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Gold: used to create coins in the new monetary system; helped create religious artifacts; proved wealth and power; created luxury jewelry; grew the Ghanian and Mali Empires by controlling the flow of gold, creating great power and wealth.

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Salt: Flavored food; preserved food over vast periods of time; held great value; due to the abundance of gold but scarcity of salt in the Tran Saharan trade route, salt was highly sought after and valued evenly with gold.

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Islam religion: As Muslim merchants traveled the Saharan trade routes with gold, salt, and slaves they implemented Islamic belief into western Africa; Rulers in the Mali empire Converted to Islam; Islam provided a common language of Arabic instead a universal legal system, in turn easing communication.

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Arabic language: Due to Muslim merchants traveling across this route, the spread of the Arabian language was solely a side effect; In the education system Arabian teachers and scholars promoted the language.

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Cloth: Durable and convenient material for clothing and other textiles; also used as a currency, though not monetary.

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Arabian law: Came as a pair with the widespread Islamic faith; Emperors, kings, and other important political figures quickly adopted the religion, in turn spreading Arabian law.

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Slaves: Acted as laborers and personal servants; higher numbers of slaves acted as a symbol of wealth; Men were used for military purposes; Women and children were used as entertainers, farmers and porters.

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European guns: Used for conquests and capture of smaller nations; created military imbalances; Highly demanded by political figures (Kings and other wealthy rulers).

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Architectural styles: As Muslims became wealthy through the Trans-Saharan trade route, they began to create urban cities using Islamic architecture; This resulted in a mesh between traditional African architecture and Middle Eastern/Islamic architecture.

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Ghana: Ghana was positioned between gold producer regions and sell products and mines in the Sahara desert; The extreme wealth allowed for stronger military expansion; trade introduced to iron ore and technological advancements for weapons, and horses.

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Ostrich Feathers: Not very valuable; used for fashion in hats and other garments.

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Mali: Mali had a monopoly on valuable commodities such as gold producing regions in Africa; they had strict taxes on citizens creating extreme wealth; Positioned next to the Niger river, a major hub for trade, as well as a resource for water, and lastly a strategic location for military placement.

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Other urban areas: the almost overwhelming intake of goods and wealth fueled urban economies creating long wealthy cities.

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Enslaved Africans: Africans were the primary victims impacted by the trans Saharan trade routes. They were taken into brutal labor and sometimes forced to be soldiers. Enslaved Africans we're forced to walk the trans Saharan journey in the blistering sun and lack of necessities (food and water). They were then traded around as if there were another object. This resulted in a rapid decline of African population, depriving these civilizations of basic agricultural development, in turn leading to the death of more people.

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Ghana: The empire of Ghana was position between Populous gold mines insult producers. This gave the empire a strong wealthy advantage when it came to trading. The Ghanaian empire controls the flow of gold do the trade routes due to its abundance of gold. This gave the empire a strong advantage on top of trading.

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Mali: Mali had a monopoly on valuable commodities such as gold producing regions in Africa; they had strict taxes on citizens creating extreme wealth; Positioned next to the Niger river, a major hub for trade, as well as a resource for water, and lastly a strategic location for military placement.