Places
This place is a town located in central Mali in West Africa. It had a population of roughly 55,000.
What is Timbuktu?
To trade by exchanging one commodity for another
What is bartering?
This is a yellow metallic element that occurs naturally in pure form and is used especially in coins, jewelry, and electronics
What is gold?
The salt trade supported the rise of three major empires. They profited by doing this to travelers
taxing them for protection
I am a product that is valuable and bought and sold in a business
What is a commodity?
This desert region extends across northern Africa, north of the Sudan
What is the Sahara Desert?
To improve the quality, value, or richness of something, often by adding something desirable.
What is to enrich?
These mammals have one or two large humps or stored fat on their backs and are used to carry items over long distances in desert regions.
What is a camel?
Camels were considered perfect work animals for these two reasons
1. they can carry over 400 pounds
2. they can survive four weeks without water
I am a charge that is placed on persons or property for public purposes
What is a tax?
A system of trade routes that linked West Africa with North Africa, crossing the Sahara Desert.
What is the Trans-Saharan Trade Route?
The business of buying, selling, or bartering commodities
What is trading?
This large group of merchants, their animals (often camels), and their goods traveled together for protection and companionship
What is a caravan?
Salt was considered more valuable than gold for these three reasons
1. it was scarce while gold was abundant
2. it was a necessary component for food preservation
3. it was essential for health
I am a large territory under the control of a single authority figure
What is an empire?
A powerful empire in West Africa that flourished from the 13th to the 16th century.
What is the Kingdom of Mali?
To possess or exercise power over something, Kings and Queens are known to do this
What is reign?
The medieval West African empires (Mali, Ghana, & Songhai) had complete control over the Trans-Saharan trade. What is the term for this situation?
What is a monopoly?
Landmarks were an essential component of the gold and salt trade for this reason
Caravans used them for navigation, to chart safe courses across the dangerous Sahara Desert region
I am a solid inorganic substance that occurs naturally
What is a mineral?
This African empire rose after the decline of the Mali Empire. They flourished between 1450 and 1600 CE.
What is the Songhai Empire?
To send a product to be sold in another country
What is exporting?
These indigenous North African traders historically dominated the trans-Saharan trade
What are berber traders?
These three empires gained wealth by controlling the salt trade.
What are the Mali, Songhai, and Ghana Empires
I am a historical trade network that connected West Africa with North Africa. During this time, gold from West Africa was exchanged for salt from North Africa.
What is the gold and salt trade?