Ghana was the African nation that handled all the trades between the traders of the north and the traders of the south. The south traders brought with them the gold that was available in the south while the traders of the north brought with them the salt from the salt mines. Ghana taxed both type of traders in return for protecting the traders from the hand of the bandits. Ghana itselt did not have either the salt mines or the gold mines. Taxing the traders from the north helped Ghana gather the required salt. Ghana started the Brter system of 1 ounce gold for 1 ounce of salt.