1. 100 200 300 400 500 100 200 300 400 500 100 200 300 400 500 China & Asia Africa Portugal & Europe

12. In the late 1200s, what was the most important Chinese product that was traded with Europe?

13. SILK

14. Why did China’s sea explorations stop in the 1500s?

15. Because the new Chinese emperor ordered all sailing ships be destroyed. Many people at the time thought sea explorations were too dangerous & expensive.

16. Zheng He Who was Zheng He & what did he do?

17. Zheng He was a Chinese sea captain who sailed from China to India, Arabia, & East Africa. He did this at the orders of Chinese emperor Zhu Di.

18. What instrument did Zheng He use on his voyages to guide his ships? Define it.

19. magnetic compass Zheng He used a magnetic compass, which is a navigation tool used to help sailors find the cardinal directions while at sea, such as north & south.

20. Silk Road What was the Silk Road?

21. Silk Road: A network of overland trade routes leading from China to Persia & Europe.

22. What did the Arabian traders cross to reach the kingdom of Songhai?

23. Sahara Desert They had to cross the Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world.

24. Name the 3 great cities of the ancient Songhai kingdom. What was each city known for?

25. Gao Timbuktu Jenne Gao: art & culture Timbuktu: schooling & university Jenne: medicine

26. Sunni Ali tolerant Who is Sunni Ali & what was he tolerant of?

27. tolerant of different religions Sunni Ali ruled the wealthy African kingdom of Songhai. He was very tolerant of different religions, which encouraged trade & diversity.

28. caravan What is a caravan?

29. A caravan is a group of people traveling together for safety, especially through desert areas. Caravans of traders traveled across the Sahara Desert.

30. Name some products that made Sunni Ali’s kingdom of Songhai one of the richest in West Africa. Why was the kingdom so wealthy in the late 1400s?

31. Some products: salt, gold, & ivory. The kingdom became wealthy because it controlled almost all trade that came in & controlled salt & gold mines of central Africa. The kingdom was also known for its art, schooling, & medicine.

32. caravel What is a caravel & what were they used for?

33. ship It is a kind of small, fast-sailing ship that can be steered easily. They were created & used by Prince Henry of Portugal in the early 1400s to sail the coast of West Africa, looking for a sea route to Asia instead of using the Silk Road.

34. Johannes Gutenberg Who was Johannes Gutenberg & what did he do?

35. printing press He invented the printing press during the Renaissance, which made information more widely available to Europeans.

36. Marco Polo Who was Marco Polo & what did he do?

37. He was 1 of the 1 st Europeans to reach Asia in the 1200s traveling along the Silk Road. He brought many treasures back to Europe, which encouraged future explorations.

38. Prince Henry Who was Prince Henry? What country was he from & what did he do? What 2 other explorers followed in his footsteps?

39. He was from Portugal & made improvements in navigation by creating caravels. He proved you could get to Asia by sea when Bartholomeu Dias reached the south tip of Africa & Vasco da Gama reached Asia.

40. Why were the Portuguese sailing the west coast of Africa looking for a sea route to Asia in the 1400s?

41. They wanted a cheaper way to get spices & silk from China. Trading on the Silk Road was too expensive as the goods kept trading from people to people & too expensive.