WorksheetsWHI Topic 08: Societies and Empires of Africa
Total questions: 49
Worksheet time: 25mins
Which of the following is a West African storyteller?
Sahel
savanna
animism
griot
Which of the following is the African region along the southern border of the Sahara?
Sahel
savanna
animism
griot
Which of the following is the belief that spirits are present in animals, plants, and other natural objects?
Sahel
savanna
animism
griot
Which of the following is a flat, grassy plain?
Sahel
savanna
animism
griot
Which is relating to a social system in which family descent & inheritance are traced through the mother?
lineage
patrilineal
matrilineal
migration
Which is relating to a social system in which family descent & inheritance are traced through the father?
lineage
patrilineal
matrilineal
migration
Which of the following is the people who are descended from a common ancestor?
lineage
patrilineal
matrilineal
migration
Which of the following is the act of moving from one place to settle in another?
lineage
patrilineal
matrilineal
migration
Which is conditions that draw people to another location or cause people to leave their homelands & migrate to another?
stateless society
Swahili
terraces
push-pull factors
Which is cultural groups in which authority is shared by lineages of equal power instead of being exercised by a central government?
stateless society
Swahili
terraces
push-pull factors
Which of the following is an Arabic-influenced Bantu language that is spoken widely in eastern and central Africa?
stateless society
Swahili
terraces
push-pull factors
Which of the following is a new form of agriculture in Aksum, in which stepped ridges constructed on mountain slopes help retain water and reduce erosion?
stateless society
Swahili
terraces
push-pull factors
Traders from North Africa brought ____ to West Africa to trade for ____.
gold, salt
iron ore, salt
salt, gold
salt, iron ore
In most medieval African societies, what defining factor played the greatest role in promoting meaningful social identity?
nationality
religion
family lineage
matrilineal kinship ties
The Efe like their ancestors are __________; while the Masai are _______________.
Hunters-gatherers; vegetarians
vegetarians; hunters-gatherers
hunters-gatherers; pastoralists
pastoralists; hunters-gatherers
Who did ancient Africans believed played a major role in their life events?
gods and goddesses
nature spirits and the spirits of their ancestors
evil elves
aliens
Which of the following were one of the first African societies to smelt iron?
Egyptians
Masai
Efe
Nok
Why did early Bantu-speaking peoples of Africa use the slash-and-burn method of farming in the forests?
to open up land for industry
to increase fertility in the soil
to obtain rare natural resources
to provide more land for grazing
What were ancient African societies that did not have a leader but were led by lineage groups?
patrilineal societies
matrilineal societies
stateless socities
multicultural societies
What were groups of Africans that formed close ties outside their lineages based on having a similar age?
best friends
age-set system
classmates
stateless societies
According to legend, what is the connection between Israel’s King Solomon and Arabia’s Queen of Sheba?
They are said to be the parents of Aksum’s first king.
They are believed to be responsible for Aksum’s demise.
They are said to be the owners of much of Aksum’s land.
They are believed to be responsible for Aksum’s chief seaport.
What caused Aksum’s decline?
a war with Mali
Muslim armies cut Aksum off from the major ports along the Red Sea
a massive plaque swept through Aksum
the leaders of Aksum spent all of their money on their palace
Why did the Almohads fight to seize power from the Almoravids?
The Almohads desired to live in the fortified monastery.
The Almohads wanted to be more lenient on Islamic law.
The Almohads believed it was important to take pilgrimages to Mecca.
The Almohads thought they were better observers of Islamic teachings.
What contribution did the Sahara provide in the trans-Saharan trade route?
salt
gold
spices
leather
Who is considered Mali’s most famous ruler?
Sundiata
Mansa Musa
Ibn Battuta
Sunni Ali
How were the people of Yoruba and people of Benin similar to each other?
They both followed the Islamic faith.
They both spoke a common language.
They both made their homes in the forest.
They both fought the Hausa empire for land.
Distinct cultures and ways of life developed in Africa because
different regions of the continent have different landforms, climates, and vegetation.
strict laws forbid marrying outside of one’s village.
people migrated to different parts of Africa from different regions of the world.
the continent is about twice as large as the United States.
Which of the following regions experiences year-round rainfall, hot temperatures, and supports a broad range of plant and animal life?
the Sahara
the Sahel
the rain forests
the savanna
African farmers near the rain forests often struggled because
the tsetse fly spread a deadly disease to humans and animals.
annual rainfall always flooded the crops.
the entire continent is covered with a rocky soil that is difficult to farm.
no native crops grow in Africa
Which of the following kings was known for building impressive Christian churches carved out of solid rock?
Adulis
Mutota
Ezana
Lalibela
Islam began to be practiced along the East Africa coast because
Swahili leaders were Muslim.
Muslim Great Zimbabwe had conquered them.
many foreign traders were Muslim.
Muslim Ethiopia conquered them.
Ghana’s kings ensured the price of gold remained high by
creating demand for gold by using it for decorative purposes.
prohibiting trade of gold nuggets and keeping the location of mines secret.
allowing only the largest gold nuggets to enter the market.
heavily taxing every load of gold imported or exported from the kingdom.
Mali’s decline resulted primarily from
a lack of strong rulers after Mansa Musa.
a prolonged war with Ghana.
Mansa Musa’s lavish spending.
the assassination of Sunni Ali and the chaos that followed.
Why did pastoralists leave the Sahara about 5,000 years ago?
Parasites made the area dangerous to live in.
The Sahara became drier and more land became desert.
Ironworkers began to outnumber pastoralists..
People wanted to trade their animals for supplies.
What common feature did many African societies share?
They claimed to be descendants of the Queen of Sheba.
They were village-based cultures built around lineages.
They originated in sub-Saharan Africa.
They were forced to pay tribute to stronger groups that lived in the area.
Under King Ezana, Aksum became
a Muslim kingdom that was soon taken over by Kush.
an isolated society based on agriculture and led by a landowning class.
a small society centered on seafaring and trade.
a wealthy kingdom with a wide trading network and a written language.
While many other peoples in East Africa were Muslim,
all of Ethiopia was inhabited by Jews called Beta Israel.
the people of Ethiopia worshiped the descendants of Aksum.
most people in Ethiopia were Christian.
the leaders of Ethiopia rejected all forms of religion.
What European country took over the wealthy, East Africa city-states?
England
France
Germany
Portugal
Which natural resources was of particular interest to migrating Bantu-speaking people?
iron ore
volcanic rock
elephant ivory
rhinoceros' horns
How did the slave trade change in Africa in the 1700s?
It increased with European involvement.
It included the enslavement of Arabic Muslims.
It focused on domestic workers more than agricultural workers.
It shifted from enslaving West Africans to enslaving East Africans.
The savannas make up 75% of Africa’s land.
True
False
One of the items that the Masai depend on for their diet is human blood.
True
False
As the Bantu traveled through Central Africa, they farmed in the deep center of the rainforests.
True
False
King Ezana made Islam Aksum’s official religion.
True
False
Aksum was primarily a Christian nation.
True
False
Africa’s rain forests lie just north of the Sahara.
True
False
Mighty rivers flow across plains in a region called the Sahara, a strip of land that divides the desert from wetter areas.
True
False
Many early African societies entrusted the task of remembering and passing on oral traditions to storytellers called griots.
True
False
Swahili is a language that developed from the blending of a Bantu language and many Arab words.
True
False
