Trade & Geography
What desert did trade routes across West Africa cross?
The Sahara Desert
•Name one city that grew wealthy from trade routes besides Timbuktu.
Gao or Jenne
What religion did North African traders bring to West Africa?
Islam
Name one of the three great kingdoms of West Africa in the 1400s and 1500s.
Songhai, Benin, or Kongo
Which European traders first arrived in West Africa in the 1400s?
The Portuguese
What river nourished crops and livestock in the West African savanna?
The Niger River
What city did Askia Muhammad turn into a center of learning?
Timbuktu
Who founded Islam, and when?
Muhammad in 66(In Arabia)
Which kingdom controlled trade across the Sahara?
Songhai
•In Africa, what were two ways slaves could gain freedom?
Marry into a family, or escape into the countryside.
•What natural barriers helped isolate Africa from Europe and Asia?
Geography (deserts, seas, etc.)
•What made Timbuktu, Gao, and Jenne powerful cities?
They were at crossroads of trade routes
By the 1200s , what was the official religion of West African empires?
Islam
Which kingdom was famous for bronze art?
Benin
How did African slavery differ from the later slavery in the Americas?
It did not always mean life without freedom; slaves could gain freedom
•What city was the hub of a trading network that connected West Africa to North Africa?
Timbuktu
•What attracted traders and scholars to Timbuktu?
Trade wealth and learning (schools, manuscripts, religion).
What role did elders play in West African families?
They influenced decisions and represented families at meetings.
Which kingdom was located along the Zaire (Congo) River?
Kongo
What crop did Portuguese plantations grow using African slave labor?
Sugarcane
Why did the Portuguese NOT use the Saharan trade routes?
They traded directly with coastal West Africans.
•How did trade spread ideas in West Africa?
Traders exchanged not only goods but also belief, such as Islam.
Name two ways West Africans showed their religious beliefs.
Rituals, respect for spirits, belief in a single creator.
Who was the second ruler of Songhai that made Timbuktu a center of learning?
Askia Muhammad
Why did slavery become a key part of West African trading networks?
Slaves were traded along with goods and later supplied labor to plantations.