Page 1 of 2
Chapter
5
Review
VISUAL SUMMARY
West African Empires
Geography (7.4.1)
Economics (7.4.1, 7.4.2)
Belief Systems (7.4.3, 7.4.4)
• West Africa had a good
availability of natural
resources: gold and salt.
• The Sahara was a
challenge for traders.
• West Africa traded with
Muslim North Africa.
• Gold and salt made
the empires wealthy.
• Muslim traders brought
Islam to West Africa.
• West Africa had a mix
of native religions and
Islam.
Culture (7.4.2, 7.4.5)
Government (7.4.2, 7.4.4)
• Oral tradition preserved
history and culture.
• Family structures were
very important.
• Individual power came
from strong kinship ties.
• Muslim scholarship
heavily influenced
West Africa.
TERMS & NAMES
MAIN IDEAS
Explain why the words
in each set below are
paired with each other.
West African Culture and Daily Life (pages 150–155)
5. What is the relationship of kinship groups and
clans? (7.4.2)
6. How did cities grow in West Africa? (7.4.2)
7. What do West African oral traditions preserve? (7.4.5)
1. kinship and clan
2. vegetation zone and
savannah
3. Mali and Sundiata
4. Songhai and Askia
Muhammad
The Empire of Ghana (pages 156–163)
8. How did West Africa’s vegetation zones affect what
trade goods were available? (7.4.1)
9. How did trans-Saharan trade caravans influence
Ghana’s religion and culture? (7.4.3)
10. What influence did Islam have on the kings of
Ghana? (7.4.3)
The Empire of Mali (pages 164–173)
11. How did Mali build on Ghana’s empire? (7.4.1)
12. What role did Timbuktu play in Mali’s empire? (7.4.4)
13. How did Askia Muhammad organize the government of
Songhai? (7.4.4)
174 • Chapter 5
Page 2 of 2
Standards-Based Assessment
CRITICAL THINKING Big Ideas: Economics
West Africa and the map below to answer
the questions. (7.4.1)
The Mali Empire, A.D. 1350
20°N
Seneg
Koumbi
Saleh
R
al
ive
r
E M P I R E
3. STARTING WITH A STORY
Review your response to the
question about what you
learned with the trading
caravan. After reading the chapter,
what other things might you have
learned? (7.4.3)
Technology Activity
4. CREATING A MULTIMEDIA
PRESENTATION (7.4.1)
Use the Internet or the library to find
information about the vegetation
zones of West Africa. Create a
multimedia presentation comparing
the different vegetation zones.
Include the following points:
• which zone covers the most land
• the different plant and animal life
Research Links
ClassZone.com
Djenné
Volta River
2. INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITY—
GEOGRAPHY Pull out the world map
you created in Chapter 2 and add the
empires of Ghana and Mali to it. Use
the map on page 147 to help you. (7.4.1)
r
ive
rR
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
1. WRITING ACTIVITY Imagine you are a
merchant in North Africa who sees Mansa
Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca. Write a
paragraph that describes this pilgrimage.
Use the Internet and your library to
research your document. (7.4.2)
Gao
ge
M A L I
Timbuktu
Ni
14. ANALYZING ECONOMIC ISSUES What
effect did keeping the source of West
African gold secret have on its price? (7.4.1)
15. COMPARING AND CONTRASTING How
did trade help empires, such as Ghana
and Rome, develop? Give examples. (7.4.1)
16. MAKING INFERENCES What economic
advantage did Songhai gain by expanding
its territory to the north? (7.4.1)
Reading a Map Use your knowledge of
Niani
N
W
10°N
E
0
S
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
0
200
200
Lake
Volta
400 miles
400 kilometers
10°W
0°
1. Which city would have depended
more on camel caravans than on
water transportation?
A. Gao
MapQuest.Com, Inc.
B. Djenné
C. Koumbi
Saleh 7th grade World History Program
McDougal-Littell,
wh07pe-0305cr-001-m
D. Niani
The Mali Empire, 1350
Final proof date: 6/24/04
2. Under good conditions, an Arabian
camel transporting a single person
can travel a maximum of 180 miles
in a day. How long would it take a
camel and its rider to travel from
Timbuktu to Koumbi Saleh?
A. about 1 day
B. about 2 days
C. about 3 days
D. about 4 days
Test Practice
ClassZone.com
Additional Test Practice, pp. S1–S33
West Africa • 175