption that is common in developing countries.

Shaka (the Zulu) was rampaging through  Africa, & committing genocide on any tribe that opposed him, long before Europeans had a significant amount of influence there. Granted the Europeans were not the best of African rulers, but they were far from the worst too.  At the very least, millions of Africans did not die of famine when the Europeans were running the show, & genocide was held at bay.  However, educating Africans was not high on the priority list of Europeans... a pitty that.

Africa needs lots of help, but unfortunately that will have to come from Africans & that is partly due to the ignorant among the politically correct that constantly tell them someone else is to blame for their condition. We "may" be able to help them develop an economic engine, but this will require the ignorant to stop telling them everything is the fault of Europeans & Americans.

Another problem Africa has is nearly 1000 different tribes & at least 100 different languages.  They have more ethnic problems than Europe or Asia.  People just don't trust anyone not of their tribe & blood ties are their most important bond to loyalty.

List of major Ethnic groups:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Afr...

Answer 7

Because the Europeans raped their land, and destroyed their culture.

Answer 8

I recommend you read an author called jared diamond. He wrote a couple of fantastic books on why some civilizations are way more successful than others and why some just fail and collapse. basically, he says it is all environmental conditions. They are rather big books, but written in simple english and easy to understand.

Answer 9

There is no connection between evolutionary success and economic or social success...they are unrelated issues.  People in Africa are no more biologically advanced than the rest of us...and civilizations advance according to many factors unrelated to genetics.

Answer 10

Humans have a right to become extinct. It is a normal evolutionary step. It has happened to 99.9 % of all creatures that have ever existed. Perhaps the Africans are just the first step toward that end.

Answer 11

There is no link between genetics and a superioerity of a civilization.  While interference from Europeans in the late 1800's played a part in shaping the modern Africa, the truth is Africans themselves had just as much to do with the shape of modern africa as any european.  Africa today is stricken by many of the same types of problems that has always pestered humanity: Greed, Lust for power, Religion and a sense of cultural superiority.  Throw in harsh climates, and rampant disease.  HIV and Aids is among the largest killers on the continent.  And even more scary is that acts of genocide are becoming more and more common (Rowanda and now the Sudan)  In a sense Africa isnt really suffering from anything that Europeans havent endured in the past.  And it took europe many many centuries of Death, disease and War to be as stable as it now and even some places in europe still suffer from things like genocide.  Ultimately it will have to be the peoples of the African nations themselves that bring the African continent into the modern world.

Answer 12

Well I actually think Africa never had a chance, Africa is the richest land when it comes to natural means. Africa was ripped apart by corruption. Africa was torn by the biggest genocide in history " Slavery." And was split into unintentional death traps between rival tribes by the Europeans who left the good and the bad where ever they went. And can be ascribed to some problems we have in Africa till this day.

Answer 13

me thinks you know 'nuthin' of history and colonization, right? i'm not going to spend lots of time educating you on things you should already know but i would suggest that you go back to the late 1700s, though to the late 1800s (through books) and see what went on in africa, european conquest, failure to see beyond their (colonists) noses, etc. the people within the continent had little or no say within their native land. it is what it is today because of what DIDN'T happen over a hundred years ago! read and learn then we'll talk!

Answer 14

Between " the cradle of life " and " why is it in the condition it is in " you became disconnected. Evolutionary standards are about reproductive success.