Key learning points

1. The Sahel was home to kingdoms rich in culture and wealth such as Mali, Kano and Mossi.
2. The Sahel was rich in gold which was the basis of trade between West African kingdoms and Islamic states.
3. West African kingdoms traded gold in exchange for textiles, meaning a unequal trade with wealth leaving West Africa.
4. The trade across the Sahel attracted thieves and robbers increasing violence in the region.
5. Europeans arrived in West Africa from the 1440s looking for gold.

Keywords

• The Sahel - the Sahel is a dry region bordering the southern Sahara Desert

• Mansa - Mansa is the word used in the kingdom of Mali to refer to the ruler

• Devout - to be devout is to show strong religious commitment

• Oral tradition - oral tradition is a form of communication where ideas and knowledge are shared by word of mouth

• Caravan - a caravan is a group of merchants travelling together on a long journey through a desert

Common misconception