Ancient Mali Gold Trade Routes
Ancient West African gold trade routes.
In the ancient empire of Mali, the most important industry for trading was the gold industry. Much gold was traded through the Sahara desert, to the countries on the North African coast. The traders would travel by caravans, on camels. The Sahara desert is a very barren, dry place, which is very unfriendly to go through, but that was the most important trade for the empire's economy. It was control of the trans-saharan trade routes that helped to keep the empire in power. In North Africa, they would give safe passage to the camel caravans, and had a whole expansions of markets just for West African goods. Thanks to the Mamluks in Egypt and the Merinid empire in North Africa, they were even able to get their gold sent all the way to the Mediterranean, further expanding their trade grounds even farther.
Gold was very abundant in West Africa, it was used for currency, decoration, on articles of clothing - for the rich - and it was prized by many people. Worldwide, African gold was famous, many countries wanted it, and would trade for it. All of the things that Mali traded gold for helped them stay very wealthy. The main thing that they would import was salt. They would use it for many things. Since salt was very abundant in the North of Mali, but they did not have much themselves, they would have to import it, and they could do so easily. They would mainly use the salt to preserve things, like meat, corpses, ect. They would also need salt in their food, since they normally wouldn't have much in their diet, because they can't acquire salt by themselves.They would also import things like glass, ceramics, and precious stones from North Africa.
Gold was very abundant in West Africa, it was used for currency, decoration, on articles of clothing - for the rich - and it was prized by many people. Worldwide, African gold was famous, many countries wanted it, and would trade for it. All of the things that Mali traded gold for helped them stay very wealthy. The main thing that they would import was salt. They would use it for many things. Since salt was very abundant in the North of Mali, but they did not have much themselves, they would have to import it, and they could do so easily. They would mainly use the salt to preserve things, like meat, corpses, ect. They would also need salt in their food, since they normally wouldn't have much in their diet, because they can't acquire salt by themselves.They would also import things like glass, ceramics, and precious stones from North Africa.
Analyzing Trade Routes
In Mali, the main trade routes would go from areas like where modern day Nigeria, Senegal, and Mauritania are, through the Sahara desert, and to places in North Africa, like Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.The trade routes from Mali only go through the Sahara, up to North Africa. Although they did trade with countries near the Mediterranean through the people of North Africa, I think that they would have been even more wealthy if they had traded with South Africa. Of course the South African people would be able to acquire different goods than them, due to different physical geographies, and I think that they could have strongly prospered from trading with those people. Otherwise, the trade routes are very good, only having to go through the Sahara at three different points, and getting people from North Africa to trade to people who are farther away for you. In that time, the Mali Empire was very wealthy, due to their control over the trans-saharan trade, so I think that their trade routes are very good.
In Mali, the main trade routes would go from areas like where modern day Nigeria, Senegal, and Mauritania are, through the Sahara desert, and to places in North Africa, like Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.The trade routes from Mali only go through the Sahara, up to North Africa. Although they did trade with countries near the Mediterranean through the people of North Africa, I think that they would have been even more wealthy if they had traded with South Africa. Of course the South African people would be able to acquire different goods than them, due to different physical geographies, and I think that they could have strongly prospered from trading with those people. Otherwise, the trade routes are very good, only having to go through the Sahara at three different points, and getting people from North Africa to trade to people who are farther away for you. In that time, the Mali Empire was very wealthy, due to their control over the trans-saharan trade, so I think that their trade routes are very good.