Africa Trading Empires

Salt was important for these two reasons:

• to preserve and flavor food

• West African people needed it to replace what their bodies lost in the hot climate

• to improve how crops grew

• it was needed for food for camels to help them retain water

Ghana was the _________ great trading empire in West Africa.

• second

• last

• first

These people were the first to cross the Sahara from North Africa and open trade with West Africa

• Berbers

• Romans

• Arabs

• Christians

Traders formed _________ to cross the Sahara between North Africa and West Africa

• city-states

• kingdoms

• caravans

• mines

The small state of _________ conquered Ghana.

• Mali

• Songhai

• Axum

• Zimbabwe

Although Mali built its wealth and power on the gold and salt trade networks of Afroeurasia, most of its people were _______.

• soldiers

• farmers

• traders

• storytellers

_________ became an important crossroads of trade because it was located between the Sahara salt mines and the gold mines of the West African coastal rainforests.

• Zimbabwe

• Ghana

• Axum

• Benin

Caravans from West Africa carried ivory, spices, and gold, but never enslaved people.

• True

• False

This is a map of Africa.  What letter marks the location of the Niger River?

• A
• B
• C
• D

The West African kingdom that became wealthy through taxing passersby was 

• Ghana
• Mali
• Songhai
• Benin