Topic 7: African Civilizations

Which of Africa's rivers were important to the rise of the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires?

• Niger

• Nile

• Congo

• Senegal

• Zambezi

What are TWO crucial elements that brought about the growth of the Trans-Saharan trade in Western and Northern Africa?

• Implementation of camels as pack animals

• Salt mines in the Sahara Desert

• Natural resources collected from the rainforest and traded in Northern and Western Africa

• Maintaining control trade between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea

Which of the following ecosystems could be described as tropical grassland that experiences a dry and wet season?

• rainforest

• desert

• savanna

• sahel

• high plateau

What TWO features helped rulers of the Ghana to create and maintain a powerful empire in West Africa?

• Skilled ironworkers created harder tools and weapons

• The establishment of widespread religious tolerance in the region

• Regulating salt-gold trade in order to keep gold value high

• Used Islamic officials in government administration

• Controlling the salt mines throughout its empire

Which of the following African empires was Islam an important religion? (Mark all that apply)

• Kush

• Axum

• Mali

• Egyptian

• Songhai

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How did Ghana's rulers make sure that gold endured as an important trade good in West Africa?

• They made expensive and elaborate jewelry

• They freely traded it for salt

• They controlled how much gold was available

• They required that all coins and currency was made from gold

In the social structure of West Africa, which group was right above traders in the social structure?

• The emperor

• Kings and local nobility

• Scholars

• Artists and skilled workers

• Farmers

Which TWO statements best describes the differences between Axum and Songhai?

• Axum was in East Africa while Songhai was in West Africa

• Axum had a powerful army while Songhai focused more on education and scholarship

• Axum controlled trade routes across Sahara while Songhai control near Arabia

• Axum was a Christian empire while Songhai was a Muslim empire

Which of the following cultures developed in East Africa as result of the region's extensive involvement in trade across the Indian Ocean?

• Kushite

• Swahili

• Zagwe

• Nubian

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Which of the following are common characteristics of traditional African religions? (Mark ALL that apply)

• It was common for Africans to have spiritual leaders lead rituals to communicate with gods

• Traditional African religions tended to be monotheistic or believe in one god

• Africans valued the wisdom of their elders and greatly honored their ancestors

• They tended to practice their religion in the privacy of their homes