For over one thousand years foreign powers, such as Arabs, Portuguese, Spanish, British, French, and now Chinese, interfered in African affairs to pursue economic and political gains. In a similar way African rulers exploited this foreign presence for their own ends. These foreigners came in search of slaves, gold, other natural resources, and land and manpower for plantations. This process dragged Africa into the global geopolitical scene, resulting in civil wars, colonialism, and environmental demise.This book provides a brief outline of Africa's pre-colonial and colonial history, analyzing the economic, sociopolitical, and cultural fields, on the level of the continent as a whole but emphasizing the diversity of the actors involved. It concludes by explaining the main current challenges facing Africa: peace and security, food supplies, and sustainable development.