Africans developed iron tools that improved farming and led to surpluses. This allowed Africans to engage in trade for goods from other lands, like gold, salt, cloth, and slaves. Major trade routes crossed the Sahara by camel or used rivers. Trade helped connect Africa to other parts of northern Africa, Europe, and Arab nations in an exchange of goods.

1. Trade
Social Studies for 10th E.G.B.
Teacher: Mauricio Torres
S

2. Surplus
S With the use of iron, new tools improved farming.
S Now it was easier to produce more and faster, not just
the basic needed to survive.

3. Trading
S With this surplus, Africans
were in a position to acquire
new goods from far away
lands in exchange for what
they themselves produced.

4. Sources of wealth
S Traders crossed the Sahara
in camels looking for:
S Gold and salt mines
S Cloth
S Slaves
S This items were taken as far
away as northern
Africa, Europe or the Arab
nations.

5. Trade routes
S Africa has the Sahara and dense forests that make it almost
impossible to travel from one place to another.
S Trade routes used:
S The Great Rift Valley: it may be a valley, but it’s very “flat” and
thus it makes travelling relatively easy.
S Crossing the Sahara: A very difficult feat to perform. Camels
were sued and Touaregs ruled the trading routes. Other
dangers were bandits, lack of water and the fact that trade
routes were not very well marked.
S Rivers: Zambezi, Nile, Niger, etc.

6. Trade Routes

7. Bibliography
S Burstein, S. M., & Shek, R. (2012). World History
(Teacher´s Edition) (1st Edition ed.). (H. McDougal, Ed.)
Orlando, Florida, US.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publishing Company.
S Images taken from Google.