Which products were traded across the Sahara from the Niger River valley?

For nearly a thousand years, trans-Saharan caravan routes facilitated the export of various goods from the Niger River valley to North Africa. The primary products traded across the Sahara from this region included:12

• Gold: Rich deposits, particularly in the west and southwest, served as a principal resource for the economic life of early states and trading centers.12
• Enslaved people: The trade in human beings was a significant component of the trans-Saharan export economy.12
• Ivory: This valuable commodity was regularly transported along the caravan routes.12
• Civet: A substance used in perfumes, also exported from the region.12
• Gum arabic: This product was another staple of the export trade.12

These goods were typically exchanged for items brought by northern traders, most notably salt, which was a vital commodity that was scarce in much of western Africa. The control of these trade routes and the associated urban centers was central to the power and prosperity of major historical empires, including Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.3412