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West African Empires

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 13mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The Ghana Empire became rich and powerful by controlling ______.

a)

Arab Traders

b)

the Gold-Salt Trade

c)

the Silk Road

d)

Timbuktu

2.

Arab traders paid taxes whenever they passed through the Ghana Empire in exchange for...

a)

books

b)

gold

c)

protection

d)

salt

3.

Sundiata Keita's incredible story was passed down for generations by _____, who are West African storytellers.

a)

Griots

b)

Mali

c)

Mansa

d)

Traders

4.

Sundiata's legacy should be as the leader who protected _____.

a)

the Gold-Salt trade

b)

the Niger River

c)

basic human rights

d)

the Circle of Life

5.

Sundiata's laws, known as the Manden Charter, does not allow...

a)

war

b)

slavery

c)

equality

d)

independence

6.

Mansa Musa brought scholars back to Mali in order to:

a)

Learn about European culture

b)

Record African history

c)

Encourage African exploration

d)

Further the spread of Islam

7.

In 1324 Mansa Musa went on a _______, or a religious pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.

a)

Ramadan

b)

Zakat

c)

Hajj

d)

Shahada

8.

What is the major river in West Africa?

a)

Nile River

b)

Congo River

c)

Niger River

d)

Mediterranean Sea

9.

What modern-day country is this?

a)

Mali

b)

Egypt

c)

Nigeria

d)

Ghana

10.

What modern-day country is this?

a)

Mali

b)

Ghana

c)

Egypt

d)

Nigeria

11.

What body of water separates Africa from Europe?

a)

Atlantic Ocean

b)

Black Sea

c)

Red Sea

d)

Mediterranean Sea

12.

What is the world's largest hot desert?

a)

Gobi Desert

b)

Sahara Desert

c)

Taklamakan Desert

d)

Antarctica

13.

Ibn Battuta traveled five times as far as __________.

a)

Crusaders

b)

Genghis Khan

c)

Marco Polo

d)

Mansa Musa

14.

Like Mansa Musa, Ibn Battuta was a devout ______ who set off on a hajj to Mecca.

a)

Muslim

b)

Christian

c)

Jew

d)

Buddhist

15.

Ibn Battuta wrote The Rihla, which is a book that details his ___-year journey across Europe, Asia and Africa.

a)

3

b)

12

c)

23

d)

30

16.

Mansa Musa was included on the Catalan Atlas,

a map that shows which 3 continents?

a)

Europe

b)

Asia

c)

Africa

d)

Australia

17.

Which word means "a group of people who all travel in the same direction"?

a)

caravan

b)

oasis

c)

hajj

d)

bandits

18.

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

a)

Songhai

b)

Mali

c)

Ghana

d)

Mecca

19.

________ are the first known people to settle in North Africa.

a)

Berbers

b)

Arab Traders

c)

Griots

d)

Mansas

20.

What ocean is west of Africa?

a)

Atlantic Ocean

b)

Arctic Ocean

c)

Indian Ocean

d)

Pacific Ocean

21.

What made salt so valuable?

a)

People need salt to stay healthy.

b)

Salt kept food from going bad.

c)

Salt is used to flavor food.

d)

All of these reasons are true.

22.

_________ was a major center of learning in West Africa. 

a)

Jerusalem

b)

Cairo

c)
Timbuktu
d)

Mecca

23.

One purpose of these _______ planks is to support people when they need to replaster the buildings.

a)

wooden

b)

mud

c)

brick

d)

concrete

24.

The scholars of Timbuktu produced texts in both ________ and local languages.

a)

French

b)

English

c)

Arabic

d)

Swahili

25.

Because most of Songhai's people were Muslim, they studied the _____ as well as secular topics like math and science.

a)

Holy Bible

b)

Torah

c)

Four Noble Truths

d)

Quran