Final answer:
The Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires in West Africa prospered the most through the gold-for-salt trade, increased crops for sale, and profiting off of pilgrimages to Mecca.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires in West Africa prospered the most through the gold-for-salt trade. This trade involved exchanging gold, which was plentiful in West Africa, for salt, a valuable commodity necessary for preserving food. The salt trade not only brought wealth to these empires but also facilitated the growth of thriving markets.
The increased availability of crops for sale was also an important factor in their prosperity. The empires' agricultural practices, such as the use of irrigation systems and crop rotation, led to surplus crops that could be sold in local and long-distance trade.
While the use of domesticated camels for transportation of goods played a role in enhancing trade networks, it was not as significant in their overall prosperity as compared to the gold-for-salt trade and increased crop production for sale. Finally, profiting off of pilgrimages to Mecca provided an additional source of income for these empires, but it was not as central to their prosperity as the other factors mentioned.
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