 1. Sahel  2. Savannah  3. Rain forests  4. desert  A. Moist densely wooded areas  B. a strip of land that divides the desert from wetter areas.  C. open grassland with scattered trees  D. a giant sea of sand

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Africa is a big place…..

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It is the second largest continent on earth

… In eastern Africa rifts formed the southeastern edge.  Rifts- are long, deep valley formed by the movement of the earth.  Sub Sahara Africa- or Africa south of the Sahara.

    The main rivers in Africa are Congo Zambezi Niger

 Along the Niger in West Africa civilizations arose.  The Niger river is Africa’s great river it is a source of water, food and transportation.

 In the middle section of the Niger river are marshes. This is called inland delta.

 What is Africa’s great river?

   A. Congo B. Niger C. Zambezi

  1. A typical West African family was an extended family. Usually the extended family included the father, mother, children and close relatives in one household.   There was also another type of group. They were called age-sets. Age-sets- men who had been born within the same two or three years formed special bonds.

 Family-Loyalty to family and age-sets helped the people of the village work together.  Women- Like the men the women worked very hard. They farmed, collected firewood, ground grain, and carried water along with raising children.

Traditional beliefs- was importance of family.

Another common belief- had to do with nature. This is called animalism. Animalism- the belief that bodies of water, animals, trees, and other natural objects have spirits.

 Long, deep valleys formed by the movement of the earth’s crust are called     A. chasms B. rifts C. Volcanoes D. earthquake zones

 West Africa -was rich with fertile soils and minerals , especially gold and iron.  Other places in Africa had a lot of salt.  Ghana became a powerful state because it gained control of the valuable routes.  The population of Ghana increased.

 Around 500 BC- west Africa made a discovery that would change the region.   They found out they could heat different kinds of rock to get a hard metal. By heating the iron again they could shape it into different things, like tools.

 The earliest people to use this technology was the Noks.  The Noks used iron to make iron farm tools.

 1. who were the people used this new technology?    Nigerians Noks Indians

 West Africa became to trade with others that were thousands of miles away.

 West Africans used to venture out into the Sahara to trade.   They used Caravans to to make the trip. Camels were a faster resource they can travel in months.  It was dangerous in the desert, thieves would try to attack and caravans would lose they way.

 1. West Africa’s salt and gold mines became a great source of wealth.  Camels carried salt from mines of the Sahara to the south to trade for gold.

 1. The belief that natural objects have spirits is called.     A. animism B. vegetism C. animalism D. naturalism

 Ghana lay between the Sahara desert and the forests, that is why it was a good place to trade.     Salt came from the north (Sahara) Gold came from the south (along the Niger). They liked gold for its beauty and salt to put in foods. Silent barter is a process in which people exchange goods without ever contacting each other.

 Because of all the trade, Ghana became powerful. Their armies became strong.