West African Quiz

What geographic feature in northern Africa limited Western African civilizations contact with Europe and Asia?

• Niger River

• Nile River

• Sahara Desert

• Senegal River

What is the name of the area between the Sahara Desert and the African savana?

• Niger River

• Sahel

• Nile River

• Drakensberg Mountains

Which of the following was not an empire in West Africa?

• Songhai

• Mali

• Ghana

• Koumbi Saleh

What natural resource in West Africa was valued as much as gold?

• Salt

• Iron

• Ivory

• Kola nuts

How did Muslim rulers in West Africa treat non-Muslims inside of their empire?

• They tolerated them

• They banned or exiled them

• They arrested them and forcefully converted them to Islam

• They killed them

Timbuktu became major centers of what in West Africa?

• Trade

• Education

• Culture

• All are correct

How did Islam first reach and spread in West Africa?

• The angel Gabriel brought the Qu'ran to the Mali Empire

• The traders and missionaries traveling spread Islam as they traded with West Africa

• The Umayyads conquered West Africa

• The Abbasids conquered West Africa

What is a griot?

• A warlord

• A story-teller, historian, and/or musician

• The title of a West African emperor

• All are correct

Why was none of West Africa's history written down before the introduction of the Arabic language?

• West Africa had no writing system

• The Umayyads ordered all writings be destroyed

• All records were lost in a great fire

• None are correct

The West African ruler who was most responsible for spreading Islam was

• Mehmed II

• Mansa Musa

• Sunni Ali

• Askia the Great