Chapter 5: early west African societies Geography of Africa

Section 1: Geography of Africa Landforms, Water, Climate, and Plant Life Rifts – long, deep valley’s formed by the movement of the Earth’s crust Plateaus, and wide, low plains Sub-Saharan Africa Area south of the Saharan Desert Major Rivers Congo Zambezi Niger (N-eye-jeer) Primary river of the West African Societies

Section 1: Geography of Africa West Africa’s Great River Niger River Low-lying lakes and deltas Animal populations Crocodiles, geese, hippopotamus West Africa’s Climate and Plants Four different regions – bands from north to south Southern Sahara – desert Sahel – strip of land that divides the desert from wetter areas Savannah – open grassland with scattered trees Rain forests – moist, densely wooded areas

Section 1: Geography of Africa

Section 1: Geography of Africa West Africa’s Resources Crops – dates, nuts, food crops Mineral resources – salt and gold Salt essential to diets of West Africans Gold mines were hidden

Chapter 5: early west African societies Early Culture and Trade

Section 2: Early Culture and Trade Families, Religion, and Daily Life Families, Villages, and Loyalties Extended Family – included father, mother, children, and close relatives of the household Each person had to be loyal to their extended family Age-sets – men who had been born within the same two-three years of each other and formed special bonds Female age-sets

Section 2: Early Culture and Trade Duties within Extended Families and Age-Sets Men hunted and farmed Millet and sorghum Cattle, goats, sheep Women farmed and gathered Ground grain, carried water Cared for children Elderly and Children Children helped to work Elders told stories and taught traditions

Section 2: Early Culture and Trade Religions and Culture Religion Importance of family Spirits of ancestors Shrines to them Spirits provided protection Animism – the belief that bodies of water, animals, trees, and other natural objects have spirits Dependence on natural world for survival

Section 2: Early Culture and Trade Technology and Change Development of iron tools Heating process Nok People and Iron Earliest people to use iron Present day Nigeria Farming tools Improved crop yields Weapons and hunting tools Clearing forest lands

Section 2: Early Culture and Trade Trade and West Africa Desert Trade AD 200s, Romans began to use camels for trade expeditions Others used camels to form trade caravans and travel across the Sahara Berbers Knowledge of desert and the Sahara improved desert trade network

Section 2: Early Culture and Trade Trade in Gold and Salt Salt and Gold became very valuable Salt moved south from Sahara, then traded for gold Traders then took gold north, to Europe and to Islamic world Other goods cloth, copper, silver and slaves Trade Centers Timbuktu

Create a Persona: The Hajj diary Who do you want to be today? Create a character for your hajj diary? You must choose one of the following names for your character Next: Create a back story of you extended family. With names of each including age-sets. What kind of worker are you: trader, farmer, hunter, soldier? Explain why you are going on the hajj with Mansa Musa, your king? Girls Kadidia Hawa Lara Fatima Rama Bintou Soumba Abibatou Aiicha Oumou Boys Ousmane Irbraham Siaka Drissa Mohamed Ali Salif Karim Alou Khadafi