1. Important Geographical Features of Africa
Mediterranean Sea
Nile River
Sahara
Desert
Red Sea
African rainforest
Great Rift
Valley
Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Kalahari Desert

2. Human Migration from the Great Rift Valley

3. Migration
Migration is the permanent movement of people from one place to another.
Push Pull Factors
Pull Factors attract people to another location
Push Factors cause people to leave a region
What are some factors that have pushed people from their native regions?
What are some factors that have pulled people to the United States?

4. African Trade Routes
SALT
GOLD

5. Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu vs
Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu vs. other Niger-Congo languages.
Bantu
Bantu-speaking people migrated south from modern day Nigeria throughout the southern half of Africa
Today, nearly 1/3 of Africans speak a Bantu-based language.
Bantu means “the people”

6. Bantu Migration
Slash-and-Burn Agriculture

7. Ghana Empire at its greatest extent.
Kingdom of Ghana AD
Power from gold and salt trade
Moved away from Ghana because of invasions
Moved east looking for gold
Ghana’s rulers convert to Islam by the end of 11th century. Islam’s growth encouraged literacy.
In 1076 Ghana is conquered by the Almoravids, & loses its power.
Ghana Empire at its greatest extent.

8. Mali empire at its greatest extent
Kingdom of Mali
Mali means “where the king lives” AD
Moved east looking for gold
Mali empire at its greatest extent

9. Mansa Musa holding a golden nugget.
After fall of Ghana, Mali rises to power b/c of wealth in gold.
Sundiata becomes mansa (emperor) & conquers Ghana’s territory & other local trade cities - conquers in war but kingdom flourishes in peace.
Mansa Musa, a Muslim leader, came to power & expanded empire to twice it’s size.
Made hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca & built mosques.
Mansa divided Mali into provinces and assigned a governor to each, making rule more efficient & fair.
Timbuktu became Mali’s most important trading city.
Ibn Battuta, famous Muslim scholar, visited Mali.
Kingdom of Mali
Mansa Musa holding a golden nugget.

10. Sankore mosque
Terracotta Archer figure and horseman figure from Mali (13th-15th century).
Tuaregs were and still are an integral part of the salt trade across the Sahara

11. Mosque of Djenne

12. Kingdom of Songhai
Gold discovered farther east, causing people to migrate.
Songhai Empire established between 1400 & 1500 AD.
Two important rulers (both Muslim)
Sunni Ali – built empire through military conquest, ruled for 30 years.
Askia Muhammad – overthrew son of Sunni Ali who was not a faithful Muslim; ruled 37 years & set up a bureaucracy to govern the empire. Under him the empire thrived.
The Songhai fell to the Morrocans who had modern weapons
Ended 1,000 year period where African kingdoms ruled West Africa.
The Songhai Empire at its greatest extent.
The tomb of Askia

13. Islam and Christianity in Africa
After Christianity spread through Roman empire it came to Africa & won many converts; eventually becomes the official religion of Aksum. (The reason there are millions of Christians in Ethiopia today.)
Between AD Islamic invaders conquer much of north Africa.
Islam spreads through the rest of Africa by trade.