African languages Languages indigenous to Africa that belong to the Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan, Khoisan, and Afro-Asiatic language phyla. Africa is the most polyglot continent; estimates of the number of African languages range from 1,000 to more than 1,500. Many have numerous dialects. Distinctions in tone play a significant role in nearly all sub- Saharan languages. Contact between people who do not speak the same language has necessitated the development of lingua francas such as Swa¬ hili in East Africa, Lingala in the Congo River basin (see Bantu languages), Sango in the Central African Republic (see Adamawa-Ubangi languages), and Arabic across much of the Sahel.
African lily or lily of the Nile Perennial evergreen herbaceous plant (Agapcinthus africanus) of the lily family, native to Africa. In summer, long stalks bear many funnel-shaped flowers. The attractive, thick, dark green leaves are sword-shaped. There are many varieties, some with white or purple flowers and others with patterned leaves. If grown in a climate with frost, they must be kept in containers and moved indoors to survive the cold weather.
African lion dog See Rhodesian ridgeback
African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church) African American Methodist denomination formally organized in 1816. It origi¬ nated with a group of black Philadelphians who withdrew in 1787 from St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church (see Methodism) because of racial discrimination and built Bethel African Methodist Church. In 1799 Richard Allen became minister of Bethel, and in 1816 he was consecrated bishop of the newly organized African Methodist Episcopal Church. Lim¬ ited at first to the Northern states, the church spread rapidly in the South after the Civil War. It founded many colleges and seminaries, notably Wilberforce University (1856) in Ohio. In the late 20th century the church claimed 3,500,000 members and 8,000 congregations. Its headquarters are in Washington, D.C.
African National Congress (ANC) South African political party and black nationalist organization. Founded in 1912 (as the South African Native National Congress), the ANC was long dedicated to the elimination of apartheid. In response to government massacres of demonstrators at Sharpeville (1960) and Soweto (1976), it carried out acts of sabotage and guerrilla warfare. The campaign was largely ineffective because of strin¬ gent South African internal security measures, including an official ban on the ANC between 1960 and 1990. In 1991, with the ban lifted, Nelson Mandela succeeded Oliver Tambo as ANC president. In 1994 the party swept the country’s first elections based on universal suffrage; the ANC led a coalition government that initially included members of its longtime rival, the National Party, and Mandela became South Africa’s president. In 1999 Thabo Mbeki replaced him as president of the ANC and of South Africa. See also Inkatha Freedom Party; Albert Lutuli; Pan-African movement.
African religions Indigenous religions of the African continent. The introduced religions of Islam (in northern Africa) and Christianity (in southern Africa) are now the continent’s major religions, but traditional religions still play an important role, especially in the interior of sub- Saharan Africa. The numerous traditional African religions have in com¬ mon the notion of a creator god, who made the world and then withdrew, remaining remote from the concerns of human life. Prayers and sacrifi¬ cial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. Ancestors also serve as intermediaries (see ancestor worship). Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. Animism is a com¬ mon feature of African religions, and misfortune is often attributed to WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY.
African Union (AU) African intergovernmental organization. It is the successor to the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The AU was estab¬ lished in 2002 to promote unity and solidarity among African states, spur economic development, and promote international cooperation. The OAU was established in 1963 with similar goals, and during its tenure the group mediated several border disputes on the African continent. More eco¬ nomic in nature and with a stronger mandate to intervene in conflicts, the AU replaced the OAU in 2002. In 2004 the AU’s Pan-African Parliament was inaugurated, and the organization agreed to create a peacekeeping force. The AU’s headquarters are in Addis Ababa, Eth.
African violet Any plant of the genus Saintpaulia, of the gesneriad family, especially S. ionantha. African violets are native to high eleva¬ tions in tropical eastern Africa. They are small, hairy, usually stemless herbaceous plants with crowded, long-stalked leaves. The violet, white, or pink flowers bloom most of the year. They are popular houseplants, and hundreds of varieties have been developed, including half-sized min¬ iatures.
Afrikaans \,af-ri-'kanz\ language Germanic language of South Africa. It was developed from 17th-century Dutch by descendants of Euro¬ pean settlers, indigenous KHOlSAN-speaking peoples, and African and Asian slaves in the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope. It differs from Dutch in its sound system, in some grammatical simplification, and in vocabulary. Afrikaans is spoken as a first language by close to six million South Afri¬ cans and as a second or third language by several million more; there are also about 150,000 Afrikaans speakers in Namibia. Standard Afrikaans was formally separated from Dutch and made an official language in South Africa in 1925; it is one of 11 official South African languages.
Afrikaner V.af-ri-'kan-orV formerly Boer Historically, any South Afri¬ can of Dutch or Huguenot descent whose native language is Afrikaans. Beginning in the late 20th century, the term also was used for all Afri-
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
25
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