Question

Which option best describes the role of the Sahara in the history of empires in western Africa from the seventh century CE to the sixteenth century CE? (1 point)

The Sahara was a natural barrier that provided consistent
• protection from outside invasion for the empires of western
Africa.

The Sahara prevented the influence of Islam in western Africa, even though the religion became influential in northern Africa
The Sahara did not have a tremendous influence on the
• empires of western Africa, since it was barren and uninhabited.
The Sahara was an important source of natural resources, and facilitated cultural influence through trade systems.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The Sahara was an important source of natural resources, and facilitated cultural influence through trade systems.