Question

1. what would have been some challenges that traders who traveled on these routes would have faced?

discussion question
ghana empire
--- trade route
salt mine
gold mine
sahara desert
senegal river
niger river

Explanation:

1. Extreme Environment: The Sahara has extreme daily temperature swings, scorching days, freezing nights, and scarce water, risking dehydration and heatstroke.
2. Navigation Difficulty: Featureless desert terrain makes getting lost easy without landmarks or modern tools.
3. Resource Scarcity: Limited access to food, water, and shelter along long stretches of the route.
4. Security Risks: Threats from raiders targeting valuable trade goods like gold and salt.
5. Animal and Cargo Issues: Camels (the primary transport) could suffer from exhaustion or disease, endangering both the animals and the valuable trade cargo.

Answer:

Traders on these trans-Saharan routes faced several key challenges:

• Extreme desert conditions: Severe temperature fluctuations, dehydration, and exposure risks
• Navigation hazards: Featureless terrain leading to getting lost
• Resource shortages: Limited access to food, water, and safe shelter
• Security threats: Risk of attack by raiders targeting valuable goods
• Transport and cargo risks: Camel exhaustion/disease, and damage to fragile trade goods