Africa

In an insightful new study, Donald Freeman examines the development and significance of urban agriculture in Nairobi, Kenya, overturning a number of common assumptions about the inhabitants and economy of African cities. He addresses the ways in which urban agriculture fits into a broader picture of Kenyan social and economic development and discus …

Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Stairs (1863-1892) attended the Royal Military College in Kingston before being commissioned in the British army. Wearied of peacetime soldiering, he volunteered in 1887 to participate in Sir Henry M. Stanley's final trans-African expedition to rescue Emin Pasha, the last of "Chinese" Gordon's lieutenants in …

The ingenuity of African peoples from ancient times to today.

Did you know that aloe vera -- now found in countless products, including sunscreens and soaps -- was first used by Africans? They ground it into powder and used it to treat burns and other skin conditions, and hunters used it to disguise their scent from animals. They also used the nu …

An ancient Arab proverb states, "When Allah made the Sudan, he laughed." Had he known the country's future, he would have done better to cry. To most of the world, Sudan means Darfur and the tragedy of atrocities and ethnic cleansing that has occurred there. Canada's first involvement in Sudan was in 1884, when Canadian voyageurs were recruited to …

In 1899 a thousand Canadian soldiers went to war--in South Africa.They were fighting white farmers who defied the mighty British empire by setting up their own, independent state.This South African or Boer War of 1899-1902 marked the first time Canadian troops went abroad to fight alongside Britain.Like other conflicts, the Boer War was controversi …