West+Africa+%26+Mongol+Study+Guide

Savanna

A large, flat grassland with few trees( tropical)

Caravan

A group of merchants traveling on camels.

Trans-Sahara

Crossing the Sahara Desert.

Islam

A monotheistic religion practiced by Muslims.

Muslim

A person who practices Islam.

Quran

The holy book of Islam.

Steppe

A large dry grassland with few trees.

Nomad

A person who moves from one place to another and does not have a designated home.

Yurt

A movable tent used by nomadic people.

Clan

A group of people united by kinship or descent.

Sahara

The largest desert in the world, located in Africa.

Allah

The Arabic word for God in Islam.

Caliphs

People who are considered political and religious successors to Muhammad.

Algebra

A field of mathematics developed by Muslims.

Pharmacy

A field of medicine in which Muslims were the first to create schools.

Silk Road

A large trading network connecting the East and West.

Cultural diffusion

The spread of beliefs, clothing, food, or language across cultures.

Marco Polo

A famous European traveler whose writings introduced the Mongol Empire and China to Europe.

Temujin

The name of the leader elected from the Mongol clans who later became known as Genghis Khan.

Genghis Khan

The strong ruler of the Mongols who united the clans and created a vast empire.

Timbuktu

The city that became a major trade center in West Africa.

Sufis

Islamic mystics who traveled to spread the teachings of Islam.