Download as docx, pdf, txt or read online from scribd. The history of west africa has been commonly divided into its prehistory, the iron age in africa. Study guide answers for chapter 12 early societies in west africa terms sahara desert. A thriving trade in salt, gold, and other products supported the rise of a number of powerful citystates and kingdoms. Western africa, region of the western african continent comprising the. In this unit, you will explore the history of one of the regions to which islam spread. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Early societies in west africa flores world history 7. Geography what empires developed in west africa during this period.
Create a drawing and caption that describe the earliest communities in west africa. Look closely at the map on the next page and find the niger. As you can see on the map on the opposite page, africa is located south of europe. Interactive student notebook early societies in west. Interactive student notebook sections 2 to 4 section 2 1. The ghana empire may have been established as early as the 7th century ce.
Societies and empires of africa, 8001500 community unit school. In africa, huntergatherer societies were very efficient, and the sparse deserts or extremely dense jungles did not necessarily support agriculture, so this style of society remained strong. West africa is part of the continent of africa, which, after asia, is the largest continent on earth. In fact, in the saharan village of taghaza, workers built their houses from salt blocks because. Interactive student notebook early societies in west africa. West african civilizations springfield public schools. Although rich in gold, west africa s savanna and forests lacked salt, a material essential to human life.
Tn this chapter, you will explore how these kingdoms developed out of early societies in west africa. Listed below the map are definitions of these four vegetation zones. In what ways did the spread of islam affect west african culture and society. The history of west africa has been commonly divided into its prehistory, the iron age in africa, the major polities flourishing, the colonial period, and finally the postindependence era, in which the current nations were formed. Four types of zones are especially important for our study of west. Sundiata conquers an empire malis first great leader, sundiata. One migration originated from the complex societies e. In this geography challenge, they will map the four. Chapter 12 early societies in west africa slideshare. Societies and empires of africa, 8001500 during the middle ages, important developments took place in africa. Several vegetation zones form belts across africa see the second map on the opposite page. Nevertheless, the picture of western africa given in the early muslim writings is of. Family and religion influenced daily life in early west african society. West africa is west of an imagined northsouth axis lying close to 10 east longitude, bordered by the atlantic ocean and sahara desert.
As the map at the right shows, some of these kingdoms became empires. In this 21 page lesson, your students will examine the the west african empires of ghana, mali and songhai. How trading empires grew because of advancing civilizations. During this period, three kingdoms arose south of the sahara desert.