Ghana Essay

625 Words2 Pages

Between the 9th and 11th centuries, the kingdom of Ghana, established by the Soninke people in the 4th century, prospered in Northwest Africa. The kingdom became very rich because its location was in the middle of the trading routes of northwest Africa and it had many resources. Ghana traded salt for gold with its Northern neighbor. Also Ghana taxed every trader who went through Ghana to fund their army. The kings of Ghana ruled from their capital of Kumbi Saleh. The country had a rich cultural tradition that was reflected in religion. The kingdom of Ghana fell because of droughts, attacks, and lack of gold.
The salt trade was very important to the people of Ghana. They traded with the Arabs who lived to their north. People of Ghana needed salt because they sweated a lot since the weather was so hot. They needed to eat salt everyday to survive. But their own country did not have a lot of this precious resource. In order to conduct their business, they needed camels. These animals played an important role because they helped the merchants carry heavy stuff for long distances...

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