Ge graphy of AfricaGe graphy of Africa

• Tropical rainforests cover less than 5% of the land. The rainforests have thick vegetation and a heavy amount of rain which makes it very moist.

• Africa’s largest and most populated climate zone is the savanna, or grassy plains. The savanna generally has good soil and enough rainfall to support farming.

• Another climate zone in Africa is the desert. The Sahara, in northern Africa, is the biggest desert in the world. The desert is very dry therefore, farming is almost impossible.

• Along the Mediterranean coast of Africa, and at the tip of southern Africa, there is fertile farmland called the Mediterranean Climate. Unlike the desert, the Mediterranean Climate is ideal for farming.

Over thousands of years, Over thousands of years, migrations contributed to migrations contributed to diversity of African people diversity of African people and their cultures. West and their cultures. West African farmers and African farmers and herders moved to the herders moved to the south and east between south and east between 500 and 1500 AD. They 500 and 1500 AD. They spoke a variety of spoke a variety of languages that all came languages that all came from the African root from the African root language, Bantu.language, Bantu.

The ancient kingdom The ancient kingdom Nubia was formed on a Nubia was formed on a wide band of fertile land wide band of fertile land along the Nile. Nubian along the Nile. Nubian rulers adopted many rulers adopted many Egyptian traditions. They Egyptian traditions. They built palaces and built palaces and pyramids modeled on pyramids modeled on Egyptian styles.Egyptian styles.

The Romans built roads, The Romans built roads, dams, aqueducts, and dams, aqueducts, and cities across North Africa. cities across North Africa. From North Africa, they From North Africa, they imported lions and other imported lions and other fierce animals to do fierce animals to do battle with the gladiators. battle with the gladiators. By 200 A.D., camels had By 200 A.D., camels had been brought to North been brought to North Africa from Asia. The Africa from Asia. The camels revolutionized camels revolutionized trade across the Sahara trade across the Sahara because they can carry because they can carry heavy loads for a long heavy loads for a long time with little or no time with little or no water.water.

Kingdoms Of West AfricaKingdoms Of West AfricaMali, Ghana, and Songhai were among the richest of the West African states. They dominated the Sahara trade.

Two products that dominated

the Sahara trade were gold and salt. These commodities, or valuable

products, were plentiful.

Sahara Trade Routes

Ghana Mali SonghaiGhana Mali Songhai

In A.D. 800 the rulers of the Soninke people

united many farming villages to create Ghana. It was called “the land of

gold.” The capitol of Ghana was Kumbi Saleh which was comprised of

two separate towns. Muslim merchants

brought their Islamic faith to Ghana. They also introduced their written

language coinage, buisness methods, and architecture. In time

Ghana was overtaken by Mali.

Sundiata founded the kingdom of Mali. Mali’s kings were

called mansas. The greatest emporer of Mali, Mansa Musa,

expanded Mali’s borders and worked

to keep peace. He converted to Islam

and actually fulfilled one of the five pillars of Islam by making the hajj. He formed

diplomatic and economic ties with

other Muslim states, increasing Mali’s

renown.

Gao, a wealthy trading state became the capital of Songhai. It’s leader, Sonni Ali, made it the largest state to have ever existed in West Africa. He followed

traditional beliefs. After his death Askia

Mohammed set up a Muslim dynasty and set up a bureaucracy. He

also completed the hajj which improved his ties with the Muslim world. After the fall of Songhai this part of West Africa

splintered into many small kingdoms

GOLD

SALT

Two products, gold and salt, dominated the Two products, gold and salt, dominated the Sahara trade. Sahara trade.

Gold was plentiful in present day Ghana, Gold was plentiful in present day Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal which is in West Nigeria, and Senegal which is in West Africa. They would trade their gold for salt Africa. They would trade their gold for salt with South Africa. South Africa was in need with South Africa. South Africa was in need of gold and West Africa was in need of salt. of gold and West Africa was in need of salt.

Salt was very important. People needed Salt was very important. People needed salt in their diet to prevent dehydration, salt in their diet to prevent dehydration, especially in hot, tropical areas.especially in hot, tropical areas.

The most common The most common religion in Africa religion in Africa was Islam. Islam was Islam. Islam spread slowly at first spread slowly at first but in 1050, the but in 1050, the Almoravids, who Almoravids, who were Muslims of were Muslims of North Africa, North Africa, launched a launched a campaign to spread campaign to spread Islam.Islam.

One of the greatest One of the greatest emperors , Mansa emperors , Mansa Musa, fulfilled one Musa, fulfilled one of the five pillars of of the five pillars of Islam and made his Islam and made his pilgrimage to pilgrimage to Mecca. Wherever he Mecca. Wherever he stopped on his way, stopped on his way, he spread his he spread his generosity and gave generosity and gave the people there the people there goods and gold.goods and gold.

By 1000 A.D., port cities in Africa were thriving from trade across the Indian ocean. Some of the things that were produced in Africa that they traded were ivory, rhinoceros horn, hides, and gold. Some immediate affects from the trading were that there was thriving commerce in Mogadishu, Kilwa, and Sofala. There was also a rise of strong East African city-states and a rise of slave trade. There was also the introduction of crops and animals from the Middle East and Asia.

To the south and inland To the south and inland from the coastal city-from the coastal city-states, massive stone states, massive stone ruins sprawl across rocky ruins sprawl across rocky hilltops near the great hilltops near the great bend in the Limpopo bend in the Limpopo River. River.

These ruins are known as These ruins are known as “Great Zimbabwe.” The “Great Zimbabwe.” The builders of Great builders of Great Zimbabwe were a group Zimbabwe were a group of Bantu-speaking people of Bantu-speaking people who settled in the region who settled in the region between 900 and 1500.between 900 and 1500.

The newcomers The newcomers brought improved brought improved farming methods. They farming methods. They produced enough food produced enough food to support a growing to support a growing population.population.

Scholars have Scholars have suggested that the suggested that the ruler of Great ruler of Great Zimbabwe was a Zimbabwe was a god-king who god-king who presided over a large presided over a large court. A central court. A central bureaucracy ruled an bureaucracy ruled an inner ring of inner ring of province, while province, while appointed governors appointed governors had authority in had authority in more distant villages.more distant villages.

Zimbabwe reached its height in about 1300. By then, it tapped nearby gold resources and created profitable commercial links with coastal cities like Sofala.

Bantu people migrated across Africa. Bantu people migrated across Africa. Whenever they settled, they adapted to Whenever they settled, they adapted to local environments. They had different local environments. They had different groups serving different purposes in groups serving different purposes in their villages. One of the groups their villages. One of the groups included hunter and food gatherers. They included hunter and food gatherers. They would hunt animals and gather wild plants would hunt animals and gather wild plants and roots. Another group was the herders and roots. Another group was the herders and fishers. Their jobs were to trap fish and fishers. Their jobs were to trap fish in the rivers and to herd animals such as in the rivers and to herd animals such as cattle. The last group is the farming cattle. The last group is the farming societies. They farmed a variety of crops societies. They farmed a variety of crops from grains to bananas. Most farmers used from grains to bananas. Most farmers used a method called slash-and-burn a method called slash-and-burn agriculture. They cleared forest and agriculture. They cleared forest and brush land with iron axes and then burned brush land with iron axes and then burned the remains, using the ash for the remains, using the ash for fertilizer.fertilizer.

African art was usually created in ivory, bronze, and wood. Jewelry and dyed cloth was used in African art often. Much art, though, served as social and religious purposes.

Regents Questions 1) The wealth and power of Mali’s ruler, mansa musa, were significant

because they contributed to the

a) Start of the crusades c) Spread of Islam

b) Growth of European nationalism d) Rise of Arab nationalism

2) The spread of Islam into the kingdoms of Ghana and Mali resulted from

a) Imperialism c) cultural diffusion

b) Ethnocentrism d) self- determination

3) Which civilization best completes the heading of the partial outline

____________

a)spread of Islam

b)Gold and salt trade

c) Growth of Timbuktu

d) Pilgrimage of Mansa Musa

1) Benin

2) Mali

3) Kush

4) Egyptian

Regents Questions4) Which description best characterizes the city of Timbuktu

a) Port of the water route to east Asia

b) Major urban and industrial center on the Silk road

c) Commercial and cultural center of West Africa

d) Inland city of the Hanseatic league

5) Which economic activity was the basis for most of the wealth and power of the West African empires of Ghana and Mali

a) Hunting and gathering

b) Farming and cattle ranching

c) Trading in salt and gold

d) Working in bronze and brass

Answers

1) c. the spread of Islam

2) c. cultural diffusion

3) c. Mali

4) c. commercial and cultural center of West Africa

5) c. trading in salt and gold

The End