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In a few scenarios, mostly maps, I have played with the concept of European age of discovery and expansion either not happening or being pre-empted by others, and one area I am not sure what to do with is West Africa. The slave trade had such large political and economic effects on the region, and I am curious as to how things were likely to progress if you removed that factor.

Now, I assume that even without European chattel slavery to the New World, there would still be indigenous or Arab slavery going on. But this would probably be on a lesser scale. The problem of "nothing else to sell" would still exist, after all. Still, there might have been scope for more developed trade, both across the Sahara and across the Sahel.

I assume Islam would continue spreading, probably over a wider area without European Christian influence around the coast. Perhaps jihads against animists would occur?

I'm going to do some more reading, but I was wondering if people had any other ideas.
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