NEW
Font size
WorksheetsTCI West Africa Review
Total questions: 59
Worksheet time: 15hrs 45mins
In what present-day countries was the kingdom of Ghana located?
Mali and Mauritania
Sierra Leone and Liberia
Morocco and Algeria
Nigeria and Cameroon
What power did the king of Ghana have?
He was the head of the army.
He had the final say in matters of justice.
He led people in religious worship.
all of the above
In Ghana, which of the following people would inherit the throne if the king died?
the son of the king
the son of the king's sister
the daughter of the king
the daughter of the king's sister
Which of the following is true of Ghana's military?
Soldiers were not respected or well paid.
The king had a regular army as well as reserve forces.
Soldiers were the only people who had to complete military training.
Army uniforms were plain and without decoration.
Ghana was wealthy because the government
did not allow foreigners to travel into Ghana.
distributed gold to its citizens.
collected taxes on goods passing through Ghana.
laced heavy taxes on its people.
Ghana was located between two areas that wanted to trade. The areas were
North Africa and East Africa.
North Africa and West Africa.
West Africa and East Africa.
West Africa and South Africa.
How did the introduction of camels around 300 C.E. cause the trans-Saharan trade to grow?
Traders could establish new routes across the Sahara.
Traders did not have to pay taxes if they traveled with camels.
Traders used the camels to find water.
Traders sold camels to West Africans.
Which word best describes Ibn Battuta's journey to West Africa?
short
simple
unsuccessful
dangerous
What product did people from North Africa want most?
salt
silk
gold
copper
West Africans used salt to
keep food from spoiling.
add taste to their food.
improve their diet.
all of the above
What made Taghaza an important location?
salt was mined and cut into large blocks
salt was collected using evaporation
gold was mined in a secret location
gold was collected by foreigners
Which of the following was most important to the people of Taghaza?
acquiring gold
trading with caravans
educating young people
building cities
When trade caravans first entered Ghana, where did they bring their goods?
Kumbi
Mali
Taghaza
Wangara
If this dried fruit was bought at Kumbi, it would be paid for with
salt
cattle
gold dust
other goods
How did the Wangarans know when the caravans wanted to make an offer to trade?
messengers
beating drums
smoke signals
bird calls
How was the system of silent barter a major advantage to the Wangarans?
It helped to guard the secret location of their gold mines.
It prevented the Wangarans from being attacked.
It saved the Wangarans time because they didn't have to travel far.
It made trade more difficult.
What contributed to Ghana's downfall?
flood
war
disease
population decline
Mali gained much of its wealth from
trade
natural resources
war
taxing its people
Who conquered Kumbi around 1240?
the Mande of Mali
gold miners of Wangara
North Africans of Taghaza
Muslims warriors of North Africa
People were forced to leave Ghana because
farmers couldn't grow as many crops.
water was scarce.
few trees remained.
all of the above
Which of the following best describes West African cultures?
diverse
similar
newly developed
short lived
West African cultures were different in many ways. What did they have in common?
language
oral tradition
way of life
all of the above
Which of the following is the best example of an oral tradition?
an old letter written by a grandfather to his mother
a special recipe passed from a mother to her son
a photo album that shows many generations of a family
a grandmother singing a song she learned from her mother
Historically, who has helped preserve oral traditions and history in West Africa?
politicians
poet-musicians
teachers
business leaders
The Mande people first recorded their history and culture through
written language.
pictures
sculptures
oral traditions.
Griots are best recognized for their ability to
dance and sing.
play drums.
recount history.
teach and create.
What kind of history were griots expected to remember?
ancestry
battles
deaths
all of the above
Rulers and griots both played an important role in West Africa. Which of the following best describes how rulers viewed griots?
feared rivals
trusted advisors
fortune tellers
all of the above
Many griot stories were told about Sundjata Keita. He was a
king who founded Mali's empire.
writer of "trickster tales".
poet-musician from South Africa.
world-famous singer and drummer.
"Trickster tales", such as the tales about Brer Rabbit, are popular West African
proverbs.
songs.
sayings.
folktales.
What do proverbs do?
express ideas or give advice
tell a story about a clever animal
preserve Arabic writings
communicate cultural ideas using music
Written tradition became more important in West African culture when
Sundjata Keita founded Mali's empire.
trickster tales became popular.
West Africans were sold into slavery.
Islam gained followers in West Africa.
Call and response songs have influenced which of these musical styles the most?
country
rock and roll
electronic
classical
The griot instrument similar to the xylophone in the picture is called a
ngoni
balafon
kora
drum
Which instrument is most likely to be played at West African religious meetings and ceremonies?
kora
balafon
drum
ngoni
West Africans perform dances for all kinds of reasons, such as
celebrating success at work.
helping educate children.
connecting with dead ancestors.
all of the above
The Nok people made sculptures of human figures out of
terra-cotta.
glass.
copper.
gold.
In appliqué work,
small pieces of fabric are attached to a larger background piece.
a grid is drawn on a piece of cloth using a thick dye.
narrow strips of silk or other fabric are sewn together.
all of the above.
What kind of cloth is made by sewing together narrow strips of silk of other fabrics?
stamped fabric
story fabric
kente cloth
appliqué cloth
In West Africa between about 500 and 1600 C.E., Ghana, Songhai, and Mali were three _____ that arose.
states
kingdoms
countries
religions
Why are historians unable to study written sources from early West African societies?
No one can translate the documents' language.
All of the documents were burned in a fire.
Most of the period has no written records.
The government owns all of the documents.
The area of semidesert that is both south of the Sahara and has mild vegetations is called the
Jenné.
Sahel.
Savanna.
Niger.
The Sahara was not a good place for large settlements because it
is extremely dry.
rains too much.
has no mountains.
is mostly forest.
The savanna is a vegetation zone of tall grasses and trees. This is due to its
very dry climate
very rocky plains
long rainy season
mountainous land
Which of the following is true about the Niger River?
It is the longest river in all of West Africa.
It has the largest fish variety in West Africa.
It is the only source of water in West Africa.
It no longer exists in any part of West Africa.
West Africa's geography influenced the__________ that developed there.
forms of authority
extended families
religious beliefs
patterns of trade
Why did people of West Africa trade with people from different areas?
It symbolized trust toward their neighbors.
Each vegetation zone had different resources.
It helped establish marketplaces in each zone.
It is unknown why trade developed there.
In early West Africa, major rivers, such as the Niger River, functioned as
battlegrounds.
refugees' homes.
trading routes.
all of the above
By around 4000 B.C.E., some people in West Africa formed farming communities made up of
village neighbors.
religious officials.
different tribes.
extended families.
How did villages form in early West Africa?
A controlling leader forcefully took over many groups.
Family-based communities joined together for help.
Communities often went to war over trade disputes.
Groups developed closely together due to gold resources.
What are the Nok, a people from West Africa during 500 B.C.E., known for?
mastering ironworking
fishing with a thin wire
building with concrete
forming the first cities
What changes did the development of iron tools bring?
Farmers could clear land and grow crops more efficiently.
Villages could produce surpluses to trade for other goods.
People could freely engage in weaving and metalworking.
all of the above
Early West African inhabitants that controlled trade routes became wealthy by
robbing passersby along the river.
raising prices of goods frequently.
charging fees for trading activity.
making farmers pay high taxes.
What theory did the discovery of Jenne-Jeno prove wrong?
Trade between villages only occurred in the Sahara desert.
Cities did not exist in West Africa until outsiders came in.
The Hittites were the first to use the process of smelting.
No civilization or people existed in early West Africa.
Jenne-Jeno's location made it a great place for
building, weaving, and smelting.
farming, fishing, and trading.
ironworking, plowing and carving.
pottery making, eating, and beading.
The most respected people in Jenne-Jeno were ______, who also acted as political leaders, judges, and doctors.
blacksmiths
farmers
weavers
traders
Which of the following is a way rulers of the West African kingdom became wealthy?
They collected taxes from their bought and sold goods.
They raised armies and conquered other trading areas.
They collected tributes from other rulers or countries.
all of the above
What was one benefit of becoming part of an empire in Early West Africa?
Men were required to serve in the king's army.
Conquered people were required to give tribute.
Kings provided protection for conquered territory.
Kings sometimes sent governors to rule the land.
Kingdoms in West Africa relied both on local trade and
exporting to Europe.
trans-Saharan trade.
mobile flea markets.
traveling farmers.
