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EBOOK The Cultural Landscape An Introduction To Human Geography 11Th Edition Ebook PDF Version Ebook PDF Version Download Full Chapter PDF Kindle
EBOOK The Cultural Landscape An Introduction To Human Geography 11Th Edition Ebook PDF Version Ebook PDF Version Download Full Chapter PDF Kindle
1 Basic Concepts 2
KEY ISSUE 1
Preface XIV
The Teaching and Learning Package XVIII
How Do Geographers Describe Where Things Are? 5
About The Author XX
Maps 5
About our Sustainability Initiatives XXI Sustainability and Inequality In Our Global Village:
Book & MasteringGeography™ Walkthrough XXII Mapping a Disaster: Hurricane Katrina 7
Contemporary Tools 12
Contemporary Geographic Tools:
Electronic Navigation 12
KEY ISSUE 2
Why Is Each Point on Earth Unique? 14
Place: A Unique Location 14
Region: A Unique Area 16
KEY ISSUE 3
Why Are Different Places Similar? 20
Scale: From Local to Global 20
Space: Distribution of Features 22
Connections between Places 26
KEY ISSUE 4
Why Are Some Human Actions Not Sustainable? 30
Sustainability and Resources 30
Sustainability and Human–Environment
Relationships 34
Summary and Review 38
Key Terms 38
VII
VIII THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
KEY ISSUE 2
Origin and Diffusion of Folk and Popular Sports 114
KEY ISSUE 2
Why Is English Related to Other Languages? 150
Distribution of Indo-European Branches 150
Where Are Folk and Popular Material Culture Origin and Diffusion of Language Families 154
Distributed? 116
KEY ISSUE 3
Folk and Popular Clothing 116
Folk and Popular Food Preferences 118
Distribution of Folk and Popular Housing 122 Why Do Individual Languages Vary among Places? 158
U.S. Housing 124 Dialects of English 158
Contemporary Geographic Tools: Distinguishing between Languages and Dialects 162
Documenting House Types through Fieldwork 125
KEY ISSUE 4
KEY ISSUE 3 Why Do People Preserve Local Languages? 164
Why Is Access to Folk and Popular Culture Unequal? 126 Language Diversity 164
Electronic Diffusion of Popular Culture 126 Sustainability and Inequality In Our Global Village:
Challenges in Accessing Electronic Media 130 Preserving Lesser-Used Languages 171
Global Dominance of English 172
KEY ISSUE 4 Contemporary Geographic Tools:
The Death of English as a Lingua Franca? 173
Why Do Folk and Popular Culture Face Sustainability
Challenges? 132 Summary and Review 178
Sustainability Challenges for Folk Culture 132 Key Terms 178
Sustainability Challenges for Popular Culture 134
Sustainability and Inequality In Our Global Village Golf:
Folk or Popular Culture? 135
Summary and Review 138
Key Terms 138
X THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
KEY ISSUE 3
KEY ISSUE 3
Why Do Conflicts Arise among Ethnicities? 238
Why Do Religions Organize Space in Distinctive Ethnicities and Nationalities 238
Patterns? 200
Ethnic Competition 240
Sacred Space 200
Dividing Ethnicities 242
The Calendar 208
KEY ISSUE 4
Administration of Space 210
X
CONTENTS XI
KEY ISSUE 2
Why Are Nation-states Difficult to Create? 268
Nation-states and Multinational States 268
Colonies 274 Why Does Development Vary by Gender? 310
Gender Inequality Measures 310
KEY ISSUE 2
KEY ISSUE 2
Why Are Situation and Site Factors Important? 398
Why Do People Consume Different Foods? 352 Situation Factors: Proximity to Inputs 398
Diet 352 Situation Factors: Proximity to Markets 400
Nutrition and Hunger 354 Changing Situation Factors in Key Industries 403
Site Factors 408
KEY ISSUE 3 Contemporary Geographic Tools:
Honda Selects a Factory Location 409
Where Is Agriculture Distributed? 356
KEY ISSUE 3
Agriculture in Developing Regions 358
Agriculture in Developed Regions 366
Contemporary Geographic Tools: Where Does Industry Cause Pollution? 412
Protecting Farmland 369 Air Pollution 412
Sustainability and Inequality In Our Global Village:
KEY ISSUE 4 Climate Change in the South Pacific 413
Solid Waste Pollution 414
Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties? 374
Water Pollution 416
Challenges for Farmers in Developing Countries 374
KEY ISSUE 4
Sustainability and Inequality In Our Global Village:
Asian Carp and Chicago’s Economy 377
Challenges for Farmers in Developed Countries 378 Why Are Situation and Site Factors Changing? 418
Strategies to Increase the World’s Food Supply 380 Changes within Developed Regions 418
Sustainable Agriculture 386 Emerging Industrial Regions 420
Summary and Review 388 Renewed Attraction of Traditional Industrial
Regions 422
Key Terms 388
Summary and Review 425
Key Terms 425
CONTENTS XIII
KEY ISSUE 2
KEY ISSUE 2
Where Are Consumer Services Distributed? 434
Where Are People Distributed within Urban Areas? 466
Central Place Theory 434
Models of Urban Structure 466
Hierarchy of Consumer Services 436
Geographic Applications of the Models 468
Market Area Analysis 438
Contemporary Geographic Tools:
Contemporary Geographic Tools: Market Segmentation: You Are Where You Live 469
Locating a New Supermarket 439
Applying the Models Outside North America 470
Sustainability and Inequality In Our Global Village:
KEY ISSUE 3
Unequal Spatial Impacts of the Severe Recession 441
KEY ISSUE 4
Why Do Cities Face Challenges? 490
Changing Urban Physical Geography 490
Why Do Services Cluster in Settlements? 448 Changing Urban Social Geography 492
Services in Rural Settlements 448 Urban Economic Geography Challenges 494
Urbanization 452
Summary and Review 496
Summary and Review 456 Key Terms 496
Key Terms 456
AFTERWORD AF–1
APPENDIX: MAP SCALE AND PROJECTIONS AP–1
KEY TERMS KT–1
TEXT, PHOTO, AND ILLUSTRATION CREDITS CR–1
MAP INDEX MI–1
INDEX I–1
PREFACE
A long-time strength of this book has been its clear, easy- t Chapter 3 (Migration) includes discussion of recent
to-use organization and outline. Electronic versions of the legal and political controversies over migration in the
books now coexist with traditional print format. Tradi- United States and Europe, including the border con-
tional textbooks must be formatted to facilitate reading on trol legislation enacted by the state of Arizona that was
tablets and computers, while not compromising the peda- upheld in part and voided in part by the U.S. Supreme
gogic strengths of traditional print formats. Organizational Court.
features from previous editions have been retained and t Chapter 4 (Folk and Popular Culture) includes a new key
considerably strengthened for this electronic age through issue concerning sustainability challenges faced by folk
the addition of several new features: and popular cultures, especially recycling of the mate-
t &
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maps and photos appear next to where they are dis- t $
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cussed in the text. No more rifling through the book to students understand the worldwide distribution of lan-
find a map that has been discussed on one page but guages right off the bat.
doesn’t actually appear until several pages later. t $
IBQUFS 3FMJHJPOT BMTPOPXCFHJOTXJUIBOPWFSWJFX
t 5
XPQBHFTQSFBETOPXCFHJOXJUIB-FBSOJOH0VUDPNF of global patterns, before important features of diversity
for the material on that spread. The Learning Outcome among religions are introduced.
helps the reader focus on the most important point pre- t $
IBQUFS &UIOJDJUJFT PQFOTXJUIBEFTDSJQUJPOPGUIF
sented on each spread. complex ethnic heritage of a prominent American –
t .PTUUXPQBHFTQSFBETOPXDPOUBJOBPause and Reflect President Obama. Most of the material related to na-
feature to stimulate further thought on the material pre- tionalities transferred to Chapter 8.
sented in the spread. t Chapter 8 (Political Geography) includes an expanded
BDIDIBQUFSJTTUJMMPVUMJOFEBSPVOEGPVSKey Issues, as in
t & discussion of gerrymandering as a result of redistricting
previous editions. New to this edition is a Check-In fea- in accordance with the 2010 U.S. Census. The chapter
ture at the end of each of the four Key Issues. The Check- also addresses the events of Arab Spring.
In summarizes the principal points made regarding the t Chapter 9 (Development) contains a new Key Issue that
Key Issue that was just concluded. discusses the importance of energy in sustainable devel-
IFFOEPGDIBQUFSTQSFBETTVNNBSJ[FBMMUIFKey Issues
t 5 opment. The chapter also discusses reasons underlying
and Learning Outcomes and presents a Thinking Geograph- the severe global recession that began in 2008, as well as
ically essay/discussion question as well as a Google Earth reasons poor economic conditions have lingered, espe-
activity specific to each Key Issue. cially in Europe.
XIV
PREFACE XV
t Chapter 10 (now called Food and Agriculture) includes a languages, fighting fiercely to protect their religions, and
new Key Issue that focuses on regional variations of food carving out distinctive economic roles. Local diversity even
preferences and needs. extends to addressing issues, such as the energy crisis, that
t Chapter 11 (now called Industry and Manufacturing) at first glance are considered global. For example, Israel is
has a new Key Issue that addresses the importance of re- working with the French carmaker Renault and the Silicon
ducing industrial pollution in promoting sustainable Valley company Project Better Place to encourage electric
development. vehicles by installing tens of thousands of recharging sta-
tions. Brazil has passed laws to require more use of biofu-
t Chapter 13 (Urban Patterns) includes results from the
els, produced from crops grown in Brazil and processed in
2010 U.S. Census.
factories there. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has
t $
VSSFOU EBUB BOE JOGPSNBUJPO BSF JOUFHSBUFE JOUP BMM invested in a subway system as an alternative to motor ve-
text, tables, and maps from the 2010 U.S. Census, 2012 hicles, even though the country is one of the world’s lead-
Population Reference Bureau, Population Data and ing producers of petroleum.
other important sources.
t 5
IJT UI FEJUJPO JT OPX TVQQPSUFE CZ
MasteringGeography™ with Pearson eText, the most Divisions within Geography
widely used and effective online homework, tutorial, Because geography is a broad subject, some specialization is
and assessment system for the sciences. Assignable inevitable. At the same time, one of geography’s strengths
media and activities include MapMaster™ interactive is its diversity of approaches. Rather than being forced to
maps, Encounter Human Geography Google Earth ex- adhere rigorously to established disciplinary laws, geogra-
plorations, geography videos, geoscience animations, phers can combine a variety of methods and approaches.
Thinking Spatially and Data Analysis activities on the This tradition stimulates innovative thinking, although
toughest topics in geography, end-of-chapter questions, students who are looking for a series of ironclad laws to
reading quizzes, and Test Bank questions. See page XVIII memorize may be disappointed.
for more detailed information.
XX
ABOUT OUR SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
Pearson recognizes the environmental challenges facing this planet, as well as acknowledges
our responsibility in making a difference. This book has been carefully crafted to minimize
environmental impact. The binding, cover, and paper come from facilities that minimize
waste, energy consumption, and the use of harmful chemicals. Pearson closes the loop by
recycling every out-of-date text returned to our warehouse.
Along with developing and exploring digital solutions to our market’s needs, Pearson
has a strong commitment to achieving carbon-neutrality. As of 2009, Pearson became the
first carbon- and climate-neutral publishing company. Since then, Pearson remains strongly
committed to measuring, reducing, and offsetting our carbon footprint.
The future holds great promise for reducing our impact on Earth’s environment, and
Pearson is proud to be leading the way. We strive to publish the best books with the most
up-to-date and accurate content, and to do so in ways that minimize our impact on Earth.
To learn more about our initiatives, please visit www.pearson.com/responsibility.
XXI
A proven path to learning
The text’s consistent chapter structure and supporting pedagogy provides a learning path that identifies
and reinforces important issues and outcomes.
Key Issues form a learning path
Key Issues highlight the four main points around which each chapter is organized. At
the end of each Key Issue section, a Check-In summarizes the main focus of the section.
✓
distinctive diseases.
A resurgence of infectious diseases may signal a
each section t Thinking Geographically are application-oriented
possible stage 5 of the epidemiologic transition.
summarize the sections that allow students to explore issues more
✓ The provision of health care varies sharply
between developed and developing countries. main points. intensively.
t NEW! Engaging end-of-chapter features include
exercises that explore Key Issues using Google
KEY ISSUE 4 Earth.
Why Do Regions Face Health Threats? THINKING GEOGRAPHICALLY 2.4: Health-care indicators for the
United States do not always match those of other developed
The epidemiologic transition is a change in a society’s distinctive countries. What reasons might explain these differences?
types of diseases. Health care is better in developed countries, but
GOOGLE EARTH 2.4: Several hundred thousand died, some from in-
even they are threatened by infectious diseases diffused through NEW! Reviews fectious diseases, after an earthquake hit Haiti January 12, 2010,
modern means of transportation.
of Key Issues the date this Google
LEARNING OUTCOME 2.4.1: Summarize the four stages of the epi- Earth image was taken.
demiologic transition. close out each The roof of the cathe-
t Stage 1 was characterized by pestilence and famine, stage 2 by chapter with a dral in the capital Port
pandemics, and stages 3 and 4 by degenerative diseases. au Prince collapsed.
recap of Learning What other evidence
LEARNING OUTCOME 2.4.2: Summarize the reasons for a stage 4 Outcomes that of the earthquake can
and possible stage 5 of the epidemiologic transition. be seen in images from
summarize January 2010?
t Evolution, poverty, and increased connections may influence
the resurgence of infectious diseases. and reinforce
LEARNING OUTCOME 2.4.3: Describe the diffusion of AIDS. significant
LEARNING OUTCOME 2.4.4: Understand reasons for variations in concepts.
health care between developed and developing countries.
t Health care varies widely around the world because develop-
ing countries generally lack resources to provide the same
level of health care as developed countries.
LEARNING OUTCOME 2.4.5: Understand reasons for variations in
health between developed and developing countries.
XXII
Explore human geography in a cultural landscape
How can teachers hold the attention of today’s students? By using stories and examples that emphasize
the relevance of geographic concepts tools, technologies, and to universal human concerns such as
health, equality, and sustainability.
SUSTAINABILITY AND INEQUALITY IN OUR GLOBAL VILLAGE
Ethnic Cleansing and Drought
More than 2 million Somalis—one-
fourth of the country’s population—
are classified as refugees or internally
displaced persons. As elsewhere in
FIGURE 3-33 ELLIS ISLAND Ellis Island is in the foreground, Jersey City, New Jersey, is to the left, and
Manhattan, New York is to the rear.
XXIII
Modular design:
The ultimate in flexibility and effectiveness
Exceptionally clear organization and a modular approach mean ease of use for both students and teachers.
NEW! Modular organization simplifies lesson planning for teachers, studying for students. The Eleventh Edition is Updated coverage
more tightly organized into modules that work as a unit, providing flexibility for students and teachers. and recent data on
the most current
human geography
30 THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
issues includes:
KEY ISSUE 4
THREE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY t &YQBOEFEFNQIBTJT
According to the United Nations, sustainability rests on on resource issues
three pillars: environment, economy, and society. The UN
report Our Common Future is a landmark work in recogniz-
and sustainability
Why Are Some ing sustainability as a combination of natural and human integrated
elements. The report, released in 1987, is frequently called throughout
Human Actions Not the Brundtland Report, named for the chair of the World
Commission on Environment and Development, Gro t %FEJDBUFEDPWFSBHF
Sustainable? Harlem Brundtland, former prime minister of Norway.
Sustainability requires curtailing the use of nonrenew-
of medical and health
■ Sustainability and Resources able resources and limiting the use of renewable resources geography and
to the level at which the environment can continue to
■ Sustainability and Human– supply them indefinitely. To be sustainable, the amount of
the challenges and
Environment Relationships timber cut down in a forest, for example, or the number of threats of access
fish removed from a body of water must remain at a level
that does not reduce future supplies. t 3FWJTFEEJTDVTTJPO
Learning Outcome 1.4.1 The Brundtland Report argues that sustainability can of food agriculture
Describe the three pillars of sustainability. be achieved only by bringing together environmental pro-
tection, economic growth, and social equity (Figure 1-38). incorporating critical
Geography is distinctive because it encompasses both so- The report is optimistic about the possibility of promoting issues such as
cial science (human geography) and natural science (phys- environmental protection at the same time as economic
ical geography). This book focuses on human geogra- growth and social equity.
scarcity of food and
phy but doesn’t forget that humans are interrelated with water resources
Earth’s atmosphere, land, water, and vegetation, as well as THE ENVIRONMENT PILLAR. The sustainable use and
with its other living creatures. management of Earth’s natural resources to meet human t (FOEFSBOEXPNFOT
needs such as food, medicine, and recreation is conservation.
From the perspective of human geography, nature of-
Renewable resources such as trees and wildlife are conserved
issues
fers a large menu of resources available for people to use.
A resource is a substance in the environment that is use- if they are consumed at a less rapid rate than they can be t 1PMJUJDBMHFPHSBQIZ
ful to people, economically and technologically feasible replaced. Nonrenewable resources such as petroleum and
to access, and socially acceptable to use. A substance is coal are conserved if we use less today in order to maintain
coverage capturing
merely part of nature until a society has a use for it. Food, more for future generations (Figure 1-38, left). the results of the
water, minerals, soil, plants, and animals are examples of Conservation differs from preservation, which is the
maintenance of resources in their present condition, with
2012 U.S. elections
resources.
as little human impact as possible. Preservation takes the as well as a number
view that the value of nature does not derive from human
needs and interests but from the fact that every plant and
of recent Supreme
Sustainability and Resources animal living on Earth has a right to exist and should be Court decisions
Earth’s resources are divided between those that are renew- preserved, regardless of the cost. Preservation does not (e.g., redistricting/
able and those that are not: regard nature as a resource for human use. In contrast,
conservation is compatible with development but only gerrymandering, and
t A renewable resource is produced in nature more rap-
idly than it is consumed by humans. migration) and the
t A nonrenewable resource is produced in nature more implications of other
slowly than it is consumed by humans. world events
Geographers observe two major misuses of resources: Social t *OUFHSBUFEEJTDVTTJPO
t Humans deplete nonrenewable resources, such as pe-
troleum, natural gas, and coal. of development and
Bearable Equitable
t Humans destroy otherwise renewable resources through inequality reflecting
pollution of air, water, and soil. Sustainable
the state of the world
The use of Earth’s renewable and nonrenewable natural Environment Economic
resources in ways that ensure resource availability in the Viable
economy and the
future is sustainability. Efforts to recycle metals, paper, widening class gap
and plastic, develop less polluting industrial processes,
and protect farmland from suburban sprawl are all ex- FIGURE 1-37 THREE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY The UN’s
t /FXBQQMJDBUJPOTPG
amples of practices that contribute to a more sustainable Brundtland Report considers sustainability to be a combination of cultural phenomena,
future. environmental protection, economic development, and social equity.
from professional
sports and music to
social networking
XXIV
Contemporary photos and maps
bring human geography to life
Restyled and modernized maps use the latest census and population data to
SE Texas and Louisiana enhance the program’s overall effectiveness. Key maps within MapMaster™ in
1:10,000,000
MasteringGeography™ connect the text directly to online media and assessment.
2008
0 10 20 Miles
0 10 20 Kilometers
2011
Facebook users
0 2.5 5 Miles
(millions)
0 2.5 5 Kilometers 100 and above
10 –99
0 2,000 4,000 Miles
1–9
Central Houston 0 2,000 4,000 Kilometers
Below 1
1:100,000
no data
FIGURE 1-8 MAP SCALE The four images show southeast Texas (first),
the city of Houston (second), downtown Houston (third), and Minute Maid Park
(fourth). The map of southeastern Texas has a fractional scale of 1:10,000,000.
Expressed as a written statement, 1 inch on the map represents 10 million
inches (about 158 miles) on the ground. Look what happens to the scale on the
other three maps. As the area covered gets smaller, the maps get more detailed, FIGURE 4-38 PROTESTORS SHARING INFORMATION DURING ARAB
and 1 inch on the map represents smaller distances. SPRING Two Egyptian protesters took photographs with their mobile phones
when Egyptian riot police fired tear gas during an Arab Spring protest in 2011.
XXV
www.masteringgeography.com
The Mastering online homework, tutorial, and assessment system helps teachers focus on their course
objectives by delivering self-paced tutorials that provide students with individualized coaching and
respond to each student’s progress.
Tools for improving geographic literacy and exploring Earth’s dynamic landscape
XXVI
Help students develop a sense of place and spatial reasoning skills
Geography videos provide students a sense of place and allow them to explore a
range of locations and topics. Covering issues of economy, development, globalization,
climate and climate change, culture, etc., there are 10 multiple choice questions for
each video. These video activities allow teachers to test students’ understanding and
application of concepts, and offer hints and wrong-answer feedback.
Student Resources in
MasteringGeography
t .BQ.BTUFS™ interactive
maps
t 1SBDUJDFDIBQUFSRVJ[[FT
t (FPHSBQIZWJEFPT
t i*OUIF/FXTw344GFFET
t (MPTTBSZnBTIDBSET
t 0QUJPOBM1FBSTPOF5FYUBOE
more
Callouts to
MasteringGeography appear
at the end of each chapter to
direct students to extend their
learning beyond the textbook.
XXVII
www.masteringgeography.com
With the Mastering gradebook and diagnostics, you’ll be better informed about your students’ progress
than ever before. Mastering captures the step-by-step work of every student—including wrong answers
submitted, hints requested, and time taken at every step of every problem—all providing unique insight
into the most common misconceptions of your class.
The Gradebook
records all scores for
automatically graded
assignments. Shades
of red highlight
struggling students
and challenging
assignments.
XXVIII
Quickly measure student performance against learning outcomes
Learning Outcomes
MasteringGeography provides quick and easy access
to information on student performance against your
learning outcomes and makes it easy to share those
results.
t 2VJDLMZBEEZPVSPXOMFBSOJOHPVUDPNFT PS
use publisher-provided ones, to track student
performance and report it to your administration.
t 7JFXDMBTTBOEJOEJWJEVBMTUVEFOUQFSGPSNBODF
against specific learning outcomes.
t &GGPSUMFTTMZFYQPSUSFTVMUTUPBTQSFBETIFFUUIBUZPV
can further customize and/or share with your chair,
dean, administrator, and/or accreditation board.
XXIX
This page intentionally left blank
The Cultural
Landscape
Chapter
1 Basic Concepts
Why are these people driving around your neighborhood with a Where were your North Face clothes made? Page 21
camera on their roof? Page 12
2
Geographers see people everywhere, in-
cluding this Muslim clergyman in Afghani-
The Netherlands, p. 36
Boston, p. 16
stan, Twittering on his smart phone, being
Paris, p. 25
Longest U.S. Place Name, p. 14
France, p. 26
pulled in opposite directions by two factors—
The South, p. 17
globalization and local diversity. Modern com-
Mississippi, p. 33 Baltimore, p.19
Shanghai, p. 15
Houston, p. 8
munications and technology foster globaliza-
Everglades, p. 37 Marshall Islands, p. 5
New Orleans, p. 7 tion, pulling people into greater cultural and
Cyprus, p. 31
economic interaction with others. At the same
time, people are searching for more ways to
express their unique cultural traditions and
economic practices.
3
Introducing History and geography differ in one especially important
manner: A historian cannot enter a time machine to study
other eras firsthand; however, a geographer can enter an au-
44
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
DANCE ON STILTS AT THE GIRLS’ UNYAGO, NIUCHI
I see increasing reason to believe that the view formed some time
back as to the origin of the Makonde bush is the correct one. I have
no doubt that it is not a natural product, but the result of human
occupation. Those parts of the high country where man—as a very
slight amount of practice enables the eye to perceive at once—has not
yet penetrated with axe and hoe, are still occupied by a splendid
timber forest quite able to sustain a comparison with our mixed
forests in Germany. But wherever man has once built his hut or tilled
his field, this horrible bush springs up. Every phase of this process
may be seen in the course of a couple of hours’ walk along the main
road. From the bush to right or left, one hears the sound of the axe—
not from one spot only, but from several directions at once. A few
steps further on, we can see what is taking place. The brush has been
cut down and piled up in heaps to the height of a yard or more,
between which the trunks of the large trees stand up like the last
pillars of a magnificent ruined building. These, too, present a
melancholy spectacle: the destructive Makonde have ringed them—
cut a broad strip of bark all round to ensure their dying off—and also
piled up pyramids of brush round them. Father and son, mother and
son-in-law, are chopping away perseveringly in the background—too
busy, almost, to look round at the white stranger, who usually excites
so much interest. If you pass by the same place a week later, the piles
of brushwood have disappeared and a thick layer of ashes has taken
the place of the green forest. The large trees stretch their
smouldering trunks and branches in dumb accusation to heaven—if
they have not already fallen and been more or less reduced to ashes,
perhaps only showing as a white stripe on the dark ground.
This work of destruction is carried out by the Makonde alike on the
virgin forest and on the bush which has sprung up on sites already
cultivated and deserted. In the second case they are saved the trouble
of burning the large trees, these being entirely absent in the
secondary bush.
After burning this piece of forest ground and loosening it with the
hoe, the native sows his corn and plants his vegetables. All over the
country, he goes in for bed-culture, which requires, and, in fact,
receives, the most careful attention. Weeds are nowhere tolerated in
the south of German East Africa. The crops may fail on the plains,
where droughts are frequent, but never on the plateau with its
abundant rains and heavy dews. Its fortunate inhabitants even have
the satisfaction of seeing the proud Wayao and Wamakua working
for them as labourers, driven by hunger to serve where they were
accustomed to rule.
But the light, sandy soil is soon exhausted, and would yield no
harvest the second year if cultivated twice running. This fact has
been familiar to the native for ages; consequently he provides in
time, and, while his crop is growing, prepares the next plot with axe
and firebrand. Next year he plants this with his various crops and
lets the first piece lie fallow. For a short time it remains waste and
desolate; then nature steps in to repair the destruction wrought by
man; a thousand new growths spring out of the exhausted soil, and
even the old stumps put forth fresh shoots. Next year the new growth
is up to one’s knees, and in a few years more it is that terrible,
impenetrable bush, which maintains its position till the black
occupier of the land has made the round of all the available sites and
come back to his starting point.
The Makonde are, body and soul, so to speak, one with this bush.
According to my Yao informants, indeed, their name means nothing
else but “bush people.” Their own tradition says that they have been
settled up here for a very long time, but to my surprise they laid great
stress on an original immigration. Their old homes were in the
south-east, near Mikindani and the mouth of the Rovuma, whence
their peaceful forefathers were driven by the continual raids of the
Sakalavas from Madagascar and the warlike Shirazis[47] of the coast,
to take refuge on the almost inaccessible plateau. I have studied
African ethnology for twenty years, but the fact that changes of
population in this apparently quiet and peaceable corner of the earth
could have been occasioned by outside enterprises taking place on
the high seas, was completely new to me. It is, no doubt, however,
correct.
The charming tribal legend of the Makonde—besides informing us
of other interesting matters—explains why they have to live in the
thickest of the bush and a long way from the edge of the plateau,
instead of making their permanent homes beside the purling brooks
and springs of the low country.
“The place where the tribe originated is Mahuta, on the southern
side of the plateau towards the Rovuma, where of old time there was
nothing but thick bush. Out of this bush came a man who never
washed himself or shaved his head, and who ate and drank but little.
He went out and made a human figure from the wood of a tree
growing in the open country, which he took home to his abode in the
bush and there set it upright. In the night this image came to life and
was a woman. The man and woman went down together to the
Rovuma to wash themselves. Here the woman gave birth to a still-
born child. They left that place and passed over the high land into the
valley of the Mbemkuru, where the woman had another child, which
was also born dead. Then they returned to the high bush country of
Mahuta, where the third child was born, which lived and grew up. In
course of time, the couple had many more children, and called
themselves Wamatanda. These were the ancestral stock of the
Makonde, also called Wamakonde,[48] i.e., aborigines. Their
forefather, the man from the bush, gave his children the command to
bury their dead upright, in memory of the mother of their race who
was cut out of wood and awoke to life when standing upright. He also
warned them against settling in the valleys and near large streams,
for sickness and death dwelt there. They were to make it a rule to
have their huts at least an hour’s walk from the nearest watering-
place; then their children would thrive and escape illness.”
The explanation of the name Makonde given by my informants is
somewhat different from that contained in the above legend, which I
extract from a little book (small, but packed with information), by
Pater Adams, entitled Lindi und sein Hinterland. Otherwise, my
results agree exactly with the statements of the legend. Washing?
Hapana—there is no such thing. Why should they do so? As it is, the
supply of water scarcely suffices for cooking and drinking; other
people do not wash, so why should the Makonde distinguish himself
by such needless eccentricity? As for shaving the head, the short,
woolly crop scarcely needs it,[49] so the second ancestral precept is
likewise easy enough to follow. Beyond this, however, there is
nothing ridiculous in the ancestor’s advice. I have obtained from
various local artists a fairly large number of figures carved in wood,
ranging from fifteen to twenty-three inches in height, and
representing women belonging to the great group of the Mavia,
Makonde, and Matambwe tribes. The carving is remarkably well
done and renders the female type with great accuracy, especially the
keloid ornamentation, to be described later on. As to the object and
meaning of their works the sculptors either could or (more probably)
would tell me nothing, and I was forced to content myself with the
scanty information vouchsafed by one man, who said that the figures
were merely intended to represent the nembo—the artificial
deformations of pelele, ear-discs, and keloids. The legend recorded
by Pater Adams places these figures in a new light. They must surely
be more than mere dolls; and we may even venture to assume that
they are—though the majority of present-day Makonde are probably
unaware of the fact—representations of the tribal ancestress.
The references in the legend to the descent from Mahuta to the
Rovuma, and to a journey across the highlands into the Mbekuru
valley, undoubtedly indicate the previous history of the tribe, the
travels of the ancestral pair typifying the migrations of their
descendants. The descent to the neighbouring Rovuma valley, with
its extraordinary fertility and great abundance of game, is intelligible
at a glance—but the crossing of the Lukuledi depression, the ascent
to the Rondo Plateau and the descent to the Mbemkuru, also lie
within the bounds of probability, for all these districts have exactly
the same character as the extreme south. Now, however, comes a
point of especial interest for our bacteriological age. The primitive
Makonde did not enjoy their lives in the marshy river-valleys.
Disease raged among them, and many died. It was only after they
had returned to their original home near Mahuta, that the health
conditions of these people improved. We are very apt to think of the
African as a stupid person whose ignorance of nature is only equalled
by his fear of it, and who looks on all mishaps as caused by evil
spirits and malignant natural powers. It is much more correct to
assume in this case that the people very early learnt to distinguish
districts infested with malaria from those where it is absent.
This knowledge is crystallized in the
ancestral warning against settling in the
valleys and near the great waters, the
dwelling-places of disease and death. At the
same time, for security against the hostile
Mavia south of the Rovuma, it was enacted
that every settlement must be not less than a
certain distance from the southern edge of the
plateau. Such in fact is their mode of life at the
present day. It is not such a bad one, and
certainly they are both safer and more
comfortable than the Makua, the recent
intruders from the south, who have made USUAL METHOD OF
good their footing on the western edge of the CLOSING HUT-DOOR
plateau, extending over a fairly wide belt of
country. Neither Makua nor Makonde show in their dwellings
anything of the size and comeliness of the Yao houses in the plain,
especially at Masasi, Chingulungulu and Zuza’s. Jumbe Chauro, a
Makonde hamlet not far from Newala, on the road to Mahuta, is the
most important settlement of the tribe I have yet seen, and has fairly
spacious huts. But how slovenly is their construction compared with
the palatial residences of the elephant-hunters living in the plain.
The roofs are still more untidy than in the general run of huts during
the dry season, the walls show here and there the scanty beginnings
or the lamentable remains of the mud plastering, and the interior is a
veritable dog-kennel; dirt, dust and disorder everywhere. A few huts
only show any attempt at division into rooms, and this consists
merely of very roughly-made bamboo partitions. In one point alone
have I noticed any indication of progress—in the method of fastening
the door. Houses all over the south are secured in a simple but
ingenious manner. The door consists of a set of stout pieces of wood
or bamboo, tied with bark-string to two cross-pieces, and moving in
two grooves round one of the door-posts, so as to open inwards. If
the owner wishes to leave home, he takes two logs as thick as a man’s
upper arm and about a yard long. One of these is placed obliquely
against the middle of the door from the inside, so as to form an angle
of from 60° to 75° with the ground. He then places the second piece
horizontally across the first, pressing it downward with all his might.
It is kept in place by two strong posts planted in the ground a few
inches inside the door. This fastening is absolutely safe, but of course
cannot be applied to both doors at once, otherwise how could the
owner leave or enter his house? I have not yet succeeded in finding
out how the back door is fastened.