1. Diverse Societies in Africa Chapter 8 Vocab

2. Sahara A vast desert of northern Africa extending east from the Atlantic coast to the Nile Valley and south from the Atlas Mountains to the region of the Sudan.

3. Savannas An area of land characterized by coarse grasses and scattered tree growth, especially on the edges of the tropics where the rainfall is seasonal, as in eastern Africa.

4. Animism The belief that natural objects, natural phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls.

5. Griot A member of a class of traveling poets, musicians, and storytellers who maintain a tradition of oral history in parts of West Africa.

6. Terraces A flat area created on the side of a hill and used especially for growing crops.