World History Africa Test

rwanda

 Landlocked country in east central Africa, south of the equator, Kigali is the capital.

Genocide took place here.

Hutus

 Ethnic Majority,

 ruled since independence from Belgium, 

shared power with Tutsis, 

killing Tutsis

Tutsis:

Ethnic minority being persecuted, 

rebels, 

shared power with Hutus,

 killed by Hutus

Belgium-

Belgium was the colonial force in Rwanda before independence.

Hutu extremists wanted to kill the Belgium peacekeepers

When Belgium left, the U.S did too

Had peacekeepers in Rwanda, but the Belgian government wanted to pull them out after the killing started

United Nations-

 an international organization founded 1945, 

maintaining international peace, human rights, and security.

Genocide-

The deliberate and systematic killing or persecution of a large number of people from a particular national or ethnic group to destroy that nation or group.

three powerful trading empires in order

 Ghana (c. 6th–13th century) was first, followed by Mali (c. 1230–1600), and then Songhai (c. 1464–1591).

Bantu Migrations- 

Three pieces of evidence that the Bantus actually migrated (smelted iron, making iron)(Bantu people farmed, we traced farming through these areas)(language, linguistic comparisons)

3000 BCE-1500 CE

Bantu-speaking people moved across Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa

West African Kingdoms

Powerful trading empires (primarily Ghana, Mali, and Songhai)

Thrived in trade in salt, gold, and ivory

Ghana (800-1076)

Everything true for Ghana is true for Mali and Songhai

Controlled the Muslim trade between the southern gold fields and Muslim caravans

Rich from taxing trade

The Kingdom settled on the Niger River

Islam spread through Muslim traders.

Mali (1235-1400)

Expanded the territory of trade control.

Mansa Musa -

was the 2nd great leader.

100,000 person army

1234-35 went on Hajj to Mecca

Established capital of Timbuktu

Started a university with Muslim scholars.

  Hajj-

pilgrimage to Mecca once in one's life

Ibn Battuta-

Muslim traveler and writer

Witnessed Mansa Musa on Hajj

Visited Mali- very safe and just. Poor Muslim morals are displayed.

The Mali Empire collapsed due to…

the later poor rulers and the gold trade shift further east.

Salt for Gold

Need salt to live

Traded salt for gold on an equal weight basis (pound for pound)

Crucial in food preservation

Sometimes salt rivaled or exceeded the value of gold

Caravan-

a group of people, especially traders or pilgrims, traveling together across a desert in Asia or North Africa.

Songhai (1400-1591)

Last of three after Ghana and Mali

Very militaristic with efficient political leadership

Gao was the capital city

Defeated in 1591 by a Moroccan army with cannons

What are the two ethnic groups in modern day Nigeria

Hausa and Yoruba

Nigeria is the most populous country in…

Africa

Most Africans in America today are…

Nigerian

East Africa

Islamic traders arrived as early as 900 AD

The slave trade existed in India, Persia, and the Middle East.

Swahili-

language mixing African and Arabic used along east coast

Great Zimbabwe-

Great Zimbabwe (1200-1450)- controlled trade between the interior and the coastal Muslim trade. Great city built.

Zimbabwe is unique because it has the ruins of the great zimbabwe, ruins are made of stone, and nothing is made of stone because its in desert.

Zimbabwe means great stone houses

Trans-Atlantic Slavery- 

Forced movement of millions of Africans to the Americas 

Triangular trade

Middle passage

Sugar cane 

Brazil

Carribean

North America 

Middle Passage-

Brutal sea journey enslaved Africans endured during their travel to the Americas

American Plantations- 

Large farms that grew cash crops for profit in the Americas

Relied heavily on slaves to do the work

Main crops grown include… Tobacco, Sugar Cane, Cotton

Sugar Cane-

Raw material for sugar production

Very profitable

High demand led to more slavery

Boiling sugar cane made molasses which could be shipped overseas, whereas normal sugar cane couldn’t

Sugar cane led to the drive for slavery

10-12 million slaves- 

Estimated number of slaves transferred to the Americas

Major impact on depopulation in Africa

Guns for Slaves

🔑 Key Ideas

• Trade system: European traders exchanged guns and weapons for enslaved Africans

• Who traded: European merchants ↔ African rulers/traders

• Why guns mattered: Weapons gave African leaders more power and control over rivals

• Cycle of violence: More guns → more warfare → more captives → more slaves traded

• Demand driver: Europeans wanted enslaved labor for plantations in the Americas

• Supply side: Some African groups captured and sold people from other regions

Colonization-

the action or process of settling among and establishing control over the Indigenous people of an area

Ethiopia and Liberia- 

Only two not colonized

Technologies:

  Anti Malarial (Quinine)

      Machine Gun (Maxim)

Berlin Conference 1888-

1184 determined boundaries of European colonial holdings in Africa (scramble)

Who attended: Major European powers (Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, etc.)

• To divide Africa among European countries

• To avoid conflict between European nations while expanding empires

• To set rules for colonization and trade in Africa

Need for guns in Africa-

They had to acquire them to compete with other African groups, and to maintain trade and protect themselves

British in Nigeria:

  

    Take land

       Create monopolies

       Tax natives

Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa-Fulani=

three major ethnic groups

Yoruba-

Location: Mainly in Nigeria, also Benin and Togo

Type: Ethnic group and culture

Language: Yoruba

Igbo-

Location: Southeastern Nigeria

Language: Igbo

Type: Ethnic group

Hausa-Fulani

Location: Northern Nigeria (also parts of Niger and surrounding regions)

Language: Hausa (widely spoken across West Africa)

Type: Combined ethnic-cultural group (Hausa + Fulani)

 Northern Region

• Dominated by Hausa-Fulani

• Mostly Muslim

• Governed through indirect rule (using emirs)

• Less Western education (British didn’t interfere as much)

 Western Region

• Dominated by Yoruba

• Mix of Christianity and traditional beliefs

• Some indirect rule, but more British influence than the north

• More access to Western education and trade

Eastern Region

• Dominated by Igbo

• Mostly Christian (due to missionaries)

• Direct rule was harder because no central kings

• Highest levels of Western education and change

1960 Independence

Event

• Nigerian Independence

• Date: October 1, 1960

• Nigeria gained independence from United Kingdom

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🔑 Key Details

• Nigeria became a self-governing nation after years of British colonial rule

• Still remained part of the Commonwealth of Nations

• Nnamdi Azikiwe became the first leader (Governor-General, later President)

• Government based on a democratic system similar to Britain

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⚠ Challenges After Independence

• Regional divisions (North, West, East)

• Tension between:

  • Hausa-Fulani

  • Yoruba

  • Igbo

• Differences in religion, education, and government systems

• Led to political instability and eventually the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970)

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🧠 Big IdeaNigeria gained freedom in 1960, but colonial divisions made unity difficult, leading to conflict soon after independence.

English and Christianity in South-

🌍 Location

• Southern Nigeria: Mainly the Yoruba (West) and Igbo (East)

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📚 English Language

• Introduced by British colonizers and missionaries

• Used in government, schools, and trade

• Became the official language of Nigeria

• Helped unify people from different ethnic groups in the South

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✝ Christianity

• Spread mainly by missionaries from Britain and Europe

• Focused on education, churches, and hospitals

• Igbo region became predominantly Christian

• Yoruba region was a mix of Christianity and traditional religion

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⚠ Effects

• Increased literacy and Western education in the South

• Created cultural changes (dress, holidays, values)

• Made the South more aligned with British ways compared to the North

• Laid the foundation for political leadership after independence

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🧠 Big Idea

English and Christianity helped the South develop education and governance systems under British influence, making it different from the Muslim North

Islam in the North-

🌍 Location

• Northern Nigeria: Mainly Hausa-Fulani

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🕌 Islam

• Introduced centuries before British colonization, strengthened by trade and empires

• Central to government, law, and daily life

• Leaders (emirs) ruled according to Islamic law (Sharia)

• Education focused on Qur’an, Arabic, and Islamic scholarship

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⚠ Effects

• Maintained cultural and religious unity in the North

• Fewer Europeans and missionaries influenced the region compared to the South

• The North stayed less Westernized (less English, less Christian influence)

• Created a division with the South in religion, education, and governance

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🧠 Big Idea

Islam shaped Northern Nigeria’s politics, education, and culture, keeping it distinct from the Christian and English-influenced South

🌍 Location

• Northern Nigeria: Mainly Hausa-Fulani

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🕌 Islam

• Introduced centuries before British colonization, strengthened by trade and empires

• Central to government, law, and daily life

• Leaders (emirs) ruled according to Islamic law (Sharia)

• Education focused on Qur’an, Arabic, and Islamic scholarship

---

⚠ Effects

• Maintained cultural and religious unity in the North

• Fewer Europeans and missionaries influenced the region compared to the South

• The North stayed less Westernized (less English, less Christian influence)

• Created a division with the South in religion, education, and governance

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🧠 Big Idea

Islam shaped Northern Nigeria’s politics, education, and culture, keeping it distinct from the Christian and English-influen

Civil War

 

Dates

• 1967–1970

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🌍 Location

• Eastern Nigeria, mainly Igbo

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🔑 Causes

• Ethnic tensions between:

  • Hausa-Fulani (North)

  • Yoruba (West)

  • Igbo (East)

• Economic and political disputes after independence (1960)

• Eastern secession: Igbo leaders declared the Republic of Biafra independent in 1967

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⚠ Key Events

• Fighting between Biafran forces and Nigerian federal army

• Massive humanitarian crisis, including famine in Biafra

• Widespread destruction of infrastructure and homes

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✅ Outcome

• Biafra was reabsorbed into Nigeria in 1970

• Estimated 1–2 million people died, mostly from famine

• Deepened ethnic mistrust and regional divisions

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🧠 Big Idea

The Nigerian Civil War was a tragic conflict caused by ethnic, political, and economic divisions, showing how colonial-era divisions and regional differences continued to affect Nigeria after independence.

Military Coups

 

Dates & Period

• 1966–1999: Multiple coups occurred after independence (1960)

• First major coup: January 1966

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🔑 Causes

• Political instability after independence

• Ethnic tensions (North vs South vs East)

• Corruption and weak civilian government

• Economic struggles

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⚠ Key Events

• 1966: First coup, mostly led by Igbo officers → killed key northern leaders

• Counter-coup 1966: Northern officers took control → fueled ethnic tensions

• 1970s–1980s: Several coups by military leaders to seize power

• 1993: Annulled elections led to more military rule under General Sani Abacha

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✅ Effects

• Frequent change of government → instability

• Suspended democratic rule for decades

• Military leaders ruled with strict control

• Set the stage for eventual return to democracy in 1999

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🧠 Big Idea

Military coups in Nigeria were caused by ethnic, political, and economic instability after independence, leading to long-term challenges for democracy.

Coup de’tat= military takeover of the state

Wealth inequality is the unequal distribution of assets—such as property, stocks, and savings—minus debt (net worth) among a population.