Fr

oma
tle
astt
he6t
hthr
oug
hthe13t
hce
ntur
yCE,t
heGha
naEmpi
ref
lour
is
hedi
nWe
stAf
ri
ca.

Thef
ir
stl
oca
tioni
nsub-
Saha
ranAf
ri
cawhe
reEur
ope
ansa
rri
vedt
otr
ade
,ini
ti
al
lyi
ngo
lda
nd

t
heni
nsl
ave
s,wa
sGha
na.Addi
ti
ona
ll
y,i
twa
sthef
ir
stAf
ri
canc
ount
ryi
nthec
ont
ine
ntt
oga
in

i
nde
pende
ncef
romi
tsi
mpe
ria
lma
ste
rs,Br
it
ain.

.Be
ginni
ngi
nthes
ixt
hors
eve
nthc
ent
uryCE,t
heGha
naEmpi
rec
ont
rol
le
dtr
adei
ntheuppe
r

Ni
gerRi
verba
sini
nce
ntr
alWe
stAf
ri
ca.Cont
rol
li
ngr
egi
ona
ltr
adewa
sal
ucr
ati
vebus
ine
ssf
or

t
hek
ing
sofGha
na,whos
olds
lav
es,g
old,i
vor
y,s
kins
,andos
tr
ichf
eat
her
stoMus
li
mtr
ade
rs

(
espe
cia
ll
ytheSa
nha
jaBe
rbe
rs)
,whos
eca
melc
ara
vansde
li
ver
eds
alt
,whi
chwa
shi
ghl
ypr
ize
din

t
hes
out
h,a
cros
stheSa
har
a.Fr
eque
ntl
y,t
axe
swe
rea
ppl
ie
dtwi
ce,onc
ewhe
ngoodse
nte
redt
he

c
ount
rya
ndonc
ewhe
nthe
yle
ft.

Thewe
alt
hofi
ron,c
oppe
r,g
old,a
ndi
vor
y,a
swe
lla
sea
sya
cce
sst
otheNi
gera
ndSe
neg
al

Ri
ver
sandt
hei
rtr
ibut
ari
es,ma
det
radewi
thi
ntheGha
naEmpi
repos
si
ble
.TheGha
nai
an

mona
rchs
,whol
iv
edi
nthec
api
talc
it
yofKoumbiSa
leh,a
mas
sede
nor
mouswe
alt
h by

a
ccumul
ati
ngs
toc
ksoft
heg
oldba
rst
hatwe
reonl
yaut
hor
ize
dfort
hemt
oown.Asar
esul
t,

Gha
naha
dar
eput
ati
onf
orbe
ingama
gni
fi
centl
andofg
olda
cros
sNor
thAf
ri
caa
ndEur
ope
.

Fol
lowi
ngc
ivi
lwa
rfa
re,dr
oug
ht,t
hee
mer
genc
eofne
wtr
ader
out
es,t
hee
sta
bli
shme
nto
fthe

Sos
soKi
ngdom (
c.1180–1235CE)a
nde
vent
ual
lyt
heMa
liEmpi
re,t
heGha
naEmpi
ref
el
lby

t
he12t
hce
ntur
yCE(
1240
-1645CE)
.Mus
li
mtr
ade
rs,whoi
nte
rac
tedwi
thl
oca
lbus
ine
sspe
opl
e

a
ndt
heur
bana
ris
toc
rac
y,he
lpe
dspr
eadI
sl
amt
hroug
houtt
her
egi
on.I
t'
spos
si
blet
hatt
he

l
eade
rsr
eal
iz
edt
hati
twoul
dbea
dva
nta
geousf
ort
radei
fthe
yadopt
ed(
ora
ppe
are
dtoe
mbr
ace
)

t
her
eli
gi
onora
tthev
eryl
eas
ttol
era
tedi
t.
Thema
gni
fi
cenc
eoft
hei
rcour
ts
,the
irg
oldf
ort
une
,andt
hepr
owe
ssoft
hei
rwor
ri
ersa
nd

hunt
ersma
dei
tsk
ing
sfa
mous
.The
yal
soha
dama
ste
ryov
ert
heg
oldt
rade
,whi
chde
wtr
ade
r

f
romNor
thAf
ri
cat
otheWe
ste
rnSuda
n.

Themona
rchsofGha
naa
ccumul
ate
denor
mouswe
alt
hthr
oug
htr
ade
,ta
xesonme
rcha
nts
,

Gha
nai
ans
,andt
hei
rowng
oldr
ese
rve
s.The
yde
vel
ope
dana
rmya
nda
nempi
rewi
tht
hei
r

we
alt
h.Thepe
opl
eofGha
nac
amei
ntoc
ont
actwi
thi
ndi
vi
dua
lsofma
nyot
herc
ult
ure
sand

r
eli
gi
ousduet
othee
mpi
re’
sex
tens
ivet
radene
twor
ks.