Chapter 16: Section 1 A Trading Empire The African Landscape • The Sahara – World’s largest desert – 3.5 million square miles – Camels made trade possible between West Africa and the Mediterranean world
Dec 31, 2015
Chapter 16: Section 1A Trading Empire
The African Landscape• The Sahara– World’s largest desert– 3.5 million square miles– Camels made trade possible
between West Africa and the Mediterranean world
• Vegetation Zones– People tend to live
where rain falls the most• At the equator-
rainforest zone- hot and wet year round
– Above and below the equator is the savanna- a broad grassland with scattered trees
– North and south of the savanna are the deserts
– At the northern tip is the Mediterranean zone- summers are warm and dry, winters are rainy
• The Niger and Senegal Rivers– Early civilizations formed near these rivers
• Natural Resources– Natural materials that people can use to meet their needs– Prized items like gold, along with agricultural wealth, gave
rise to powerful trading empires
The Rise of Ghana• Iron-Working Technology– By 350 BCE, West Africans began making iron tools in a
place called Nok– With iron tools, the people could grow more food
which increased population
• Ancient Ghana– Soninke people founded a kingdom between the Niger and
Senegal rivers– As population grew, governments were formed, and labor
specialization developed– Each clan, or group of related families, specialized in a craft or
trade– The kingdom grew into an empire known as Ghana
• Enslaved people in its wars of conquest
A Powerful Empire• Gold-Salt Trade– Ghana acted as a go-between for the North
African traders and the south– North Africa produced salt and gold and ivory was
produced in the south
• Wealthy Rulers– Kings became rich from the
gold-salt trade– Kings controlled the gold
supply- too much gold will lower prices so all gold nuggets belonged to the king
• Invasion and Decline– Lasted for four centuries– Known for religious tolerance
and welcomed Muslims– Began to decline
• Overpopulation, food shortages, overdependence on trade
• Around 1060 CE the Almoravids expanded empire into Ghana and disrupted trade and weakened the monarchy