Trans-Saharan Trade Routes/AP Exam Practice

Topic 4 AP Exam Practice

Multiple-Choice Questions

Questions 1 to 3 refer to the chart below.

1. Which was the most important impact of the improvements in saddles in assisting the spread of Islam in Africa?

(A) They allowed younger people to ride camels.
(B) They increased the demand for camels.
(C) They contributed to increased trans-Saharan trade.
(D) They strengthened Islamic armies.

2. The information on camel saddles is an example of how

(A) people adapted technology based on their needs
(B) differences in camels suited them for different tasks
(C) innovation results from outside influences
(D) climate variations influenced the relationship between people and animals

3. Where was the saddle developed that had the greatest impact on trade throughout the Middle East and Africa?

(A) Southern Arabia
(B) Northern Arabia
(C) Northern Africa
(D) Eastern Africa

Short-Answer Questions

1. Use the passages below to answer all parts of the question that follows.

“Between the 11th and the 17th centuries West Africa was the leading supplier of gold to the international economy. African gold contributed to the functioning of the domestic economy in Europe . . . . And it contributed to the wealth of the great states of the Western Sudan.”

Anthony G. Hopkins, An Economic History of West Africa, 1973

“Copper mined in Mali came to be a crucial element in trade patterns. It could be exchanged with the peoples to the south who controlled the sources of gold. Kola nuts, animal skins, slaves, grain, meat, and even dairy products were also transported by trading networks.”

J. Rotondo-McCord, 1998

(A)(A) Explain ONE way in which a resource from Mali was used in Sub- Saharan trade during the period c. 1200–c. 1450.

(B)(B) Explain ONE way in which Mali’s wealth contributed to the expansion of its government during the period c. 1200–c. 1450.

(C)(C) Explain ONE example of transportation technology that led to growth in interregional trade during the period c. 1200–c. 1450.

2. Answer all parts of the question that follows.

(A)(A) Identify ONE economic impact Muslim traders had on Sub- Saharan Africa.

(B)(B) Identify ONE cultural influence Muslim traders had on Sub- Saharan Africa.

(C)(C) Explain ONE similarity between trans-Saharan trade and trade on the Silk Roads in Asia.

← Think As Historian