Western Africa Study Guide

Group 2

• 1st

• 2nd

• 3rd

• 4th

• Diamonds

• Gold

• Salt

• Iron

• Wheat and barley

• Rice, yams, and kola nuts

• Corn and potatoes

• Sugarcane and bananas

• Belief in one all-powerful God

• Belief that spirits exist in natural objects and the natural world

• A set of moral codes and practices centered around a holy book

• The worship of royal ancestors

Group 3

• Trade across the Atlantic Ocean, important for connecting Europe and the Americas

• Trade within various regions of West Africa, important for local economies

• Trade across the Sahara Desert, important for connecting North and West Africa and exchanging goods and ideas

• Trade along the Nile River, important for the development of ancient Egypt

• 1,000 miles

• 2,000 miles

• 3,000 miles

• 4,000 miles

• Gold

• Salt

• Enslaved people

• Silk

• Textiles

• True

• False

• The invention of the printing press

• The creation of writing

• The discovery of large silver mines

• The development of iron tools

Group 4

• Attacks by sea pirates

• Harsh winter storms

• Too much food

• Lack of water

• They improved their artistic abilities

• They made farming more efficient and strengthened their weapons

• They allowed them to build large stone structures

• They improved their communication systems

• Mali

• Songhai

• Wagadou

• Timbuktu

• The pleasant climate and fertile land

• The safe roads and large markets

• The advanced technology and manufacturing industries

• The well established universities and centers of learning

• Internal Rebellions

• Earthquakes and floods

• Overgrazing

• Foreign Invasions

Group 5

• Its strong navy and control of sea trade routes

• Its fertile river valleys and agricultural surplus

• Its control of key gold and salt trade routes

• Its advanced military technology

• By discovering new diamond mines

• By implementing a more efficient tax system on trade and controlling more gold

• Through several conquests in Europe

• By developing advanced irrigation technic

• As part of his religious pilgrimage (Hajj) as a devout Muslim

• To seek medical treatment from renowned physicians

• To establish new trade agreements

• To form a military alliance with Arab rulers

• 10,000

• 5,000

• 100,000

• 60,000

• Cairo was conquered by Mali forces due to Mansa Musa's military strength

• The price of gold in Cairo declined significantly due to Mansa Musa's large spending and distribution of gold

• A major cultural exchange occurred, leading to the construction of Malian-style buildings

• A peace treaty was signed between Mali and Egypt, establish long-lasting dip

• It led to the development of new sea routes connecting Mali to Asia

• It brought European scholars to Mali to study its advanced technology

• It made Mali and its wealth known in North Africa and the Middle East, increasing trade and diplomatic ties

• It resulted in the migration of large numbers of people from other regions to Mali

Group 6

• True

• False

• True

• False

• True

• False

• Mansa Musa

• Sundiata Keita

• Sonni Ali

• Askia Muhammad