Geography
What desert made travel and trade difficult in West Africa?
The Sahara Desert.
What two goods were especially important in West African trade?
Gold and salt.
Who was the famous ruler who expanded the Mali Empire?
Mansa Musa
What religion spread into West Africa through trans-Saharan trade?
Islam
What Islamic Berber group was involved in conflict that contributed to Ghana's fall?
The Almoravids.
What major river provided an easier route for moving people and goods?
The Niger River.
What West African kingdom became wealthy by taxing traders?
Ghana
How did Mansa Musa expand Mali's territory?
He conquered neighboring states.
What language spread through Islamic influence and was used for reading and writing?
Arabic
What valuable locations did kingdoms fight to control because they provided wealth and power?
Trade centers or trade routes.
Name two climate conditions that made crossing the Sahara difficult.
Any two: high temperatures, strong winds, or blowing sand.
What town specialized in producing salt?
Taghaza.
Name two things Mansa Musa built to support his people.
Any two: schools, universities, or mosques.
What type of religious building influenced West African architecture?
Mosques.
What family conflict contributed to Songhai's downfall?
Jealousy and fighting among Askia's sons.
Why were oasis cities important to traders crossing the Sahara?
They provided places for traders to stop and rest during difficult desert journeys.
What generally happened to the price of salt when demand increased?
Its price could increase.
How did Mansa Musa organize Mali's government to maintain order?
He divided Mali into provinces with governors and mayors.
What Islamic legal tradition influenced West African government and law?
Sharia law
Why did Mali's control of trade routes sometimes lead to attacks from neighboring kingdoms?
Neighboring kingdoms wanted access to Mali's trade wealth.
How did the Sahara Desert and Niger River affect trade differently?
The Sahara made travel difficult and required rest stops, while the Niger River provided an easier route for transportation and trade.
What economic term describes people or places depending on one another to exchange goods and build wealth?
Interdependence.
Name three ways Mansa Musa worked to meet the needs of his people.
Any three: distributed wealth to citizens and the poor, allowed religious freedom, built schools, built universities, or built mosques.
Identify three different areas of Islamic cultural influence and give one example of each.
Any three: language—Arabic; religion—Five Pillars; architecture—mosques; decorative arts—geometric patterns; government and law—Sharia; education—Quran and Arabic instruction.
Explain how trade could make a West African kingdom both powerful and vulnerable.
Trade created wealth through goods and taxes, but valuable trade routes and centers also attracted competition, attacks, and conflict.