08.

05 Travel Journal
What are the geographic regions of West Africa?

- It borders the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, as well as the Mediterranean Sea
and the Red Sea, Africa is mountainous, most of West Africa is close to sea level. The
landscape, however, is diverse. In West Africa, one can find desert, savannah, and
rainforest, The Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world. It stretches across
northern Africa, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. South of the Sahara Desert
is a region called the Sahel. The Sahel is a region of savannahs. Like the Sahara, the
Sahel also stretches across Africa. The savannah is a grassy area with small trees. It
is arid, but not nearly as much as the desert.

What are the natural wonders that can be found in Africa?

- We can find 6, that are: Red Sea Reef, The Serengeti grasslands, Mount Kilimanjaro,
The Ngorongoro Crater, Aldabra Atoll and Avenue of the Baobabs.

What type of government did the Ghana Empire have?

- It was ruled by a king. He had a council of elders who headed the government. The
king lived in the capital city, Kolumbi Saleh. It is in the central part of Ghana near the
Sahara Desert. The rest of Ghana was divided into states. Each state was ruled by a
powerful ruler. the Ghana Empire had many kings.

How did the Ghana Empire become wealthy through trade?

- They controlled the trade routes between the Sahara Desert and the southern parts
of West Africa! The kings of the Ghana Empire promised the merchants who were
traveling south to trade salt for gold that they would be protected by Ghana’s great
 army. In exchange, the merchants would have to give the army a portion of the gold
they brought back.

What were the reasons for the decline of the Ghana Empire?

- The main reason for Ghana’s decline was the loss of its trading monopoly. New trade
routes began to open in eastern Africa. Merchants could use these routes to reach
the gold mines. Traders who did not want to pay the taxes that the king of Ghana
charged or give him a portion of their gold took these trade routes instead. Ghana
suffered greatly when it lost this source of wealth. Ghana also experienced a horrible
drought.

What was the Mali Empire like at its height?

- They were good, I think they were so smart to take their decisions also they
demonstrate the attitude to make good things for the empire.

How were the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires the same? How were they different?

-
 -

What are the threats to the ecosystems of West Africa?

- Weather basically.
-