Trans-Saharan Trade Involved the Trading Across Sahara Essay

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Trans-Saharan trade involved the trading across Sahara desert that linked the Mediterranean countries and the sub-Saharan Africa. The type of trade was initiated by Romans after the introduction of camels in the regions of North Africa. This gave a room for the residents of central Sahara and the Berbers of North Africa to adopt the use of camels for transportation and as a source of food. Formerly, trading across desert was sporadic, however this became possible when camels were introduced thus making the contact and trading between Mediterranean world as well as, sub-Saharan West Africa to flourish. The commodities which were traded include weapons, textiles, and horses all these came from the Mediterranean while gold, animal products, and slaves came from the West Africa (Wright, 2007). However there were some commodities which came from central Sahara which included salt that was mined from prehistoric lakes that got dried up. The centrality of Western Sudan linking trade routes on the other hand allowed the rulers to benefit from collecting taxes.

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This paper therefore explains the impacts that the trans- Saharan trade on political landscape, economic trends and social development in West Africa.

Impacts of trans-Saharan trade on Political landscape

Islamic arrival in the North Africa and Saharan regions seemed to have created an environment with a stable political pattern that enabled safe passage for the camel caravans thus providing a market for commodities in West Africa. The impacts of trans-Saharan trade on political landscape contributed to the emergence of many powerful empires both in West and Central Sudan by influencing the emergence of sophisticated systems that governs the Savannah kingdoms based on the pattern of North Africa. These increased tensions among the rulers and those who were being ruled, for this reason; it replaced the system of tradition in Western Sudan.

Gold and salt were the most traded items in Trans-Sahara. This improved the formation of the state Ghana. The trading between Ghana with the newly formed states by the use of camels made….....

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"Trans-Saharan Trade Involved The Trading Across Sahara", 10 June 2012, Accessed.18 May. 2024,
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