What is the gold-salt trade?
Gold and salt trade via the Sahara Desert has been going on for many centuries. Gold from Timbuktu, a city in the modern-day West African country of Mali, and other West African states was traded north to the Mediterranean in exchange for luxury goods and, ultimately, salt from the desert.
Why was the gold-salt trade?
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.
Who was the gold and salt trade between?
Not surprisingly, the gold-salt trade between the Ghana Empire and the Arab desert merchants flourished. The route began in Northern Africa in a commercial city known as Sidjilmassa ( near the present-day Moroccan-Algerian border).
Why was the gold and salt trade so important to the region?
The gold-salt trade in Africa made Ghana a powerful empire because they controlled the trade routes and taxed traders. Control of gold-salt trade routes helped Ghana Mali and Songhai to become large and powerful West African kingdoms.
When was the gold salt trade?
Around the fifth century, thanks to the availability of the camel, Berber-speaking people began crossing the Sahara Desert.
Why were gold and salt important in West African trade?
Ghana itself was rich in gold. People wanted gold for its beauty, but they needed salt in their diets to survive. Salt, which could be used to preserve food, also made bland food tasty. These qualities made salt very valuable.
Why was the salt and gold trade so important to West Africa?
Ghana itself was rich in gold. People wanted gold for its beauty, but they needed salt in their diets to survive. Salt, which could be used to preserve food, also made bland food tasty. These qualities made salt very valuable.
What impact did gold salt have on the Saharan trade?
West African gold provided rulers and merchants in Saharan centers with the means to acquire goods from afar. Rock salt, mined in the heart of the Sahara, was among the most important of these. Salt, which is scarce in West Africa, is essential to human life.
Why were salt and gold such valuable resources?
Both salt and gold were used to trade for other commodities. Salt was needed to preserve meat and other food. Why were salt and gold such valuable resources? The arrival of Muslim traders in North Africa greatly increased the trade slave.