What religion did Mansa Musa follow? Warm Up What religion did Mansa Musa follow?

Africa and the Bantu and the Sahara 8-22-16

Today's Vocabulary will be spread throughout the lesson 

A Long Time Ago…. About 4000 years ago, many families in West Africa began to leave their homelands in search of better farmland. Because of the geography (forests, deserts, mountains), some had a difficult time moving.

Migration – movement from one region to settle in another

Bantu – describes both the large group of Africans and the related languages theyspeak.

History of Sub-Saharan Africa The area south of the Sahara desert is known as Sub-Saharan Africa. Historians know far less about this region of Africa than they do Northern Africa.

Today, historians and scientists are spending a lot of time trying to piece together the history of Sub-Sahara Africa.

One reason that the history of Sub-Saharan Africa is so difficult to study is because the clay that the people used for building has disintegrated. Also, the iron tools have not lasted due to rusting.

The Bantu Migration Even though there were many barriers in Africa that could have prevented people from migrating, it did not happen. The Bantu people continued to migrate for more than 1,000 years. This is one of the largest migrations in history.

Bantu Migration

The Bantu In early times, most Bantu-speaking peoples were fishermen, farmers, and herders. Clan – group of families who traced their roots to the same ancestor. Families were traced through the mother rather than the father.

As the Bantu began to spread out in search of better farmland, they had to adapt to their new environments.

Spread of Bantu Culture As the Bantu migrated into new areas, their culture spread with them. Sometimes they blended with the people already living there and sometimes they forced them from their homes. The Bantu’s knowledge of ironworking often made them superior to other cultures.

North Africa’s CLIMATES North Africa’s major climates are Arid (Desert) & Semi-arid (Steppe)

Africa’s Physical Geography Surrounding the forests in Africa are bands of savanna – areas of grasslands with scattered trees and bushes. Sahara – desert stretching across most of North Africa. This is the world’s largest desert and it is still growing!.

Africa: Natural Vegetation

Victoria Falls – Zambezi River

Sahara Desert

Sahara Desert The Sahara is the world’s largest desert, stretching 3.5 million square miles.

Sahara Desert Atlantic Ocean on the west Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea on the north Red Sea and Egypt on the east Sudan and the valley of the Niger River on the south.

Averages less than five inches of rain each year. Sahara Averages less than five inches of rain each year. Temperatures there can run to the extreme -freezing at night -Can be more than 130 degrees Fahrenheit at the peak of day.

Wildlife of the Desert

Horned Viper

Houbara

Fennec Fox

Jeroba

Desert Hedgehog

Monitor

Sand Cat

Scarab Beetle

Sahel -Steppe region below Sahara that is spreading into a desert region.

Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLR0-K2Wpb0 Berbers in the Sahara

Ticket Out The Door On a strip of paper, please tell me one fact that you learned today 