Economics in Africa

Africa has:

Gold

Africa wants:

Arabia has:

Arabia wants:

Gold

Timeout!

• How much salt would you trade for a pound of gold?

Salt, why salt?

• You need salt to live.

• We lose salt when we sweat.

• It’s hot in Africa.

• Therefore, they sweat and lose salt.

• Without it, they die.

Well, now how much would you pay?

But wait, don’t’ answer yet, there’s more!

Gold, Who needs that?

• In Africa, gold was pretty common.

• It is too soft to make weapons or tools out of.

• It is completely useless.

• So, why would they care?

The Salt Trade

• Africans were willing to trade 1 pound of gold for 1 pound of salt.

• Arabians were willing to trade 1 pound of salt for 1 pound of gold.

• Both sides were happy!

The Trade Routes

Gold

Big Desert

Salt

But gold and salt were not the only things they shared.

Government

Ghana and Mali

Timeout!

• Look at the map on the next page.

• One of the first major empires in Africa was Ghana in the shaded area.

• Why do you think it grew there and not somewhere else in Africa?

Ghana

• Ghana was a powerful trading empire in Africa.

• It’s location at the edge of the Sahara meant it controlled the best trade routes.

• The Niger River Valley was also relatively good for farming.

Koumbi

• Capital of Ghana

• Many Muslims came to live here to make money from gold.

• The emperor eventually has the city split in half to keep his people away from the Muslims.

African Side Muslim Side

Main

Street (d

ividin

g line)

The Split

• Splitting the city didn’t work.

• Based on the last picture, why do you think many Africans wanted to convert to Islam after the split of the city?

• The king of Ghana loses power as his people convert to Islam.

Mali

Mali

• The empire of Mali rose as Ghana was falling.

• They largely accepted Islam as their religion instead of trying to hold to their old ways.

• They did adapt it to fit their own traditions.

Arab Influences in Africa

• Arab merchants spread the Arab language into Africa.

• Along with the language the merchants spread Islam.

• Mansa Musa, an African ruler, went on a hajj in 1324.

Mansa Musa

• A strong follower of Islam

• Expanded the borders of Mali

• Led a pilgrimage of 60,000 people to Mecca.

• This made Mali famous throughout the world.

Mansa Musa

Things to Remember

Key Terms

• Savanna

• Salt Trade

• Mansa Musa

• Oral History

• 1. The geography of the area around the Niger river greatly influenced the growth of Ghana and Mali.

• 2. Trade with the Islamic Empire led to great changes in Africa.

• 3. African history and culture was passed down largely through oral traditions.

Main Ideas