Brandon Mendonsa Facilitator Armin Saber – Artist Director Shane Taleisnik Liaison Connor Fidone Time Kee per

 Along Niger's middle are lowlying areas of lakes and marshes; this region called inland delta.  Inland delta is hundreds of miles from coast.  Fish are plentiful along the Niger.  Crocodiles, geese, and hippos inhabit the area. (Burstein 114)

 Forests = moist, densely wooded areas containing many different plants and animals.  Savannahs = open grassland with scattered trees, tall grasses, and shrubs.  Sahels = strips of land that divide desert from wetter areas.  Deserts = hot, dry areas containing sand dunes that get little rain fall. (Burstein 114)

 Ghana: Became powerful because controlled valuable trade routes.  Ghana: Families band together = beginning of Ghana. (Burnstein 130)  Ghana: Taxes funded Ghana's army.  Ghana: Good army and weapons, Ghana = large & successful. (Burstein 13334)  Mali: Sundiata, 1st emperor, made Mali an empire.  Mali: Mali's location = control river trade along Niger.  Mali: Smart & resourceful emperors = Mali prosperous kingdom.  Mali: Under Mansa Musa, Muslim king and emporer = Mali reach it height (Burstein 13638)

 Warm everywhere, but rainfall varies from north to south.  The different regions were forests, savannahs, sahels, and deserts.  The land could produce many different crops due to its many climates.  The heat dried up lakes and left behind valuable salt. (Burstein 11415)

 Gold: liked for its beauty and was used in jewelry.  Salt: preserved food, made bland food tasty, and sometimes used as money.  Food: so the West Africans could trade varieties of food with other cultures for valuables.  Slaves: they did farming, cleaning, and other duties for the owner. (Burstein 131)

 CAUSE: Provided water, food, and transportation.  EFFECT: Made it highly populated. (Burstein 112)   CAUSE: People sailed the Niger and brought gold.  EFFECT: It made the Ghana Empire wealthy. (Burstein 132)