G+Four

Geography

 * Africa is the 2nd largest continent.
 * 62 political territories.
 * Largest southward projects from main mass of earth's surface
 * Africa is divided into 4 main following parts: Northern Africa, Western Africa, Eastern Africa and Southern Africa.

Trade

 * The civilizations that flourished in ancient West Africa were all based on trade, so successful West African leaders tended to be peace makers rather than warriors.
 * The first people to make the trek across the desert were the Berbers of North Africa, who brought their strick Islamic faith across the Sahara.
 * The Berbers converted many of the merchants of West African beliefs. The ancient West Africans, like Native Americans and the Sumerians, believed that many gods existed in nature. They did not accept the Muslim belief in one God.



Culture

 * Many diffrent cultures.
 * It is a product of the diverse populations that today inhabit the continent of Africa and the African Diaspora.
 * Like much of the world, it has been impacted upon by both internal and external forces.
 * It is manifold.
 * Africa is divided into a great number ofm ethnic cultures.

Empire of Ghana

 * Was located in what is now southeastern Mauritania and western Mali.
 * Complex societies had been around in the region since about 1500.
 * Around Ghana's core region since about 300.
 * When Ghana's ruling dynasty began is uncertain,it is first mentioned in documentary sources around 830 by Muḥammad.

Empire of Mali

 * The name mali was recorded as the name of the empire by Ibn Battuta.
 * From 1230 to about 1600 the Mali Empire flourished in West Africa.
 * The Mali Empire extended over a large area adn had many profound cultural influences on West Africa.
 * The empire was originally founded by a federation of Mandinka trives called the Manden Kurufa.

Mansa Musa

 * Mansa Musa captured the attention of the Arab world when he left his home in the West African kingdom of Mali to make a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324.
 * Mansa Musa was a very rich king.
 * When Mansa Musa passed through the Egyptian city of Cairo, legends say he gave away so much gold that the price of gold fell, and the economy was affected for more than twenty years.

Empire of Songhai

 * Songhai empire (1375-1591)
 * The Songhai Empire was the largest and last of the three major pre-colonial empres to emerge in West Africa.
 * From its capital at Gao on the Niger River, Songhai expanded in all directions until it streched from the Atlantic Ocean to what is now Northwest Nigeria and wester Niger.
 * Gao, Songhai's capital, which remains to this day a small Niger River trading center, was home to the famous Goa Mosque and the Tomb of Askia, the most importand of the Songhai emperors.

Askia the Great.

 * Askia the Great (1442-1538).
 * Askia the Great (Askia Muhammad) also know as Muhammad Ture, was a Soninke king of the Songhai empire in the late 15th ceuntry.
 * Askia Muhammad strengthend his country and made it the largest country in West Africa's history.
 * He is reputed to be buried in the Tomb of Askia in Gao, a world Heritage site.

Artistic Traditions

 * Africa has a rich tradition of arts and crafts.
 * African arts and crafts find expression in diffrent types of woodcarvings, brass and leather art works.
 * African arts and crafts also include sculpture, paintings, pottery, ceremonial and religious headgear and dress.
 * Is a term typically used for the art of Saharan Africa.

Page Created by: Kimberly Paredes, Daniela Vazquez.