Africa CivilizationsTerms and People Review

rifts

a long, deep valley formed by the movement of the earth’s crust

sub-Saharan Africa

Africa south of the Sahara

Sahel

a semi-arid region in Africa south of the Sahara that separates the desert

from wetter areas

Savannah

an open grassland with scattered trees

rain forests

a moist, densely wooded area that contains many different plants and

animals

extended family

a family group that includes the father, mother, children, and close relatives

animism

the belief that bodies of water, animals, trees, and other natural

objects have spirits

Tunka Manin

King of the Ghana Empire; his kingdom was visited by Muslim writers

silent barter

a process in which people exchange goods without contacting each other

directly

Sundiata

Founder of the Mali Empire

Mansa Musa

Mali’s greatest and most famous mansa, or ruler. A devout Muslim.

Made a pilgrimage to Mecca.

proverbs

short sayings of wisdom or truth

oral history

a spoken record of past events

griots

a West African storyteller

Sunni Ali

Emperor of Songhai. (Sunni means emperor) Conquered Mali and made Songhai into a powerful

state.

kente

a hand-woven, brightly colored West African fabric

Askia the Great

Songhai ruler. High point of Songhai culture.