Regional Interactions- Africa
African civilizations developed in sub-Saharan west
and east Africa. Trade brought important economic,
cultural and religious influences to African
civilizations from other parts of the Eastern
Hemisphere. States and Empires flourished in Africa
during the medieval period, including Ghana,Mali and
Songhai in West Africa, Axum in East Africa and
Zimbabwe in Southern Africa
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Ghana
Mali
Songhai
Axum
Zimbabwe
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East Africa
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Axum (Aksum)
•Located in the
Ethiopian
Highlands, east
of the Nile
River and west
of the Red Sea.
What are
Highlands?
A hilly or mountainous region. Higher elevation.
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•Located by the
Red Sea =
modern day
Ethiopia
•center of
trade for
Egypt, Arabia,
Persia, India
and the Roman
Empire
•key sea port
was called
ADULIS
•Became a
cosmopolitan
city
http://lionofjudah.spruz.com/user/405824/members/9DAF5B1C-DC29-429C83FC-158BC3EB7969/big_201090406514244.jpg
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East African Civilizations
•Aksum developed into a trading city in
303CE – find it on your map. Is it in
East or West Africa?
•In what ways will this city be
influenced by the Mediterranean
region? What is going on there in
300CE?
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Religion of Axum: Christianity
•Axum became Christian
because it became a thriving
trade city and encountered
Christians before Islam
developed.
•Its earliest King converted to
Christianity
•In 451 A.D., Ethiopia and
Egypt split from the Roman
Catholic Church and Axum
later became an Orthodox
Christian kingdom
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•Exports: salt,
rhinoceros horns,
tortoise shells,
ivory, emeralds,
and gold
•Roman
Merchants
regularly came to
Aksum for gold
•Imports: cloth,
glass, olive oil,
wine, brass, iron
and copper
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Zimbabwe
•Located between
the Zambezi and
Limpopo rivers
near the Indian
Ocean coast
•City of Great
Zimbabwe was
the capital of a
prosperous
empire
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West African kingdoms
•Ghana, Mali, Songhai empires
were located near the Niger River,
south of the Sahara Desert.
•Ghana developed first, then Mali,
then Songhai.
•Traders crossed the Sahara desert
(Trans-Saharan trade) for gold and
salt.
•Timbuktu was a center of trade
and learning (Muslim)
•Became Muslim during Mali
Empire. Before that, animism was
practiced.
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Salt in the Sahara
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Ghana Gold!
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Ghana Gold
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Mosque in Timbuktu
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What is Animism?
Religion practiced before Islam in
much of Africa. Belief that soul or
spirit is present in every object,
including inanimate objects.
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