WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -In West Africa gold mined south of the Sahel was traded for salt mined in the desert. The salt from the desert was needed by the people of Sahel to flavor and preserve their food and the gold had obvious value, especially in trading with the European people.

Detailed explanation-2: -Travelling across the Sahara desert, the Muslim traders of North Africa dealt with the West Africans. The West Africans exchanged their local products like gold, ivory, salt and cloth, for North African goods such as horses, books, swords and chain mail.

Detailed explanation-3: -The main items traded were gold and salt. The gold mines of West Africa made empires such as Ghana and Mali very wealthy. Other commonly traded items included ivory, cloth, slaves, metal goods, and beads.

Detailed explanation-4: -Trans-Saharan Trade, also known as the Gold-Salt Trade, was an extensive network of trade routes that linked the Mediterranean world with West Africa during the Middle Ages. The trade routes facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures between the people of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Detailed explanation-5: -Camel caravans from North Africa carried bars of salt as well as cloth, tobacco, and metal tools across the Sahara to trading centers like Djenne and Timbuktu on the Niger River. Some items for which the salt was traded include gold, ivory, slaves, skins, kola nuts, pepper, and sugar.

Detailed explanation-6: -This trade most commonly brought gold and salt from mines in West Africa to kingdoms in Europe and the Middle East. This was because of the economic importance and use of gold, but also the practical use for salt as it is an important nutrient for humans and animals and it helped to prevent their food from molding.