____________Trans-Saharan Trade_________________
Many people in Africa traded. Two main goods were traded across the Sahara Desert, gold and salt. To a West African salt was as valuable as gold. However gold in West Africa was plentiful. However, vice versa, gold was very valuable to a person north of the Sahara, whilst salt was plentiful. Many people wonder why salt was so valuable to West Africans: it adds flavor to foods; can be used in preserving foods; and it is also an essential mineral. The trading of gold and salt took place in Ghana and was brokered by the king of Ghana. The ruler of Ghana became very wealthy with this arrangement. He charged a tax on all goods traded. He also made it against the law to own gold nuggets. One of his gold nuggets was rumored to weigh in at thirty pounds.
____________General Facts___________________________
*Ghana's sucess was helped by a good start, when Africans learned to work with metal
*Ghana was the first of three major kingdoms in medeival West Africa
*War and loss of natural resources led to the decline of Ghana
*The next ruling kingdom was Mali
