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Medieval Africa

Terms in this set (44)

what affected the history of West Africa?
landforms, water, climate, and plant life
West Africa's resources include
farmland, gold and salt
Influences on daily life in early West African society
Family and religion
technology that changed life in West Africa
Iron technology
_____ shaped history of West Africa
Trade
empire that controlled trade and became wealthy, built an empire
Ghana
Ghana's decline was caused by
attacking invaders, overgrazing, loss of trade
ruler of Mali empire
Sundiata
Mali reached its height under the ruler _______ ________.
Mansa Musa
Mali fell to __________ in the late 1400s.
invaders
next new empire in West Africa
Songhai
ruler of Songhai Empire, made it an Islamic Empire
Askia the Great
Songhai fell to _______________, ending the great era of West African empires
Moroccan invaders
West Africa has varied
environments and valuable resources
contributing factors to the growth of West African societies
Family ties, religion, iron technology and trade
rulers of Ghana built an empire by controlling
gold and salt trade
the _________ empire ruled West Africa after the fall of Ghana
Mali
the __________ empire strengthened Islam in West Africa
Songhai
Because people of West Africa didn't have ________, their culture has been passed down through _________
written language
oral history
rifts
Long, deep valleys formed by the movement of the earth's crust.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Portion of the African continent lying south of the Sahara.
Sahel
a strip of land that divides the desert from wetter areas
Savannah
Open grassland with scattered trees
rain forest
moist, densely wooded areas
extended family
included the father, mother, children, and close relatives in one household
animism
the belief that bodies of water, animals, trees, and other natural objects have spirits
silent barter
a process in which people exchange goods without ever contacting each other directly
Tunka Manin
Ghana's king who ruled the empire at the height of its power
Sundiata
Founder of the Mali empire
Askia the Great
Muslim ruler who led Songhai to the height of its power
Mansa
title of the ruler of Mali
Mansa Musa
Mali's most famous ruler, a Muslim king
Sunni Ali
First great ruler of Songhai, who established the empire
Oral history
a spoken record of past events
griots
A West African storyteller
proverbs
short sayings of wisdom or truth
kente
A hand-woven, brightly colored fabric
caravan
A group of traders traveling together
Berber
people from north Africa
Niger River
The major river of West Africa
Timbuktu
Mali trading city that became a center of wealth and learning
Gao
Capital of Songhai
Millet
a type of grain
trade items
gold and salt
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