Chapter 19 Section 3

West Africa

I) A History of Rich Trading Empires
a. Three Trading Empires
  1. The empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai thrived in West Africa because of their location on trade routes across the Sahara.
  2. Gold and salt were some of the main products traded.
  3. Ghana became an empire around A.D. 800 but began to decline in power by the end of the 11th century.
  4. A Moroccan army invaded Songhai and defeated it, destroying the empire.
b. Stateless Societies
  1. West Africa is filled with many different cultures and people.
  2. Before colonialism, some of these people lived in what are called stateless societies.
  3. A stateless society is one in which people rely on family lineages to govern themselves, rather than an elected government or a monarch.

II) West Africa Struggles Economically
a. Ghana's Stability
  1. Ghana's economy relies primarily on the export of gold, diamonds, magnesium, and bauxite to the industrialized world.
  2. Ghana's per capita output is about twice that of the poorest African countries.
  3. Ghana's transition from colonialism to democracy has had setbacks, including military rule and civil war.
b. Problems In Sierra Leone 
  1. Some of the worst economic conditions in West Africa happen in Sierra Leone.
  2. Although, years of political instability and civil wars have left the economy in shambles.

III) Cultural Symbols of West Africa 
a. Ashanti Crafts
  1. The Ashanti, who live in Ghana, are known for their work in weaving colorful asasia, what westerners call kente cloth.
  2. The designs of kente cloth contain colorful woven geometric figures with specific meanings.
  3. Other crafts include making masks and carving wood.
b. Benin Art
  1. The kingdom of Benin, which has no direct connection with the current country of Benin, arose in what is now Nigeria in the 1200s.
  2. Their most important works were fashioned from brass and are called Benin "bronzes."
  3. A common subject of Benin "bronzes" was that of the queen mother.

IV) Music In Daily Life
a. Western African Music
  1. West African popular music involves a blend of traditional African music with American forms of Jazz, Blues, and Reggae.
  2. All of those did indeed originate in West Africa.
  3. West African music is played on a wide variety of drums and other instruments such as the kora, a cross between a harp and a lute.
  4. King Sunny Ade, aka the "minister of enjoyment," is a popular musician from Nigeria.