The Indian Ocean trade involved the Swahili Coast (along Eastern Africa), the Spice Islands (Southeastern Asia), India, China, and the Middle East. The Trans-Saharan trade involved the Western Africa empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, in that order, and Northern Africa. They also interacted with the Arabs. The Indian Ocean traded mainly traded cotton cloth, textiles, and spices like pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Trans-Saharan trade exchanged mostly gold from Northern Africa for salt in Western Africa. It also traded ivory, slaves, and exotic animals. Most of the Mediteranean and Arab peninsular took part intrading between East and West Africa. Although this is fairlybroad. Many of the goods especially gold and salt probably traveledas far as Persia and all of Europe. Even reaching the silk road toChina and Mongolia. The chief traders where merchants from Nomadiclike tribes from North Western Africa called the Berbers and ArabicNomadic tribes from Eastern Africa to Arab peninsular using camals,though the main traders where Western Africans that actuallyextracted the gold and salt and delivered it to the Berbers andArabs. These people where part of several empires called Mali ,Ghana, and the Songhai.
