Chapter 13
Medieval Africa
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Medieval Africa
Chapter Introduction
Section 1 The Rise of African
Civilizations
Section 2 Africa’s Government
and Religion
Section 3 African Society and
Culture
Reading Review
Chapter Assessment
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Medieval Africa
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The Rise of African Civilizations
Africa’s Geography
• Africa is the second-largest continent in
the world. 
• The African continent contains rain
forests; savannas, which are tropical
grasslands; and deserts. 
• The Sahara Desert is in Africa 
• The Sahara is the largest desert in the
world.
(pages 445–446)
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The Rise of African Civilizations
Africa’s Geography (cont.)
• A plateau is an area of high, flat land. 
• Almost all of Africa, except the coastal
plains, rests on a plateau. 
• The Nile River is Africa’s longest river. 
•

(pages 445–446)
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The Rise of African Civilizations
West African Empires (cont.)
• Camels could travel for
days without water and
stored fat in their
humps for food. 
• Trade prospered after
the introduction of the
camel, and rulers of
cities began to build
empires.
(pages 447–449)
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The Rise of African Civilizations
How did the deserts affect travel in
Africa?
The deserts were difficult to cross.
People avoided the desert by
traveling along the coastlines.
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The Rise of African Civilizations
East Africa (cont.)
• Cities arose on the East African coast to
support Arab-African trade. 
• Zimbabwe was a great trading city.
(pages 451–453)
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Africa’s Government and
Religion
Islam in Africa
• Islam was popular in West African cities
where Africans traded with Muslim
Arabs, but not all West Africans
accepted Islam. 
(pages 464–467)
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Africa’s Government and
Religion
Traditional African Religions
• Many African groups believed in one
supreme god. 
• African religious practices vary from
place to place, but their beliefs served
similar purposes—to help people stay in
touch with their history and provide rules
for living. 
• Many Africans believed the spirits of
dead relatives stayed with them when
they died and that the spirits could talk
to the supreme god.
(page 463)
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African Society and Culture
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• The African slave trade changed greatly
when Muslims and Europeans began
taking captives from the continent. 
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African Society and Culture
Life in Medieval Africa
• They spread their language, Swahili,
and their culture as they traveled. 
• Africans often lived with extended
families, or families made up of several
generations.
(pages 469–470)
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African Society and Culture
Life in Medieval Africa (cont.)
• Many African villages were matrilineal,
meaning the people traced their
ancestors through their mothers rather
than their fathers. 

(pages 469–470)
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African Society and Culture
Life in Medieval Africa (cont.)
• Families and villages taught children the
history of their people and the skills they
would need as adults. 
• Stories were
passed down
through wordof-mouth, and
lessons were
given through
short sayings
called proverbs.
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(pages 469–470)
African Society and Culture
Slavery
• Slavery existed in Africa before the
arrival of Europeans. 
• Africans enslaved criminals and
enemies captured in war. 
• The slave trade grew as trade with
Muslim merchants increased. 
• Muslims were not allowed to enslave
other Muslims, but they could enslave
people of other faiths.
(pages 472–473)
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African Society and Culture
Slavery (cont.)
• The Portuguese brought
enslaved Africans to
Europe in 1441. 
• These enslaved people
were used to farm crops
of cotton, grapes, and
sugar cane.
(pages 472–473)
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African Society and Culture
Slavery (cont.)
• In the late 1400s, Europeans established
sugar plantations in the Americas and
brought enslaved Africans to work the
fields.
(pages 472–473)
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Medieval Africa
Review Main Ideas
Section 2 Africa’s Government and Religion
Describe the religious beliefs of
medieval Africans.
Some people believed in traditional
African religions and their gods.
Others were followers of Christianity
or Islam.
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Geography and Climate Zones in Africa
Trade in East Africa
African Religions Today
Focus on Everyday Life
Africa’s Salt Mines
Salt mining began in the Sahara in the Middle Ages. Ancient
miners worked underground and in sand dunes to extract
solid blocks of salt. The salt trade became a successful
business for the African people. In ancient times, salt was so
desirable that it was traded ounce for ounce for gold.
There are many salt deposits in western Africa
because part of the desert was once a shallow
sea made up of salt water. When the sea
dried up, salt was left behind. People need a
small amount of salt to stay healthy. It is lost
when people and animals sweat, so people
need some in their food. In ancient times,
before refrigerators or canned foods were
invented, salt was used to keep foods from going bad. It also
was used to add flavor to food.
Connecting to the Past
1. How do salt deposits form?
As salty water dries, it leaves behind the salt in salt
deposits.
2. Why do you think salt was so
valuable that it was traded
ounce for ounce for gold?
It was needed to keep people
healthy and to preserve and
flavor food.
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Mansa Musa Ruled 1312–1337
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Queen Nzinga c. 1582–1663
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