Which city is on the Trans-Saharan Trading Route?

Which city is on the Trans-Saharan Trading Route?

• A. Samarkand, Uzbekistan
• B. Xi'an, China
• C. Timbuktu, Mali
• D. Sacramento, California

Answer: (C)

The route across the Sahara linked sub-Saharan West Africa with North Africa and the Mediterranean, creating hubs where goods like gold and salt moved between regions. Timbuktu, located in present-day Mali along the Niger River, grew as a major trading center because caravans crossing the Sahara used its markets and caravanserais to exchange goods and ideas. Its geographic position made it a key stop along the trans-Saharan networks connecting West Africa with northern trade routes. The other cities sit on different historic networks: Samarkand and Xi’an are associated with the Silk Road in Central and East Asia, not the trans-Saharan route, and Sacramento has no historical connection to this trans-Saharan system.

The route across the Sahara linked sub-Saharan West Africa with North Africa and the Mediterranean, creating hubs where goods like gold and salt moved between regions. Timbuktu, located in present-day Mali along the Niger River, grew as a major trading center because caravans crossing the Sahara used its markets and caravanserais to exchange goods and ideas. Its geographic position made it a key stop along the trans-Saharan networks connecting West Africa with northern trade routes. The other cities sit on different historic networks: Samarkand and Xi’an are associated with the Silk Road in Central and East Asia, not the trans-Saharan route, and Sacramento has no historical connection to this trans-Saharan system.