By geographic location
Areas of historical study can also be categorized by the geographic locations they
examine.[78] Geography plays a central role in history through its influence on
food production, natural resources, economic activities, political boundaries, and
cultural interactions.[79][o] Some historical works limit their scope to small
regions, such as a village or a settlement. Others focus on broad territories that
encompass entire continents, like the histories of Africa, Asia, Europe, the
Americas, and Oceania.[81]
Photo of the Pyramids of Giza, with the three main pyramids at the center against a
blue sky in the background
The Pyramids of Giza showcase the lasting heritage of the ancient Egyptian
civilization.[82]
The history of Africa begins with the examination of the evolution of anatomically
modern humans.[83] Ancient historians describe how the invention of writing and the
establishment of civilization happened in ancient Egypt in the 4th millennium BCE.
[84] Over the next millennia, other notable civilizations and kingdoms formed in
Nubia, Axum, Carthage, Ghana, Mali, and Songhay.[85] Islam began spreading across
North Africa in the 7th century CE and became the dominant faith in many empires.
Meanwhile, trade along the trans-Saharan route intensified.[86] Beginning in the
15th century, millions of Africans were enslaved and forcibly transported to the
Americas as part of the Atlantic slave trade.[87] Most of the continent was
colonized by European powers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[88] Amid
rising nationalism, African states gradually gained independence in the aftermath
of World War II, a period that saw economic progress, rapid population growth, and
struggles for political stability.[89]
Historians studying the history of Asia note the arrival of anatomically modern
humans around 100,000 years ago.[90] They explore Asia's role as one of the cradles
of civilization, with the emergence of some of the first ancient civilizations in
Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and China beginning in the 4th and 3rd millennia
BCE.[91] In the following millennia, civilisations on the Asian continent gave
birth to all major world religions and several influential philosophical
traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, and
Islam.[92] Other developments were the establishment of the Silk Road, which
facilitated trade and cultural exchange across Eurasia, and the formation of
powerful empires, such as the Mongol Empire.[93] European influence grew over the
following centuries, ushering in the modern era. It culminated in the 19th and
early 20th centuries when many parts of Asia came under direct colonial control
until the end of World War II.[94] The post-independence period was characterized
by modernization, economic growth, and a steep increase in population.[95]