The “Africana Historic Postcard Collection” provides a visual record of Africa and Its people during the historically intensive years of European colonialism, from 1895 to 1960, and chronicles the transformation of the cultural, political and social landscape of the African continent.

The manuscripts on view are from the Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library and the Library of Cheick Zayni Baye of Boujbeha, two of the most noteworthy institutions in the Timbuktu area. As part of its continuing effort to create a universal collection of recorded knowledge from all geographic areas and all historical eras, the Library of Congress is particularly proud to have the opportunity to exhibit these important cultural artifacts from Mali. The Library is also pleased that copies of these manuscripts will be deposited in its collections and will be available for use by researchers and scholars.

The Omar Ibn Said Collection consists of 42 digitized documents in both English and Arabic, including an 1831 manuscript in Arabic on "The Life of Omar Ibn Said," a West African slave in America, which is the centerpiece of this unique collection of texts. Some of the manuscripts in this collection include texts in Arabic by another West African slave in Panama, and others from individuals located in West Africa.

This story map offers an overview of religious prayer traditions in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, through a sampling of prayer materials housed in the Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division.

The African Government Web Archive provides links to information from key African government ministries, institutions and organizations for the 51 countries in Africa south of the Sahara.

Described by the United Nations as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, the current conflict in Sudan’s western region of Darfur began in early 2003, when rebels attacked government targets and then expanded to the widespread killing of civilians and the destruction of villages. These attacks have led to more than two million people being displaced and thousands killed.