Great camel caravans brought salt, iron, copper, cloth, books, and pearls from the north and northeast. They were exchanged for gold, kola nuts, ivory, leather, rubber, and slaves from the south. The Niger River became a major artery of trade.
Which river was the most important for trade in Africa?
As a result, the water is becoming more polluted. The Nile River also continues to be an important trade route, connecting Africa with markets in Europe and beyond. The Nile River flows over 6,600 kilometers (4,100 miles) until emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.
What river was the major trade route through West Africa?
The western routes were the Walata Road, from the Sénégal River, and the Taghaza Trail, from the Niger River, which had their northern termini at the great trading center of Sijilmasa, situated in Morocco just north of the desert.
What was the African gold salt trade?
Many items were traded between North Africa and West Africa, but the two goods that were most in demand were gold and salt. The people in the forests wanted salt, which came from the Sahara. … Ghana made most of its money from the taxes it charged on the gold-salt trade that passed through its lands.
Where did salt come from in West Africa?
A human necessity and source of commerce, salt has been in high demand in West Africa since the 12th century when it was first found in the sand dunes of the desert. Its discovery gave rise to a robust commodity trade that quickly paved a near-mythical trail connecting Timbuktu with Europe, southern Africa, and Persia.
How did Islam spread in West Africa?
Following the conquest of North Africa by Muslim Arabs in the 7th century CE, Islam spread throughout West Africa via merchants, traders, scholars, and missionaries, that is largely through peaceful means whereby African rulers either tolerated the religion or converted to it themselves.
What two valuable trade goods made West Africa Rich?
The main items traded were gold and salt. The gold mines of West Africa provided great wealth to West African Empires such as Ghana and Mali. Other items that were commonly traded included ivory, kola nuts, cloth, slaves, metal goods, and beads.
What factors helped the trade system flourish in West Africa?
What factors helped the trade system flourish in West Africa? Gold, positioning of the major cities provided a good location between trade routes and also allowed trade over seas.
What impact did trade have on West Africa?
Over time, the slave trade became even more important to the West African economy. Kings traded slaves for valuable good, such as horses from the Middle East and textiles and weapons from Europe. The transSaharan slave trade contributed to the power of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.
How did trade affect West African societies?
The size of the Atlantic slave trade dramatically transformed African societies. The slave trade brought about a negative impact on African societies and led to the long-term impoverishment of West Africa. This intensified effects that were already present amongst its rulers, kinships, kingdoms and in society.
Why did the people of West Africa trade gold for salt?
The people who lived in the desert of North Africa could easily mine salt, but not gold. … They craved the precious metal that would add so much to their personal splendor and prestige. These mutual needs led to the establishment of long-distance trade routes that connected very different cultures.
What animal was most important to trade in West Africa Why?
Camels were the main mode of transportation and were used to carry goods and people. The camel was the most important part of the caravan. Without the camel, trade across the Sahara would have been impossible. Camels are uniquely adapted to survive long periods without water.
Why is Timbuktu poor today?
After a shift in trading routes, particularly after the visit by Mansa Musa around 1325, Timbuktu flourished from the trade in salt, gold, ivory, and slaves. It became part of the Mali Empire early in the 14th century. … Presently, Timbuktu is impoverished and suffers from desertification.
What religions existed in West Africa?
West African
Some of the African traditional religions are those of the Serer of Senegal, the Yoruba and Igbo of Nigeria, and the Akan of Ghana and the Ivory Coast, and the Bono of Ghana and Ivory Coast.
What crops were harvested in West Africa?
In the Sahelian zone, millet and sorghum are the predominant crops, transitioning to maize, groundnuts, and cowpeas farther south in the Sudanian zone. These food crops are among the top five harvested crops in the Sahelian countries — Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad.
What kind of historical source is Salt?
Salt comes from two main sources: sea water and the sodium chloride mineral halite (also known as rock salt). Rock salt occurs in vast beds of sedimentary evaporite minerals that result from the drying up of enclosed lakes, playas, and seas. Salt beds may be up to 350 m thick and underlie broad areas.