Question

Summarize medieval Africa's geography, societies, and cultures.

Answer 1

Medieval Africa's development was deeply influenced by its geography, with trade and agricultural innovations fostering complex societies such as Ghana, Mali, and Great Zimbabwe. Nomadic people were pivotal to trade, while Christianity and Islam's spread further shaped cultures.

Step-by-step explanation:

Medieval Africa's Geography, Societies, and Cultures:

The geography and climate of medieval Africa played a crucial role in shaping its societies and cultures. From as early as the sixth century, areas such as West Africa and southern Africa witnessed the development of complex political entities due to agricultural and metallurgical advancements near rivers like the Niger and the Limpopo. Trade expansion, with routes connecting trading centers, underpinned the growth of kingdoms like Ghana, Mali, and Great Zimbabwe, integrating them into a vast network that reached Europe, Asia, and Arabia.

Influence of Geography on Development:

Geography and climate influenced early African societies, with the spread of Neolithic farming and Bantu migrations playing a significant role. Nomadic Africans were crucial for managing trans-Saharan trade, supporting the dynamics of social and economic interactions across regions.

Religion and Trade:

Religions such as Christianity and Islam entered Western Africa and gradually spread, influencing the culture. The trans-Saharan trade tied North Africa's Mediterranean regions with sub-Saharan areas, facilitating cultural and economic exchanges, as seen with the rise of the Fatimid Caliphate.

Rise of Empires:

Kingdoms such as Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe emerged through Bantu migrations, contributing unique attributes to West African civilization. Ghana and Mali amassed wealth and power predominantly through control over trade routes and resources.

Answer 2

Step-by-step explanation:

In the early middle age (around 500 years) Africa´s was still well represented by one of the most iconic and ancient cultures of the world, the Egyptians. Their territory was located in the northside of Africa in the well known Sahara desert, they worshipped pagan gods, until the Romans appeared, and started to spread the Christianism.

The Egyptian social structure was very hierarchized with many floors were different sectors of people were assigned, the Pharaoh first, then nobility, priests, soldiers, scribes, merchants and more, however other cultures, with novelty social structure, and army distribution started to approach (Romans, Islam, etc).

A century and a couple of decades later Africa´s desertic zones were occupied by Islam (around 646), new territories started to be used (Ghana for example) in the continent, and more cultures started to establish settlements.

Due to this activity, the Sahara trade route was founded, the Islam started to have more control and have great power in the area, spreading their religion, and naturally having different conflicts with other kingdoms in order to defend and expand the territory, that was a common event in Medieval times.