Which statement about these ancient West African empires is correct?

• Only the Ghana Empire controlled part of the Atlantic seacoast.

• All three empires controlled part of the Sahara Desert.

• Only the Songhai Empire controlled any major rivers.

• All three empires controlled ports on the Gulf of Guinea.

According to the map above, cities like Timbuktu and Sijilmasa were important for what reason?

• They marked where trade routes crossed.

• They were close to rivers and easy to get to.

• They were important to the slave trade.

• They had riches and services to offer traders.

Mali and Ghana in West Africa were Muslim kingdoms in the Middle Ages. Which of the following statements explains how Islam was able to replace African religious beliefs?

• Christianity was prohibited in North Africa following war

  with Italy.

• Muslims would only trade with other Muslims and forced

  Africans to convert.

• Slaves from the south brought Islam with them during the

  slave trade.

• Traders in Africa had contact

  with Arabia and converted to Islam.

The bend of the Niger River was the focal point of trade in Western Sahara. Why was this river so important?

• The Niger is the closest major

  source of water to the Sahara desert.

• The Niger provided easy access to the Nile River and

  Egypt.

• The Niger River is the only saltwater river in Africa.

• The Niger did not experience annual flooding and was safe

  to travel on.

What was the importance of the empires listed above?

• They ended the slave trade among the central African

  tribes.

• They kept European traders from exploiting African

  resources.

• They controlled the trade of

  salt, gold, and ivory across the Sahara.

• They prevented the spread of the Islamic religion into

  Southern Africa.

How did Islam affect the Songhai Empire? Select two choices

• A. Muslims were not allowed to become kings.

• A. The empire followed laws of traditional religions.

• A. Upper class converted to Islam

• A. Lower classes converted to Islam

• A. The empire followed laws of Islam.

Where did the Songhai people come from?

• only Morocco

• trans-Saharan Muslims

• the Mali Empire

• the Arab world

A lasting effect of Islam in Africa was

• Arabian history

• increased literacy.

• Ethiopian culture

• Egyptian writing

Why were camels important in West African empires? Select two choices

• They provided a food source to the cultures in the harsh climate

• They were sacred to Islamic peoples who influenced the region.

• They were used to carry heavy loads of salt and gold.

• They were used in battles because Africa didn’t have horses.

• They served as transport to allow trade across the Sahara.

Based on the map, which of the following is true about the Plague, or the Black Death?

• It spread quickly across land but could not travel across water.

• It spread from the Mediterranean to the north of Europe.

• It spread only to a small area of Europe, sparing most people.

• It spread faster in colder climates than in warmer ones.