AFRICA

Vocabulary

• Sahel• Savannah• Animism• Swahili• Zimbabwe

Crops

• Savannah—flat grasslands– Grain crops (like millet, sorghum and maize)

• Sahel – narrow strip of land between Sahara and savannah– Cotton and watermelon

Livestock

• Raised lots of animals: sheep, goats and cattle• Seldom killed the animals. To kill an animal

meant the loss of your wealth

Family

• Children were believed to be important!• Africans had many wives so they could have

many children• Marriage and large families led to increased

wealth and family honor

Why was the family so important?

1. Provided security for family members2. Provided a pool of wisdom and skills

Clans

• Everyone who could trace his ancestry to a common relative

• The clan elder was in charge

Tribe

• Two or more clans that had same language, beliefs and customs formed a tribe

Religion

• Believed in a Supreme Being or High God• Also believed in lesser Gods

• Animism – the belief that objects had spirits• They prayed and offered sacrifices to these

spirits to get blessings

Islam in Africa

• How did it get to Africa?• 1. Islamic merchants came in trade caravans• 2. slaves brought in from Indonesia and

Southeast Asia brought their religion with them