Show the size of Africa map

Focus Question: What were the important developments and cultural changes in Africa?

Map of Africa (page 342, 1027, 1136, and 1137)

*Show the climate map-Give them their copies. Have them fix their keys for climates.

*Africa Map:

Label:

Countries: Mali, Algeria, Burkina, Morocco, Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Egypt, Eritrea Djibouti, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Somalia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa, Libya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Botswana

Cities: Bamako (bomb a co) (Mali), Timbuktu (Mali), Djenne-on the Niger river (Mali), Gao (Mali), Aswan (Egypt), Khurtum(Khartoum)- right below the meeting of the blue and white Nile (Sudan), Tema-Tay ma-East of Accra (Ghana), Takoradi (Ghana), Accra (Ghana), Mombassa (Kenya), Malindi-east of Mombassa (Kenya), Gedi- between Mombasa and Malindi (Kenya), Zanzibar (Tanzania), Aksum (Ethiopia)

Kingdoms: Mali, Songhai, Nubia, Meroe, Aksum, Ghana, Bantu, Swahili Coast, Zimbabwe, Kush

*Nubia, Meroe=Kush

*Bantu: South Africa, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon

*Swahili Coast: Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique

Rivers: Nile, Niger, Senegal *Color Blue

Deserts: Sahara, Libyan *Color Yellow

Seas: Mediterranean, Red *Color Blue

Oceans: Indian, Atlantic *Color Blue

Other Water bodies: Gulf of Guinea, Lake Volta, Lake Chad , Port of Mombasa *Color Blue

Mountains: Tibesti, Ahaggar *Color Brown

Great Rift Valley

*Trading part of the Africa Map

Climates of Africa

Tropical rainforest- Very high temperatures and high rainfall throughout the year.

*Color this green.

Savannas: grassy plains- Very high temperatures all year and rain during the summer season only.

*Color this light green.

Deserts: High temperatures throughout the year with very little rainfall.

*Color this yellow.

Steppe: This region has very high temperatures all year and only limited rainfall during the summer season.

*Color this purple.

Mediterranean: Warm to high temperatures with rainfall in the autumn and winter months.

*Color this peach.

Africa contains cataracts: waterfalls that make it hard for easy movement.

Great Rift Valley- interior passageway

*Read pages 340-344.

Africa Map

Label:

Countries: Mali, Algeria, Burkina, Morocco, Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Somalia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa, Libya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Botswana

Cities: Bamako (Mali), Timbuktu (Mali), Djenne (Mali), Gao (Mali), Aswan (Egypt), Khartoum(Sudan), Tema (Ghana), Takoradi (Ghana), Accra (Ghana), Mombassa (Kenya), Malindi (Kenya), Gedi (Kenya), Zanzibar (Tanzania), Aksum (Ethiopia)

Kingdoms: Look at the white board to help you do these.

Draw a line going around the area where these kingdoms would be.

Mali, Songhai, Nubia, Meroe, Aksum, Ghana, Bantu, Swahili Coast, Zimbabwe, Kush

*Nubia, Meroe=Kush

Rivers: Nile, Niger, Senegal *Color Blue

Deserts: Sahara, Libyan *Color Yellow

Seas: Mediterranean, Red *Color Blue

Oceans: Indian, Atlantic *Color Blue

Other Water bodies: Gulf of Guinea, Lake Volta, Lake Chad , Port of Mombasa *Color Blue

Mountains: Tibesti, Ahaggar *Color Brown

Great Rift Valley

TEACHER NOTES

KUSH: MEROE, NUBIA

The newly formed kingdom of Kush - gaining independence from Egypt around 1000 B.C. - invaded Egypt in 730 B.C. and governed for at least sixty years.

Egyptians withdrew from Nubia, ca. 1000 BCE; southern region became known to them as "Kush"o Northern banks of the Nile (upper Nile).o Flourishes in present day Sudan.

Egyptian Domination and Influence-- 500 years of direct rule of southern Nubia by Egyptians (New Kingdom), ca. 1500-1000 BCE

o They modeled palaces and pyramidso Worshiped Egyptian deities.o Nubian king, Piankhi (Pyahn kee) conquered Egypt (1100 BC) but were then conquered by

the Assyrians. o Distinctive pottery style (even some continuity with ancient Nubian practice)o New style of pyramids: small, unpointed; erected much later than Egyptian pyramids

Greek and Coptic authors of the conversion of Nubian kings to Christianity in the sixth century The emergence of Christianity reopened channels to Mediterranean civilization and renewed Nubia's

cultural and ideological ties to Egypt Muslim Arab invaders, who in 640 had conquered Egypt, posed a threat to the Christian Nubian

kingdoms. The coming of Islam eventually changed the nature of Sudanese society and facilitated the division

of the country into north and south. Islam also fostered political unity, economic growth,

- Assyrian invaders had forced Nubian rulers to move their capital from Napata to Meroe. - Meroe was the Nile’s north south trade routes and the east west trade route from the red sea North

Africa. - Meroe was rich in iron ore

Trade

Barley, Millet- harvested in Al Khartoum Farming communities could control the flooding of the river and build irrigation systems

o Agriculture: beans, rice, onions, yam, peanuts Rich in timber Iron- Meroe

o The vicinity of Meroe was suited to iron production on a large scale. Implements made of iron may have been employed in agriculture and iron tools were used in the quarries and in construction.

The region of Meroe supported agriculture and herding very well (better than around Napata) Gold, ostrich feathers, ebony, ivory, leopard skins, elephants, iron, and slaves, either across the desert to

Egypt or via Red Sea port to several destinations (especially during the period of Greek/Roman control of Egypt)

International trade did not pass through Meroe, which lay to the side of 2 main trade routes connecting Egypt with the Far East [the overland route through Arabia and the overseas passage across the Red Sea]. Direct trade with Meroe was important for Egypt and so was the trade with central Africa states that passed through Meroe en route to Egypt.

Over the centuries, trade developed. Egyptian caravans carried grain to Cush and returned to Aswan with ivory, incense, hides, and carnelian (a stone prized both as jewelry and for arrowheads) for shipment downriver. Egyptian traders particularly valued gold and slaves, who served as domestic servants, concubines, and soldiers in the pharaoh's army. Egyptian military expeditions penetrated Cush

periodically during the Old Kingdom. Yet there was no attempt to establish a permanent presence in the area until the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2100-1720 B.C.), when Egypt constructed a network of forts along the Nile as far south as Samnah, in southern Egypt, to guard the flow of gold from mines in Wawat.

Cattle, Goats, Sheepo Cattle breeding becomes increasingly important, replacing sheep and goats due to their

nutritional value.o An extensive system of reservoirs was developed to facilitate cattle herding and the cultivation of

fields away from the Nile.

Major factors in its decline included:- over-exploitation of the environment; the land became agriculturally untenable- iron smelting had consumed most of the forests for charcoal; widespread erosion ensued- decline of Roman power in Egypt affected Meroe as well; demand for luxury goods fell- new power of Aksum took control of the Red Sea trade, and even invaded region of Meroe ca. CE 350, although by that time there was not much left to conquer

Meroe, their cultural center, declined and the kingdom came to an end as a result of an Axumite invasion in about A.D. 350. Axum, a civilization in the Horn of Africa, had converted to Christianity as a result of Greco-Roman influences.

For an ancient city and civilization that flourished for nearly a thousand years, Meroe is one of archaeology’s greatest mysteries. It is unknown where the people of Meroe originated.

Decline of the Meroitic Kingdom are still largely unknown. Among the various factors put forth are: soil erosion due to overgrazing; excessive consumption of wood for iron production; abandonment of trade routes along the Nile. There were also constant battles with nomads on both sides of the Nile Valley. The Kingdom of Meroe ended in the first half of the 4th century AD.

Archaeological excavation of sites on the Nile above Aswan has confirmed human habitation in the river valley.

Northern Sudan's earliest historical record comes from Egyptian sources, which described the land upstream from the first cataract, called Cush, as "wretched."

AKSUM

Power from Meroe- ca. 500 BCE, peoples from southwestern Arabia migrated across Red Sea

Christian

Trade

Established farming settlements and trading centers on African coast (particularly Adulis), esp. in order to take advantage of ivory trade for Persia and India

Dominated the Red Sea because of their trade.

The king's power relied on the tax revenues raised on import/export duties- esp. important export goods included ivory, slaves, crystal, brass, copper, frankincense, myrrh- prosperity was reflected in ambitious building projects: esp. stone stela (tall, thin columns marking notable gravesites

Axum, was a great commercial civilization trading with distant lands, among them Egypt, Arabia, Persia, India and Ceylon. To countries such as these the ancient Axumites exported gold, ivory, rhinoceros-horn, hippopotamus hide and slaves, and imported all kinds of textiles - cottons and silks, as well as knives, swords and drinking cups, metal for local manufacture into all sorts of objects, and numerous luxury goods, including gold and silver plate, military cloaks for the nobility, olive oil and lacquer ware.

- Aksum was eventually confronted by two principal economic & political challenges to its power:- Persian Empire, particularly in the 6th-century Arabian trade- Islam: caliphate presented a political threat, but trade also began to shift more to the Persian Gulf, away from the Red Sea- however, like Meroe, over-exploitation of land and forests also played a major role in Aksum's decline- did manage to avoid incorporation into the Islamic world system, but with the effect of cultural isolation- hence the eventual development of very distinctive Ethiopian Christianity

Before I talk about Ghana, you will notice that Gold and Salt are mentioned a lot. They were important commodities- valuable goods.

Read pages 6 and 7- Ghana

GHANA

Sonnike, armed with iron weapons and cavalry, saw such cooperation as the best means to seize as much remaining arable land in west Africa (which was steadily dessicating with the spread of the Sahara) as they could; it also probably came at least partially in response to increased raids by Berber nomads during periods of drought- most important in the story of Ghana's rise to power, however, was the advantageous geographical position the Sonnike enjoyed vis-a-vis the trans-Sahara trade: their region served as an ideal middle ground for exchanges of desert salt, local surplus grain, and gold mined in the lands to the south; thus, they became the classic "middlemen"

The rulers and people of Ghana eventually converted to Islamo Muslims were employed as counselors, officials, etc…o Muslims introduced their written language, coinage, and business methods.

Trade

Ghana was always associated first and foremost with its principal export, gold. Indeed, the very name "Ghana" refers to the ruler in control of the region's gold supply.

The gold trade in particular expanded exponentially by the 9th century, as consolidated Islamic states in the north (particularly along the Mediterranean coast) were in need of large quantities of gold to mint coins.- Ghana eventually gained an exotic reputation throughout the Islamic world; it was even known for its fabulous wealth as far away as Baghdad

The source of its gold (i.e., the location of the southern gold fields and the peoples who owned and worked them-and who traded it for desert salt from Ghanaian merchants) a secret from inquisitive Muslim traders for several centuries

The rulers of Ghana grew wealthy from taxation on trade; interestingly, however, they only taxed salt, not gold; it is also worth noting that only gold dust was allowed to be traded on the market; all solid nuggets belonged to (or were confiscated by) the rulers, which helped ensure their superior wealth and relative opulence

o Look at the page 7 picture in the African Kingdom Magazine. Cocoa Potatoes, rice, vegetables (corn) Timber Aluminum The country is proud to have two big sea ports one at Tema and the other at Takoradi. Countries such as

Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea discharges their imported needs through Ghana's ports, this earns the country a lot of revenue.

Ivory, slaves, copper, salt Sheep, goats, cattle

Decline- continued conflict between Sonnike traders and their Berber counterparts- wider wars of the Almoravids across north (and central) Africa disrupted trade- cultural divide between now-Islamic rulers of Ghana and the mostly pagan subjects of the empire- forceful independence movements among the southern Malinke peoples- deterioration of the environment (esp. desertification)-an all too common theme in Africa)

Read pages 1216: Hausa and Ashanti Kings

Read pages 8 and 9- Mali and SonghaiMALI

Mali reached its pinnacle of power and wealth during the 14th century, extending over almost all of West Africa.

Consisting of eight regions, Mali's borders on the north reach deep into the middle of the Sahara, while the country's southern region, where the majority of inhabitants live, features the Niger and Senegal rivers.

It was during this period that Mali's great cities, Timbuktu, Gao, and Djenne, became fabled centers of wealth, learning, and culture.

Slightly less than twice the size of Texas Important Islamic Center

Trade

Mali was built off of the monopolization of the trade routes from western and southern Africa to eastern and northern Africa.

The most lucrative of these monopolies was the gold trade. Mali was located farther south than Ghana; Mali was also located along the upper Niger river, while Ghana had been located to the west (Ghana was only a transit point for Gold). The bulk of the gold trade proceeded up the Niger river, so this gave Mali a firmer grip on this lucrative monopoly.

o The empire taxed every ounce of gold or salt that entered its borders. By the beginning of the 14th century, Mali was the source of almost half the Old World's gold exported from mines in Bambuk, Boure and Galam. There was no standard currency throughout the realm, but several forms were prominent by region.

o All gold was immediately handed over to the imperial treasury in return for an equal value of gold dust. Gold dust had been weighed and bagged for use at least since the reign of the Ghana Empire. Mali borrowed the practice to stem inflation of the substance, since it was so prominent in the region. The most common measure for gold within the realm was the ambiguous mithqal (4.5 grams of gold).[10] This term was used interchangeably with dinar, though it is unclear if coined currency was used in the empire. Gold dust was used all over the empire, but was not valued equally in all regions.

The country's economic structure centers on agriculture and fishing. o Millet, corn, rice, beans, peanuts

Salt was as valuable if not more valuable than gold in Sub-Saharan Africa. o People needed salt in their diet, especially in hot tropical areas (replace salt lost in perspiration). o Salt was important in food preservation. o Built homes out of salt.o It was cut into pieces and spent on goods with close to equal buying power throughout the

empire. While it was as good as gold in the north, it was even better in the south. The people of the south needed salt for their diet, but it was extremely rare. The northern region on the other hand had no shortage of salt. Every year merchants entered Mali via Oualata with camel loads of salt to sell in Niani.

Salt from the Sahara, goods from northern Africa and fine silks were exchanged for gold, slaves and ivory

Slaves, gold and ivory from the south were brought to be traded with the Middle East and Europe for weapons, jewelry and salt

Copper was also a valued commodity in imperial Mali. Copper, traded in bars, was mined from Takedda in the north and traded in the south for gold.

Limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, cotton Arrows Cattle, sheep, goats

Leaders

- Sundiata- Leader of the Mali kingdom. He was great with the military and known for his administrative and law making skills.

- Mansas- kings of Mali- Mansa Musa- 1324-Greatest ruler of the kingdom of Mali. Worked to ensure peace and order in his

empire. He converted to Islam and based his system of justice on the Quran. - Mansa Musa made a hajj and forged diplomatic and economic ties with other Muslim states.

The empire later declined as a result of internal intrigue, ultimately being supplanted by the Songhai Empire.

Morocco conquered Timbuktu in 1591 and ruled over it for two centuries.

For centuries, it was the crossroads for great caravans during the ancient kingdoms of Ghana, Mali and Songhai.

SONGHAI

Songhai was one of the largest African empires in history. Prior to the Songhai Empire, the region had been dominated by the Mali Empire. Mali grew famous due

to its immense riches obtained through trade with the Arab world, and the legendary hajj of Mansa

Musa. By the early 15th century, the Mali Empire began to decline. Disputes over succession weakened the crown and many subjects broke away. The Songhai were one of them, making the prominent city of Gao their new capital.

Its base of power was on the bend of the Niger River in present day Niger and Burkina Faso. The Mossi kingdom seized much of Mali’s southern territories and then the kingdom of Gao gave rise to

the Songhai Empire. Capital Gao Religion Islam Timbuktu was at the height of its commercial and intellectual development during Timbuktu, towards the end of the sixteenth century, collapsed under internal and external pressures.

Most of the empire was destroyed by a Moroccan invasion in 159Trade

Increasing its influence over the western Sudan The Songhai Empire would trade with these nearby but independent gold fields; salt was so precious in

the region that the people of West Africa would sometimes be prepared to trade gold for equal quantities of salt.

80 percent of the people lived on small, family-owned farms no more than 10 acres large. The trans-Saharan trade consisted primarily of gold, salt, and slaves. The Julla (merchants) would form partnerships, and the state would protect these merchants, and the port cities on the Niger. It was a very strong trading kingdom, known for its production of practical crafts as well as religious artifacts.

Metal Fish Nuts Slaves

Leaders

- Sonni Ali was the ruler-1464- Sonni Ali brought trade routes and wealthy cities under his control. - Sonni died and Askia Muhammad (1498-1528) set up a bureaucracy with separate departments for

farming, military, and treasury. He organized a permanent paid army and full time navy. - Askia Daud became the emperor when Askia Muhammad died.

Following Dauoud's death, a civil war of succession weakened the Empire, leading Morocco Sultan Ahmad I al-Mansur Saadi to dispatch an invasion force under the eunuch Judar Pasha. Judar Pasha was a Spaniard by birth, but had been captured as an infant and educated at the Moroccan court. After a cross-Saharan march, Judar's forces razed the salt mines at Taghaza and moved on Gao; when Askia Ishaq II (r. 1588-1591) met Judar at the 1591 Battle of Tondibi, Songhai forces were routed by a cattle stampede triggered by the Moroccans' gunpowder weapons despite vastly superior numbers. Judar proceeded to sack Gao, Timbuktu, and Djenné, destroying the Songhai as a regional power. Governing so vast an empire proved too much for the Moroccans, and they soon relinquished control of the region, letting it splinter into dozens of smaller kingdoms.

The Songhai Empire's eventual collapse was largely the result of a Berber invasion in 1591.[4] The fall of the Songhai Empire marked the end of the region's role as a trading crossroads.[4] Following the establishment of sea routes by the European powers, the trans-Saharan trade routes lost significance.[4]

BANTU

West African farmers and herders migrated to the south and east between 1000 BC and A.D. 1000. West African people spoke a variety of languages deriving from a single common language, Bantu.

o Bantu refers to a conglomerate of over 450 languages in a family that traces its decent to proto-Bantu speech

From their cradle-land is the region of Nigeria and Cameroon, they pressed on into the great equatorial region forest of West Central Africa

Bantu settlements were dotted across much of Africa south of the equator. They tended to be located in wetter areas of the savannas Bantu migrations were carried out very slowly and over short distances. Usually a small group or kin

would undertake a move.

Trade

Farmingo New crops include yams and bananas from Southeast Asia introduced by Malay-Polynesian

sailors who settled on the island of Madagascar.

o The drier lands between the better ecological zones were at first left vacant. Once introduced to dry-grain agriculture, they began to establish themselves in the lass favored regions.

Livestock- domesticated animals

Ironworking

Read pages 4 and 5: Kingdoms of the Nile

Read pages 16 and 17

ZIMBABWE

Lasted from 1000s to 1400s One of the earliest states to develop in Bantu Africa was Zimbabwe located near modern Zimbabwe The word, Zimbabwe, comes from the shone word meaning, “stone buildings.”

o The Shona found a way to build walls over 35 feet high o The Shona might have left Zimbabwe because the soil was worn out from farming and grazing

cattles, and it was no longer possible to feed all the people who lived there. OR there might have been fighting between its rulers.

Trade

The people of the area were skilled metalworkers, smelting iron and extracting gold from mines as early as fourth century A.D.

The existence of the ports depended on the flow of gold from the region and they vied with one another for control its export to the Indian Ocean world. The commercial empires of Zimbabwe and later, in the 15th century, Monomotapa were transformed into powerful empires as a result of the long distance trade.

Salt, copper, livestock (cattle and sheep) Millet, beans, and squash The introduction of iron technology was also important to the development of the Sudanic communities.

o Arrow points, knives, axes, spears

Copper, bronze

Great Zimbabwe Ruins: remnants of the former capital of the Monomotapa Empire, which reached its climax from 1000-1400AD

SWAHILI COAST

The half-million people known as Swahili live along the coastline of East Africa from Somalia to Mozambique.

Gedi is a coastal towno Yet the ruins of Gedi show clear evidence of a highly developed and wealthy African

civilization. The People of the Coast", was given to them by the rulers of the Sultanate of Zanzibar Islam Do not see themselves as African or Asian

Trade

They were merchants in the ancient commerce between the interior of Africa and the countries of the Indian Ocean.

Ivory, gold, and slaves Farmers Fishermen

STUDENT NOTES

KUSH: MEROE, NUBIA

Kush – gained independence from Egypt.o Northern banks of the Upper Nile River.o Flourishes in present day Sudan.

Egyptian Domination and Influence

o They modeled palaces and pyramids.o Worshiped Egyptian deities.o Egyptian pyramids.o Nubian king, Piankhi conquered Egypt but were then conquered by the Assyrians.

The coming of Islam eventually changed the nature of Sudanese society and fostered political unity, economic growth,

- Assyrian invaders had forced Nubian rulers to move their capital from Napata to Meroe. - Meroe was the Nile’s north south trade routes and the east west trade route from the red sea North

Africa. Trade

Barley, millet Rich in timber Iron- Meroe Agriculture

o Beans, rice, onions, yams, peanuts Livestock

o Cattle, Sheep, Goats Gold, ostrich feathers, ebony, ivory, incense, leopard skins, elephants, iron, slaves, and carnelian (a

stone prized both as jewelry and for arrowheads). Direct trade with Meroe was important for Egypt and so was the trade with central Africa states that

passed through Meroe en route to Egypt.

AKSUM

Took the power from Meroe Christian

Trade

Established farming settlements and trading centers on African coast in order to take advantage of ivory trade for Persia and India.

Dominated the Red Sea. The king's power relied on the tax revenues raised on import/export duties

- esp. important export goods included ivory, slaves, crystal, brass, copper, frankincense; myrrh- prosperity was reflected in ambitious building projects.

Gold, ivory, rhinoceros-horn, hippopotamus hide and slaves

GHANA

The rulers and people of Ghana eventually converted to Islamo Muslims were employed as counselors, officials, etc…o Muslims introduced their written language, coinage, and business methods.

Trade

Ghana was always associated first and foremost with its principal export, gold. Cocoa Potatoes, rice, vegetables (corn) Timber Aluminum The country is proud to have two big sea ports one at Tema and the other at Takoradi.

Traded ivory, slaves, salt, copper Sheep, goats, cattle

MALI

Mali's borders on the north reach into the middle of the Sahara, while the country's southern region, where the majority of inhabitants live, features the Niger and Senegal rivers.

It was during this period that Mali's great cities, Timbuktu, Gao, and Djenne, became fabled centers of wealth, learning, and culture.

Important Islamic Center

Trade

Mali was built off of the monopolization of the trade routes from western and southern Africa to eastern and northern Africa.

o The most lucrative of these monopolies was the gold trade. o Fishing

o Millet, corn, rice, beans, peanuts Salt was as valuable if not more valuable than gold in Sub-Saharan Africa.

o People needed salt in their diet, especially in hot tropical areas (replace salt lost in perspiration). o Salt was important in food preservation. o Built homes out of salt.o Salt from the Sahara, goods from northern Africa and fine silks were exchanged for gold, slaves

and ivory Slaves, gold and ivory from the south were brought to be traded with the Middle East and

Europe for weapons, jewelry and salt Copper Limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, cotton Arrows Cattle, sheep, goats

Leaders

- Sundiata- Leader of the Mali kingdom. He was great with the military and known for his administrative and law making skills.

- Mansas- kings of Mali- Mansa Musa- Greatest ruler of the kingdom of Mali. Worked to ensure peace and order in his empire.

He converted to Islam and based his system of justice on the Quran. - Mansa Musa made a hajj and forged diplomatic and economic ties with other Muslim states.

SONGHAI

Songhai was one of the largest African empires in history. Its base of power was on the bend of the Niger River in present day Niger and Burkina Faso. The Mossi kingdom seized much of Mali’s southern territories and then the kingdom of Gao gave rise to

the Songhai Empire. Religion Islam Timbuktu was at the height of its commercial and intellectual development during

Trade

Increasing its influence over the western Sudan The Songhai Empire would trade with these nearby but independent gold fields; salt was so precious in

the region that the people of West Africa would sometimes be prepared to trade gold for equal quantities of salt.

Metal Fish Nuts Slaves

Leaders

- Sonni Ali was the ruler.- Sonni Ali brought trade routes and wealthy cities under his control. - Sonni died and Askia Muhammad set up a bureaucracy with separate departments for farming, military,

and treasury.- Askia Daud became the emperor when Askia Muhammad died

BANTU

West African farmers and herders migrated to the south and east. West African people spoke a variety of languages deriving from a single common language, Bantu. From their cradle-land is the region of Nigeria and Cameroon, they pressed on into the great equatorial

region forest of West Central Africa. Bantu settlements were dotted across much of Africa south of the equator.

Trade

Farmingo Madagascar

Livestock

Ironworking

ZIMBABWE

One of the earliest states to develop in Bantu Africa was Zimbabwe located near modern Zimbabwe.

Trade

The people of the area were skilled metalworkers, smelting iron and extracting gold from mines. Salt, copper, livestock (cattle and sheep) Millet, beans, and squash Iron (arrow points, knives, axes, spears) Copper, bronze

Commodities- valuable product

SWAHILI COAST

The half-million people known as Swahili live along the coastline of East Africa from Somalia to Mozambique.

The People of the Coast", was given to them by the rulers of the Sultanate of Zanzibar. Islam

Trade

They were merchants in the ancient commerce between the interior of Africa and the countries of the Indian Ocean.

Dealt mainly in ivory, gold, and slaves from Africa and in cloth and beads from Asia. Farmers Fishermen

CLIMATES

MALI

Mali is the seventh largest country in Africa

Climate:

The larger northwestern region of the country, which extends into the Sahara, is almost entirely arid desert or semi desert.

In the central region, known as the Sahel, life follows the Niger River's annual flood cycle, with high water between August and November.

In the southwestern area, rainfall and rivers are more plentiful, and this region is marginally lusher than the rest of the country. Mali's single most important geographic feature is undoubtedly the great Niger River, which traverses both the Sahel and the southeastern section of the country. The Niger, like the Nile, is both a critical source of sustenance and a major transportation artery--and in this latter capacity it is an excellent venue for boat travel.

subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)

Although most of Mali experiences only negligible rainfall, the 'rainy' season in the south extends from June through September.

Terrain:

Mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast Desert (approximately 65% of the land). Rugged hills are in the northeast. Rainfall and rivers are more plentiful in the southwestern area- the savanna- making it lusher than the

rest of the country. landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid

Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan

Natural hazards:

hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding.

Problems: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water

SONGHAI

Climate:

Desert to the North, Steppe to the south

NUBIA

Climate: Desert

MEROE

Climate: Desert

Terrain:

Lay on the banks of the Nile River, between present day southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Was thought by most to be an island on the Nile. This misperception may be justified by the fact that the

city was surrounded on three sides by water. No additional information of the city was recorded and it was virtually forgotten about until recent times

when European travelers and archaeologists explored this region. This is mainly due to its geographical remoteness. Now, all that remains of the once great city are hundreds of mounds of brick and stone, and many temple ruins and pyramids. A small town now stands next to the ancient site. While there are only speculative reasons for the fall of the city, one of the main theories is that a group of Axumites to the north, overran the city sometime around the second half of the 3rd century.

AKSUM

Climate:

Desert and Steppe

GHANA

Climate:

Ghana has two seasons, the raining season and dry season. The raining season is between late April to October, and the dry season is between November and late march. Ghana is very close to the equator and therefore during the dry season temperatures sometimes rises as high as 100 degrees Fareinheit.It is much cooler and very comfortable during the raining months

The temperature in northern Ghana is very humid. Therefore residents found a way out. Their houses are of round shape, constructed out of mud. The roofing is wrapped of dried thick grass, to form a shape of a hat at the top. Most of the heat is absorb by the grass and therefore making the room a little bit cool. Most villagers in Ghana construct their homes with mud. This is due to lack of money for a better structure, however the roofing differs from region to region. Villagers along the coast uses from asbetors, to slate, to wood for roofing. Buildings in the big cities are quite different. Accra, the nation’s capital boast of high rise modern buildings, first class hotels, as well as very beautiful private houses scattered all over. It is a modern city growing rapidly. Same can be said of Kumasi, Takoradi, Tema, Cape-coast, Elmina, and other growing cities in the country.

The climate is tropical. The eastern coastal belt is warm and comparatively dry (see Dahomey Gap); the southwest corner, hot and humid; and the north, hot and dry. Lake Volta, the world's largest artificial lake, extends through large portions of eastern Ghana.

Terrain:

Ancient Ghana, which at its height encompassed a large area extending northward from most of the Senegal River One of the smaller countries on the continent The old Ghana was approximately 500 miles (800 km) north of the present Ghana, and occupied the area between

Rivers Senegal and Niger. Ghana's highest point is Mount Afadjato, seen here from the village of Liati WoteGhana is a country located on

the Gulf of Guinea, only a few degrees north of the Equator, therefore giving it a warm climate. The Greenwich Meridian also passes through Ghana, specifically through the industrial city of Ghana-Tema; so it is said that Ghana is geographically closer to the "centre" of the world than any other country. The coastline is mostly a low, sandy shore backed by plains and scrub and intersected by several rivers and streams. Formerly, a tropical rainforest belt, broken by heavily forested hills and many streams and rivers, extended northward from the coast, but most of the rainforest was felled in the twentieth century, leaving scattered remnants, principally in the southwest, some of which are under protection. North of this belt, the land is covered by low bush, park-like savannah, and grassy plains.

SWAHILI COAST

Climate: Steppe and Savanna

ZIMBABWE

Climate: Savanna and steppe