Name

Class

Date

Chapter Review

Early African Civilizations

BIG IDEAS
1. Geography, resources, culture, and trade influenced the growth of societies in
West Africa.
2. The rulers of Ghana built an empire by controlling the salt and gold trade.
3. Between 1100 and 1500 three great kingdomsMali, Songhai, and Great
Zimbabwedeveloped in Africa.
4. Although the people of West Africa did not have a written language, their
culture has been passed down through oral history, writings by other people,
and the arts.

REVIEWING VOCABULARY, TERMS, AND PEOPLE

Use the description in the right column to unscramble the term or
name in the box. Write the correct term or name in the space provided.
F R I ST

1. ______________________ Long, deep valleys formed

by the movement of the earths crust.

AS UTAN DI

2. ______________________ The ruler of Mali who

conquered Ghana and introduced cotton.

ROL A ROSY ITH

3. ______________________ A spoken record of past

events.
M I N I MAS

4. ______________________ The belief that bodies of

water, animals, trees, and other natural objects have

spirits.
TE E N K

5. ______________________ A hand-woven, brightly

covered fabric.
H AVNANAS

6. ______________________ An open grassland with

scattered trees.
COMPREHENSION AND CRITICAL THINKING
Read each of the following pairs of sentences, and cross out the FALSE
sentence.
1. a. Griots passed on the history of West Africa by telling stories.
b. Griots passed on the history of West Africa by writing books.

Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

24

Early African Civilizations

Name

Class

Date

Early African Civilizations, continued

Chapter Review

2. a. The trade of salt and iron made the rulers of Ghana rich.
b. The trade of salt and gold made the rulers of Ghana rich.
3. a. Ghana declined due to invaders, overgrazing, and the loss of trade.
b. Ghana declined due to invaders, overgrazing, and the loss of natural resources.
4. a. Mansa Musa was Malis most famous ruler and helped to spread Islam through

West Africa.
b. Askia the Great was Malis most famous ruler and helped to spread Islam
through West Africa.
REVIEWING THEMES
Using the themes listed below, determine which is identified by each
statement.
Themes
geography

politics

technology and
innovation

economics

society and
culture

religion

________________________ 1. The development of iron tools helped farmers to

become more productive.

________________________ 2. Ghanas trade prospered because of its location

between the Sahara Desert and deep forests.

REVIEW ACTIVITY: WEST AFRICA CONCEPT MAP
Trace the outline of the continent of Africa on a large sheet of paper.
Add words and pictures to describe what you have learned about West
Africa and early African civilizations. For example, you could label the
Sahara Desert with its name and add a picture of it. Other possibilities
include drawing icons to represent the natural resources of West Africa
and labeling the location of different empires. Include at least 30 words
and pictures. Use the words below to help you in your search for words
and pictures.

rulers

empires

regions

art

climate

geography

resources

trade

landforms

traditions

dance

cities

ways of life

religion

storytelling

music

Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

25

Early African Civilizations