Unit 21: Paper 3 (HL) — History of Africa & the Middle East
Topic 21.5: Trade and the rise and decline of African states and empires (800–1600) Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB History Topic 21.5. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
1Choose1 mark
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.2 - Q14
Choose the correct answer. Which of the following best describes the Swahili language?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question2Evaluate15 marks
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q3
Evaluate the social and economic impact of the slave trade on Africa and the Middle East.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question3Choose1 mark
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q12
Choose the correct description of the 1833 Abolition of Slavery Act.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question4Discuss15 marks
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q2
Discuss the reasons for the expansion of the East African slave trade from the late eighteenth century.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question5Choose1 mark
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.2 - Q12
Choose the correct answer. Who was the Kongolese king who actively promoted Catholicism, took the baptismal name reflecting Portuguese influence, and sent nobles' sons to be educated in Portugal?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question6Compare and contrast15 marks
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q6
Compare and contrast the causes of the expansion of the Atlantic slave trade with the causes of the expansion of the East African slave trade.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question7Evaluate15 marks
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q8
Evaluate the impact and significance of anti-slavery Acts in the nineteenth century.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question8Choose1 mark
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.2 - Q11
Choose the correct answer. Which East African port city controlled access to the gold trade from the Zimbabwean plateau via Sofala?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question9Discuss15 marks
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q7
Discuss the role and significance of individuals in the slave trade in Africa and the Middle East.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question10Choose1 mark
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q15
Choose the good most closely associated with the rise of 'legitimate commerce' as an alternative to the slave trade in West Africa.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question11Choose1 mark
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q11
Choose the event most directly associated with the growth of the East African slave trade in the nineteenth century.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question12Choose1 mark
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q14
Choose the correct pairing of individual and their role in the slave trade or its ending.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question13Examine15 marks
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q1
Examine the reasons for the expansion of the Atlantic slave trade from the sixteenth century.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question14To what extent15 marks
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q4
To what extent was industrialization and economic change the most important cause of the decline of the Atlantic slave trade?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question15Choose1 mark
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.2 - Q15
Choose the correct answer. Which good was the Kingdom of the Kongo's economy notably reliant on, used both as clothing and as a form of currency?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question16Analyse15 marks
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q5
Analyse the causes of the decline of the East African slave trade in the nineteenth century.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question17Examine15 marks
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q9
Examine the view that the rise of legitimate commerce was the most significant factor in ending the Atlantic slave trade.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question18Choose1 mark
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q13
Choose the factor that best explains why the East African slave trade expanded partly BECAUSE of developments in the Atlantic trade.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question19To what extent15 marks
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.1 - Q10
To what extent did existing practices of slavery within African societies shape the nature of the Atlantic and East African slave trades?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question20Choose1 mark
2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.5.2 - Q13
Choose the correct answer. What was the main reason the monsoon wind system was important to the Indian Ocean trade?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock QuestionReady to practice Topic 21.5?
Get instant AI feedback on your answers, view detailed markschemes, and track your progress across all IB History topics.