1. Chapter 11: Early Societies in West Africa
Mr. Meza
7th Grade World History

2. 1. Where is the Sahara Desert?
North West Africa
Bordered the Atlantic ocean
Approximately 3.5 million square miles

3. 2. What is the Sahel? Located south of the Sahara desert
It is a zone of semi desert

4. 3. Why was the Niger River Important?
Near land was fertile
Provided fish to eat
Largest river in West Africa

5. 4. What year did people first settle in the Sahara Desert?
By about 4000BCE

6. 5. What is an extended family?
An immediate family plus other close relatives such as, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
These extended families turned into villages.

7. 6. Why did some villages extend to towns?
Ironworking and expansion of trade

8. 7. Who were the African blacksmiths?
The Nok
started in 500 BCE

9. 8. What is Jenne-jeno? Built in the third century
Existed for 1,600 years
Built where the Niger river meets the Bani river
It grew into a city of 20,000

10. 9. What did the discovery of Jenne-jenno allow us to learn?
That cities existed in West Africa

11. 10. What is a tribute?
A payment made by one ruler of a country to another for protection as a sign of submission.

12. 11. What were the three West African kingdoms
Ghana, Songhai, Mali