Chap 3 History The Rise of African Civilizations – Flashcards
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Sundiata Keita
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"Lion Prince" - warrior king of Mali Founder of Mali
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Mansa Musa
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The last strong king of Mali He used the wealth of Mali to built mosques and make Islam stronger He went on a pilgrimage of Makkah
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Sunni Ali
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leader of Songhai
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plateau
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area of high flat land
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griot
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storyteller
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dhow
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an Arab sailboat that used a wind-catching triangular sail
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Which type of physical feature covers the largest area of Africa?
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savanna
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How might Africa's geography have affected trading patterns there?
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1) Hard to travel in the north due to Sahara desert. People had to follow the coastline to get past the deserts. 2) Trade mainly along Nile and Niger rivers to transport goods
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Why is the Niger River important?
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1)Rich soil allowed to grow many crops that gave rise to many civilizations along the Niger in West Africa 2)Help unite the region 3)Allowed merchants and travelers spread goods and ideas up and down the river
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How does the size of the Sahara compare to the size of the United States?
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United States is only slightly bigger than the Sahara desert
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How does the population of Africa compare to that of the United States?
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Africa has 3 times the population of the USA
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Along which river did the Bantu people travel when they migrated west?
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Niger river
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How did the Bantu migration affect cultures throughout southern Africa?
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1) Spread their languages 2) Spread their traditions - one supreme God,spirit world of ancestors 3) Spread their skills - pottery making, mining, ironworking
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What were some of the items traded by caravans?
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1) Salt and cloth from North Africa 2) Gold and ivory from Western Africa
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About how many miles was it from the kingdom of Ghana I to Cairo?
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About 2000 miles
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In general, where were many of the sources of salt mines found in West Africa?
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Along the coastline of Atlantic Ocean
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Large trading kingdoms developed in several areas of Africa. 1. Which kingdom developed earliest? Who were the rest 2. Generalize What were some of the common trade Items of the West African empires?
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1. Axum. Rest were Ghana, Mai, Songhai, Zimbabwe 2. salt, gold
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Salt Mines 1. How do salt deposits form? 2. Why do you think salt was so valuable that it was traded ounce for ounce for gold?
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1. Formed when shallow sea made up of salt water dried up. 2. Because a) To stay healthy, it was needed in food to replenish salt lost through sweat b) To preserve food
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Why did West Africa become the center of three large trade empires?
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Access to natural resources like gold, ivory, salt mines Close to major trade routes
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Describe Africa's grasslands.
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tropical grasslands, known as savannas, have high temperatures and uneven rains. These wide-open grasslands are perfect tor raising herds of animals. The people of the savanna were hunters and herders.
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What items were traded in the kingdoms of West Africa?
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salt, gold
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How did the kingdom of Ghana use taxation to strengthen and increase the wealth of its empire
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They were located where several trade routes came together. They charges a fee to pass through Ghana Traders paid fee because Ghana knew how to make iron weapons
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Makkah
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Holy city in Arabia also known as Mecca
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Benue River
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A river along which the Bantu originated
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Ghana
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A kingdom that was located where several trade routes came together. Charged traders a tax for passage through Ghana
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Mali
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A Kingdom that arose by conquering Ghana
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Timbuktu
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Trading city in West Africa Important center of Islamic culture and learning
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Songhai
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Kingdom that gained control of West African trade by conquering Timbuktu and mastering trade by river
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Axum
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A city-state in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) which was located near the Red Sea and became a trading center for the ancient Mediterranean and East Asian worlds
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Olaudah Equiano
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He was a member of the Igbo tribe He dispelled the belief that Africans did not have a religion
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Ibn Battuta
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Young Arab lawyer from Morocco and traveled for 30 years throughout the lands of Islam
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Askia Muhammad
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General in Songhai military who was known as Muhammad Ture. He overthrew Sunni Ali's son and took the name Askia Muhammad with the help of Muslim townspeople to take over Songhai
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sultan
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military and political leader with absolute authority over a Muslim country
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Swahili
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The word Swahili comes from an Arabic word meaning ''people of the coast."
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clan
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group of families related by blood or marriage group of people descended from the same ancestor
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What religion dominates the northern part of Africa?
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Islam
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In what areas are traditional religions the main type of religion?
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Traditional African religions popular outside of the cities Islam was popular in the cities
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Did all of the people in West Africa accept Islam? Explain.
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No Traditional African religions popular outside of the cities Islam was popular in the cities Rulers and Traders accepted it by choice to help them trade with Muslim Arabs
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How did Askia Muhammad gain control of Songhai?
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He overthrew Sunni Ali's son and took the name Askia Muhammad with the help of Muslim townspeople to take over Songhai
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Why did African kings allow local rulers to keep some power?
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Local rulers kept some power, and the kings in turn received their loyalty. This allowed kingdoms to grow richer and to extend their control over a larger area.
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Which do you think has more worth, a dinar or a mitqal? Why?
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Dinar is more valuable as it is the tax one has to pay for salt and in those days salt was equal value to gold. Taxes on copper was in mitqals and as such mitqals may not be as valuable as dinars.
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How did Mansa Musa attempt to strengthen Islam in Mali?
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1. He used the wealth of Mali to built mosques and make Islam stronger 2. He setup Libraries in Timbuktu to collect books from all over the Muslim world 3. He went on a pilgrimage of Makkah...
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How did the kings of Ghana strengthen the government and maintain their power?
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By charging traders a fee for passage through Ghana
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How might Africa's history be different if Islam had not been introduced?
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1. Most likely they would have practiced traditional religions 2. Building, language, architecture, culture would have been different
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How was Mali ruled differently from Ghana?
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Ghana - Kings tightly held on to power Mali - Divided kingdom into provinces and generals ruled the provinces
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Dahia al-Kahina
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Dahia al-Kahina: led the fight against the Muslim invasion of her kingdom where Mauritania is today.
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Nzinga
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Nzinga: ruled lands in what are now Angola and Congo.
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extended family
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family group including several generations as well as other relatives
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matrilineal
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refers to a group that traces descent through mothers rather than fathers
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oral history
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the stories passed down from generation to generation
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How were Bantu families organized?
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1. Extended families made up of several generations 2. Matrilineal - traced descent through mothers 3. Valued children greatly. Believed ancestors may be reborn in a child.
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What was an extended family in Bantu society?
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The family formed the basis of African society. People often lived in extended families, or families made up of several generations. T They included anywhere from ten to hundreds of members.
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Why were enslaved Africans used on Portuguese plantations?
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Planters could not pay high wages to get workers, so they used enslaved Africa Many Africans had farming skills and the ability to make tools.
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How did exploration change the African slave trade?"
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Exploration resulted in African slaves being used as cheap labor in newly explored territories
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From which part of Africa were the most enslaved people taken?
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West Africa
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To what parts of the Americas were enslaved people taken?
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East Coast of North America Brazil Argentina
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What was the African Diaspora?
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The spreading of African people and culture around the world.
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What is the earliest form of African art known? Describe some of the subjects portrayed.
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Cave paintings are the earliest form of African art They show people hunting animals, dancing, and doing everyday chores
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Why do you think storytelling helped keep African culture alive? How did Africans use their stories to teach values and offer hope?
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Storytellers, passed down oral history— by word of mouth from generation to generation. Many stories included a lesson about living.
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Write True beside each true statement. Replace the word in italics to make false statements true. 1)Wooden boats known as bantu were powered by triangular sails. 2)An area of high, flat land is a plateau. 3)Each district in Ghana usually included a chief's clan. 4)African dhows are storytellers. 5)Matrilineal societies trace their descent through mothers. 6)Swahili culture and language exist in Africa today.
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1. dhow 2. TRUE 3. TRUE 4. griot 5. TRUE 6. TRUE
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How did the climate and environment influence the way people lived in Africa?
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1. The desert in the north imposed a nomadic lifestyle in northern Africa 2. In the savannas people were hunters and herders 3. In the Mediterranean areas, they were farmers
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How did early empires in West Africa gain wealth and power?
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By levying fees e.g. Ghana By trading gold and salt
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How did the shared belief in traditional religions differ among groups in Africa?
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Example 1. Nanti thought people could talk directly with their God 2. Igbo thought people could talk to God through less powerful gods and godesses
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What religion was introduced to Africa in the A.D. 600s? What was its influence?
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Islam Influence culture, language, art, buildings
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What did the kings in West Africa do for their people? What did they get in return?
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1. Kings received taxes from merchants and in return merchants received favors from kings 2. Kings protected the empire but expected complete obedience from their subjects
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Describe the accomplishments of two famous African queens.
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1. Dahia al-Kahina: led the fight against the Muslim invasion of her kingdom where Mauritania is today. 2) Nzinga: ruled lands in what are now Angola and Congo.
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Why were enslaved Africans taken to North and South America?
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For cheap labor used by explorers on plantations (tobacco, rice, cotton)
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How were many African songs performed?
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In many African songs, a singer calls out a line, then other singers repeat it back.
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What do you think would have happened in Ghana if the people had been allowed to trade with gold nuggets instead of gold dust?
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Gold would have been so abundant in supply and that would have made it less worthy. The kings hoarded gold nuggets which made supply scarce and hence made the gold more valuable.
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What caused the decline of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai?
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Ghana - discovery of gold mines outside Ghana enabled traders to bypass Ghana and so tax revenues fell. Mali - declined after death of Mansa Musa Songhai - declined after attack by Morocco
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Why do you think the Bantu language changed as people moved into different parts of Africa?
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Each area had a different geography and hence a different lifestyle and the language changed along with it
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Ghana and Mali became successful kingdoms because A their kings allowed traders to pass through without having to pay taxes. B they controlled the trade along the Niger River trade routes. C they accepted the religion of Islam and lived in peace. D farmers in that region had food that was in great demand.
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B
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Speaking the Arabic language and following the Islamic faith | became acceptable in West African cities partly because A all West African governments were led by Muslim kings. B other religions were not tolerated. C these influences helped African merchants trade goods with Muslim Arabs. D the people had forgotten all the traditional African religions.
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C
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What were traditional African stories often about?
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About lessons of their ancestors
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Why did Africans use dance to celebrate important events?
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Africans believed dance allowed the spirits to express themselves. . So they used It to celebrate important events such as birth and death.
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What are the two major deserts in Africa?
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1) Sahara desert (northern Africa) - largest desert in Africa 2) Kalahari desert (southwest Africa)
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What are the two major rivers in Africa?
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1) Nile River - longest river in Africa 2) Niger River
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How does the size of Africa compare to the USA?
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You can fit 3 USAs in Africa with room to spare
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Which animal revolutionized trade in Africa?
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Camels
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Name 2 Kingdoms of the rainforest
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1. Benin 2. Kongo
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What is Ethiopia's olden written history book called?
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Glory of the Kings
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Name an East African empire
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Saba
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Names of trading ports in East Africa
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1) Mogadishu 2) Kilwa 3) Mombasa 4) Zanzibar
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What was the Great Zimbabwe?
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1) Founded by the Shona people 2) 2 kings - Mutota and his son Matope made Zimbabwe into a large empire 3) Supplied gold, copper, ivory
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Who were the Bantu?
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1)Bantu means "the people" 2) originally a formed along the Benue River 3)They were wanderers who spread throughout Africa
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What was the role of ancestors in African religion?
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They believed in a spirit world where ancestors went to when they died, and these spirits could communicate with God
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Describe Swahili culture
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Blend of African and Muslim elements African influences came from Africa's interior Muslim influences came from Arab and Persian settlers
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Contrast how property was passed in Ghana and Arab states
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In Arab states, property passed through a man's sons, In Ghana, the property is inherited only by the son of a man's sister.
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Why did traders pay taxes?
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1) Ghana knew how to make iron weapons to conquer its neighbors 2) Ghana controlled the people who had gold mines 3) People were willing to pay the taxes to gain access to trade items e.g. Berbers needed gold for trade with Europe while West Africans needed salt for food additive and preservative
