Ghana

African Kingdoms

• All major African kingdoms controlled important trade routes and were very advanced long….. before European contact.

Gold and Salt

Gold

• Gold came from the south, from mines near the Gulf of Guinea and along the Niger.
• People wanted gold for its beauty.

Salt

• Salt came from the Sahara in the north. People needed salt to survive.
• It could preserve food, and made bland food tasty.

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Trade Routes and Migration

• The Bantu were a Group of people who originally lived in West Africa
• Migrated in search of fertile land
• Spread their knowledge of farming, ironworking, & LANGAUGE across the continent

General Trade info… Camels

• Camels allowed the gold-salt trade to be successful. They allowed people to transport great quantities of gold and salt longer distances.
• Other pack animals cannot cross the Sahara, but camels can because they can go up to 40 days without water.
• Camels are also very strong and able to carry heavy loads. They have double rows of long eyelashes to keep the sand out during sand storms

Rise of Ghana

• One of three great civilizations that arose along the Niger River
• Ghana was located between salt and gold mines
• It was the perfect location for controlling trade because:
• The Congo rainforest was to the south, producing nuts, oil, copper, gold.
• The Sahara Desert was to north, bringing traders with ceramics, glass, oil lamps, salt
• It was on the Niger River
• Traders from both areas had to pass through Ghana to trade since it was in the middle

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Ghana - 300-1000 AD - “The Land of Gold”

• Ghana’s power came from their use of iron weapons to conquer neighboring tribes and for farming along the Niger River
• The Nok people from this region were the first to use iron to make farming tools and weapons for defense
• Through weapon making technology (iron smelting), Ghanaian warriors expanded boundaries
• Gained control over trade routes
• Ghana became powerful because of its control of gold in the gold-salt trade across the Sahara Desert

Ghana

• Salt merchants from North Africa crossed the Sahara Desert to trade with gold miners south of Ghana
• Ghana taxed traders passing through their trade route
• Salt is needed to preserve and flavor food, and to restore PH balance from sweating
• Koumbi Saleh (Kumbi), was a trading center and a capital of Ghana. It became the wealthiest city in W. Africa

Decline of Ghana�

• Almoravids, a group of strict Muslims, believed it was their destiny to take over Ghana. They fought for 14 years, weakening Ghana
• Overgrazing - Almoravids brought herding animals to Ghana. The herds ate the grass and left the ground exposed to sun, which made soil hard to farm
• Internal Rebellion - Rebels weakened Ghana and it was eventually attacked by neighbors

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