Kingdom of Ghana Unit

Sahara Desert

the largest desert in the world, covering most of northern Africa

Savanna

An area of grassland with scattered trees and bushes

Sahel

a strip of dry grasslands on the southern border of the Sahara; also known as "the shore of the desert"

Caravan

group of traveling merchants and animals

Oasis

A fertile place in a desert where there is water and vegetation

Taghaza

A settlement in the western Sahara, the site of the main salt-mining center.

Wangara

This was the secret source of gold located near the forests of Ghana.

Salt

Arguably the most important commodity in northern Africa - the human body needs it to survive.

Ghana

First known kingdom in sub-Saharan West Africa between the sixth and thirteenth centuries C.E. Also the modern West African country once known as the Gold Coast.

Desertification

the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

Berber

A member of a North African, primarily Muslim people living in settled or nomadic tribes from Morocco to Egypt

Trans-Saharan

Trade across the Sahara

Silent Barter

a process in which people exchange goods without ever contacting each other directly

Salt-gold trade

Trade of salt and gold in western Africa named after the primary commodities traded.

Commodities

raw materials or primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold, such as copper or coffee.

Scarcity

The limited nature of society's resources

Islam

A religion based on the teachings of the prophet Mohammed which stresses belief in one god (Allah) and a body of law written in the Quran. Followers are called Muslims.

Almoravids

Islamic group that established an empire in North Africa and southern Spain during the 11th century

Djenne

Ancient city in West Africa near the Niger River, at least as old as 250 B.C.E. The one that is more difficult to pronounce.

Timbuktu

Port city of Mali; located just off the flood plain on the great bend in the Niger River; population of 50,000; contained a library and university. The easier-to-pronounce city.

Niger River

The longest river in West Africa, and a kind of trading highway in early times.

Koumbi Saleh

The city in which the king of Ghana held his court