AFRICA

GEOGRAPHY

2nd LARGEST CONTINENTThree times the size of the USA4600 miles east to west; 5000 miles north to southONE-FIFTH of EARTH’S LAND

VARIETY: DESERTS, RAIN FORESTS, MOUNTAINS, SAVANNAS

COASTLINE: FEW HARBORS, PORTS, INLETS

GEOGRAPHY4 Major Bodies of Water Border Africa:*ATLANTIC Ocean*MEDITERRANEAN Sea*RED Sea*INDIAN Ocean

AFRICA’S RIVERS: Many WATERFALLS & RAPIDS(TRAVEL DIFFICULT)Many Rivers do not CONNECT

SAHARA DESERT

ABOUT 1/3 is DESERTWORLD’S LARGEST – SAHARARoughly size of USA

GEOGRAPHIC CONTRASTSRAIN FOREST – center of continent hot & rainy

all year long

SAVANNAS – grassy plains –home to herds of animals (giraffes, antelope, wildebeest…)

SAHEL – land on the edge of the deserts

BANTU MIGRATIONS

*Starting first few centuries A.D. continuing 1500 years Bantu moved south throughout Africa

{Bantu means “The People”}

Bantu were not one people – group who shared cultural characteristics

*Spread LANGUAGE & CULTURE

BANTU MIGRATIONS*FARMERS / NOMADIC Herders

*Developed skill of IRON WORKING

*Farming Technique- SLASH and BURN Farming:

Forest is cut down and burned, ashes create fertile soil, it loses its fertility quickly forcing the Bantus to move

*Cause of Migration – search of land for FOOD

ANCIENT KINGDOMS - AKSUM

*Near Red Sea {Present Day –ETHIOPIA}

*Important trading area – near Middle East/India

*TERRACE FARMING

*Became CHRISTIAN

(official religion)

*Developed

WRITTEN LANGUAGE

*MINTED COINS

AKSUM*DEVELOPED UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE

Ex:HUGE STONE PILLARS

Built to Celebrate Aksum’s

ACHIEVEMENTS

FALL OF AKSUM*LASTED ABOUT 800 YEARS

*Around A.D. 700 – Conquered By ISLAMIC Invaders

WEST AFRICAN KINGDOMSGHANA 800-1000 A.D.

*GREW WEALTHY & POWERFUL THRU TRADE

*GOLD & SALT TRADE

*ISLAM makes its way to Africa

WEST AFRICAN KINGDOMSMALI 1200-1450 A.D.

*WEALTH BUILT ON:

GOLD TRADE

*1st EMPEROR - SUNDIATA

MANSA MUSA RULED FROM 1312-1332

*MALI’S MOST FAMOUS EMPEROR!

*Skilled MILITARY Ruler:

Put down Rebellions,

Kept Order & Protection in Mali

DOUBLED the size of the Empire

MANSA MUSADEVOUT MUSLIM

TRAVELLED TO MECCA – HAJJ

*Built Important Trading Center at TIMBUKTU

*TIMBUKTU became a Center of Learning

*MANSA MUSA Built a famous MOSQUE in Timbuktu

IBN BATTUTA

*MUSLIM SCHOLAR – KNOWN FOR EXTENSIVE TRAVELS

*OVER 30 YEARS VISITED MOST OF THE MUSLIM WORLD (including Mali)

His journeys included trips to North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Africa, Southern Europe and Eastern Europe in the West, and to the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and China

WEST AFRICAN KINGDOMSSONGHAI 1450-1600 A.D.

*EMPIRE LARGER THAN

GHANA or MALI

*TOOK CONTROL OF

GOLD & SALT TRADE

TWO IMPORTANT EMPERORS*SUNNI ALI

Captured TIMBUKTU

*ASKIA MUHAMMAD

ruled for 37 years

set up tax system

increased literacy

END OF WEST AFRICAN EMPIRES

*SONGHAI LACKED MODERN WEAPONS

MOROCCANS WITH GUNPOWDER AND

CANNONS DEFEATED SONGHAI