Geography
What is the name of the large desert located north of West Africa?
Sahara Desert
WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE RELIGION WITH THE BELIEF THAT NATURE CONTAINS SPIRITS
Animism
Where did Mansa Musa make his pilgrimage to?
Mecca
Which two goods were especially important to West African trade?
Gold and Salt
Which three major West African kingdoms were connected to the gold-salt trade?
Ghana, Mali, and Songhai
What river was an important geographic feature of West Africa?
Niger River
What was a griot and how did they preserve west African history
West African storytellers and they passed history and traditions from one generation to the next through storytelling
What is the pilgrimage to Mecca called according the the Five Pillars of Islam>
What type of trade route connected North Africa with West Africa?
Trans-Saharan Trade Routes
Which city became an important center of trade in West Africa?
Timbuktu
Which body of water borders the western coast of Africa?
Atlantic Ocean
Why was oral storytelling especially important in traditional West African societies?
It helped preserve history, traditions, values, and important knowledge because of their lack of a written language
Why was Mansa Musa's pilgrimage important to Islam and West African history?
It showed the influence of Islam in Mali.
Why was salt valuable to West African kingdoms?
could be traded for other goods, including gold, and to preserve food
Based on their location, why did cities such as Djenné and Timbuktu grow?
Located along trade routes
Why was the Niger River important to West African civilizations?
provided water and helped support farming, transportation, and trade.
How could traditional African religious beliefs affect people's everyday lives?
They influenced how people treated nature, honored ancestors, followed traditions, and understood events around them.
How did trade help Islam spread into West Africa?
Muslim merchants traveled along established trade routes and brought Islam and Islamic culture with them.
How did trade help West African kingdoms become wealthy and powerful?
Trade brought wealth and resources, which helped kingdoms grow and increase their influence.
How were Djenné and Timbuktu similar?
Both became important centers of trade and culture in West Africa.
A trader traveling through West Africa needed to move goods between areas south of the Sahara. List one geographic feature that would most directly affect the journey?
SAHARA DESERT AND NIGER RIVER
A West African community leaves offerings at an ancestor's shrine because they believe the ancestor can bring blessings or illness. Which religious practice does this demonstrate, and what belief supports it?
ANCESTOR WORSHIP: the belief that ancestors can influence the lives of living people
Mansa Musa traveled to Mecca with a huge amount of gold. What does this tell historians about Mali, and how could his pilgrimage affect Mali's reputation?
It shows that Mali was wealthy and powerful. His pilgrimage increased Mali's fame and demonstrated the kingdom's wealth and connection to the wider Islamic world.
Explain how control of the gold-salt trade could help a West African ruler strengthen his kingdom.
Controlling trade could bring the kingdom wealth through taxes and trade, allowing rulers to support armies, cities, and government.
Explain how the growth of trade cities could also help West African kingdoms become more powerful.
Growing trade cities brought wealth, resources, people, ideas, and opportunities for taxation, which strengthened kingdoms.