Africa is vast. Many aspects of its developmental history are comparable to the rest of the world, but some things make it special and unique. An enormous desert, tropical forests, apex predators, disease-carrying mosquitoes, and disconnected waterways have hampered the continent's ability to achieve a high population density. Because of this, wars were not typically fought for land and empire. More likely, conflict arose for treasure, livestock, women, and slaves. The demand for slaves increased the number of warlords, authoritarian states, and militant raiders--taking the form of Saharan caravans, Swahili Coast slavers, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and ultimately colonization. The dark side of colonization ranged from King Leopold's horrors enacted in the Congo to settlers staking claim to the most fertile soil. Post-colonial woes persisted. Unstable leadership and an over-focus on resource extraction have been problematic. However, Africa has a growing population of healthier, more educated, optimistic people. Plenty of good things in the future.