Transition in Sub-Saharan Africa Chapter 3

I. African Culture 1. Land is made up of desert, rain forests, and large flat grasslands

I. African Culture 2. Savannah – large area of flat grasslands

3. Sahel – land between the Sahara and the savannah 4. Sub-Saharan – area south of the Sahara desert. Mostly made up of grasslands and rain forests (not deserts)

5. Crops in sub-Saharan Africa a. Grains - millet, sorghum b. Maize (corn) c. Watermelon d. Peas e. Roots (yams)

6. Livestock – Sheep, Goats, Cattle a. They were considered a sign of wealth, so people used them for milk and other products

7. Ironworking a. Iron production probably developed independently in Africa b. Iron was valuable because it was more durable than stone, wood or bone c. Used as a form of money in countries such as Ethiopia

8. The most important element of traditional African culture was the FAMILY.

9. Clan – A family that could be traced by with his ancestry 10. Tribe – Two or more clans that shared common language, beliefs, and customs Not always just primitive culture

11. The Kikuyu did not worship lots of gods ­ they believed in only one Supreme Being, Ngai.

12. Animism -the belief that spirits lived in trees, rocks, rivers...mountains...any part of nature. Even cows!

13. Islam in sub-Saharan Africa a. The spread of Islam followed trade routes b. It was gradual and generally nonviolent c. In northern Africa it resulted from rapid military conquest

II. Early African Empires 14. East - Ethiopia a. Kush is located on the Nile River between Egypt and Ethiopia

15. The Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Juda was the imperial title of Ethiopian rulers 16. Coptic's believe that Aksum (another name for Ethiopia) contained the original ark of the covenant

17. Coptic Christians regard Menelik as the offspring of King Solomon 18. Ezana- Ethiopian king - who became a Coptic Christian

19. Lalibela has several unusual churches that were made by carving into rock below ground level

20. Ghana became prosperous partly because of its gold and salt trading 21. By the 11th century Ghana’s rulers Converted to Islam

22. During Europe’s Dark Ages, African empires built advanced cities like Timbuktu

23. King Sunjata founded the kingdom of Mali a. Rulers converted to Islam

Musa 24. Mansa the title of the king of Mali- means “ruler” 25. Mansa Musa - Mali king made pilgrimage to Mecca and brought a lot of gold

26. West African trading items a. Cotton cloth b. Gold c. Iron

27. Camels a. Camel’s body’s are built for desert survival b. Stores energy-rich fat in its hump c. Stores enough liquid to survive five to seven days without water d. Shuts out debris during sandstorms with its nostrils and long eyelashes

28. Arabic became widely adopted in northern Africa due to the spread of Islam in the region

III. Growth of Trade in East Africa 29. Mogadishu (Mukdisho) – modern town on Somalia’s eastern coast

30. Swahili – common trade language along the eastern coast of Africa

31. Major businesses in eastern African cities centered around the following commodities: a. Ivory b. Precious stones c. Slaves

32. African towns traded with merchants in areas like Arabia, China, and India 33. Cathay – ancient name for China

34. Zimbabwe – large city built near Sabi River. It’s name means “great house of stone” 35. Zambezi – River that borders Zimbabwe’s empire

37. Kilwa engaged in jihad against Zinj 36. Kilwa – “one of the finest and most substantially built towns” 37. Kilwa engaged in jihad against Zinj