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West Africa

**How are West African’s keeping traditions alive?** Even though West African’s are still adapting to changes they still find time to pass their history, values and traditions to their children. One very important way they pass it is with storytelling. In West Africa storytelling is not told by reading off of paper, considering some can’t read, but by speaking it. The stories have messages in them to teach the children cultural values. A griot passes this oral tradition from one generation to another. The oral tradition of West Africa tells the history of ethnic groups and kinships. Stories of animal fables, tricksters, proverbs, songs and riddles also are a part of the oral traditions. this is a picture of storytelling. i chose this picture because in my paragraph a way of preserving a culture can be done during storytelling. [|Http://www.irokotheatre.org.uk] eastern hemisphere book internet

How do people in Africa make a living?  There are many ways to make a living in West Africa. Most West Africans live in rural areas. The village people are surrounded by farmland. Since they live by farmland they grow food to eat, and cash crops to sell. Another way to make a living is to herd cattle, goats, sheep… Along the coast most people make a living by fishing. Although most of West Africa is rural, some people live in large cities where they work in hotels, and buildings. There are a lot of different ways Africans make a living in West Africa. This is a picture of a village person in West Africa farming. I chose this picture because this is how the people in West Africa make a living. **exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu**

West Africa is known for its culture diversity. Culture Diversity is a wide variety of cultures. West Africans do not share all the same customs and beliefs. Different people or groups have different languages and traditions. The people of West Africa speak many languages. There are hundreds of ethnic groups in West Africa, all with their own languages. So people speak the languages of their ethnic groups and other languages that they can use as a common when they travel or work in businesses. This helps the West Africans to unite. http://www.hobotraveler.com/blogphotos01/203-53-ethnic-map-west-africa..jpg Above is a map of the different ethnic groups in West Africa. The bold font is the names of the ethnic groups and the regular font is the name of the countries in which the ethnic groups reside. I chose thispicture, because it shows the many different cultures and groups of West Africa.
 * What are the cultures of West Africa?**

Vocab for all Kinship- one of the strongest relationships West Africans have-; which refers to family relations Cultural diversity- a wide variety of cultures Griot- a storyteller that passes on a oral tradition from one generation to another.

Resources for all- eastern hemisphere book, internet