StefaniGoglia

A period

Africa’s Geography

Africa is the second largest continent

It has five climate zones: The Rain Forest, the Savanna, the Desert, The Mediterranean, and Dry Woodlands.

The most populated is the savanna, or grassy plains

The varied regions offer a variety of mineral resources including salt, gold, iron, copper, diamonds, and oil.

Migration of Early People

By 2500 B.C. the process of desertification devoured thousands of acres of fertile cropland that used to be

in the Sahara.

Desertification caused people to migrate,

contributing to the rich diversity. West African farmers migrated south

and east between 1000 B.C and A.D 1000. The root of

their diverse languages

was Bantu.

The Nile Kingdom Of NubiaThe ancient kingdom of Nubia, also called Kush, was located in present day Sudan.

In 750 B.C they conquered Egypt but were invaded by the Assyrians and forced

to retreat south.

By 500 B.C, Nubian rulers have moved their capitol to Meroe. They controlled a large trade network and was rich in

iron ore

Eventually the Nubians were overwhelmed by the Kingdom

of Axum in about 350 B.C

Nubian Sculpture

North AfricaEarly African civilizations had

strong ties with the Mediterranean world. Carthage dominated trade in

this region. They forged a vast empire and created outposts in

England and France. Rome Eventually Crushed Carthage in

The Punic Wars.

Under Roman rule, Christianity spread to North Africa. They

developed roads, dams, aqueducts, and cities there. They developed its

farmlands and North Africa also provided soldiers for the Roman

Army.

In the 600s, Arab armies carried Islam into North Africa. It replaced Christianity and

Arabic replaced Latin as it’s language. Muslim Traders in North Africa carried Islam

into West Africa.

Kingdoms Of West Africa

Mali, 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, and 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 actuallly 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

stateto have ever existed in West Africa. He followed

traditional beliefs. After his dead Askia Mohammed set

up a Muslim dynasty and set up a bureaucracy. He also completed the hajj which improved histies with the

Muslim world. After the fall of Songhai this part of West Africa splintered into many

small kingdoms

Other Kingdoms of West Africa

The fertile Northern Lands of Modern day Nigeria were home

to the Hausa people. By the 1300’s they had built a number

of clay-walled cities/ Their city-states remained

independent but expanded into thriving commercial centers.

Kano was the most prosperous. Kano’s greatest king was

Muslim. The Hausa developed a written language based on Arabic. Many Hausa rulers

were women.

Benin rose in the rainforests of the Guinea coast. They carved out farming villages and traded

goods such as pepper, ivory, and, later, slaves to their

neighbors in the savannah. An oba, or king, was both political

and a religious leader. Other figures, such as a queen mother, had power also. Benin city was

the capitol. It was decorated elaborately with brass

sculptures and plaques.

AxumAxum extended from the mountains of present day

Ethiopia to the shores of The Red sea. The people of

Axum were descendants of African farmers and traders

who brought Judaism through Arabia. This merging of cultures

introduced another religion to Axum. It also gave rise to the spoken language of Geez.

Axum Commanded a triangular trade network that connected Africa and India

and the Mediterranean world.

In the 300’s Axum’s king converted to Christianity and the religion took hold among

the people. When Islam began spreading Axum became

isolated from its own trade network. Axum’s political and economic power faded but its

cultural and religions influences did not. Their descendants, Ethiopian

Christians, kept ties with the Holy Land despite their isolation. They saw their

country as a Christian outpost.They adopted East

African drum music and dances that are still in Church services

today.

East African City-States

Commercial cities, including Kilwa,

Mogadishu, Mombasa, and Sofala, rose along the East African Coast.

Phoncecian, Greek, Roman, and Indian

traders visited the coast and under the protection of local rulers, Arab and Persian Merchants set

up Muslim Communities

Offshore islands were ideally located for trade

with Asia.

East African rulers saw the advantages of trade and

welcomed ships from Arabia, Persia, and China. Traders

acquired ivory, leopard skins, iron, copper, and gold. A thriving slave trade also

developed.Trade helped rulers build strong city-states and

created a varied mix of cultures. The blend of cultures gave rise to Swahili, a new language that

fused Arabic words onto a Bantu base and was written in

Arabic script.

ZimbabweEuropeans came upon massive stone ruins in the 188’s which,

they thought, were created by ancient Phonecians.The builders were actually

a number of Bantu-speaking people who settled in the region

between 900 and 1500 and brought there improved farming skills, iron, and

mining methods.

Little is known about how this civilization developed. The capital probably reached its

height about 1300. Great Zimbabwe was part of a trade network that reached across the Indian ocean. It was also a center for

manufacturing. Weaving cotton cloth also seemed to be important.

Very little is known about the government in Great

Zimbabwe. Some suggest that their ruler was god-king

who presided over a large court. There may have been a queen mother. Under the

king was most likely a central bureaucracy

Great Zimbabwe went into decline when over farming had exhausted the land. Civil war and dwindling trade

also contributed to the decline.

People and the EnvironmentBantu-speaking people

migrated across Africa for thousands of years. They carried farming skills and

knowledge of iron working with them. Everywhere they went they adapted to local environments and absorbed

ideas from people they encountered. As a result

African society varied greatly from place to place. In Fringe areas the people were hunter

gatherers while on parts of the savannah some herded cattle. Along the coasts and rivers

were fishermen.

Farming communities practiced slash and burn

agriculture. Their governments were

usually run by a set of people rather then a

single leader. Villages often made decisions by

a process called consensus. Nuclear

families were common. Families could be both

matrilineal and patrilinieal. Each family belonged to a lineage.

Religious beliefs across Africa were varied and

complex.

African artists created works in ivory, wood, and

bronze. Art strengthened bonds

in communities. Often their art had important meaning, usually religious. They preserved

history through oral and written literature.

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

1._________

a)spread of Islam

b)Gold and salt trade

c) Growth of Timbuktu

d) Pilgrimage of Mansa Musa

1) Benin 3) Mali

2) Kush 4) Egyptian

Regents Questions

4) 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