AP World - (8) African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam

159754931	Sahara	The world's largest desert (3,500,000 square miles) in northern Africa.
159754932	Sahel	The extensive grassland belt at the southern edge of the Sahara; a point of exchange between the forest to the south and northern Africa.
159754933	Transhumant	A form of pastoralism common to the Mediterranean basin and the Sahara; involves moving from one region to another according to the season.
159754934	Nok	Culture featuring highly developed art style flourishing between 500 B.C.E. and 200 C.E.; located in forests of central Nigeria.
159754935	Yoruba	City-states developed in northern Nigeria circa 1200 C.E.; Ile-Ife featured artistic style possibly related to earlier Nok culture; agricultural societies supported by peasantry and dominated by ruling family and aristocracy.
159754936	Bantu	A member of any of a large number of linguistically related peoples of Central and South Africa.
159754937	Pygmies	One of few pure hunting societies left in Africa following Bantu migration.
159754938	Ghana	First known kingdom in sub-Saharan West Africa between the 6th and 13th centuries C.E.
159754939	Sudanic States	Kingdoms that developed during the height of Ghana's power in the region; based at Takrur on the Senegal River to the west and Gao on the Niger River to the east; included the states of Mali and Songhay.
159754940	Kumbi Saleh	Capital of empire of Ghana; divided into two adjoining cities: one for the king, court, and indigenous people, one for the merchants, scholars, and religious leaders.
159754942	Mali	Empire centered between the Senegal and Niger Rivers; creation of Malinke peoples; broke away from control of Ghana in the 13th century.
159754943	Pastoral Nomads	An intermediate form of ecological adaptation dependant on domesticated animal herds that feed on natural environment; typically more populous than shifting cultivation groups.
159754944	Stateless Societies	African societies organized around kinship or other forms of obligation and lacking the concentration of political power and authority associated with states.
159754945	Ifiqiya	The Arabic term for eastern North Africa.
159754946	Maghrib	The Arabic term for western North Africa.
159754947	Almoravids	A puritanical reformist movement among the Islamic Berber tribes of norther Africa; controlled gold trade across the Sahara; conquered Ghana in 1076 C.E.; moved southward against African kingdoms of the savanna and westward into Spain.
159754948	Almohadis	A reformist movement among the Islamic Berbers of northern Africa; later than the Almoravids; penetrated into sub-Sahara Africa.
159754949	Mali	Empire created by indigenous Muslims in western Sudan of West Africa from the thirteenth to fifteenth century. It was famous for its role in the trans-Saharan gold trade.
159754950	Juula	Malinke merchants; formed small partnerships to carry trade throughout Mali Empire; eventually spread throughout much of west Africa.
159754951	Sundiata	The "Lion Prince"; a member of the Keita clan; created a unified state that became the Mali Empire; died about 1260 C.E.
159754952	Ibn Batuta	Arab traveler who described African societies and cultures in his travel records.
159754953	Timbuktu	Port city of Mali; located just off the flood plain on the great bend of the Niger River; population of 50,000; contained a library and university.
159754954	Mansa Musa	This Mali king brought Mali to its peak of power and wealth from 1312 the 1337; he was the most powerful king in West Africa.
159754955	Songhay	Successor state to Mali; dominated middle reaches of Niger valley; formed as independent kingdom under a Berber dynasty; capital at Gao; reached imperial status under Sunni Ali (he lived from 1464-1492).
159754956	Muhammad the Great	Extended boundaries of the Songhay Empire; Islamic ruler of the mid-16th century.
159754957	Hausa	Peoples of northern Nigeria; formed states following the demise of Songhay Empire that combined Muslim and pagan traditions.
159754958	Sharia	Body of Islamic law that includes interpretation of the Quran and applies Islamic principles to everyday life.
159754959	Benin	Powerful city-state (in present day Nigeria) which came into contact with the Portuguese in 1485 but remained relatively free of European influence; important commercial and political entity until the 19th century.
159754960	Great Zimbabwe	Bantu confederation of Shona-speaking peoples located between the Zambezi River and Limpopo River; developed after 9th century; featured royal courts built of stone; created centralized state by the 15th century; king took title of Mwene Mutapa.
159754961	Kongo	Kingdom, based on agriculture, formed on the lower Congo River by the late 15th century; capital at Mbanza Kongo; ruled by hereditary monarchy.
166756350	Demography	The study of population.
166756351	Zenj	Arabic term for the east African coast.
166756352	Griots	Professional oral historians who served as keepers of traditions and advisors to kings within the Mali Empire.