Africa is a huge continent and the societies that inhabit it have experienced multiple historical trajectories over the millennia, without ceasing to interact with each other and with the outer worlds. Five major periods punctuate this story:
• Ancient Africa (from prehistoric times to the XNUMXth century), both cradle and melting pot of linguistic, technical and political diversity
• Modern Africa (from the XNUMXth to the XNUMXth century), its great kingdoms and the beginning of the European presence
• Sovereign Africa (XNUMXth century), after the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade and African economic reconversions
• Africa under colonial domination, between “sharing” of the continent, anti-colonial resistance and decolonization
• Africa of independence, which faces many political, economic and social challenges.