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There is a problem in that this question assumes that "Islam", a religion/concept/ideology, etc. can have its own agency. "Islam" is only extant at the will of its believers, so we can answer how Islam made it to Africa, but assert no existential reason "why Africa was chosen" or something similar, since Islam did no choosing.
Islam was first brought to Africa (Egypt specifically) by the Islamic conquests under the Rightly-Guided Caliphate. The successor Umayyad Caliphate conquered all of North Africa from 640-680 C.E. and brought the religion with them as they conquered. In some areas, especially the urban centers, conversion to Islam occurred rapidly (100-200 years) but in the rural areas, conversion was generally slower. There were only a few attempts in the first 300 years of Islam in North Africa to convert people to Islam by force.
As for Sub-Saharan Africa, Islam was originally brought and spread by Arab and Amazigh traders from North Africa. Their educated nature and good disposition led to the peaceful conversion of the African civilization of Ghana to Islam and the founding of the Islamic Mali Empire and Songhai Empire. In the Horn of Africa and Sudan, Christianity were relatively firmly planted. However, Muslims began to make in-roads by forming naval city-states in Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania. The Egyptian conquest of Sudan several centuries later led to the conversion of the north Sudanese to Islam.
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What factors hindered the spread of Islam in Eastern Africa?
Spread of Islam was not hindered in east africa, it reached as far as Zambia, Mozambique and further south to Rwanda
How many miles is it across Africa?
North to South, is about 4500 miles from Egypt to South Africa. East to west, the widest is about 4000 miles from Senegal to Somalia. From Morocco to Egypt, up north east to west, is about 2400 miles. In the south, from about Angola to Mozambique, is about 1800 miles.
How many more people live in Africa south of the Sahara than in the continental US?
More than 125 million People
Where was Islam located in 1500?
By 1500, Islam had spread to most of the countries where it now prevails in North Africa, East Africa, Southeast Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and the Indonesian Archipelago.
When did Islam reach West Africa?
Answer 1The Ottoman Empire, about 1301 - 1922 carried Islam with it. The acquired northern portions of Africa from about 1512, through 1520, and held much of those areas in northern Africa until about 1683. From there, it's simply a matter of migration of the folks carrying Islam with them. The closest to the western part of Africa would be Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli (Libya).Answer 2While Answer 1 is entirely accurate as concerns when the Ottoman Empire arrived and which areas of Africa it conquered, that was not responsible for the original spread of Islam in Africa. (All of those areas were already majority-Muslim when the Ottomans conquered them.)The arrival of Muslims by expansion and conquest of the Rightly-Guided and Umayyad Conquests came between the years 640-680 C.E. (with Egypt falling from the Byzantine Empire in 640 and Morocco acceding to union with the Umayyad Caliphate in 680 C.E. The drift to areas of Africa south of the Sahara, like Senegal, the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empires, etc. occurred in the following century of merchant exchanges with the North African areas. Islam became the dominant religion in West Africa (except along the southern coast of West Africa) by around 750-800 C.E. Exact dates are difficult to know since Islam spread by trade and commerce in these areas as opposed to conquest.
Where are Africa's deserts located?
The Sahara Desert is in the northern part of Africa and the Kalahari Desert is in the south.
Where does Sub-Saharan Africa lie on the Sahara Desert?
Sub-Sahara Africa is below (south of) the Sahara Desert.
Is sahara in south africa?
No the Sahara Desert covers most of Northern Africa but isn't in the Southern parts of Africa.No, the Sahara Desert is in north Africa.
Is the sahara desert closer to egypt or South Africa?
in south africa
Is the Sahara desert go threw Tanzania?
No the Sahara Desert is in North Africa and nowhere near Tanzania which is in South Eastern Africa.
What do you think the Africa south of the Sahara desert called?
Directly south of the Sahara is called Sub-Saharan Africa. Then further south its just called Africa.
Where is the Niger River in Africa?
South of the Sahara desert.
Is Sahara Desert in north or south Africa?
It is located in North Africa
How is the Namib related to the African deserts?
The Namib Desert is located in Africa south of the Sahara on the southwestern coast.
Does sub-Saharan Africa lie North of the Sahara Desert?
No, the vast majority of sub Saharan Africa is not desert. However, there are deserts in the region, such as the Kalahari and Namib.
What is the sub-sahara?
Sub-Sahara is a convenient name for the areas of Africa to the south of the Sahara Desert.
What is the biggest desert in Africa?
The Sahara Desert, covering most of North Africa, is the largest desert in the world. From north to south the Sahara is between 800 and 1,200 miles and is at least 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from east to west. Due to the massive size of the Sahara, Africa is split into two regions: that which lies above or forms part of the Sahara and the rest of Africa south of the Sahara. On the west, the Sahara is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and on the east by the Red Sea, and to the north are the Atlas Mountains and Mediterranean Sea.The biggest desert in Africa is the Sahara. Another desert that can be found in Africa is the Kalahari desert.The Sahara Desert
