المعادن في التاريخ الاقتصادي لأفريقيا الغربية والغرب الصحراوي

Résumé

Minerals are natural resources that are correlated with the natural    specificizes of the Sahara and its South. In this article, we have suggested studying minerals as one of the possibilities to tackle the history of the South Saharan Africa and the Sahara Desert in different perspectives. Minerals were, in fact, one of the reasons behind the evolution of Saharan trade, as well asits paths and its development. The Saharan commerce relied basically on the transportation and exchange of the minerals while it provided the material necessities for the countries and states, and was a resource for African tribes and peoples as well. Thus, it is a good start to study these issues in order to understand the political changes that happened in the area. Additionally, the importance of these minerals was based on the cultural values and patterns that have gained much interest and have become a subject for prosperous research. Africa and its resources have gained much importance thanks to the various aspects of minerals' presence. In other words, the mineral wealth guaranteed luxury for governors and for Sudan, in general, and contributed historically to the image formation of the Space for the Other (The Muslim or the European).