G+Twelve


 * ==Geography==
 * Africa is surrounded by two oceans, the Atlantic ocean, and the Indian ocean.
 * Northern Africa is the Sahara desert, the world's largest desert.
 * The most important river for the Ghana Empire, Mali Empire, and The Songhai Empire is the Niger River
 * Africa is a continent has five different natural environments, which they are mediterranean, rain forests, savannah, semiarid, and desert.

Trade

 * For a long time, west Africans had ventured into the desert to trade. They only make a short trip from oasis to oasis.
 * West Africa's gold and salt mines are the source of great wealth.

Culture

 * A traditional belief showed the importance of families. Many West Africans believed that the unssen spirits of their ancestors stayed nearby.To honor these spirits, families market places as sacred spaces by putting specially carved statues there. Family members gathered in these places to share news and problems with the ansestors. Families also offered food to the ansestors spirits.

Empire of Ghana

 * Ghana first developed by farmers, and after 300 of these farmers, they were named Soninke.
 * Soninke families began to band together and started the beginning Ghana.
 * After they banded together, Ghana grew in strength.
 * They learned how to use iron and used it to farm along the Niger river.
 * Ghana lay between the Sahara and deep forest.
 * Three major reasons contributed to its end.
 * A group of Muslims called Almoravids attacked Ghana in the 1060s and forced the leaders to become Muslim.
 * This one of the reasons the Ghana fell.

Empire of Mali

 * The Empire's location on the Niger River allowed Its people control trade on the river.
 * Through this control of the trade, the empire became rich and powerful.
 * According to legend, Mali's power began to rise under a ruler named Sundiata.
 * When he was boy, a powerful king conquered Mali and treated the people of Mali bad.
 * When he reached to his adulthood, built a huge army and won the country's independence.
 * He also conquered near by kingdoms including Ghana.
 * After he conquered Ghana, he took over the salt and gold trade.
 * He also had new farmlands were cleared for beans, onions, rice, and other crops.
 * The Mali Empire is famous for it's wealth and it's centers of learning.

Mansa Musa

 * Mansa musa ruled mali for about 25 years. during that time, his army captured many important trade cities, including Timbuktu, Gao, and Djenne.
 * Because of Mansa Musa's influence, the religion of Islam, spread to the western Africa.
 * In 1324, he left Mali on a pilgrimage to Mecca, according to one account he arrived to Cairo, Egypt with nearly 100 camels, each loaded with 300 pounds of gold, and also 60,000 men traveled with him.
 * Mansa Musa gave away most of his gold in Egypt.
 * He also wanted to spread Islam in west Africa.
 * He tried to conquer Songhai to make their lands his.

Empire of Songhai

 * By the 1300s the Songhai had become more rich and powerful to draw attention of Mali's rulers.
 * As Mail's government grew weak, the people of Songhai rose against it and regained their freedom.
 * They shared common religion with Barbers who crossed the Shara to the west to trade.
 * Because of this shared religion, the barbers were willing to trade with the Songhai, who began to grow richer.
 * The Songhai grew large by one man, Sunni Ali.
 * Before he became ruler Songhai was disorganized and poorly run.
 * As he became ruler he worked to unify, strengthen, and enlarge it.
 * He even made Mali part of his empire.
 * In 1468, the rulers of Mali asked Sunni to fight off the invaders, he agreed, but after he fought off the invaders he took Timbuktu and Djenne for himself.

Askia the Great

 * Askia the Great was the age of 50 when he became the ruler of the Songhai Empire.
 * He ruled the Songhai Empire about 35 years.
 * The people of the Songhai Empire were afraid that Askia the Great was not going to help support the Empire of Islam.
 * Askia the Great was not Muslim, but he did support the Muslim Empire.
 * Askai the Great made a pilgrimage to Mecca, just like Mansa Musa, but 200 years later.
 * Askai also worked to support education, also like Mansa Musa.
 * Like Mansa Musa, he took his Muslim faith very seriously.

Artistic Traditions

 * In addition to statues, the artists of West Africa carved elaborate masks. Made of wood, these masks bore the faces of animals such as hyenas, lions, monkeys, and antelopes.
 * Dance has long been a central part of African society. Many West African cultures used dance to celebrate specific events or ceremonies.

Page Created by: Angel and Carlos