Between 700 and 1600 there were three great empires in the centre of West Africa: Ancient Ghana, Mali and Songhai. They ruled much of West Africa; however, they were not able to rule the Arabian Peninsula (Option "C" is the correct answer). These kingdoms were built upon the wealth they accumulated from gold resources as well as the gold trade. They controlled the gold-for-salt exchange with the Berbers who lived in North Africa and established trade routes across the Sahara Desert to West Africa. Besides, Ghana, Mali, and Songhai developed on West African's savanna where they built large cities in the West African rain forest.