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Ch. 3, Sec. 1 Notes – Rise of African Civilizations

Ch. 3, Sec. 1 Notes – Rise of African Civilizations. Africa ’ s Geography. Most of Africa is savanna, then desert, rain forest, and finally mediterranean The Sahara in North Africa is the world ’ s largest desert, Nile is world ’ s longest river

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Ch. 3, Sec. 1 Notes – Rise of African Civilizations

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  1. Ch. 3, Sec. 1 Notes – Rise of African Civilizations

  2. Africa’s Geography • Most of Africa is savanna, then desert, rain forest, and finally mediterranean • The Sahara in North Africa is the world’s largest desert, Nile is world’s longest river • Almost all of Africa rests on a plateau – an area of high, flat land

  3. The Bantu • Around 3,000 B.C., fishing groups along the Benue river began migrating throughout sub-Saharan Africa • Called themselves Bantu, “the people.” • Brought pottery making, iron working, and mining skills with them • By 400 A.D., they had settled nearly all of sub-Saharan Africa • Today, nearly 120 million people in Africa speak a Bantu language

  4. Trade Caravans Begin… • For thousands of years, the Sahara kept North Africa isolated from the rest of Africa • In 400 B.C., the Berbers found a way to West Africa • Their secret was camels, introduced from Asia by the Romans • Camels broad feet did not sink in the sand, their humps stored fat to survive desert travel

  5. Rise of Ghana • Rose to power in the 400s A.D. • Had iron weapons, conquered neighbors • Used location in center of West Africa to control trade routes, gold and salt mines • Constant fighting and overworking of soil caused Ghana to decline during the 1200s

  6. Mali • In the 1200s A.D., Mali captured what was left of Ghana • Griots, or storytellers, give credit to Sundiata Keita, the “Lion Prince” • Capitol was Timbuktu • Began to decline after Mansa Musa, their last great king, died

  7. Songhai • 1468 A.D., Sunni Ali, leader of Songhai, captured Timbuktu • Used war canoes to control trade on the Niger river • By 1492, he had built the largest empire in West Africa • 1591 – Small army from Morocco conquers Songhai using guns, cannons

  8. Axum (c. 100-1400 A.D.) • Ethiopia was known in ancient times as Abyssinia • Axum, a powerful city-state on the Red Sea, controlled trade in East Africa • In 300 A.D., King Ezana made Christianity the official religion of Axum

  9. The Great Zimbabwe • Founded in the 700s A.D. by the Shona people • Supplied gold, copper, and ivory to the East African coast • During the 1400s, two kings – Mutota and Matope – made Zimbabwe one of the largest empires in Africa

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