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34 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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describe African geography |
diverse |
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largest desert in the world |
Sahara |
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various climates |
tropical (equator), desert, gasslands, rainforests |
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savannas |
grassy tree-dotted plains |
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Mt. Kilamanjaro |
highest mountain in Africa (Tanzania) |
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The Great Rift Valley |
3,000 miles long, divides east Africa from the western portion of the continent; high cliffs over which rich soils have washed down into the valley where farmers grow crops (corn, wheat, etc) |
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basin |
large bowl shaped dip in the land into which rivers flow |
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Lake Tanganyka |
second deepest lake in the world |
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Lake Victoria |
second largest freshwater lake |
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hydroelectric power |
energy derived from falling water |
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Aksum |
Eastern African kingdom (where Eritrea and Ethiopia are now) |
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Adula |
Aksum chief city near Red Sea trading port for ivory, cloth, rhinoceros hors and gold |
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Aksum and Ethiopia |
among the first Christian countries in the world; patriarch system of Christianity |
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Ezana |
great kind of Aksum, who expanded Aksum's power to what is now Yemen |
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Aksum cultural and economic achievments |
stone (not mud) bricks, huge stone monuments, stelae (pillars), own writing system, coins |
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Aksum trade routes |
Adula was an influential trading center, Roman Empire ships stopped regularly and some lived there. Romans mainly interested in gold (came from southern mines) Aksum traded ox meat, salt and iron and trade for gold |
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Aksum decline |
around 700 AD, Baghdad caliphate took control of shipping on the Red Sea and Aksum lost its importance around 900 AD Aksum was overthrown Zagwe, led by Lalibela, who ruled from 1180-11225; kingdom became Ethiopia, capital city Lalibela still Christian |
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gold and salt trade |
Muslim settlers began to cross the dangerous Sahara for West Africa, which was rich in gold. West Africa had gold but did not have salt, which was critical in preserving food; salt was found in North African Mediterranean coast and in parts of Sahara |
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Empire of Ghana |
700 AD major power in Africa ruler called Ghana which means war chief or leader wealthy because on the trade routes of N. Africa commanded powerful army of 200,000 soldiers controlled gold trade |
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Ghana source of wealth |
center for gold trade supply and demand (Ghana's kings kept gold scarse, which kept price high) |
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Ghana's decline |
North African nations envious of gold trade attacked and weakened and ultimately destroyed Ghana Empire |
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Wealth of Mali |
1250 AD Mali became powerful because of Sunjata (conquered enemies including Ghana) greatest achievements was to make salt+gold trade even more profitable in town called Niani Timbuktu became center of culture (mosque, university) Islam cities Mans a Musa |
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Songhai Empire |
existed as a small state at head of Niger River
Gao capital city leader was Suni Ali, brilliant military leader included Mali, Benin and Nigeria well trained soldiers and calvary reached greatest power under Askia Muhammed |
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Songhai decline |
too large to rule effectively over a long period of time powerful Songhai armies did not have modern weapons that countries in N. Africa and Europe possessed defeated by Moroccan armies with gunpowder and cannons |
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Zimbabwe |
City of Stone 1000-1400 granary, building for storing grain crops in fertile area and herd of cattle pottery stone buildings |
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Zimbabwe wealth from trade |
largest stone town in southern Africa Great Zimbabwe was located on trade route between southern gold mines and East African coast controlled gold trade |
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Great Zimbabwe |
sat on gold mine used for trading with China and making jewelry |
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Zimbabwe's decline |
natural disaster such as famine overpopulation of cattle, eating all the grass |
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Eastern African trading |
Arab Muslims swahili, means people of the shore |
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Mogadishu |
now Somalia, was one of the largest cities of the Swahili civilization |
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Mombasa |
now Kenya, trading center |
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Zanzibar |
now Tanzania, trading center |
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East African trades |
African gold, leopard skins, ivory traded for tools, pottery and cloth from Asia |
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Swahili cities decline |
when Europeans began to reach their cities |
