What important trade good came from Africa to the Mediterranean?

What important trade good came from Africa to the Mediterranean?

The Trans-Saharan Gold Trade (7th–14th Century)

  • Gold Trade and the Kingdom of Ancient Ghana.
  • From the seventh to the eleventh century, trans-Saharan trade linked the Mediterranean economies that demanded gold—and could supply salt—to the sub-Saharan economies, where gold was abundant.
  • Gold Trade and the Mali Empire.

How did traders carry goods from Central and West Africa to the Mediterranean?

The major trade routes moved goods across the Sahara Desert between Western/Central Africa and the port trade centers along the Mediterranean Sea. Other trade routes included Gao to Tunis and Cairo to Agadez. Caravans. Traders moved their goods across the Sahara in large groups called caravans.

What did West Africa trade to Europe?

Some West Africans, like these men with guns, captured people. Then they traded people as slaves to Europeans for guns, cloth, rum, and other goods. Slavery existed in West Africa for many centuries. These enslaved people were servants or workers.

What did West Africa trade for?

Traders came to Timbuktu from the north and the south to trade for salt, gold, shells, and many other goods. Religion was also very important to Mansa Musa. In 1324 he left Mali on a ​hajj​, or pilgrimage to ​Mecca​. Making this journey one in their lives is the spiritual duty of all Muslims.

What were the major trade routes in West Africa?

The Trans-Saharan Trade Route was the network of routes that took goods across the Sahara desert. These routes went north to south and from east to west. Along the northern part of Africa, there were port cities that received goods from far away parts of the world.

How did trade develop between West Africa and North Africa?

The trade began due to a surplus of each product per area. Gold was plentiful in West Africa so traders sent the item to North Africa so they too could have the valuable mineral. In return, North Africans gave salt to West Africa. Salt is vital to prevent dehydration and was scarce in West Africa.

In what directions did the main trade items of West Africa move?

In what directions did the main trade items of West Africa move? – The direction they were moving was going towards the North Africa.

What is the main trading market of West Africa?

The EU is West Africa’s biggest trading partner. The EU is the main export market for West African transformed products (fisheries, agribusiness, textiles, etc.).

What does West Africa export?

Cocoa and cocoa food preparations (5% of exports) , precious stones (3%) and secondarily cotton , edible fruit, rubber , plastics , wood and wood products , fish and shellfish (about 1% each), form together with fuel , the major export products of the West African Economic Community.

What most affected West African trade?

What most affected ancient West African trade? taxing all trade in their region.

What did Europe trade with Africa?

Europe also sent guns, cloth, iron, and beer to Africa in exchange fro gold, ivory, spices and hardwood. The primary export from Africa to North America and the West Indies was enslaved people to work on colonial plantations and farms.

How did Africa’s geography affect trade?

How did geography affect trade in West Africa? Geography affected trade because there are so many regions in Africa with different resources. The different areas had to trade to get what they needed. Most communities grew or made everything they needed, and traded with other to get what they needed and hadn’t grown.

What was trade like in ancient West Africa?

Trade in Ancient West Africa. Caravans of camel riding merchants from North Africa crossed the Sahara beginning in the seventh century of the Common Era. Traders exchanged gold for something the West Africans prized even more: salt. Salt was used as a flavoring, a food preservative, and as today, a means of retaining body moisture.

What is traditional West African food?

The main ingredients adopted by West Africans are cassava, peanuts and chillies, which arrived with the slave trade in the 16th century. You can still find distinctive, traditional West African cuisine. Prior to this, the people were trading with the Arabic communities of the North for spices.

Why did the West Africans trade gold for salt?

Traders exchanged gold for something the West Africans prized even more: salt. Salt was used as a flavoring, a food preservative, and as today, a means of retaining body moisture. The first people to make the trek across the Sahara were the Berbers of North Africa who carried their strict Islamic faith across the desert.

What are the most popular vegetables in West Africa?

Greens are a great favourite in West African cooking from Swiss chard to mustard and cabbage greens the range of these vegetables is extensive and growing as more African Chefs incorporate these traditional greens into tasty West African dishes.