Some civilizations still exist, but have greatly changed over time. Today, Mali is a nation in northwestern Africa.
Between the years 700 CE and 1500 CE, Mali was an important trading center. It controlled the trade routes across the Sahara Desert. As a result, people came to Mali to trade. They exchanged gold for salt and cloth that came in from the Mediterranean Sea. During the 1200s, Mali was among the richest empires in the world.
At one time, Mali’s empire extended all the way to the ocean. There, it controlled the trading ports where ships came to drop off and pick up goods. In the 1500s, Mali lost control of its trade routes, and its empire declined.
