Even from ancient times West Africa has been known for its cross-Saharan gold exports among many goods that were traded for others like salt and horses.
Gold in this region helped all the empires that colonized it become wealthy and flourishing.
Nowadays West Africa still preserves an important role in the gold market, but due to instability in the area there is a tendency to under-value it.
Still, countries like Ghana offer many possibilities to the investors who want to put their money in mining in areas like the famous Ashanti gold belt.
If we ask ourselves questions like if there is gold in West Africa, the best answer could be provided by a short history of mining and gold rushes in the region.
Gold trade took place in the past in regions like Akan, Bambuhu in Senegal and Bure on the upper Niger.
This process took place back then and continued even when European population came to Africa.
This was actually the main reason Europeans migrated.
During the 19'th century gold rushes occurred in several parts of the world.
Africa was also one of those regions where all kinds of people came with the hope of finding a way to become rich overnight.
Soon after, things became more organized here too, and mines and mining companies set their headquarters in the West and Southwest parts of Africa, making areas like Wassa very famous.
Anyways, local miners continued to look for gold in the old fashioned way, hoping to get lucky even when Europeans brought modern technology in the region.
Many mining companies managed to extract a large quantity of gold in the nineteenth century and some areas still continue to stir interest to investors.
Professionals even think that in the next years the production of gold bullion will increase in West Africa.
There are countries like Ghana, Mauritania, Mali and Burkina Faso that in the coming period of time will contribute largely to the world production.
West Africa is considered by mining investors a region still unexplored to its full potential that can bring fantastic profits.
This is why all eyes turned on this region in the last years, turning it into an area with the highest potential of growth.
It seems that almost all the time new places where gold can be found are discovered.