Final answer:
The Trans-Saharan Trade Routes spanned the Sahara Desert, connecting West Africa to North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, with trade centers like Awdaghost and Sijilmasa playing key roles in commerce.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Trans-Saharan Trade Routes were a set of overland paths connecting the West African region, including areas around the Gulf of Guinea, with North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, allowing for the exchange of goods, culture, and knowledge from the 8th to the 16th centuries. These routes traversed the vast Sahara Desert, the world's largest hot desert, linking trading centers such as Awdaghost and Sijilmasa in the Mali Empire to civilization centers like Egypt on the Nile's edge. Maritime exchanges also connected to the trans-Saharan commerce through the Atlantic Ocean, facilitating a wider network encompassing the transatlantic journey, although distinct from the transatlantic slave trade. Geographically, these routes were established relative to significant features such as the Sahara Desert and the Atlantic Ocean, as well as regions like North Africa and the Middle East.