The Indian Ocean and the Swahili Coast · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Monsoon Winds and the Swahili Coast

History · World History · ages 12-13
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which of these was a stone town port on the Swahili coast?

    • Timbuktu
    • Gao
    • Kilwa

  2. Which way do the monsoon winds blow?

    • Toward India in summer, back to Africa in winter
    • Toward Africa in summer, away in winter
    • They never change at all

  3. Chinese pottery on the African coast shows these lands traded far afield.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. What did Swahili towns give, and what did they get?

    • Cloth and pots out, gold and ivory in
    • Only fish, both ways
    • Gold and ivory out, cloth and pots in

  5. A captain in Africa wants to reach India fast. When should he leave?

    • In winter, against the wind
    • In summer, with the wind behind him
    • In any storm, since storms help

  6. Dhows used big square sails that only worked with the wind dead behind.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. Two captains argue about Great Zimbabwe. One calls it a port, the other an inland town built on trade. Who is right?

    • The inland caller, since it sat inland and lived off the traffic
    • The port caller, since all trade towns touch the sea
    • Both, since towns can be in two places

  8. A pot from China turns up in Great Zimbabwe, far inland. What does it prove?

    • A Chinese sailor got lost every year
    • Trade joined ocean ships to inland roads
    • Pots grow in African soil
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Monsoon Winds and the Swahili Coast W1-mt_0hVCaCE7QL-s1

  1. Kilwa · Kilwa stood on the ocean coast; Timbuktu and Gao lie inland by the desert trade.
  2. Toward India in summer, back to Africa in winter · Summer winds push ships northeast to India, winter winds push them back.
  3. True · Pots cannot walk, so ships and traders carried them across the ocean.
  4. Gold and ivory out, cloth and pots in · Africa sent gold and ivory east, and Asian cloth and pots came back.
  5. In summer, with the wind behind him · Summer winds blow toward India, giving a fast ride across.
  6. False · Dhows carried triangle shaped lateen sails that could bite into the wind.
  7. The inland caller, since it sat inland and lived off the traffic · Great Zimbabwe stood inland, and coastal goods reached it by road.
  8. Trade joined ocean ships to inland roads · The pot sailed to the coast, then passed hand to hand inland.
Worksheet · LightMySky