Question

Which statement about trade in the coastal countries of Africa is not true?

Trade is a recent development in coastal countries.


The imports of coastal countries exceed their exports.


Liberia exports iron ore.


Several coastal countries export cash crops.

Answer 1

Answer is: (A) Trade is a recent development in coastal countries.

Explanation: the statement above is not true about trade in the coastal countries of Africa this is because trade has existed for as long as the development of coastal countries. They acted as major ports and therefore they were vital for trading. On the other hand, all the other statements mentioned about the coastal countries of Africa are accurate.

Answer 2

The answer is a) Trade is a recent development in coastal countries.

This is an incorrect statement as Trade in the coastal countries of Africa goes back more than a millennium.

During the European colonialism, these countries experienced huge trade growth due to the slave trade and exploitation of natural resources.


Most of these countries had major ports which were used as trading posts, stop-overs and major entry points of West Africa.

After the expansion of the Spanish Empire in South America, trade between the two continents flourished and as late as the 19th and 20th century, European powers were still exploiting natural resources in the region.

Today, the region is growing thanks to billions of dollars of investment from China.