Silk Roads
Which Chinese product gave the Silk Roads their name because it was highly valued by people in other regions?
Silk
This ocean was the center of a major maritime trading network connecting East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
The Indian Ocean?
This desert had to be crossed by merchants traveling between North Africa and West Africa.
The Sahara Desert?
True or False: Trade networks only moved physical goods.
False. They also moved ideas, religions, technologies, languages, and diseases.
What invention or animal helped travelers cross the Sahara Desert?
Camels
This dangerous geographic feature made travel across Central Asia difficult and encouraged merchants to use caravanserais and other forms of support.
The mountains and deserts of Central Asia?
These seasonal winds allowed sailors to predict when they could travel across the Indian Ocean.
The monsoon winds?
This animal was especially important because it could survive for long periods without water.
A camel?
Which network relied most heavily on ships?
The Indian Ocean network
What seasonal winds helped sailors travel across the Indian Ocean?
Monsoon Winds
Name TWO important goods traded along the Silk Roads. (Not Silk)
Porcelain, spices, horses, textiles, paper, or other acceptable examples.
This type of ship was commonly used by merchants in the Indian Ocean and was especially associated with the western Indian Ocean.
A Dhow
These two goods were especially important in the Trans-Saharan trade.
Gold and Salt
Which network depended especially heavily on camels?
The Trans-Saharan network.
What instrument helped sailors determine their position using the stars?
Astrolabe
Why were cities such as Samarkand important to Silk Road trade?
They were major trading centers where merchants, goods, cultures, and ideas came together.
Name ONE technology that helped Indian Ocean merchants travel long distances.
Lateen sail, compass, astrolabe, improved ship
Why was salt so valuable in West Africa?
Salt was necessary for human health and food preservation, and it was difficult to obtain in many parts of West Africa.
A merchant wants to travel from China to the Middle East without crossing an ocean. Which major trade network would be most useful?
The Silk Roads.
What type of ship was especially important in Indian Ocean trade?
Explain ONE way the Silk Roads spread more than just goods.
They spread religions, technologies, languages, ideas, and cultural practices between different societies.
Why did Indian Ocean trade generally carry more goods than Silk Road trade?
Ships could carry much larger and heavier loads than caravans traveling overland.
How did Trans-Saharan trade contribute to the growth of West African states such as Ghana and Mali?
Trade generated wealth and taxes, allowing rulers to strengthen their governments, armies, and cities.
The Silk Roads, Indian Ocean network, and Trans-Saharan trade network all connected distant societies. What was one important similarity in how these networks changed the societies they connected?
All three networks encouraged the exchange of goods, ideas, religions, technologies, and cultures, while also contributing to the growth of cities and states connected to trade.
Why were technological adaptations especially important to long-distance trade?
They allowed merchants to overcome geographic challenges and travel farther/more efficiently.