sahel:   A dry, semi-desert region in Africa south of the Sahara desert that is threatened by desertification.

Sangare, Oumou:  Mali singer, most popular female vocalist in West Africa.

Sango:   The Yoruba spirit of thunder and anger, symbolized by the double ax-head,

Sankore, University of:  Located in Timbuktu it was the most famous center of knowledge in Africa; excelled in the study of Islamic law, literature, rhetoric, logic, medicine, and mathmatics.

savanna:  Tropical grasslands the cover most of Africa.

Savimbi, Jonas:   Led the UNITA forces in their fight for an independent Angola from 1966-1994.

scarification:   The practice of adorning the body with patterns of cicatrix, shallow cuts that form a scar.  Among many African Ethnic groups cicatrix are used to show membership or age-set.

scribe:   A government official who recorded important events and kept accounts.

Selassie I, Haile:   Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930-1974.

Senghor, Leopold Sedar:   Poet and first president of Senegal from 1960-1980.  Created the philosophy of negritude, a celebration of African culture and values.

Shabalala, Joseph:   Zulu singer who formed the vocal group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Shaka:   Military strategist and founder of the Zulu kingdom in 1818.  Murdered in 1828 by his half-brothers.

Sharia:   Islamic holy law.

shash:  A black cloth headdress worn by Afar women after marriage.

shawabti:   A statuette made for a funeral and placed in a tomb to serve the dead in the afterlife.

shiruba:   Popular women's hairstyle in East Africa which has spread to United States.  Hair is braided into small braids that hug the scalp then fall loose.

Shona:  largest ethnic group in Zimbabwe, their ancestors build the Great Zimbabwe; in the past they worshipped golden bird statues, today they are Christians.

simoom:   Hot, violent desert sandstorm.

sirata: designs on a Masai shield that indicate age-set.

sirocco:   A hot wind that blow across the Libyan desert and into southern Europe.

sisal: Strong, durable fiber made from sisal plant; used to make rope and baskets.

Sisulu, Walter:   Prominent leader of the South African fight against apartheid.  Imprisoned from 1962-1989.

siwa:   A Swahili ceremonial brass horn. 

Smith, Ian:  Prime Minister of the white-dominated government of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) from 1964-1979.

Smuts, Jan:  South African Prime Minister who fought against the British in the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902.

Snefru:   King of Egypt around 2600B.C.E.  Father of Khufu, he ordered the building of first true pyramid at Dahshur, called the Crooked Pyramid.  He raided Nubia, conquered Sinai, build copper mines, and brought prosperity to Egypt.

Sobukwe, Robert Magaliso:   Founder of the anti-apartheid PAC, Pan-Africanist Congress.  Helped organized the demonstrations against the Pass Laws in 1960  He was banned & imprisoned from  1960-1969.

Songhai:   Also Songhay.   The last of the Classical Kingdoms of West Africa.  Songhai lasted from 1350 to 1600 when the Moroccans captured their salt mines.  This empire brought Islamic culture to its peak in west Africa.

Soninke:

souk:   A market place in any Arabic city.

soukous:   Congo dance music.  The Cuban rumba comes from this music.

Soweto:   South African township near Johannesburg.  One of the largest urban areas in southern Africa.  Notorious for its poverty, overcrowding, and oppression, from 1976 to 1991, Soweto became the center of the student fight against apartheid.

Soyinka, Wole:   First black African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.  Nigerian playwright, novelist, editor, & poet.  Author of Invention, Kongi's Harvest.

sphinx:  A giant Egyptian statue usually with a woman's head and a lion's body.  The sphinx guarded the pyramids and tombs of the pharaohs and would kill anyone who did not know the answer to the riddle it asked.

stela:   A stone slab or pillar built to honor a god or royalty.

Sufism:   A branch of Islam popular in Africa that incorporates mysticism.

Sumanguru:   King of Ghana during the 13th century.  He defeated the Malinke King and annexed Mali.

Sundiata Keita:   Founder of the Empire of Mali, died in 1255.

Sunni Ali Ber:   Ruler of the Gao who conquered the Mali Empire and expanded it creating the Songhai Empire.  Died in 1492.   During his reign, he revived traditional African culture.

Swahili:   language used throughout East Africa; Swahili people established city-states along the East coast of Africa and prospered through trade; most are Muslims.

tagelmust:   Tuareg headdress worm by men.

Taghaza:

Taharka:   Nubian King and Pharaoh of Egypt 9689-664B.C.E.) who defeated the Assyrians and allied himself with Israel.  He restored many of the temples and pyramids and popularized the use of shawabtis.

talking drum:   Hourglass shaped drums which are adjusted by tightening the waist of the drum.  The pitch of the drum mimics tones of speech.

Talmud:  From Hebrew, it means learning; a collection of Jewish writings that instruct them on the Jewish way of life.

Tambo, Oliver:   South African who directed the ANC from exile while Mandela was in prison.

teff:   A small grain grown in Africa.

Tehuti:   Also called Thoth.  Egyptian god of literature and knowledge.  This Ibis-headed god taught the art of hieroglyphics to the Egyptian priests.

Tewodros II:   Also known as Theodore.  King of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) from 1855-1868.  Fought to keep Abyssinia free from European colonial rule.

Thebes:   Ancient Egyptian capital city.  Worshiped Amen.  The temple complexes of Karnak and Luxor are located at Thebes.

theology:   The study or a god or gods and their relation to the world.

Timkat:   Ethiopian name for the Feast of the Epiphany.

togu na:   A large open sided building that the Dogon use for council meetings.

Toure, Ahmad Sekou:   President of Guinea from 1958-1984.  Leader in the struggle for independence.

Toure, Ali Farka:   Malian guitar player.

Towahedo:   The orthodox Christian church of Ethiopia.

townships:  Government-built towns in South Africa that were created during apartheid to separate the races.

trekboer:   The Dutch settlers who colonized the interior of South Africa.

tsetse fly: This insect is found throughout East & Central Africa; it carries tiny parasites that spread many disease among humans and cattle.

Tuareg:  Nomadi people of nothern Songhay; known as the "people of the veil,"  experts in knowledge of the desert, they lived on the outskirts of cities and sometimes posed as a military threat.

Tubman, William:   President of Liberia from 1944-1971.   He attracted foreign trade and investment while reducing the influence of the United States.

Tutankhamen:   Egyptian Pharaoh from 1370-1352B.C.E.   Son of Amenhotep III, who inherited the throne as a young child.  His tomb, which was discovered in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings, is one of the few tombs that was not robbed by thieves.  His importance lies in the vast knowledge learned from his tomb. 

Tutsi: Ethnic group of Rwanda & Burundi. The Tutsi controlled the Hutu with the support of the British. In 1992, the Hutu began a massacre of Tutsi in Rwanda. This provoked a genocide of both people by each other that would last till 1996.

Tutu, Desmond:   Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town who led the nonviolent resistance against apartheid in South Africa.  His international fight led to sanctions against South Africa.  Winner of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize.  From 1996-1999, he led the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Tyi-wara:   Mythical half-man, half-antelope figure among the Bambara who taught them how to cultivate fields.