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