The Urbanization of Bangui

Assignment:

1. Discuss the key moments in the urbanization processes in your city. How do they relate to ideas raised in Coquery-Vidrovitch
2. Provide a short bibliography (minimum 10 entries) of key academic or primary sources on your city.

When writing about the urbanization process in Africa Coquery-Vidrovitch writes, “Bantu central Africa probably was the least urbanized area on the continent,” but she does make claims that some capital cities existed in Bantu central Africa from the middle of the 13^th century. She goes on to describe a similar urbanization process to the fringe of the Western Sahara. Cattle herders who descended on indigenous cultivators organized capital cities as centers of the dominating power. It is unclear if this pertained to the area around Bangui (Coquery-Vidrovitch).

According to Ambe J. Njoh in “The experience and legacy of French colonial urban planning in sub-Saharan Africa,” Coquery-Vitrovitch cites Bangui as well as many other cities as examples of the Ebernezer Howar garden cities phenomena. Njoh states that these cities were designed such that the European quarters were built with large streets lined with trees and large residential units’ while the indigenous population were separated from these residential areas by a large green area. Although, I have not identified the large green area that separates the elite section of Bangui from the kodros (or suburban indigenous areas), the separation is apparent as well as the difference in urban design (Njoh).

References:

AMBE J. NJOH (2004) The experience and legacy of French colonial urban planning in sub‐Saharan Africa, Planning Perspectives, 19:4, 435-454, DOI: 10.1080/0266543042000268813

Catherine Coquery-Vidrovitch, “The Process of Urbanization in Africa (From the Origins to the Beginning of Indepence.” African Studies Review

Key academic or primary sources on Bangui

Amaye, Maurice. L'identité Des Populations Précoloniales De Bangui : Mythes Et Réalités : Précisions Nouvelles D'après Les Sources Missionnaires. Bangui: M. Amaye, 1991. Print

Bangui Zoom : Le ... Guide Des Activités Socio-économiques. Print.

Boulvert, Yves. Bangui, 1889-1989 : Points De Vue Et Témoignages. Paris: Ministère De La Coopération Et Du Développement, 1993. Print.

"Central African Republic - History." History. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2016. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Central-African-Republic-HISTORY.html

Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 06 May 2016. http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/conflict/violence-in-the-central-african-republic

Hilgert F, Hoex L, Spittaels S & Weyns Y 2014, Mapping Conflict Motives: The Central African Republic, International Peace Information Service (IPIS), Antwerp.

Kalck, Pierre. Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic. 3rd ed. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow, 2005. Print. Historical Dictionaries of Africa ; No. 93.

Lachaud, J.P. "Les Activités Informelles Et L'emploi à Bangui (République Centrafricaine): Analyse Et Stratégie De Développement." Canadian Journal of African Studies/La Revue Canadienne Des études Africaines 18.2 (1984): 291-317. Print.

Villien, François. Bangui, Capitale D'un Pays Enclavé D'Afrique Centrale : étude Historique Et Géographique. Talence: Centre De Recherches Sur Les Espaces Tropicaux, Institut De Géographie, Université De Bordeaux III, 1990. Print. Pays Enclavés ; No 4.


Zarhy, M., Israel. Miśrad Ha-ḥuts. Maḥlaḳah Le-shituf Ben-leʾumi, and Institut De Planification Et De Developpement. Les Centres Urbains Et Regionaux De La Republique Centrafricaine. Jerusalem, Israel: Ministère Des Affaires Étrangères, Département De La Coopération Internationale, 1963. Print. Israel. Ministère Des Affaires Étrangères. Départment De La Coopération Internationale. Rapport No. 19.

A Brief History of Bangui

Assignment:

1. Write a short history of your city. Include screen shots of your main points highlighted with polygons, points, and lines. When was it founded, by whom, and in what circumstances? What does the name of your city mean? What is the broader significance of this history and name? What questions does this name raise? What if any earlier names were there? Formal presentation in class of your findings (5 min.)

Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, was first established by the French explorer Michael Dolisie (Braimah) in 1889 as a military post at the union of the Ubangi and Mpoko rivers (Young). The post was moved upstream two years later to the present site of Bangui at the base of several rapids on the Ubangi. There the post became the base for French infiltration north toward the country of Chad and east toward the Nile River (Braimah).

Bangui is named after the Ubangi River which is the word for ‘rapids’ in the Bobangi language (Wikipedia).

In 1906, the post became the administrative center of the Ubangi-Chari territory (present day Central African Republic) of French Equatorial Africa (see image).

French Equatorial Africa (Sandafayre.com)

Growth of the city happened northwestward away from the hill to the east and the river of the south. The country continued to expand as an administrative and trading hub all through the Second World War (Young).

The city has played a large part in the history of the Central African Republic.

Bangui has a soap-making factory, breweries and other light industry but is mostly a commercial and trading center.

Locally made beer in Bangui
 (https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5517/10523098494_c85cc10c66_b.jpg)

As of 2012 Bangui’s population was about 700,000 people (Wikipedia). Expatriates and the elite live in the center of the city while the majority live in the sprawling suburbs, or ‘kodros’ to the north and west (Young).

Kilometre Cinq houses a large marketplace, bar, and dance halls as well as the city’s largest mosque.

The city’s most distinctive landmarks were built during the leadership of president, than self-declared Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa. They include the royal palace and triumphal arch honoring his reign.

(http://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//thumb/3/3a/Bangui.jpg/400px-Bangui.jpg)

References:

Ayodale Braimah. "Bangui, Central African Republic (1889- ) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed." Bangui, Central African Republic (1889- ) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

"Why the Name Bangui (Capital of Centrafrique)?" African Heritage. N.p., 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

Young, Eric. "Bangui, Central African Republic." Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience, Second Edition. Ed. Kwame Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates Jr.. New York: Oxford UP, 2008. Oxford African American Studies Center. Sun Feb 28 12:09:00 EST 2016. http://www.oxfordaasc.com/article/opr/t0002/e0354

Urbanism and Environment in Central African Republic, Nigeria, Egypt and Lesotho

Assignment:

Blog Assignment:  Explore the layers of AfricaMap (AfricaMap.harvard.edu). Select 3 of the layers from the following list: ethno and linguistic (language), environment (surface geology, major rivers), population density, utilities, and crisis mapping. Briefly address what these maps reveal about the potential differences and similarities between four African countries, each from a different part of the continent. Using Jing capture screen shots of your maps to include in your blog discussion

It seems interesting to compare The Central African Republic, Egypt, Nigeria and Lesotho because all four countries have a major river running across them. The Central African Republic’s southern border is lined by the Ubangi River. In Egypt, the dry desert land is cut vertically by the Nile River. Nigeria is split into thirds by the Niger and Benue rivers. Rising from the mountains in Lesotho, the Orange River runs westwards and connects Lesotho, South Africa and Namibia.

The Ubangi River runs on the southern border of Central African Republic

The Nile River in Egypt

The Niger River in the west and the Benue River in the East in Nigeria 

The Orange River starts in Lesotho mountains and runs west

 These major rivers affect population distribution in these four countries very differently. (Cities with populations greater than 1000 are marked in red in the maps above). In Egypt, more than 98% of the country’s population lives along the river. Most of the rest of the country is inhabitable given its dry, hot desert climate. Along the river is where the only arable land can be found. Population distribution is more scattered in the other three countries. Nigeria, having one of the largest populations on the continent has a wider distribution of large cities and has a topography with a more diverse set of soils. Central African Republic is similar although its capital Bangui is along the river. Lesotho is largely covered by lithosols and has the least variation of soils maybe because of its exceptionally high elevation compared to other countries in Africa.  

Digital soil map of Egypt

Digital soil map of Nigeria

Digital soil map of Central African Republic

Digital soil map of Lesotho

Elevation in Lesotho

Looking at trade routes, trends in Egypt are predictably along the Nile River but in Nigeria the trade routes are mostly in the North whereas the population is denser in the south. The same is true in Central African Republic.

                                   

Bangui's city setting

Assignment:

1. Briefly describe your city’s setting (environment) and its most notable features. 

2. Compare the different Google Earth "views" of your city (satellite, hybrid, roadmap, terrain, physical, street map).  Compare 2 different neighborhoods using Google Earth satellite. How does your city appear in 1675 and 1770 maps (AfricaMap). Where does your city lie in Malaria distribution? Explore your city using the AfricaMap Gazetteer - Features layer. List some of the features included for your city in this layer.

3. Locate and mark (using Google Earth) the main city center and avenues/ streets coming into it. Include screen shots of your results.

4. Discuss your city using 5 different layers of AfricaMap. Provide screen shots in your overview.

Bangui, the capital of The Central African Republic is located north of the Ubangi River on the southwest border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Bangui located above the southwest border of Central African Republic 
and The Democratic Republic of the Congo

The city center is located in the southeast just above the river. It is home to the presidential palace, formerly known as the Bokassa Palace, and the central market square. From there, major roads such as Avenue de L'Independance and Avenue de France head north and northwest to the Bangui University and the Bangui M'Poko International Airport. RN 6, another major road, goes west and southwest and connects to other countries.

Roadmap of Bangui showing major roads

Satellite view of Bangui with lush green rainforest on the east

Bangui’s geographical location, just north of the equator, makes it warm, green and lush. Terrain view of Bangui show that most of the inhabited area is flat but surrounded by hills.

 

Terrain view of Bangui highlighting elevation to the east

An interesting aspect of Bangui is that it is home to one of earth's largest crustal anomalies named the Bangui Magnetic Anomaly. Not much is known about it but the anomaly, a local variation in the earth's magnetic field, covers most of the Central African Republic.

Magnetic intensity. The Bangui Anomaly is the red in central Africa.

                              

The physical infrastructure of the city seems more robust on the eastern part of the city compared to the rest of the city. This can be seen both on the streetmap and the Esri world imagery above. All major roadways extend from the city center. The built-form and structures on the eastern coast of the city are also more distinguishable. The image below on the right shows smaller, more recognizable land parcels, and larger boulevards and passageways in the city center. Parcels are larger and denser in Castors, shown on the left, with fewer clear passage ways. Parks and public squares are also visible in the city center which creates a more comprehensive landscape.