because its easy to transport goods and the ocean has an abundance of resources.
The first known settlement in Africa is often attributed to ancient civilizations such as those in Egypt, which emerged around 3100 BCE along the Nile River. Additionally, the Phoenicians established trading settlements along the North African coast around 1000 BCE. These early settlements laid the groundwork for the development of complex societies and trade networks across the continent.
china town
The Portuguese first settled in Madeira and the Azores Islands off the coast of Portugal before expanding their settlements to areas along the coasts of Africa, Asia, and later Brazil in South America.
river valley.
Portugal began to establish trading posts in Africa in the early 1400s.
The first settlements established in West Africa were primarily small agricultural communities and trade hubs, often situated along rivers and fertile plains. These early societies engaged in farming, fishing, and trading local resources such as gold, salt, and textiles. Notable early settlements included those in the Niger River Valley, which later evolved into larger city-states and empires, such as Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, known for their wealth and cultural achievements.
Multiple groups have set up trading settlements along East Africa's coast. A couple of the first groups to do so were the Indian and Muslim Groups. Also, the originating trading began as African culture, so the African group would be apart of the trading settlements as well.
The first ancient societies arose in Mesopotamia and Egypt in the Middle East, in the Indus Valley ... It not only made settlements possible--and ultimately the building of cities--but it also made ... The first great civilizations grew up along rivers.
Africa
The first agricultural settlements were located in ancient Mesopotamia, which is in modern-day Iraq. Other early agricultural settlements also emerged independently in places like the Nile River Valley in Egypt, the Indus River Valley in South Asia, and the Yangtze River Valley in China.
near the Pacific Ocean
The first part of Africa to receive significant European contact was the northern coast, particularly around modern-day Morocco and the Canary Islands. Portuguese explorers began establishing trade routes and settlements along the West African coast in the 15th century. This marked the beginning of European exploration and colonization in Africa, which expanded further into the continent over the following centuries.