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West Africa

Total questions: 37

Worksheet time: 28mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Africa is a 
a)
large country
b)
small country
c)
large continent
d)
small continent
2.
The West African kingdom that became wealthy through taxing passersby was 
a)
Ghana
b)
Mali
c)
Songhai
d)
Benin
3.
Which is the correct order, according to time and size?
a)
Mali, Songhai, Ghana
b)
Songhai, Mali, Ghana
c)
Ghana, Songhai, Mali
d)
Ghana, Mali, Songhai
4.
The river that was considered life to West Africa was 
a)
Nile
b)
Niger
c)
Congo
d)
Tigris
5.
The majority of Africa consists of which geographical zone?
a)
Sahel
b)
Desert
c)
Rainforest
d)
Savanna
6.
The image above illustrates Trans-Saharan trade.  What made this trade so important?
a)
Required merchants to cross the Saharan Desert
b)
Trade of gold and salt made Arabs and Africans wealthy
c)
Without this trade, merchants would have nothing to sell
d)
Trans Saharan trade began the Slave trade
7.
The buildings pictured in the Catalan Atlas may represent "mosques".  What is a mosque?
a)
Christian place of worship
b)
Muslim place of worship
c)
Jewish place of worship
d)
Buddhist place of worship
8.
Mansa Musa, even today, is the richest man in the world valued at $400 billion dollars.  But his greatest impact was that he...
a)
He spread Islam and the Islamic culture throughout West Africa
b)
He controlled the gold and salt trade
c)
He made a pilgrimage to Mecca to show off all of his wealth
d)
He was a model of behavior as a Muslim King who is charitable.
9.
Mansa Musa was a model Muslim King.  When he returned to Mali he...
a)
brought Muslim artisans, teachers and architects to Mali
b)
forced all of his people to convert to Islam
c)
gave away all of his gold to the poor
d)
started a war with the Muslims of Mecca
10.
Which of the following is NOT a benefit brought by the Arabs to Africa?
a)
Slave trade
b)
Arabic
c)
Stable government
d)
Growth of an educated people
11.

Which is the largest hot desert in the world?

a)

Senegal

b)

Sahara

c)

Soninke

d)

Sahel

12.

Approximately how much of the world's gold supply comes from West Africa?

a)

1/4

b)

1/3

c)

1/2

d)

2/3

13.

How did Islam spread in West Africa?

a)

Through trade

b)

Through conquest

14.

Which is the belief that spirits in animals, plants, and other natural things have an influence on people's daily lives?

a)

Animism

b)

Islam

c)

Zoroastrianism

d)

Confucianism

15.

Who was the first leader of Mali?

a)

Mansa Musa

b)

Sundiata

c)

Sunni Ali

d)

Askia Muhammad

16.
Why was salt such an important trade good in West Africa?
a)
West Africans gave salt to their animals.
b)
West Africans used it to preserve food.
c)
Salt was used in the animist religious rituals.
d)
It was used by families as a cleansing agent,
17.
Which of the following correctly lists the climate zones of West Africa from north to south?
a)
arid desert, semiarid Sahel, savanna, rain forest
b)
rain forest, savanna, semiarid Sahel, arid desert
c)
savanna, rain forest, semiarid Sahel, arid desert
d)
semiarid desert, rain forest, savanna, arid desert
18.

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

a)

Niger River

b)

Nile River

c)

Sahara Desert

d)

Senegal River

19.

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

a)

Salt

b)

Iron

c)

Ivory

d)

Kola nuts

20.

How were the Berbers able to reach and trade with West Africa?

a)

They sailed around the horn of Africa

b)

They navigated up the Niger River

c)

Through a series of catapult delivery systems

d)

They traveled in caravans of camels

21.

What were the two most prominent religions within West Africa?

a)

Animism and Judaism

b)

Christianity and Islam

c)

Islam and animism

d)

Hinduism and Christianity

22.

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

a)

They tolerated them

b)

They banned or exiled them

c)

They arrested them and forcefully converted them to Islam

d)

They killed them

23.

Timbuktu, Djenne, and Gao all became major centers of what in West Africa?

a)

Trade

b)

Learning

c)

Culture

d)

All are correct

24.

How did Islam first reach and spread in West Africa?

a)

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

b)

The Berbers and missionaries traveling with them spread Islam as they traded with West Africa

c)

The Umayyads conquered West Africa

d)

The Abbasids conquered West Africa

25.

What is a griot?

a)

A warlord

b)

A story-teller, historian, and/or musician

c)

The title of a West African emperor

d)

All are correct

26.

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

a)

West Africa had no writing system

b)

The Umayyads ordered all writings be destroyed

c)

All records were lost in a great fire

d)

None are correct

27.

West Africa was known for trading

a)

Pepper and Salt

b)

Gold and Silver

c)

Salt and Gold

d)

None of the above

28.

Information from the past that you get from people talking to each other is

a)

written history

b)

artifacts

c)

conversation

d)

oral history

29.

What would make it hard to travel through the Saharan desert?

a)

wind and sand

b)

lack of water

c)

heat

d)

all of the above

30.

What led to the rise of Empires in West Africa

a)

location between salt and gold mines

b)

powerful kinds and armies

c)

control of trade routes

d)

ALL OF THE ABOVE

31.

This was the capitol of Mali and an important city of trade. Legends of this city, which some though was built on the edge of the world, persisted for centuries

a)

Cairo

b)

Gao

c)

Timbuktu

d)

Musa

32.
Which of these is the region of West Africa
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
d)
D
33.

Place the West African kingdoms in their correct order

a)

1. Mali 2. Ghana 3. Songhai

b)

1. Ghana 2. Mali 3. Songhai

c)

1. Songhai 2. Mali 3. Ghana

d)

1. Mali 2. Songhai 3. Ghana

34.

Mansa Musa became famous during the Hajj (pilgrimage) he took to...

a)

Mecca

b)

Medina

c)

Cairo

d)

Timbuktu

35.

The kingdoms of GMS fell from power because of

a)

Poor Leadership

b)

Not having a strong central government

c)

losing control of the gold and salt trade

d)

All of these choices

36.

Which is NOT near Ghana in West Africa?

a)

Niger River

b)

Sahara Desert

c)

gold mines

d)

Mediterranean Sea

37.

Why did Ghana grow in power?

a)

taxes

b)

trade

c)

tributes

d)

all of the above

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