Final answer:
African societies in the Sahel and the Swahili people in East Africa interacted with outsiders through trade and cultural exchange. They imported various ideas and institutions, including Islam, Christianity, new agricultural techniques, and architectural styles. Trade involved the exchange of goods like gold, salt, ivory, spices, and textiles.
Step-by-step explanation:
African societies in the Sahel (sub-Saharan Africa) and the Swahili people in East Africa interacted with outsiders through trade and cultural exchange. In the Sahel, various empires and states developed along trade routes, such as the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires. These societies were connected to the Mediterranean world through the Trans-Saharan trade network, which brought goods like gold, salt, and slaves. The Swahili people of East Africa, on the other hand, relied on maritime trade in the Indian Ocean, connecting them to trade partners in the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia.
Trade in both regions involved the exchange of goods like gold, salt, ivory, spices, and textiles. African societies exported commodities like gold, ivory, and slaves, while importing goods such as salt, cloth, glassware, and metals. Trade routes and market centers were vital for economic activity and cultural exchange. These contacts with outsiders brought new ideas and institutions to African societies.
African societies imported various ideas and institutions through interaction with outsiders. For example, the spread of Islam through trade networks influenced the development of states like Mali and the Swahili city-states. Islam brought with it new religious practices, such as prayer, fasting, and pilgrimages. It also introduced Arabic script, which was used to write local languages, and Islamic legal and administrative systems. Other ideas and institutions imported by African societies included Christianity, new agricultural techniques, and architectural styles.
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