3.3 The Swahili Coast

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Explain how geography and climate contributed to the growth of trade along the Swahili coast
  • Identify the major commodities traded along the Swahili coast
  • Analyze the role of the slave trade in city-states along the Swahili coast
  • Describe the significance of Kilwa and Zanzibar to Indian Ocean trade

Not all of Africa’s trade traversed the Sahara. The east coast of Africa was home to wealthy city-states that engaged in oceanic trade with the Arabian Peninsula, India, and places farther east. Just as the cities of Songhai linked sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa and the Mediterranean by means of trade, the African ports on the Indian Ocean connected Africa to South and East Asia. These city-states were important hubs in the trade between East and West and made some of the world’s most desirable products available to people on three continents.

This lesson has no exercises.

The content of this course has been taken from the free World History, Volume 2: from 1400 textbook by Openstax