Africa Study Guide

Name: Kaylee Hui Study Guide: WHII Africa 1500-1800s

African Geo and Ethiopia

1. What three large countries can fit in Africa?

   1.  U.S.A

   2.  China 

   3.  India 

2. What is the largest desert in the world? Sahara 

3. What is the area south of this desert called? Sub-Saharan Africa

4. List the three main bodies of water that surround Africa? 

   1.  Atlantic Ocean 

   2.  Mediterranean Sea 

   3.  Indian Ocean

5. What is the main river of West Africa?  Niger River 

6. What is the main river of Central Africa? Congo River 

7. What is the most eastern area of Africa? Horn of Africa 

8. What is the most southern tip of Africa? Cape of Good Hope 

9. Africa had a variety of political, social and economic systems in 1500s-1800s. True or False? True  

10. What part of Africa is Ethiopia in? North, South, West or East? East 

11. What was the title of the ruler of Ethiopia? Emperor 

12. What religion did the Ethiopians adopt early in their history? Christianity

13. What is the name of Ethiopia’s indigenous (=local) church? Ethiopian Orthodox 

14. What three religions influenced Ethiopia? 

    1.  Christianity

    2.  Judaism

    3. Islam

15. What was the result of differences in religion and European interaction in Ethiopia? Caused conflict with Europeans

16. Where two areas did Ethiopian trade travel across? 

    1. Sahara Desert 

    2.  Overseas

17. What three goods did Ethiopia trade? 

    1.  Gold 

    2.  Ivory

    3.  Frankincense

18. What is Frankincense?  Aromatic resin used in incense and perfume

Songhai, Asante and Kongo

Songhai:

1. Songhai based on trading slaves and ____gold____. 

2. What city was the cultural center of Africa? Timbuktu 

3. What Songhai king conquered that city? Sunni Ali

4. What religion were the rulers of Songhai, while most of the people remained loyal to their indigenous religion? Muslim

5. What type of monarch was the ruler of Songhai? An absolute monarch

6. Which king of Songhai transformed Songhai into the largest empire in West Africa? Askia the Great

Asante: 

7. Asante traded slaves__ and gold. 

8. What caused Asante to become a military society? Threats of European invasion and other African Empires 

9. What is the name of the Asante religion? Akan

10. Is it polytheistic or monotheistic? Polytheistic

11. What is the name of the Asante language? Twi

12. Which king organized Asante into a meritocratic system? King Osei Kwadwo 

13. What was the name of the wars fought between the British Empire and Asante? Anglo-Asante Wars

14. Who won the war? The British

Kongo:

15. Economy based on:

• Agriculture

• Metallurgy  (They could smelt copper and iron)

•  Trade of ivory and slaves. 

• They also made oil out of palm trees

16. What European country’s missionaries were successful in converting the rulers of Kongo to Christianity? Portuguese

17. Kongo was ruled by a monarchy_ with centralized power and bureaucracy.

18. The rulers of the Kongo could be woman.  True or False? True

19 What three resources did the people of the Kongo use to make their elaborate art? 

a. Terracotta

b. Wood

c. Cloth

Zulu

1. What king united the Zulu into the Zulu nation? Shaka

2. What type of government did he rule as King? Centralized Bureaucracy

3. How was historical knowledge passed down to the next generation? Oral storytelling

4. This techniques of passing historical knowledge has been proven to be unreliable.  True or False? False

5. What two things was the Zulu economy based on? 

   1.  Agriculture

   2. Economy

6. What two things characterized the indigenous religion or the Zulu?

   1.  Ancestral Spirits

   2.  Magic

7. What is the name of the creator god of the Zulu religion? Unkulunkulu

8. What three things did Shaka do with his skilled and highly organized army? 

   1.  Conquered neighboring groups 

   2.  Fought European slave_ traders

   3.  Fought Ivory hunters

9. What was the name of the Dutch colonists that the Zulu wared against? Boers

10. What is the name of the war between the British and the Zulu that broke out when the British invaded Zulu territory? Anglo-Zulu War

11. What battle did the Zulu wipe out a British force? Battle of Isaandlwana

12. What allowed the British to win the Anglo-Zulu War? Better weaponry 

13. What British colony and then later country was created after the defeat of the Zulu? South Africa

14. What is the name of the racist policy of separation of the races? Apartheid