Geography and Early Civilizations Large size – more than 3 times the size of the U.S. Four climate zones

Deserts – 40% The Sahara is the largest in the world

Mild zone – 10% South of the Sahara is a region of Africa called the

Sahel - A strip of land that divides the desert from wetter areas

Several large rivers: the Congo and the Niger rivers Savannas – 40%

Savanna = broad, open grassland Most people in Africa live in the savannas

Rain Forests – 10%

First civilizations were Egypt and Nubia (Eastern Africa)

.

Society The southern half of Africa developed states more slowly

and most of the people lived in stateless societies until the 11th century AD Stateless society is a group of independent villages

organized by clans and led by a local ruler or clan head Many African societies were matrilineal, meaning that

descent was traced through the mother 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

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

Swahili Due to trade and invading Muslims, a new African-

Arabian culture emerged along East Africas coast The African language of Bantu blended with Arab

into Swahili “peoples of the coast” Is the national language of Kenya and Tanzania

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

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 descendants of Aksum 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

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

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

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 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