Final answer:
The great trading center of Zimbabwe extended to the Indian Ocean. It was well-connected by trade routes facilitated by the Swahili city-states, with Great Zimbabwe at the center of this trade network.
Step-by-step explanation:
The great trading center of Zimbabwe reached from south of the Zambezi river to the Indian Ocean. Great Zimbabwe, the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe (1220–1450), was connected to the sea despite being located inland. Through the Swahili city-states like Sofala, trade extended across the Indian Ocean, linking interior Africa to a vast trade network that exchanged luxury goods such as gold and ivory for items like Chinese Ming porcelain. The region was part of a complex trading network involving numerous zimbabwes, which served as trading outposts between the interior and the coast, with Great Zimbabwe standing as the center of this network and the most prominent site of trade and commercial activity.