The main items traded were gold and salt. The gold mines of West Africa provided great wealth to West African Empires such as Ghana and Mali.

The geography of Africa helped to shape the history and development of the culture and civilizations of Ancient Africa. The geography impacted where people could live, important trade resources such as gold and salt, and trade routes that helped different civilizations to interact and develop.

In Africa, civilization rose early as people settled in the lush areas that sheltered them from the harsh desert. The first major civilization in Africa was Egypt, centered around the lush Nile River delta. Egyptian civilization truly began around 3150 BC when the ruler Menes unified the entire area into a kingdom.

How did the geography influence the settlement and economy of early Africa? In the forest areas, the soil was poor, but farmers could grow tree crops such as kola and palm trees. The different areas of Africa had different resources to trade, including salt, gold, cloth, palm oils, grains, kola nuts, and yams.

Geography and Trade Geography was a major factor in the development of West African societies. Settled communities grew south of the Sahara, where the land permitted farming. Geography also influenced trading patterns. Communities traded with one another for items they could not produce locally.

Democratic Republic of Congo

10 | TANZANIA (GDP: $62,224 Billion)

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