Abstract This paper discusses the political history of Benin before, during, and after colonialism, with an emphasis on the post-colonial era. The paper analyzes the historical and political dynamics in Benin. The paper also looks at the issue of poverty and lack of natural resources.
From the Paper "Among the many autonomous nation-states in Africa one of the least well-known is Benin, home to slightly over a million people living in a republic that has been independent of colonial influence since Crystal Benin was in the pre-colonial era..."
Abstract This paper talks about some of the art produced in Benin and Sierra Leone and why so much of the more ancient art of that region no longer remains. The paper then describes art from Benin that is approximately 500 years old and more recent artwork from Sierra Leone made in the 19th century. The naturalistic heads and bodies of the Ife tribes of Benin and the Nowo masks from Sierra Leone are described, and the materials and techniques used are explained as well. Images of both types of art are included with the paper.
From the Paper "Art from Benin, located in the rainforests of Nigeria on the coastal plain west of the Niger River, first came to the Western world in 1897, when members of a British expedition took out thousands of objects as war plunder after the English conquest. Through government and private sales, Benin sculptures were soon found on the shelves and displays of museums and personal collections in England, Europe and America (Ben-Amos, 9). The art of Benin is unique in Africa, due to its unusual makeup of cast brass and carved ivory. Much of artwork from this country acts as a heritage to the Royal Kingdom of Benin, one of the greatest times in the continent's history (Ezra, 2)."
Tags: copper, tada, figure, sculpture, pourings, obas, softwood, ceremonial, adulthood
Abstract This research work seeks to isolate and characterise microorganisms found in Ekosodin, Benin City. It examines borehole (underground) water for microorganisms and investigates the quality of the drinking water. The paper also analyses the tests that were performed and discusses the results. Finally, the paper presents recommendations for the future.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Origin Of Water
Sources Of Water (Underground)
Importance Of Water
Microbes And Underground (Borehole) Water
Literature Review
Availability Of Underground Water
Major Sources Of Pollution Of Groundwater
Underground Water Quality
Aim
Materials And Method
Total Bacterial Count
Cultural Characterization
Pure Culture Preparation And Preservation
Gram Staining
Motility Test
Oxidase Test
Coagulase Test
Biochemical Test
Discussion And Conclusion
Recommendation
From the Paper "The borehole water in Ekosodin and environs is the sole potable water supplied to sixty per cent of the students on campus. Therefore the basis of the investigation is on the quality of the said water. The selected borehole water samples were analyzed for the presence of coliform bacteria, as this is one of the means of assessing the purity of water supplied to the school in general."
"The result above shows that the presumptive count and mean of the water samples is 4.48 bacterial per 100ml of water. This falls within the normal range of standard values suggested by the World Health Organization (1971). At this point, the water could have been accepted for consumption but the usefulness of this count as an indicator of bacterial water contamination or its consumption quality has been questioned by some analysis partly because coliform bacterial detection which are potentially subjected to inferences."
Abstract Slavery resulted in the deportation of between eight and 10.5 million people over the course of over 200 years. Countries affected included Gambia, Ghana, Senegal, Benin, Mauritania, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Cameroon, as these were the locations of European slave forts operated by the Dutch, British, French, and Portuguese. This paper looks at the cultural effects of this trade on the African countries, some of them which may be considered positive. It covers several issues including the introduction of Christianity to Africa, the economic prosperity of countries from which slaves were taken and the rise in literacy in these countries.
From the Paper "Areas that were involved in the European slave trade eventually prospered, as they developed commercial ties with the west, while those that profited from the traditional Arab slave trade in Eastern Africa declined alongside the Ottoman Empire. The biggest material difference between areas in which the slavery of Africans by Europeans predominated and other areas is that the former areas were early to adopt Christianity, which continues to divide some countries such as Ivory Coast and Nigeria as these coastal Christians clash with inland Muslims. It could be said that slavery caused Africans to develop a negative opinion of whites, but this would be the case only in that such a negative relationship complemented the latter, more pervasive one: colonialization. Whereas the Arabs, Turks, and Egyptians had practiced slavery in Africa for a much longer period of time, the slavery of Africans by whites was best understood as a precedent for the context in which Europeans would engage in relationships with Africans: as a stronger, alien culture with a history of conquest."
Abstract Santeria originates from West Africa in the region of Benin and what is now Nigeria. This paper explains that the principal god in Santeria is Olorun, also known as Olodumare, who is considered the source of all things. He is the spirit of all spirits and the essence of beingm according to those that practice Santeria. It also explains thatm under Olorun's guidance, Orishas, or emissariesm govern the forces of nature and different aspects of human life from death to birth to marriage and child-rearing; they are the ones who ensure that Olorun's bidding is done.
From the Paper "Santeria is often considered one of the many animistic religions found around the world. Animism itself is the religious belief that spirits inherently have a place in the physical world, and in religions like Santeria, spirit is found in everything from plants to inanimate objects like coffee tables and chairs. The basis of animistic religious are those primal religions that were long in practice before the more structured religions like Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism came into being. They are the religions that are still found in rural and island communities in Asia and the Caribbean and have roots in some areas of the Americas and Africa."
Abstract Although Haitian culture is a unique mix that blends many other cultures to form its own, many of the roots of this cultural representation can be traced to African culture, especially West African. This paper shows that, because most of the inhabitants of Haiti are of African descent, African culture plays a key role in the culture of the island and manifests itself in many ways in a reflection of present and emerged patterns in Haitian cultural history. In family structures, gender, religion, and other areas of culture, it is clear that African culture has had a great deal of influence over Haitian culture before and since the existence of Haiti as an independent country.
From the Paper "According to tradition, the spirits of Vodou followed the slaves from Africa to the Caribbean, where Vodou was set up as an inseparable part of Haitian history and culture, and therefore African culture in its
relation to Haitian culture as a continuance and point of influence. Since Vodou was frowned upon by the French during their time ruling the island before the revolution, it had to take on some trappings of Catholicism as a way to disguise the religion. Thus, Vodou continues to have elements that would be familiar to students of Catholicism."
Abstract This paper addresses the significance of debt with reference to three African countries namely, Angola, Benin and Liberia. It suggests possible ways in which these countries can solve their debt problems, including restructuring of debts.
Tags: debt, debt crisis, sub saharan africa, default, world bank, debt repayment, economic reform, dictatorships, socialist, civil war
