Climate and Geography
How many major climate zones does Africa have?
5
About how long ago did the first humans appear in eastern and southern Africa?
150 000 - 200 000 years ago
Why was Ghana successful as a trading empire?
Located between gold and salt mines
Who were the Berbers?
North African desert traders and camel experts
What was the Middle Passage?
The voyage enslaved Africans took across the Atlanti
What geographic feature divides North Africa from Sub-Saharan Africa?
The Sahara Desert
What religion did the Kingdom of Axum adopt in the 4th century?
Under which ruler did Mali become extremely wealthy and powerful?
Mansu Musa
What animal made trans-Saharan trade possible?
Camels
Name one major effect of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade on Africa
Family separation, loss of population, trauma, warfare
Name two landscapes found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
(Savanna, rainforest, highlands / mediterranean, etc.)
Where were important early human fossils found?
Ethiopia
(Eastern and Southern Africa, such as Omo Kibish in Ethiopia
How did Mansa Musa show his wealth on his journey to Makkah?
Traveled with gold, servants, camels in a grand caravan
What religion did Berber and Arab traders introduce to West Africa?
Islam
Which European country was NOT a major participant in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade?
A. Portugal
B. Spain
C. Germany
D. The Netherlands
C. Germany
Which climate zone is best known for dense forests near the Equator?
(Rainforest/Tropical Forest Zone)
How did climate affect where early Africans settled?
(People settled near water and fertile land; deserts and harsh climates limited settlement)
How were Mali and Songhai similar?
Strong governments, controlled trade, Islamic influence
Name two effects of trans-Saharan trade on West Africa.
Wealth, spread of Islam, growth of cities like Timbuktu, stronger empires
How did the Trans-Atlantic slave trade affect African societies?
Weakened kingdoms, increased conflict, population loss
What two geographic zones dominate Africa, and are they good for farming?
(Desert and savanna; desert = poor for farming, savanna = good for farming)
Why did geography lead to many different civilizations instead of one unified empire in Africa?
(Barriers like deserts and forests separated people; trade routes connected others)
Why did leadership sometimes pass to the king’s nephew instead of his son?
To ensure leadership stayed within the mother’s clan line
Why were the Berbers crucial to trans-Saharan trade?
Desert knowledge, controlled salt mines, guided caravans, spread Islam
Why did European demand for plantation labor increase the scale of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade?
Cash crops like sugar, cotton, and tobacco required large labor forces; plantations depended on enslaved labor for profit