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These trade routes show a high demand for slaves as they typically ran from regions in need of labor, like Africa, to areas where labor was scarce, like the Americas. The volume and frequency of goods and people transported along these routes suggest a significant need for slaves for labor in industries such as mining, agriculture, and domestic work. The existence and expansion of these trade routes were driven by the economic incentives and benefits derived from the use of enslaved labor.
The trade routes in the Songhai Empire ran across the Sahara Desert, connecting West Africa with North Africa and the Mediterranean region. These routes were critical for the transport of goods such as salt, gold, ivory, and slaves. The major trade cities in the Songhai Empire included Timbuktu, Gao, and Djenne.
The slave trade was influenced by geographic factors such as proximity to coastlines for easy transportation of enslaved people, availability of natural resources in certain regions that increased demand for labor, and the presence of trading routes and ports that facilitated the exchange of goods and captives. Geographic features like rivers and mountains also impacted the movement of slaves and routes taken by slave traders.
Timbuktu, located in Mali, was a key city at the intersection of the main trans-Saharan trade routes. It served as a major trading hub for goods such as gold, salt, ivory, and slaves during the height of the trans-Saharan trade.
The Atlantic trade routes were called the triangular trade because it involved three main stops or trading points: Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Goods like raw materials, slaves, and manufactured goods were exchanged among these regions in a triangular pattern.
The transatlantic trade routes were established during the Age of Exploration to facilitate trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. They were key in the exchange of goods, resources, and people, including the infamous transatlantic slave trade. These routes played a significant role in shaping the global economy and connecting the continents in the 15th to 19th centuries.