West Africa

The West African empires of Mali and Ghana were established near this river:

• Niger River
• Nile River
• Tigris River
• Tiber River

Which of the following climate zones are NOT found on the continent of Africa?

• desert
• savanna
• rainforest
• tundra

The sub-Saharan kingdoms of Mali and Ghana were located in a part of Africa which is mostly_____________________.

• desert
• rainforest
• savanna
• tundra

How did the location of cities in the West African empires of Ghana and Mali influence their growth?

• Their location in the Nile River valleys allowed farming.
• Their coastal location made the cities major ports for trade.
• Their location on major trade routes allowed them to become wealthy from trade.
• Their mountainous location made the cities easy to defend from attack.

This natural geographic barrier made trans-Saharan trade difficult:

• Sahara Desert
• Nile River
• Mediterranean Sea
• Great Rift Valley

The trade of which two items helped to make Ghana a wealthy empire?

• copper and ivory
• salt and gold
• camels and silk
• bananas and rice

Trans-Saharan trade refers to:

• trade below the Sahara
• trade within the Sahel
• trade across the Sahara
• trade across the Savanna

The basis of African society was:

• the military.
• the traders.
• the merchants.
• the family.

Ghana's rulers required traders to pay a tax to pass through Ghana.  Traders paid the tax because:

• their religion said they had to pay.
• Ghana had a large army with iron weapons.
• the tax was very low.
• Ghana's rulers were Muslim.

Mansa Musa, Mali's greatest ruler, did all the following EXCEPT:

• made a pilgrimage (hajj) to Makkah.
• rejected Islam in favor of traditional West African beliefs.
• brought teachers, poets, Muslim books and medical knowledge to Mali.
• put the kingdom of Mali on the map with his display of wealth and power.