Urbanization

Content
1. Meaning of urbanization.
2. Early Urbanization in:
a) Africa – Cairo, Merowe/Meroe and Kilwa.
b) Europe - London and Athens
3. Emergency of modern urban centers in Africa:
Nairobi and Johannesburg
4. Impact of agrarian and industrial development
on Urbanization
 Definition
Process by which people are attracted to
settlements of large human population
 Factors that Influenced the Development of Early
Urban Centers
1. Water availability
2. Religious centres developed into towns
3. Development of transport and communication
4. Places that were secure/strategically placed for
defence developed into towns
5. Mineral availability
6. Administrative centres developed into urban centers
7. Trading activities
8. Food availability or development of agriculture
9. Major crossroads
 Early urbanization in Africa

Factors which led to the Development of Early Urban

Centres in Africa

1. Development of agriculture
2. Trading activities
3. Existence of trade routes -which connected
various places
4. Administrative/royal centres developed into
towns e.g. Kumasi
5. Centres of learning — developed into
towns e.g. Alexandria, Timbuktu
6. Religious influence/centres
7. Security
8. Water availability
9. Existence of local industries —e.g.
Meroe
10. Ports and harbours
11. Cross roads
 Cairo
❖ Egyptians referred to it as Misri. Cairo is an Arab word
meaning the ‘victorious one”

Background to the founding of Cairo

✔ Egypt faced a number of invasion several times e.g.
✔ Rule of the Fatimids (960 4.D - 1100 A.D)
✔ Syrian rule of 1100— 1249
✔ Rule of Turkish Mamluks (Mamelukes) 1249 — 1517: Some
developments under Mamluks:
✔ Rule of Ottoman 1517-1798 and 1805- 1882
✔ French Rule 1798— 1805:
✔ 1922 — Egypt became self-governing
✔ 1936 — 1952 — Egypt was ruled by a Turkish dynasty
✔ 1952 — Egypt became independent under colonel Gamal
Abdel Nasser.
Factors that contributed to the growth
of Cairo

1) Water availability from the River Nile

2) Agriculture - development of agriculture.
3) Cairo was conveniently located astride the Nile.
4) Improved ports in the 19th century.
5) Opening up of the Suez Canal in 1869
encouraged many Europeans to come to Cairo
6. Opening of the Aswan High Dam in 1902.
Aswan High Dam was harnessed for
irrigation purposes lead to increased food
production.
7. During the first and second world wars,
international trade was disrupted. This
promoted the growth of domestic industries
in Cairo.
8. High population
9. Cairo’s rich cultural and religious heritage
characterized by monuments dating
thousands of years such as the Pyramids of
Gaza.
 Functions of Cairo
1) National capital of Egypt and political centre of the
Arab world
2) Transport and commercial centre for North Africa
and the Middle East
3) Recreation centre
4) Historical & tourist centre and national focus culture
5) Industrial centre — centre of textiles, chemicals,
food processing, assembly of vehicles and pyramids
6) Medical centre — many hospitals have been built
7) Intellectual centre universities i.e. University d
Cairo, Al-Azhar and American University
8) Religious centre — Cairo is a major Islamic centre
 Problems facing Cairo
⮚ High population — Cairo is the largest city Africa.
⮚ Scarcity of food
⮚ Unemployment
⮚ Pollution from
✔Industries
✔Vehicle exhausts
✔Desert storms
✔Burning garbage
⮚ Inadequate educational and health facilities
⮚ Poor sanitation
⮚ Acute housing problem - leading to the development of
shanties.
⮚ Inadequate infrastructure and hence traffic jams due to
congestion on roads
⮚ High crime rate / prostitution / insecurity.
 Solution to Cairo’s problems

1. Reclamation of agricultural land

2. Launching of the ‘Cairo Metro’ a sub-way
system in 1987 has eased the traffic jam on
the roads
3. Relocation of industries to the suburbs of
Cairo e.g. the Helwan suburbs.
 Meroe (Merowe)
Founding of Meroe
❑ This town was located at Kush in modem day
Sudan below the point where the Atbara river
joins the River Nile
❑ Founded by Nubians/cushites at about 650 B.C
❑ Around 7th Century B.C, they(Nubians) were
attacked by Assyrians from Asia and fled
southwards, to establish a kingdom known as
Kush with its capital at Napata.
❑ , Napata was attacked by Egyptians 6th century
B.C. making the Nubians to shift their capital to
Meroe in the South.
 Factors that contributed to the growth of Meroe
1) Meroe was a rich agricultural land.
2) It was rich in iron and became an important iron
working centre
3) Meroe had abundant wood fuel, this facilitated
iron smelting.
4) Meroe was strategically situated up the river and
on the trade routes.
5) Presence of open grass lands to the east and west
were ideal for livestock grazing
6) The development of the meroetic religion based
on the worship of the Lion-god-Apedemek. This
drew many pilgrims to Meroe.
 Functions of Meroe

1. Centre of religion - had many temples and shrines

2. Centre of trade - it was a terminus of caravan routes
3. Administrative centre
4. Iron- working centre/industrial
5. Centre of crafts.
 Reasons for the decline of Meroe
1. Decline and collapse of agriculture due to
deforestation and overgrazing leading to
desertification
2. Deforestation affected the iron industry as there
was shortage of wood to smelt iron
3. Deterioration of trade
4. Rise of the kingdom of Axum to the East of
Meroe.
5. Conquest of Meroe by King Ezana of the
Kingdom of Axum in 350 A.D.
 Kilwa
Founding of Kilwa

Kilwa’s greatness was established in the 15th

century by Shirazi rulers from the Banadir coast
in Persia.
❖ One of the prominent Shirazi ruler was
Ibn al-Hassan.
KILWA
 Achievements of Ibn al-Hassan.
1. He transformed Kilwa from a small trading p into a
powerful island fortress.
2. Raided along the coast and brought settlements as far as
Pemba under Kilwa’s control.
3. Constructed a stone citadel which protected Kilwa from
invasion
4. Obtained a monopoly of the gold trade and gained
economic control over the northern towns
5. Kilwa began minting its own coins
6. Constructed magnificent buildings made of stone Using
wealth from the gold trade
7. He constructed the great mosque of Kilwa
8. Another of the Shirazi rulers i.e. Sultan Hassan Ibn
Sulaiman II (1310-1333)
✔Built a large place known to archaeologists as Husuni Kubwa.
✔Conquered the Mafia Islands.
 Functions of Kilwa
1. A trading centre — based on the gold trade
2. Religious centre e.g. the Great mosque
3. Administrative centre — the Husuni Kubwa i.e.
large palace was located here
4. Tourist attraction (the Great Mosque).
5. Architectural centre with numerous splendid
buildings e.g. the Great mosque and the Great
palace.
Factors that contributed to the growth of KiIwa
1. Competent leadership provided by the sultans from
Persia e.g. All Ibn Al-Hassan
2. Control of the gold trade gave the island a measure
of economic control
3. Kilwa had its own currency
4. It was heavily protected against outside attacks by a
stone citadel
5. It was strategically positioned for trade
6. Islam unified the people of Kilwa in times of war
Factors that contributed to the decline of Kilwa during
the 15th Century
1. Decline of the gold trade
2. Dynastic quarrels and rivalries in the later part of
the 15th century
3. Insubordination from towns e.g. Sofala
4. Rise of Mombasa, became a powerful rival to
Kilwa
5. The coming and attack by the Portuguese In 1505,
whereby, they looted and burnt it down.
 Early Urbanization in Europe
London
❖ It is the capital city of Great Britain

Stages in its growth

43 AD— 410A.D
Founded by the Romans who conquered Britain in 43A.D
Located on the banks of the Thames River
The initial settlement was called London from where the
modern name London derived.

❖ It Developed under the Romans

❖ It was developed under the Saxon rule From 450 A.D
❖ It made Developments under Normans; Under the
leadership of King William:
Factors which influenced the growth of London
1. Trade and commerce
2. Growth of industries e.g. textiles, chemicals, metal
works
3. Employment
4. Improved transport network
5. Shipping activities attracted people to London
6. Its location on the banks of River Thames, gave it
accessibility to the interior and the sea.
 Functions of London
1. Centre of learning (with many schools, colleges
and universities)
2. Centre of cultural activity (drama, opera, the
ballet, sculpture and painting)
3. Religious centre with many cathedrals and
monasteries
4. An administrative centre
5. Financial hub of Britain
6. Commercial centre
7. Industrial centre
8. Transport and communications centre
 Problems facing London

1. Poor housing leading to the development

shanties
2. Poverty especially during its initial stages of
growth
3. High crime rate
4. Unemployment
5. Pollution and especially air pollution
6. Rural to urban migration
 Athens
Foundation of Athens
1. It is one of the ancient Greek city states
2. Was named after Athena. the goddess of wisdom
3. Located on the plain of Attica
4. Athenians were divided into four classes i.e.
i. First class — wealthy citizens
ii. Second class — provided cavalry for the army
iii. Third class — provided soldiers for the infantry
iv. Fourth class — poor and slaves
5. It started as a commercial and industrial centre
and controlled most of the trade in the Aegean
and Black seas
6. Athenians also relied on minerals such as silver
and gold
7. Public buildings included:
✔Public baths
✔Gymnasiums
✔The Agora (market centre).
Problems that faced Athenians in its early stages

1) Athenians lived in appalling conditions i.e.

2) Mud houses! unbaked bricks and wattle houses
3) Weak walls
4) Poorly constructed and thatched roofs
5) Unpaved, narrow and winding streets
6) Cramped and dirty living quarters
7) Poor drainage
8) Garbage ridden town
9) Diseases such as cholera and plague were common
 Athens was razed to the ground in 480 B.C. by
Persians and had to be rebuilt i.e.
i. New walls were erected
ii. New houses were built of stone
iii. Piraeus, the port of Athens was fortified.
iv. Between 450 - 429 B.C. Athens was ruled by
Pericles
v. It became prosperous
vi. Became militarily strong
vii. Trade boomed
 Factors that led to the growth of Athens
1. Trade activities
2. Being an island, it was difficult to be attacked by
enemies
3. Availability of minerals
4. The port of Athens facilitated the expansion of
the town and promoted trade
5. A powerful army and navy that led to the defeat
of the Persians at Marathon (490 B.C) and
Salamis (480 B.C)
6. It was a cultural centre that drew many people
especially to watch theatres
 Functions of Athens
1. Cultural centre
2. Religious centre — had a large temple, the Parthenon
3. Centre of art and architecture
4. Education centre. Great thinkers emerged in Athens e.g.
Aristotle, Pythagoras
5. Centre of sports such as racing, wrestling, ball games
etc.
6. Reasons for the decline of Athens
7. Outbreak of war between Athens and Sparta in 431 B.C
8. Plague outbreak in 429 B.C. It led to heavy casualties of
human life
9. Destruction of the port city of Piraeus, which had been a
source of wealth and power of Athens.
10. Death of their war leader, Pericles
 Emergence of Modern Urban Centers in Africa

Nairobi
Origin of Nairobi
a. It is the capital city of the Republic of Kenya
b. The name is derived from a Maasai term ‘enkare
Nairobi’ meaning a place of waters
c. It started as a market place for Maasai and Agikuyu
traders
d. Swahili Arab caravans enroute to north also exchanged
commodities with the Agikuyu
e. Its development as a modem town can be traced to the
year 1899 when the Uganda railway reached Nairobi.
NAIROBI CITY
 Factors influencing the growth of Nairobi
1) Adequate supplies of fresh
2) Availability of level land facilitating the construction of
a station, workshops and stores
3) Strategic location i.e. halfway between Mombasa and
L. Victoria
4) Located at an altitude of 1700 metres, Nairobi had cool
temperatures ideal for European settlement
5) The plains to the East and South of Nairobi provided
good, agricultural land and hence diversified farming
activities such as dairy and estate / plantation farming
6) It provided an ideal place on the plains to SW before
the ascent to the west
7) Transfer of the colonial government’s headquarters
from Mombasa to Nairobi in 1907.
 Functions of Nairobi
1) Administrative centre — It is the seat of government
2) Tourist centre. Has numerous tourist attraction e.g.
Nairobi National Park, National Museum Bomas of
Kenya
3) Cultural centre: Bomas of Kenya, National theatre and
French cultural centre with the diverse cultures of the
people of Kenya
4) Educational centre — Has primary schools, secondary
schools, polytechniques, colleges and universities
5) Commercial and financial centre — Banks and other
business offices are located here
6) Industrial centre — Has many manufacturing
establishments
7) Transport and communications centre —
Connected to other parts of Kenya and the world by
road, rail, air and water transport and is also well
served by modem communication networks
8) International centre — It is the headquarters of
several international organizations such as :-
a. United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)
b. United Nations Centre for Human Settlement (Habitat)
c. African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF)
d. International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology
(ICIPE)
e. International Livestock and Research Institute (ILRI)
f. It also houses embassies of various foreign countries
9) Nairobi has also hosted numerous
international meetings e.g.

a. UNCTAD conference — 1975

b. OAU heads of state and government
summit—198 1
c. IGAD meetings
d. COMESA meetings
e. All Africa games — 1987
 Problems facing Nairobi
1) Overpopulation
2) Inadequate housing — leading to development of
slums
3) Unemployment — and consequent rise in crime
rate, alcoholism, prostitution and drug abuse
4) Traffic congestion
5) Inadequate social services such as education and
health facilities
6) Overstretched sewerage services and poor
sanitation
7) Poor town planning leading to poor drainage
8) Pollution especially from industries
9) Inadequate clean water
10) Rising number of street families
11) Water shortage
12) High rate of HIV/AIDs infection
13) Problem of waste disposal i.e garbage
collection. Disposal services are outstretched
14) Inadequate public transport.
 Solutions to these problems
1. Construction of new housing units
2. Implementation of the cost-sharing strategy to help
expand the educational facilities
3. Rehabilitation of street families
4. Expansion of the informal sector in order to create
more jobs
5. Development of new water projects to ease the water
problem
6. Construction of dual carriage ways, expanding matatu
fleets and enforcing traffic rules, use of railway
commuter services to ease the transport problem
7. Sensitizing Kenyans on HI V/AIDs
8. The private sector has also been involved in delivery
of services in Nairobi e.g. Garbage collection.
 Johannesburg
Factors influencing its growth
1. Discovery of large deposits of gold at the Witwatersrand in
1886
2. Existence of other minerals such as iron ore, fluorspar,
chromite and diatomite
3. Water availability from the Vaal river for mining, industrial
and domestic use
4. Its location on the plain facilitated construction work
5. Availability of coal for energy from the nearby coal fields
6. Availability of fertile soils for agriculture
7. The town is centrally located, connecting various parts of
Southern Africa
8. Availability of cheap labour from among the black people in
South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho,
Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique
9. Growth of manufacturing industries.
 Functions of Johannesburg

1) Education centre — has schools, colleges and

universities
2) Industrial centre
3) Transport and communications centre
4) Cultural centre — has museums, galleries and
theatres
5) Commercial and financial centre
6) International centre — hosted the all Africa Games
(1999), UN World Summit (2002) and Cricket
world cup finals (2003).
 Problems facing Johannesburg
1. Over population
2. Inadequate housing and rise of shanties
3. Industrial pollution
4. HIV/AIDs
5. Unemployment and poverty especially among
the black people in South Africa
6. Rising crime rate
7. Overstretched social amenities such as education
and health
8) Hostilities among the people of South
Africa during the apartheid era and after
9) Persistent racial tension
10) Traffic congestion
11) Challenge of revenue collection
rendered. This originated from culture of
the apartheid regime
12) Poor sanitation.
 Solutions to these problems
1. Racial hostility has been solved by the ending
of the apartheid era
2. Construction of better housing estates through
slum upgrading
3. Creating HIV/AIDs awareness among the
people of South Africa
4. Crime is contained by creating more job
opportunities and also policing the city to curb
criminal activities.
Impact of Agrarian and Industrial Developments on
Urbanization
1. Communities became sedentary. They congregated in small
settlements which grew into villages, towns and big cities
2. The Agrarian revolution displaced many peasants who
moved to urban centers in search of employment. This
contributed to the expansion of urban centres
3. The agrarian revolution led to adequate food supply for
the urban population
4. Production of surplus agricultural and industrial goods
5. Development of a class system in urban due to different
professions
6. Job specialization - Some people acquired various skills
such as farming, others crafts men and blacksmiths etc
7. The Agrarian revolution led to the production of
raw materials for industry. Hence many factories were
established and this drew people to towns in search of jobs
8. The industrial revolution relied on mineral
resources. Places where huge deposits of mineral were
found developed into towns
9. The transport and communication development
that accompanied the agrarian and industrial
developments enabled people to travel from rural
to urban centres faster and also from urban to
urban centres
10. Industrial developments led to pollution of r and
water in towns
11. The continuous influx of people into agrarian
and industrial towns led to:
i. Overstretching of social amenities
ii. Over crowding
iii. Slum development
iv. Poor sanitation
v. Unemployment,
vi. High crime rate and
vii. Poor living conditions.
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