Africa Unit Test Flashcards
Define Tribute
payment from one ruler to another
Define Matrilineal
family line traced through the mother
Define Animism
original spiritual religion
Define Griot
poet-musicians who recited history.
Define Folktale
stories passed down with moral messages.
Define Kente
traditional form of clothe
Define Shari-ah
Islamic law.
Define Terra Cotta
clay material the Nok used for sculpting
Explain call and response.
A leader sings/plays a short phrase (call), and a group, the chorus, answer by playing or singing a short phrase (response)
What is a proverb?
Wise saying
What are the three instruments griots used?
Balafon, kora, ngoni
Why did West African communities drum and dance? What did they create and wear when doing this?
Parties, religious meetings, ceremonies; wooden masks
What two new architectural changes were influenced by Islam?
Brick mosques and flat-roofed homes
How did the use of Arabic in West Africa become an important tool for historians?
History could be recorded or written down.
Explain the significance of Timbuktu.
Center of learning.
How did Islam influence decorative arts?
Calligraphy and used geometric shapes; could be found on clothes.
How did West African people still preserve some of their old religious practices?
Wore amulets and prayed to deceased ancestors
Who was known for his pilgrimage and riches?
Mansa Musa
Name Ghana’s capital city.
Kumbi
Describe the city of Taghaza.
Made of salt bricks; in the Sahel near the Sahara
What value product was found in Ghana?
Gold
How did West African kingdoms become wealthy?
Taxed trading activity
What city existed over 1,600 years ago near the Niger and Bani rivers?
Jenne-Jeno
What was the most respected job in West Africa?
Blacksmiths
What group of people used the iron-smelting furnace to create tools?
Nok
List the three major West African trading kingdoms.
Ghana, Mali, Songhai
Describe the Sahara
Contains sand dunes, rocky plains, and some mountains. Very dry with some oases.
Describe the Sahel
Not as dry as the Sahara.Has just enough water for short grasses, bushes, and trees to survive.
Describe the Savanna
An area of tall grasses and scattered trees. Grains like rice can grow there because of the long rain season. Grass provides food for cattle, sheep, camel, and goats.
Describe the Northern Forest
Kola trees and grows yams, oil palms, and shrubs.
Describe the Rainforest
Tall mahogany and teak trees grow above the swamps and lagoons.
