A) Identify which factor supported both Axum and the Swahili city-states in trading with other

The factor that supported both Axum and the Swahili city-states in trading with other nations is **location**. Both regions were strategically positioned along key trade routes, facilitating commerce with various other nations.

A) What can we infer happened to the Axum Empire after 1100 CE? (1 point)

It was destroyed by a rival empire.
It stopped trading entirely.
It lost influence as the Swahili city-states gained prominence.
The economic system fell apart due to overexpansion.

Based on historical context, we can infer that after 1100 CE, **it lost influence as the Swahili city-states gained prominence.** The rise of the Swahili city-states along the coast of East Africa shifted trade dynamics in the region, leading to a decline in the Axum Empire's influence.

A) Which statement best describes how physical geography contributed to the decline of West

African empires? (1 point)
Periods of drought led to declines in food production and increased migration of people seeking
better conditions.
Salt was overmined, leading to shortages and protests by miners who demanded more gold for
their work.
Hurricanes forced many to migrate east toward central Africa, which reduced the size of the
armies.
Landslides and flooding destroyed villages, causing the population to use violence to gain food.

The statement that best describes how physical geography contributed to the decline of West African empires is: **Periods of drought led to declines in food production and increased migration of people seeking better conditions.** This reflects how climatic changes impacted agricultural productivity and led to social and economic shifts.

A) Which of the following best explains the relative significance of the trans-Saharan and

Indian Ocean trade routes? (1 point)
Neither of them was significant because both were limited in whom they could reach.
The routes were equally significant—each in its own way—as they both contributed to significant
cultural developments along the routes, and worth cannot be measured simply by the goods that
were traded.
The Indian Ocean basin was more significant because it connected the Middle East and parts of
Africa with Asia, specifically China, and it had important goods such as silk and porcelain.
Trans-Saharan trade was more significant because it had more valuable resources such as salt,
gold, and ivory

The statement that best explains the relative significance of the trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean trade routes is: **The routes were equally significant—each in its own way—as they both contributed to significant cultural developments along the routes, and worth cannot be measured simply by the goods that were traded.** Each trade route facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures, impacting the regions and societies involved in different but equally meaningful ways.

A) Explain the significance of Timbuktu in West Africa. (1 point)

Timbuktu was a popular tourist destination.
Timbuktu was the origin point of iron-smelting in West Africa.
Timbuktu was a center for learning similar to the institutions that preceded universities in Europe.
Timbuktu was the capital of the Nok culture.

The significance of Timbuktu in West Africa is that **Timbuktu was a center for learning similar to the institutions that preceded universities in Europe.** It became renowned for its educational institutions, libraries, and scholarship, attracting scholars and students from various regions and contributing to the intellectual and cultural heritage of the Islamic world and beyond.