Africa is home to a variety of crops, livestock, and cultural practices. Savannah regions grow grains like millet, sorghum, and maize while the Sahel region closer to the Sahara grows cotton and watermelon. Livestock like cattle, goats, and sheep are raised but seldom killed since animals represent wealth. Large families with many children are valued as they provide security, wisdom, and increase wealth and honor for the family and clan. Religion incorporates belief in a Supreme Being as well as lesser gods and spirits that inhabit objects, and sacrifices are made to receive blessings. Islam arrived through trade caravans and slaves brought from Southeast Asia.

1. AFRICA

2. Vocabulary
• Sahel
• Savannah
• Animism
• Swahili
• Zimbabwe

5. Crops
• Savannah—flat grasslands
– Grain crops (like millet, sorghum and maize)

6. • Sahel – narrow strip of land between Sahara
and savannah
– Cotton and watermelon

7. Livestock
• Raised lots of animals: sheep, goats and cattle
• Seldom killed the animals. To kill an animal
meant the loss of your wealth

8. Family
• Children were believed to be important!
• Africans had many wives so they could have
many children
• Marriage and large families led to increased
wealth and family honor

12. Why was the family so important?
1. Provided security for family members
2. Provided a pool of wisdom and skills

13. Clans
• Everyone who could trace his ancestry to a
common relative
• The clan elder was in charge

14. Tribe
• Two or more clans that had same language,
beliefs and customs formed a tribe

15. Religion
• Believed in a Supreme Being or High God
• Also believed in lesser Gods

16. • Animism – the belief that objects had spirits
• They prayed and offered sacrifices to these
spirits to get blessings

17. Islam in Africa
• How did it get to Africa?
• 1. Islamic merchants came in trade caravans
• 2. slaves brought in from Indonesia and
Southeast Asia brought their religion with
them