West Africa Study Guide

What three empires in western Africa flourished because of the trans-Saharan trade of gold and salt?

• Mail, Axum, Zimbabwe

• Ghana,Mali, Songhia

• Axum, Ethiopia, Ghana

• Timbuktu, Djenne, Mali

Which would be the best example of cultural diffusion resulting from Ghana's trade relationship with the Middle East?

• Gold and salt were traded for textiles and cloth

• Traders faced difficulties crossing the Sahara desert

• Warfare resulted between Ghanna and the Muslim kingdoms

• Islam quickly became the dominant religion in the empire.

What kingdom conquered the Mali Empire, built the cities of Timbuktu and Gao, and is considered the largest and most powerful of the ancient African kingdoms?

• Asikya

• Dendi

• Ghana

• Songhai

The African king Sundiata was responsible for

• allowing the slave trade

• establishing the Mali Empire

• converting Africa to Christianity

• leading Zulu forces against England

The Ghana Empire (800s-1000s CE) grew rich from trading gold and salt in which trading network

• Silk Roads

• Trans-Saharan

• Trans-Atlantic

• Mediterranean Route

The BEST explanation for how Islam spread in sub-Saharan Africa is

• marriage

• monasticism

• trade

• warfare

What African River was so vital to west African states of past and present?

• Nile River

• Niger River

• Congo River

• Zambezi River

Which statement about the Mali and Songhai empires of the 1300s CE is TRUE?

• They were both Muslim Empires

• They were both Christian Empires

• They were isolated from international trade

• They wer located on the West Coast of Africa

A major benefit experienced by West African nations that converted to Islam in by the 1300s was

• European slave traders would leave them alone

• wars between different cultures came to an end

• increased trade with merchants from islamic areas

• the Bantu migrations finally came to an end

Which belief system practiced by many tribal groups believes that spirits live in all aspects of nature incl

• Animism

• Buddhism

• Daoism

• Hinduism