Economics

Africa has: Gold

Africa wants:

Arabia has:

Arabia wants: Gold

Timeout! How much salt would you trade for a pound of gold?

Salt, why salt? You need salt to live. We lose salt when we sweat. It’s hot in Africa. Therefore, they sweat and lose salt. Without it, they die.

Well, now how much would you pay? But wait, don’t’ answer yet, there’s more!

Gold, Who needs that? In Africa, gold was pretty common. It is too soft to make weapons or tools out of. It is completely useless. So, why would they care?

The Salt Trade Africans were willing to trade 1 pound of gold for 1 pound of salt. Arabians were willing to trade 1 pound of salt for 1 pound of gold. Both sides were happy!

The Trade Routes

Gold Big Desert Salt

But gold and salt were not the only things they shared.