AFRICA

1. AFRICA

2. Geography and Early Civilizations • Large size – more than 3 times the size of the U.S. • Deserts make up 40% of Africa • The Sahara is the largest in the world • Separated north Africa from south Africa

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4. East Africa • Known as the Ivory Coast • Major kingdoms include, Kush (Nubia), Aksum, Ethiopia, and Great Zimbabwe • Main trading products include ivory, slaves, ebony, some gold

6. Spread of Islam into Africa • Ibn Battuta was an explorer from Saudi Arabia who went around Africa spreading Islam • Mansa Musa, the ruler from the Mali Empire, converted to Islam and even made a pilgrimage to Mecca • Both Ibn Battuta and Mansa Musa are credited with spreading Islam in Africa • Swahili • Due to trade and invading Muslims, a new African-Arabian culture emerged along East Africa’s coast • The African language of Bantu blended with Arab into Swahili “peoples of the coast” • Is the national language of Kenya and Tanzania

7. West Africa • Known as the Gold Coast • Major kingdoms and empires include the Empire of Ghana, the Mali Empire, the Empire Songhai, and the Kingdom of Benin • Main trading products include gold, salt, iron, and slaves

9. Society • The southern half of Africa developed states more slowly and most of the people lived in stateless societies until the 11th century AD • Many African societies were matrilineal, meaning that descent was traced through the mother

10. Music and story-telling were used to pass along community’s history in the absence of a written language • The task of remembering and passing on oral traditions was entrusted to storytellers called griots • Griots were highly respected • African societies used captives for forced labor and sold slaves • Slaves were people captured in war, debtors, and criminals

12. Kingdoms and Empires • Great Zimbabwe – 1100s to 1400s AD • Part of Africa’s thriving trade network due to its location • Was in the middle of a trade route linking Africa’s interior gold mines to the city-states on the coast • Mali Empire – 1230s – 1430s • Much of the wealth of the empire came from the taxation of the gold-salt trade • Mali kept order along the trade routes by using a large army • The famous ruler Mansa Musa made a pilgrimage to Mecca • Brought Mali to the attention of the Europeans • Exports: gold and salt • Famous trading city of Timbuktu

16. East African kingdoms and empires • Kush – Nubia frees itself from Egyptian control around 1000 BC and forms the independent state of Kush • Modern day country of Sudan • 750 BC conquers Egypt, but is soon forced to retreat back to the Upper Nile Valley by the Assyrians • Kush becomes one of the major trading states in the region • Trade from Africa, India, Arabia, and Rome • Major exports: ivory, gold, ebony, and slaves

17. Aksum – 1st century AD – 700s AD • located in the highlands of Ethiopia • Prosperity due to its location along the Red Sea • Trade route between India and the Mediterranean • Major exports: ivory, frankincense, myrrh, and slaves • Invades and conquers Kush • Had one of the first written languages developed in Africa • Converts to Christianity • Declined due to the arrival of Muslim invaders • Ethiopia – established in the 1100s AD by descendents of Aksum

18. Christianity proved to be a unifying identity for the Ethiopian people • Great Zimbabwe – 1100s to 1400s AD • Part of Africa’s thriving trade network due to its location • Was in the middle of a trade route linking Africa’s interior gold mines to the city-states on the coast • Great Zimbabwe served as a middleman • Swahili • Due to trade and invading Muslims, a new African-Arabian culture emerged along East Africa’s coast • The African language of Bantu blended with Arab into Swahili “peoples of the coast” • Is the national language of Kenya and Tanzania

19. West African kingdoms and empires • The Gold Coast • Empire of Ghana – located in the upper Niger river valley • By 800 AD Ghana controlled nearly all trade of salt and gold in sub-Saharan Africa • Ghana’s kings kept the supply of gold scarce to keep gold prices high • Only the kings could own gold nuggets and the location of gold mines were strictly guarded • Exports: Gold, iron, animal products, salt, and slaves

20. Mali Empire – 1230s – 1430s • Much of the wealth of the empire came from the taxation of the gold-salt trade • Mali kept order along the trade routes by using a large army • Converted to Islam and their famous ruler Mansa Musa made a pilgrimage to Mecca • Brought Mali to the attention of the Europeans • Exports: gold and salt • Famous trading city of Timbuktu • Empire of Songhai – 1460s – 1591 • Grew wealthy trading goods along the Niger river • Converted to Islam

21. Took over Timbuktu • Exports: gold and salt • Kingdom of Benin • Located in the forests of the Niger delta • Came into contact with the Europeans • Portuguese sailors arrived in the late 1400s • The people of Benin had many war captives, which they sold to the Portuguese as slaves • Exports: ivory, pepper, cotton, and slaves