Geography
This major river helped farming, trade, and city growth in West Africa.
What is the Niger River?
These two goods were the most important trade items in West Africa.
What are gold and salt?
This was the title of the ruler of the Ghana Empire.
What is the Ghana?
This empire rose to power after the decline of Ghana.
What is Mali?
These storytellers preserved West African history through oral tradition.
Who are griots?
This vegetation zone had thick trees and was the main source of gold.
What is the forest zone?
Large groups of traders who traveled together across the Sahara were called these.
What are caravans?
Ghana became wealthy not because it mined gold, but because it did this.
What is controlled trade routes?
This city was the capital of the Mali Empire.
What is Niani?
This religion spread into West Africa mainly through trade.
What is Islam?
Why did people in different vegetation zones need to trade with each other?
Because different regions had different resources.
Why were camels essential to trans-Saharan trade?
Because they could travel long distances without water and carry heavy loads.
What role did taxes play in Ghana’s economy?
Taxes on traders created wealth for the king and government.
Why was Mali’s location along the Niger River important?
It supported farming, trade, and communication.
Why were griots important advisors to kings?
They preserved history, traditions, and lessons.
This desert was difficult to cross but important for the salt trade.
What is the Sahara Desert?
This trading method allowed people who spoke different languages to trade peacefully.
What is silent barter?
According to Al-Bakri, how did the king of Ghana show his power?
By wearing gold, controlling gold, and being protected by soldiers.
Who founded the Mali Empire?
Who is Sundiata Keita?
This city became a major center of trade, learning, and Islamic scholarship.
What is Timbuktu?
Explain one way geography helped West African empires become powerful.
Because geography created trade opportunities, allowed control of trade routes, supported farming, etc.
How did trade help rulers of Ghana and Mali gain wealth and power?
By taxing traders and using wealth to build armies and protect routes.
Name TWO reasons the Ghana Empire declined.
Loss of trade routes, overuse of land, invasions.
What is one difference between Mali and Ghana?
Answer varies
Why do historians need BOTH oral traditions and written sources to understand West Africa’s past?
Because each preserves different types of information and together give a fuller picture.