Chapter 5 – Early West African Societies

Section NotesGeography of AfricaEarly Culture and Trade

VideoEarly African Civilizations and Africa Today

ImagesWest African VillagersEnvironments of AfricaTrade in West Africa

Quick FactsVillage SocietyChapter 5 Visual Summary

MapsAfrica: PhysicalEnvironments of AfricaAssessment Map

7.4.1Geography of Africa

The Big Idea

West Africa has varied environments and valuable resources.

Main Ideas

• The landforms, water, climate, and plant life affected history in West Africa.

• West Africa’s resources included farmland, gold, and salt.

Main Idea 1: The landforms, water, climate, and plant life

affected history in West Africa

• Africa is the second largest continent and is shaped like a soup bowl with mountains on the rim.

• The Niger River became a source of water, food, and transportation that allowed many people to live in the sub-Saharan plains, areas in Africa south of the equator.

Africa’s Four Regions

• The northern band across West Africa is the southern part of the Sahara. It has the world’s largest desert.

• The semiarid Sahel divides the desert from wetter areas. It has enough vegetation to support hardy grazing animals.

• Farther south is a band of savannah, or open grass with scattered trees. Grazing animals are common there.

• Rain forests, or moist, densely wooded areas, are near the equator. They contain a variety of plants and animals.

West Africa’s land produced many crops, such as dates and kola nuts. Kola nuts could be used for medicine.

Gold could be used for jewelry or coins.

Main Idea 2: West Africa’s resources included

farmland, gold, and salt.

Salt was a resource that was found deep in the earth, from lakes that had dried up.

7.4.2Early Culture and Trade

The Big Idea

Family ties, religion, iron technology, and trade all contributed to the growth of West African societies.

Main Ideas

• Family and religion influenced daily life in early West African society.

• Iron technology changed life in West Africa.

• Trade shaped the history of West Africa.

Main Idea 1: Family and religion influenced daily life in

early West African society.

• A typical West African family was an extended family including close relatives.

• Some people took part in another type of group, called age sets.

– In these groups, people who had been born within the same two or three years formed special bonds.

Loyalty to families and age-sets helped the people of a village work together.

• Everyone had specific duties.

• Men hunted and farmed.

• Women farmed and cared for the children.

• Elders taught traditions to the children.

• Children started working as soon as they were able.

Loyalties

Many West Africans believed that unseen spirits of their ancestors stayed nearby.

They shared their problems and news with the spirits and offered them food.

Main Idea 2: Iron technology changed life in West Africa.

• Changes in technology helped some early communities grow.

• The people of Nok began using iron to make farm tools and weapons.

• Farmers could work the land faster and grow more food.

• Warriors gained power with better weapons.

• People could live in places they hadn’t been able to before.

Main Idea 3:Trade shaped the history

of West Africa.

• West Africans began to trade the area’s resources with buyers who lived thousands of miles away.

• They traded gold, salt, cloth, copper, silver, and other items.

• Camels were used to transport goods over long distances because they could store water and carry heavy loads.

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