The Silk Road was a network of trade routes that was extremely popular during Antiquity, all the way to the 18th century. This network connected faraway regions such as East and South Asia, Persia, the Arabian Peninsula and Southern Europe.
One of the benefits of the Silk Road for the countries the route crossed is that it allowed people in these regions to trade goods, providing a source of money as well as access to goods that were not normally available in their region. Another benefit was the fact that the road allowed for cultural exchange among these regions.