African Geography
Africa has two massive deserts in both the northern and southern regions of Africa. What are the two main deserts in Africa named?
Sahara and Kalahari
What spice is abundant in Africa, is used to preserve and season food, and is desired around the world?
This spice is one of Africa's major exports.
Salt
This King of Portugal sent out explorers to map the western coast of Africa, find a southern route around the tip of Africa, and he established a school for explorers to study navigation and geography.
Henry of Portugal
This treaty divided up the new world between Spain and Portugal. They had enlisted the pope to help them settle territorial disputes. Also the division was hardly fair. It vastly benefited Spain in the long run.
Treaty of Tordesillas
This African King's practice and support of Islam, and his pilgrimage to Mecca, solidified Islam as the dominant religion in Western Africa, and brought recognition to Mali and Western Africa as a whole.
Mansa Musa
Separating the North desert and the Savanna grasslands is a semi-arid transition zone. What is this transition zone called?
Sahel
Their rule would last until 1492. Despite being an occupying force for 700 years, these Muslim people brought many new ideas to Medieval Europe, including mining, agriculture, engineering, architecture, and education. During this time, Spain became the center for culture and learning in Europe.
The Moors
Who was the first European to round the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good hope, and what country did he sail for (financed by)? He never made it to India; he just helped map the coast line of western Africa and figured out you could actually sail around the tip of Africa.
Bartolomeu Dias (Portugal)
At first Spanish and Portuguese explorers truly were just trying to find alternate, maritime trade routes to India, China, and the rich east Asian regions. However, the purpose of European Countries soon shift to other objectives after the discovery of a brand new continent. Tell me at least two reasons for exploration/discovery of America.
Find Gold and Silver
Exploit Natural Resources
Export Raw Materials
Find lands suitable for colonization
Diffusion of Christianity
Competition at home between European countries fueled competition abroad. explorers wanted glory for themselves and their nation.
What is someone who makes maps called? hint: not a mapmaker
Cartographer
The rainforest in the center of Africa, the river that runs around the border of that rainforest, and two countries that encompass this region all have a name in common.
Congo Basin
Congo River
Dem. Rep. of the Congo
Rep. of the Congo
The Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires were all extremely wealthy through the mining and trading of which precious metal?
Gold
This explorer actually made it to India by sailing around the southern tip of Africa. What was his name? Who did he sail for?
De Gama and Portugal
Which conquistador overtook the Incan Empire in South America? Effectively erasing that culture.
How many indigenous peoples inhabited the Americas before Europeans arrived? By the end of it all approximately how many Indigenous people were wiped out in percentage?
between 50-80 million
between 70-90% of the population was eradicated
What are the three main rivers in Africa that we have discussed in this class? These rivers are all essential to life in Africa and supply millions of people with fresh water, irrigation (water for farming), and much more.
Nile River
Niger River
Congo River
This African Kingdom was actually part of the vast Indian Ocean trade network. Evidence of Chinese and Persian artifacts suggest connection to a trading system.
Great Zimbabwe
This explorer was the first man suggest that Columbus was an idiot and that they weren't in fact exploring India, but instead had stumbled upon a completely new, western continent. The two continents are named after this man.
Amerigo Vespucci
Which Native American civilization/empire rested in the Andean region of South America?
Inca
Using cavalry and a strong centralized military, this African Empire became the largest empire in African history. Muslim leaders instituted Islamic laws and the Islam became the dominant religion within the cities
Songhai
The intellectual and cultural center of the Mali Empire, this city sported a university that was commissioned by the African King, Mansa Musa. Though it is a shadow of its former self, the university still exists today.
Timbuktu
In 300 CE, this African kingdom converted to Christianity, becoming the first Christian empire in Africa. It was influenced by the Christians from the Roman Empire in Egypt. It served as a trading hub until the rise of Islam.
Axum
This explorer's expedition was the first to circumnavigate the globe. Tell me the explorer and tell me one reason why it's ironic that we give him so much credit to this man in our contemporary world.
Ferdinand Magellan
Ironic because he died fighting indigenous peoples in the Philippines.
Ironic because 1/5 of his ships and 8% of the men returned to Spain.
His "circumnavigation" was nothing more than a test of survival. There was nothing glorious about it.
What is the most impactful and destructive effect on the Indigenous peoples of America because of European presence?
Disease like, smallpox, measles, influenza, STDs, dysentery, etc.
Native Americans had no natural immunity to the diseases, no medical resistance, or knowledge of these diseases.
Europeans saw the effects of their diseases and would deliberately expose native populations to the diseases to eradicate their numbers.
The Aztec empire had a complex payment system set up in place. The people they conquered were forced to pay __________ in order to keep their lives, their land, and their culture.
Tribute
a form of tax preventing death and interference from outsiders.