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Colonialism and the African Environment

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Abstract

This chapter contends that Africa’s physical environment provided a medium for historical action as the colonial era unfolded. The nature of that history is evident in the way the environment offered colonial states and Africa a platform to express, forge, and preserve their perceptions, notions, meanings, and uses of nature. This is in no way to state that Africa’s history has been determined by its environment; rather, the environment has played a significant role in the way that African history has developed over the centuries. Particular attention is paid to how this range of ideas and attitudes influenced human relations and human–environment relations. The chapter highlights how scholars have interpreted these developments, and how those interpretations have aided our understanding of modern African history. Furthermore, focus on colonialism and the environment aids our understanding of how political, economic, social, and cultural African history have been produced.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. History Department, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Martin S. Shanguhyia

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  1. Martin S. Shanguhyia
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. History Department, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA

    Martin S. Shanguhyia

  2. University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA

    Toyin Falola

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Shanguhyia, M.S. (2018). Colonialism and the African Environment. In: Shanguhyia, M., Falola, T. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of African Colonial and Postcolonial History. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59426-6_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59426-6_2

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