What were the main regional trade circles in the ancient world?

The so-called "international trade" in the ancient world should be the trade between Mediterranean countries. When navigation technology develops to a certain extent, the Mediterranean will connect coastal countries and form a trade circle around the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean trade circle includes the whole Mediterranean and the Black Sea region. In the pre-classical civilization, Minoan, Phoenician, Carthaginian and Greek were the main merchant groups active in the Mediterranean coast, controlling the trade in the Mediterranean. Mediterranean trade circle is the most active trade circle in the history of ancient civilization in the world.

(2) Indian Ocean Trade Circle (Maritime Silk Road)

The formation of the Indian Ocean business circle can be traced back to the commercial exchanges between Sumerian civilization area and Indus civilization area around 2000 BC. Since then, with the development of the economy around the Indian Ocean, the trade around the Indian Ocean has gradually become active. In ancient times, navigators have realized the law of monsoon. Later, people built larger ships for ocean voyage and sailed around the Indian Ocean regularly. This gradually formed the Indian Ocean trade circle. After entering the post-classical period, East Africa, Southeast Asia and Arabia gradually developed, and the routes connecting China, Southeast Asia, India, Arabia and East Africa developed greatly, and the Indian Ocean trade circle entered a prosperous period.

(3) Western Pacific Trade Circle

The Western Pacific Trade Circle, also known as the East Asian Trade Circle, is another trade circle in the ancient world, and it has always been centered on China. This trade circle includes China, Japanese, Korean, South Asia and Indian zhina. The trade volume of the western Pacific business circle is far less than that of the Mediterranean business circle, but it has played a role that the Mediterranean business circle cannot play in human history.

(4) Eurasian Inland Trade Circle (Land Silk Road)

The Silk Road usually refers to the land commercial roads in northern Europe and Asia, starting from China and extending westward to Rome. Among the goods traded on this long road, China's silk is the most representative, hence the name "Silk Road". The Silk Road is not only a commercial avenue for exchanging needed goods between Asia and Europe in ancient times, but also a road for promoting friendly exchanges between Asian and European countries and China, and for communicating eastern and western cultures. Since Zhang Qian's voyage to the West, the commercial exchanges between China and Central Asia and Europe have increased rapidly. Through this avenue that runs through Asia and Europe, silk products such as silk, silk, twill, satin and silk from China are continuously transported to Central Asia and Europe, while jade, blood BMW, pomegranate and alfalfa from the western regions are continuously transported to China.

(5) Sahara trade circle

Around the 4th century AD, small countries such as Ghana and Soninke gradually appeared in West Africa. Countries such as Ghana Empire, Takruhr, Susu and Yoruba only appeared after the 8th century. Mali Empire, Sanghai Empire, Hausa City-State, Zuluf, Moxi, Kanim, Benin and other countries started from the end of13rd century to16th century. Among these countries, three empires are particularly noteworthy: Ghana Empire, Mali Empire and Sanghai Empire. The Sahara trade circle tended to prosper during the Ghana Empire and reached its peak during the Mali Empire and the Sanghai Empire.

(6) Baltic Sea and North Sea Trade Circle

The Baltic and North Sea trade circle, that is, the Nordic trade circle, was only formed in the Middle Ages. From the Viking (Norman) southward in the 9th century, the Baltic and North Sea trade circles gradually formed. The prosperity of the Baltic and North Sea trade circles was in the Hanseatic League period from 14 to 17 century.