African Kingdoms

World's largest desert in Northern Africa

• Sahara

• Sahel

• Gobi

• Rub Al Kahli

longest river in West Africa; a trading highway in early times.

• Nile River

• Congo River

• Zambezi River

• Niger River

trade across the Sahara Desert

• Mansa Musa

• Savanna Trade

• Trans-Saharan Trade

• Bi-Coastal Trade

first West African Empire that became wealthy through controlling the salt and gold trade.

• Ghana

• Mali

• Songhai

• Griots

second West African empire that prospered from gold-salt trade. After converting to Islam, became a center of Muslim culture.

• Ghana

• Mali

• Songhai

• Griots

first West African ruler who converted to Islam and took a famous pilgrimage to Mecca.

• Saladin

• Richard the Lionheart

• Pharaoh Thutmose

• Mansa Musa

largest of the West African trading empires, known for spreading Islam and the Arabic language in West Africa.

• Ghana

• Mali

• Songhai

• Griot

Professional story-tellers or oral historians; record keepers of their culture

• Professors

• Griots

• Proverbs

• Kinship

a story usually passed down orally that becomes part of a community's tradition

• Griot

• Folk Tale

• Proverb

• Tall Tale

wise sayings that are quick ways of sharing wisdom

• Griots

• Folk Tale

• Kinship

• Proverbs