Final answer:
The original location of the proto-Bantu speakers was between Nigeria and Cameroon in West and Central Africa. West Africa was the region most directly involved in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The Bantu migration, starting around 3000 BCE, saw Bantu-speaking peoples spread throughout subequatorial Africa, with some regions remaining less affected until recent times.
Step-by-step explanation:
The likely original location of the proto-Bantu speakers was West and Central Africa, specifically in the area between modern-day Nigeria and Cameroon. This region served as the starting point for the Bantu migrations that began as early as 3000 BCE. The Bantu people were largely involved in farming and subsequent migrations were influenced by a variety of factors including changes in climate, environmental pressures, and developments in agriculture and ironworking technology.
The region of Africa most directly involved in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade was West Africa. This area saw a tragic and significant number of its inhabitants captured and sold into slavery, forcibly transported across the Atlantic to the Americas. Furthermore, when discussing the spread of Bantu-speaking peoples, areas like the western Kalahari Desert, the Lake Victoria region, Western Tanzania, and Eastern Botswana were more resistant to Bantu settlement until recent times due to various geographic and environmental circumstances.