quiz

African Agriculture

Plants like tamarind, hibiscus, and rice were first domesticated in Africa.

Domestication Impact

Domestication led to long-term food supply and crop diversity.

Bantu Migration

Agriculture spread due to Bantu-speaking peoples moving from Nigeria/Cameroon starting around 3000 BCE.

Major Rivers of Africa

Niger, Congo, Zambezi, Orange, Nile.

Mediterranean Sea

Connects North Africa to Europe and the Middle East.

Red Sea

Connects Egypt and East Africa to the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East.

Sahara Desert

Hot, dry desert in North Africa with oases and salt deposits.

Sahel

Semi-arid region below the Sahara, center of early West African states.

Savanna

Grassland zone south of the Sahel; supports agriculture.

Rainforest

Dense forests near the Equator with trade and farming resources.

Camel Caravans

Groups using camels for long-distance desert trade.

Catalan Atlas

Historical map showing interest in West African wealth and power.

Griot

Oral historians who preserve and pass down traditions.

Mansa Musa

Islamic ruler of Mali known for wealth and pilgrimage.

Mosque Architecture

Blended local building materials with Islamic religious design.

Slavery in West Africa

Women were enslaved early on; men were used for labor and government roles later.

Trans-Sahara Slave Trade

Thousands of people were moved across the desert each year for labor.

Sundiata

Founder of Mali Empire, remembered through oral tradition.

Sufi

Islamic teachers who used spiritual methods to convert people.

Timbuktu

Major center of learning, trade, and religion in West Africa.

Trans-Sahara Trade

Overland route linking West and North Africa for trade.

University of Sankoré

Large Islamic learning center in West Africa.

West African Kingdoms

Ghana, Mali, Songhai, and Kanem-Bornu used trade and Islam to expand.

Yoruba

Ethnic group from West Africa with strong cultural heritage.

Great Zimbabwe

Powerful southeastern African city built near gold deposits.

Indian Ocean Trade

Connected East Africa to Asia and spread goods and culture.

Swahili

African language with Arabic influence, spoken in East Africa.

Swahili City-States

East African trading cities involved in Indian Ocean trade.

Zanj

Term used by Arabs for African people from the interior.

Amulet

Object worn for protection, blended with religious belief.

Animism

Belief system focused on spirits in nature.

Arabic Language

Used for religion, education, and administration.

Islam in Africa

Spread through trade; many blended it with traditional beliefs.

Ibn Battuta

Muslim traveler who recorded African Islamic societies.

Monarchs & Islam

Islam gave rulers administrative support and religious legitimacy.

Madrasa

Islamic educational institution.

Syncretism

Mixing of Islamic beliefs with African traditions.

Women in Africa & Islam

Women often had visible roles and retained cultural freedoms.