Question

For each term or person, write a sentence explaining its connection to Africa in the period from

1500 BC to AD 1500
1. Sahara
2. Animism
3. Push-pull factors
4. Bantu-speaking peoples
5. Aksum
6. Ghana
7. Mali
8. Songhai
9. Swahili
10. Great Zimbabwe

Answer 1

During the period from 1500 BC to AD 1500, Africa witnessed the rise of various significant kingdoms and cultural developments. The Sahara Desert served as a trade route, animism was practiced by many African societies, push-pull factors influenced migration, Bantu-speaking peoples spread their language and culture, and kingdoms like Aksum, Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Swahili city-states, and Great Zimbabwe played important roles in trade and cultural exchange.

Step-by-step explanation:

The period from 1500 BC to AD 1500 was a time of significant developments and interactions in Africa. Here are the connections of each term or person to Africa during this period:

1. Sahara: The Sahara Desert played a crucial role as a barrier and a trade route for trans-Saharan trade, connecting North Africa to West Africa.
2. Animism: Animism, a belief system in which natural objects and phenomena are seen as having spiritual significance, was practiced by many African societies during this period.
3. Push-pull factors: Push-pull factors refer to the factors that influenced migration. In Africa, factors such as warfare, drought, and the search for fertile lands and new trade opportunities, acted as push-pull factors during this period.
4. Bantu-speaking peoples: Bantu-speaking peoples were a group of African ethnic groups who migrated and spread their language, culture, and agricultural practices across Sub-Saharan Africa during this period.
5. Aksum: Aksum, located in present-day Ethiopia, was an ancient kingdom that was an important center of trade and played a significant role in connecting Africa with the Red Sea and Indian Ocean trading networks.
6. Ghana: The Kingdom of Ghana was a powerful and wealthy trading empire in West Africa. It controlled the gold trade routes across West Africa and had extensive trade connections with North Africa and the Mediterranean.
7. Mali: Mali emerged as a successor to the Kingdom of Ghana and became one of the largest and wealthiest empires in Africa. It was a center of Islamic learning, trade, and culture.
8. Songhai: The Songhai Empire was the last and largest of the three great empires in West Africa. It controlled the trans-Saharan trade routes and became a center of Islamic scholarship and trade.
9. Swahili: Swahili refers to the Bantu-speaking ethnic groups and the culture that emerged along the East African coast. The Swahili city-states, such as Kilwa, Mombasa, and Zanzibar, were important trading hubs and played a significant role in connecting Africa with the Indian Ocean trade networks.
10. Great Zimbabwe: Great Zimbabwe was a medieval city and kingdom in southern Africa that was known for its impressive stone structures. It was a center of trade and connected the interior of southern Africa with trade routes along the Indian Ocean coast.