Why did the West Africa trade gold into salt?

Answer 1

Because, salt was needed to flavor food, preserve meat, used for medical purposes, and to keep the body healthy. But in West Africa, salt was a rare. So, West Africans traded their gold for salt. (Salt was so valuable, it was worth its weight in gold. 1 pound of salt = 1 pound of gold.)

Answer 2

They didn't trade gold INTO salt, but they traded gold FOR salt because salt is a preservative and is highly needed to preserve meats. Some countries had many gold mines and no salt mines, so gold was common there and salt was rare. In other countries that had many salt mines and no gold mines, salt was common and gold rare. So if these countries traded salt and gold, then they would make a pretty penny and get the goods they needed (or desired).

Answer 3

At the time of heavy salt trade there was no way to preserve food except by ice or salt.

Ice availability was very limited and it was quite difficult to keep.

Salt on the other hand lasted indefinately and could be transported anywhere someone had food to preserve.

Answer 4

it was so important because they used it to trade with gold from other places, tribes, or kingdoms.

Answer 5

people from other places did not have salt so they trade it for gold like that salt is important to the people in the West Africa forest