AP Modern World History Flashcards: Trans-Saharan Trade Routes
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
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What factor, besides technology, led to an increased volume of trade across the Sahara?
Improved commercial practices, such as the use of caravans, led to an increased volume of trade across the trans-Saharan network.
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What factor, besides technology, led to an increased volume of trade across the Sahara?
Improved commercial practices, such as the use of caravans, led to an increased volume of trade across the trans-Saharan network.
Identify two causes for the growth of interregional trade across the Sahara.
The growth of interregional trade was encouraged by innovations in existing transportation technologies (like the camel saddle) and commercial practices (like caravans).
What was the relationship between the expansion of empires and communication?
The expansion of empires, such as Mali in West Africa, facilitated communication across Afro-Eurasia by stabilizing and protecting trade routes.
What were two primary effects of improved transportation technologies on trans-Saharan trade?
Improved transportation technologies and commercial practices led to an increased volume of trade and expanded the geographical range of the trans-Saharan trade network.
Explain the cause-and-effect relationship between imperial expansion and trade.
The expansion of empires (cause) facilitated trade and communication (effect) by providing stability, security, and common policies over a large area.
What were caravans in the context of trans-Saharan trade?
Caravans were a commercial practice where traders traveled together in large groups, which encouraged and secured interregional trade.
Provide a specific example of an empire in West Africa whose expansion facilitated trade.
The Mali Empire in West Africa is a key example of an empire whose expansion facilitated Afro-Eurasian trade and communication.
How did the expansion of the Mali Empire influence trade?
The expansion of the Mali Empire in West Africa facilitated Afro-Eurasian trade and communication across the trans-Saharan network.
What was the camel saddle?
The camel saddle was an innovation in transportation technology that encouraged the growth of interregional trade by making camel transport more efficient.
How did an innovation like the camel saddle lead to an expansion of the trans-Saharan trade network's geographical range?
By making desert travel more efficient and allowing for more goods to be carried, the camel saddle enabled caravans to travel farther and more reliably, thus expanding the network's reach.