1. AFRICA

2. GEOGRAPHY 2 nd LARGEST CONTINENT Three times the size of the USA 4600 miles east to west; 5000 miles north to south ONE-FIFTH of EARTH’S LAND VARIETY: DESERTS, RAIN FORESTS, MOUNTAINS, SAVANNAS COASTLINE: FEW HARBORS, PORTS, INLETS

3. GEOGRAPHY 4 Major Bodies of Water Border Africa: *ATLANTIC Ocean *MEDITERRANEAN Sea *RED Sea *INDIAN Ocean AFRICA’S RIVERS: Many WATERFALLS & RAPIDS (TRAVEL DIFFICULT) Many Rivers do not CONNECT

4. SAHARA DESERT ABOUT 1/3 is DESERT WORLD’S LARGEST – SAHARA Roughly size of USA

5. GEOGRAPHIC CONTRASTS RAIN FOREST – center of continent hot & rainy all year long SAVANNAS – grassy plains –home to herds of animals (giraffes, antelope, wildebeest…) SAHEL – land on the edge of the deserts

6. BANTU MIGRATIONS *Starting first few centuries A.D. continuing 1500 years Bantu moved south throughout Africa {Bantu means “The People”} Bantu were not one people – group who shared cultural characteristics *Spread LANGUAGE & CULTURE

7. BANTU MIGRATIONS *FARMERS / NOMADIC Herders *Developed skill of IRON WORKING *Farming Technique- SLASH and BURN Farming: Forest is cut down and burned, ashes create fertile soil, it loses its fertility quickly forcing the Bantus to move *Cause of Migration – search of land for FOOD

9. ANCIENT KINGDOMS - AKSUM * Near Red Sea {Present Day –ETHIOPIA} *Important trading area – near Middle East/India *TERRACE FARMING *Became CHRISTIAN (official religion) *Developed WRITTEN LANGUAGE *MINTED COINS

10. AKSUM *DEVELOPED UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE Ex:HUGE STONE PILLARS Built to Celebrate Aksum’s ACHIEVEMENTS

12. FALL OF AKSUM *LASTED ABOUT 800 YEARS *Around A.D. 700 – Conquered By ISLAMIC Invaders

13. WEST AFRICAN KINGDOMS GHANA 800-1000 A.D. *GREW WEALTHY & POWERFUL THRU TRADE *GOLD & SALT TRADE *ISLAM makes its way to Africa

15. WEST AFRICAN KINGDOMS MALI 1200-1450 A.D. *WEALTH BUILT ON: GOLD TRADE *1 st EMPEROR - SUNDIATA

16. MANSA MUSA RULED FROM 1312-1332 *MALI’S MOST FAMOUS EMPEROR! *Skilled MILITARY Ruler: Put down Rebellions, Kept Order & Protection in Mali DOUBLED the size of the Empire

17. MANSA MUSA DEVOUT MUSLIM TRAVELLED TO MECCA – HAJJ *Built Important Trading Center at TIMBUKTU *TIMBUKTU became a Center of Learning *MANSA MUSA Built a famous MOSQUE in Timbuktu

19. IBN BATTUTA *MUSLIM SCHOLAR – KNOWN FOR EXTENSIVE TRAVELS *OVER 30 YEARS VISITED MOST OF THE MUSLIM WORLD (including Mali) His journeys included trips to North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Africa, Southern Europe and Eastern Europe in the West, and to the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and China

20. WEST AFRICAN KINGDOMS SONGHAI 1450-1600 A.D. *EMPIRE LARGER THAN GHANA or MALI *TOOK CONTROL OF GOLD & SALT TRADE

21. TWO IMPORTANT EMPERORS *SUNNI ALI Captured TIMBUKTU *ASKIA MUHAMMAD ruled for 37 years set up tax system increased literacy

22. END OF WEST AFRICAN EMPIRES *SONGHAI LACKED MODERN WEAPONS MOROCCANS WITH GUNPOWDER AND CANNONS DEFEATED SONGHAI