Name:
Class #
Test Date
Important Vocabulary
ancient: long, long ago
architecture: the design of buildings
characteristics: different traits
contribution: the act of giving or doing something
economic specialization: focusing on one product or service
economic interdependence: two or more people depending on each other for goods and
services
government: a group of people who make rules and laws, carry out rules and laws, and
decide if rules and laws have been broken
laws: rules people live by
Important Facts

The Empire of Mali was located in the western region of the continent of Africa (West
Africa).

Mali lay in the middle of the trade routes between sources of salt in the Sahara Desert
and the gold region/mines of West Africa.

The Niger River was an important river to the people of Mali.

Mali was an important trade center; it was one of the largest and wealthiest empires in
the region.

Timbuktu was an important city that was known as a trade center and a place of
learning. There were many universities and libraries with Greek and Roman books.

Most of what we know about Mali’s history comes from oral accounts that were
handed down from Mali storytellers called griots.
Turn over
Key Concepts and Essential Learning for Ancient Mali:
 located in West Africa
 near rivers
Physical Characteristics  desert-like conditions (hot and dry)
 gold mines
 farmers
 miners
Human Characteristics
 traders
 salt was important natural resource
Adaptations to
for people in the desert
Environment
 used gold to trade for salt
 had no written language
 griots (storytellers) were “keepers of
the past”
Oral Tradition
 griots passed on traditions and
stories from one generation to the
next
 rich, powerful kings (called mansas)
controlled trade in West Africa
 two famous kings were Sundiata
Government
and Mansa Musa
 Timbuktu was an important trading
center
 bartered for goods and services
Economic Development  traded salt for gold
 people used salt for health and
(Trading)
preserving foods
 focusing on one product or service
 examples:
Economic Specialization
o army protected the empire
o farmers grew food for empire
 two or more people depend on
each other for the goods and
services they need
Economic
 example:
Interdependence
o people in ancient Mali traded
gold for salt with people from
other regions/empires