WorksheetsWest Africa Unit Review
Total questions: 78
Worksheet time: 28mins
What river is highlighted on this map of Africa?
Nile River
Niger River
Congo River
Mali River
Which river is highlighted on this map of Africa?
Nile River
Niger River
Congo River
Mali River
Which landmass occupies most of the northern part of Africa?
Timbuktu Desert
Tibetan Plateau
Sahara Desert
Arabian Desert
Which body of water is circled on this map of Africa?
Gulf of Guinea
Atlantic Ocean
Niger River
Black Sea
Which landmass is circled on this map of Africa?
Sahara Desert
Congo Rainforest
Timbuktu Plateau
Nile River
Which river empties into the Gulf of Guinea?
Niger River
Nile River
Mali River
Congo River
Which of the following cities played a significant role in the growth of trade in West Africa?
Mecca
Djenne
Gao
Monrovia
Timbuktu
The belief that animals and non-living objects have spirits which can guide people is called...
Animism
Zoroastrianism
Polytheism
Djenne
Anansi the Spider is a figure in what religious tradition?
Indigenous African Animism
African Islam
Polytheism
Zoroastrianism
Which African Empire was most influenced by Animism?
Mali
Songhai
Ghana
Timbuktu
A traditional African storyteller responsible for maintaining and transmitting local history was called a...
Pilgrim
Griot
Mansa
Diviner
Another term for a journey taken for religious reasons is a...
Diviner
Griot
Mansa
Pilgrimage
When one culture adopts the beliefs, traditions, tools, or languages or another culture, this process is called...
Cultural Diffusion
Cultural Respiration
Conquest
Trans-Cultural Trade
What did West African Empires such as Mali and Ghana adopt from the Arab merchants who traded with them? (Select All)
The Arabic Language
Islamic Architectural Traditions
The Islamic Religion
Arabian Social Structure
Ottoman Leadership
What was the job of a griot?
To make tools and weapons
To lead the king's personal bodyguards
To collect and enforce taxes on merchants
To tell stories and record the history of a community
What is oral history?
History that is told from person to person without being written down
History of West Africa as recorded by the Griots
The story of Mansa Musa's hajj as it was passed along the trade routes
History that cannot be recorded because it is meant to be kept secret
Why was oral history important to West African communities?
It made sure they knew the names of their king
It told them which ancestors they should worship
It taught future generations about the values and beliefs of their culture
It reminded the elderly of the community of the things they would otherwise forget
What impact did the griots and their oral traditions have on Africans affected by the slave trade?
Griots helped defend the community using their koras
Because of their history of storytelling, enslaved people were able to bring their stories and history with them without writing them down
Griots were able to predict events that would occur many generations in the future
African people were able to quickly spread word from one community to another via the griots
How did contact with Arab merchants change the culture of Western Africa?
West African empires were destroyed by the armies that followed Arab merchants
West Africans adopted Islam and other Arabic cultural traditions
West Africa became a part of the Islamic Empire
West Africa adopted trade as an important economic feature
Why did several West African Empires convert to Islam?
The Islamic Empire protected them from attack by other, more powerful empires
Islam provided many guidelines that were useful for maintaining an empire
To promote good relations with the merchants they traded with heavily
Having a common language and number system with Arab merchants simplified trade
Why was Mansa Musa's pilgrimage historically significant?
He conquered the Empires of Ghana and Mali, uniting West Africa under one leader for the only time in its history
His empire was destroyed while he was on his journey to Mecca
He brought the religion on Islam back to West Africa
It showed people outside of Africa how wealthy his empire was
On his way back to his homeland after the Hajj, Mansa Musa insisted on bringing the smartest and most talent Muslims to his kingdom. Which of the following did he primarily bring with him:
Scholars
Soldiers
Architects
Artists
Merchants
Who did Mansa Musa pay to accompany him back to Mali from his journey to the Middle East?
Important Muslim religious leaders to introduce Islam to his people
Soldiers to help defend his empire from his rivals
Islamic government officials, so that he could show them the wealth of his empire
Educated people and artists to help increase the fame and status of his empire
What primarily contributed to the wealth of the West African empires?
Abundant natural resources that they sold to other empires
They were the only ones trading with the powerful Islamic Empire
They provided soldiers to both sides of a war
They taxed merchants who transported goods through their empire
Which Empire was ruled by King Sunni Ali?
Ghana
Songhai
Islam
Mali
Which Empire was ruled by Mansa Musa?
Ghana
Songhai
Islam
Mali
What empire was ruled by Prince Sundiata Keita?
Ghana
Songhai
Islam
Mali
Which Emperor's nickname was 'The Lion King'?
Sundiata Keita
Sunni Ali
Mansa Musa
Ghana Bassi
Who was the first great mansa of Mali?
Mansa Musa
Sundiata
Askia the Great
Sunni Ali
Which West African empire did Mali come after?
Songhai Empire
Kingdom of Ghana
Egyptian Empire
Ethiopian Empire
Who journeyed to the holy city of Mecca in 1324 and is known for being one of the richest men to ever live?
Mansa Musa
Genghis Khan
Julius Caesar
Alexander the Great
During which years did Mansa Musa rule the West African empire of Mali?
1200 to 1230
1312 to 1337
1400 to 1430
1500 to 1530
This person was the first king of the Malian Empire
Mansa Musa
Mansa Sakura
Sundiata Kieta
Mansa Khalifa
What city did Musa visit on his way to Mecca?
Rome
Egypt
Cairo
Calabasas
Musa's wealth was a result of the countries vast resources of?
Salt
Gold
Copper
Spices
Musa was famous for making a pilgrimage to?
Mali
Mecca
Miami
None of these
Mansa Musa was from which country in Africa
Mali
Congo
Madagascar
I don't Know
What is the name of the journey required by all faithful Muslims?
hajj
Ramadan
Mecca
pilgrim's progress
Mansa Musa travelled to Mecca with _____
only his family.
a few members of his religious community.
over 70,000 people
a trading company to conduct business
True or False-- Mansa Musa encouraged his citizens to become educated
True
False
This picture is an example of a ______ built under Mansa Musa's reign
castle
college
mosque
cathedral
Which development proved that Musa's trip to Mecca was a success?
Mali began to appear on foreign maps
Mali conquered the city of Timbuktu
Europe began to emerge from the Dark Ages
Portugal established a trading post in Mali
The word "mansa" is most similar to
man
gold
empire
leader
Musa's pilgrimage was a religious obligation as well as a
search for gold
military expedition
publicity tour
vacation
What geographic feature kept Mali isolated from most of the world?
deserts
mountains
vegatation
rivers
What was the impact of Mansa Musa's visit on the value of gold in Egypt?
The value of gold increased
The value of gold remained the same
The value of gold dropped dramatically, crashing their economies
The value of gold fluctuated
What did people throughout northern Africa and parts of Europe learn about the Mali kingdom for the first time?
The fabulous wealth of the kingdom
The size of the empire
The religious tolerance in the kingdom
The military strength of the empire
What did Mansa Musa do to promote education in his kingdom?
Built a university
Sent scholars to study in North Africa
Paid scholars to come to Mali
Raised the educational requirements of teachers
Which is NOT near Ghana in West Africa?
Niger River
Sahara Desert
gold mines
Mediterranean Sea
How did Arabic become so important as a language in Ghana?
Muslims forced everyone to use it
the Soninke already spoke it
it became the language of trade
all of the above
How did caravans help the trade in West Africa?
it protected them from sand storms
the camels and donkeys brought goods across the Sahara Desert
they made the gold and salt
it helped get water to the desert regions
How did information get passed in Ghana?
writing
oral history
phone calls
Early travelers described Ghana as a land of
gold.
taxes.
oases.
wonder.
What type of government did Ghana have
Monoarchy
Hiearchy
Democracy
Tyranny
What were the two main religions?
Islam
Traditional African Religion
Buddhism
Christianity
Which religion was introduced by Arab traders into cosmopolitan areas of West Africa?
Islam
Christianity
Hinduism
Buddhism
What did indigenous African spiritual traditions believe about lesser gods and divinities?
They represented various forces of nature
They were all-powerful
They were human ancestors
They did not exist
Who influenced people's lives in indigenous African spiritual traditions?
Living family members
Ancestors
Shamans and priests
Lesser spirits
What did West African people believe about their ancestors?
They were always close by
They were distant and uninvolved
They did not exist
They were gods
What would happen if all the griots died off?
The West African chiefs would have to retell their histories.
Much of West Africa's history would be lost.
Griots from other parts of the world would have t travel there to retell their histories.
West African people would have to rely on their written history to remember their past.
Griots use the ___________ to convey history.
oral word
written word
In indigenous West African spiritual traditions, who might be believed to be responsible for the illness of a family member?
their ancestors
another family member
the spirits
the shamans
What is animism?
a belief that gods- always nearby- influence the lives of people
a belief that spirits- present in animals, plants, and trees- help the living
a religion in which humans worship animals
a religion in which humans worship spirits
Which practice best completes the graphic organizer?
story telling
animism spirituality
ancestor worship
funeral ceremony
In indigenous West African spiritual traditions, lesser gods and divinities represent ___________.
forces of nature
the unseen world
In indigenous West African spiritual traditions, spirits of ____________ influence people's lives.
the gods
ancestors
Who was the first leader of the Songhai Empire?
Sonic Ali
Sonni Ali
Muhammad Ali
Soen Ali
What was the primary religion embraced by Askia Muhammad and his empire?
Hinduism
Buddhism
Islam
Christianity
What was one way Askia Muhammad I promoted Islamic education?
By building castles
By supporting Islamic schools and scholars
By creating new languages
By banning religious studies
How did traders and merchants travel through the Sahara Desert?
camel caravans
on horseback
riding on donkeys
in their cars
