How Did The Central African Economy Change

The economy of a region will experience continuity and change forever. That is the case with the central African economy. During the first century, their economy was much different than what it is today. The central African economy revolved around agriculture and hunting during the first century and that remained constant until contemporary times. Though, change also began to occur because certain aspects of the the central African economy stayed the same and when the people native to the region began trading different products. Certain aspects of the central African economy of remained constant from the first century until modern times. Farming and hunting has always been important to the people and economy of central Africa. When the iron
age in Africa started, the central African natives began making tools and weapons out of iron. They made hoes, axes, and digging sticks for farming and used the slash-and-burn agricultural method. Hoes were used for cutting grass and weed, axes were used for cutting down trees, and digging sticks were used for digging holes that the farmers would place their seeds in. When a farmer wanted to farm, they would burn down a small part of the forest for land. Then, they would use their hoes and axes to cut down any excess plants. When the land was clear, the farmers would use digging sticks to dig holes in which they would place the seeds. After that was done, the farmers would go on and water their crops everyday in order for them to grow. When they harvested the crops, the farmers would then re-do the entire process until the land lost vegetation. The process of burning down part of a forest and using the land until it lost vegetation is called the slash-and-burn method. This agricultural technique is still used in central Africa today. Hunting also remained constant in central Africa between the first century and today. Hunters used spears with iron heads to hunt animals in the forests and fish in the great lakes. In contemporary times, hunters do the same things as they're ancestors. They used traditional spears to hunt and fish. Both agriculture and hunting has remained constant in central Africa until today. Of course, no region will remain the same forever.
The case is not different with central Africa. One of the biggest changes they have experienced is the deterioration of their economy and that happened because they have stayed the same when it comes to agriculture and hunting. The central Africans used to have a high productivity rating compared to the rest of the world which is why some of history’s greatest kingdoms thrived in that area. But, as people began making advances, the central African productivity deteriorated in comparison to the rest of the world. Modern day farmers used vehicles such as tractors for transportation while people in central Africa move on feet or animals. Contemporary farmers also use these vehicles for plowing, seeding, and harvesting. Central Africans need to use the afore mentioned traditional tools. The same goes with modern hunters in central Africa and the rest of the world. In central Africa, most farmers use spears to kill animals and to fish. Most hunters in the rest of the world use guns for hunting and fishing rods for fishing. The latter is the more effective method because of the advanced technology. Due to the fact that the central Africans have old and now inefficient tools for hunting and farming, their economy has declined drastically. The deterioration of the economy isn't the only thing that changed, the central African exports have also changed. Between the first and seventh century, central Africans traded animal meat, skin, and crops such as millets and sorghums with neighboring kingdoms and empires. At the start of the seventh century, central Africans began trading massive salt slabs which they excavated from the Sahara Desert. Salt was extremely expensive at the time because it was an important part of food and it was extremely hard to get. The central Africans were one of the major exporters of salt and the kingdoms in that region prospered. Hundreds of years later in the fifteenth century, the central
Africans continued to trade salt but added a number of other products to their list of exports. Amongst them are copper and iron ore. These products were the major exports in central Africa until about a few hundred years ago. That is when the central Africans began trading oil, cocoa, wood copper, bananas, and diamonds. Trading has always been a major part of the central African economy because of the variety of products located in the region. Since the first century, hunting and agricultural tools and methods have remained constant in central Africa. People still use the tools and methods their ancestors used centuries ago. This continuity is a major part of the change that happened in the central African economy. The fiscal condition was thriving hundreds of years ago, but today, it is horrendous. Another change that the central African economy has experienced is the goods people trade. These goods changed multiple times over the last two millennia.