Economy of Empires in West Africa

-Ancient Ghana is geographically between the Niger and Senegal rivers.

-These rivers served as methods to transport goods.

-Ghana exported the gold found in their region to other West Africa civilizations and in return they received salt.

-Salt was very scarce in this region and was therefore sold at a very high price and the king acquired a great deal of wealth from this product.

-Trade routes began spreading across the Sahara desert. Many traders began passing through the farming community of the Soninke people which later became known as Ghana.

-The king of Ghana took advantage of the abundant gold in the region by passing laws in the empire that forbade anyone except him to have gold in his possession.

The king of Ghana controlled these gold salt trade routes and implemented a tax from traders entering and leaving Ghana. This caused Ghana to become very profitable

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