Trade Routes of the World
This overland trade route connected China to the Mediterranean, passing through Central Asia.
Silk Road
This luxury fabric from China was a top export along the Silk Road.
Silk
This Venetian merchant wrote about his travels to the court of Kublai Khan.
Marco Polo
This nomadic group from Central Asia controlled vast territory across Eurasia in the 1300s.
The Mongols
This Chinese invention revolutionized navigation for maritime traders.
Magnetic Compass
This maritime network linked East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Indian Ocean trade system
East Africa exported this fragrant resin, used in incense and perfumes, to the Middle East.
Frankincense
This Muslim traveler documented his journeys across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Ibn Battuta
This pandemic, carried along trade routes, drastically reduced populations in Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
Black Death
This type of triangular sail, borrowed from Arab mariners, improved ships’ maneuverability.
Lateen Sail
The city of Timbuktu thrived in trade along this trans-Saharan route.
Gold-salt route
This precious metal from West Africa was highly sought after in Europe and the Islamic world.
Gold
This Chinese admiral led large-scale maritime voyages in the Indian Ocean under the Ming Dynasty.
Zheng He
The spread of Bantu-speaking peoples in Africa was partly driven by the search for this agricultural land type.
Fertile Farmland
This devastating weapon, spread from China via the Mongols, changed warfare in Europe.
Gunpowder
This Italian city-state became a major hub for Mediterranean trade by controlling access to Eastern goods.
Venice
The Spice Islands were famous for these two high-demand seasonings.
Cloves and Nutmeg
This Moroccan-born scholar wrote extensively on Islamic law and observed different Muslim societies.
Ibn Khaldun
The movement of Turkic peoples into Anatolia contributed to the rise of this empire by the mid-1400s.
Ottoman Empire
This Indian numerical system, transmitted through the Islamic world, transformed European mathematics.
Hindu-Arabic numbers
This Mongol-led period of stability allowed safe passage for merchants along the Silk Road.
Pax Mongolica
This valuable Chinese product, made from kaolin clay, was traded to the Middle East and Europe.
Porcelain
This Genoese merchant’s travels through the Black Sea and beyond helped link Mediterranean commerce to Asia.
Giosafat Barbaro
These Muslim refugees from Spain migrated across North Africa after the Christian Reconquista.
Moors
This paper-based Chinese technology, reaching Europe via the Islamic world, revolutionized record-keeping.
Printing or Printing Press