▁arrive ▁from ▁S out heast ▁Asia . ▁The ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁far ▁more ▁open ▁to ▁trade ▁than ▁the ▁tur bul ent ▁Atlantic ▁and ▁Pacific . ▁Trad ers ▁could ▁ride ▁the ▁mon so on ▁wind s ▁west ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁and ▁return ▁east ▁on ▁them ▁later . ▁It ▁is ▁guess ed ▁that ▁these ▁cro ps ▁first ▁arrived ▁in ▁Mad agas car , ▁which ▁also ▁adopted ▁S out heast ▁Asian ▁languages , ▁som etime ▁between ▁AD ▁ 3 0 0 ▁and ▁ 8 0 0 . ▁From ▁the ▁island , ▁the ▁cro ps ▁crossed ▁to ▁African ▁Great ▁L akes ▁region . ▁They ▁included ▁many ▁cro ps , ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁being ▁the ▁ban ana . ▁ ▁The ▁ban ana ▁and ▁other ▁cro ps ▁allowed ▁for ▁more ▁int ensive ▁cultiv ation ▁in ▁the ▁tropical ▁regions ▁of ▁Africa , ▁this ▁was ▁most ▁notable ▁in ▁the ▁Great ▁L akes ▁region , ▁and ▁area ▁with ▁excellent ▁soil , ▁that ▁saw ▁many ▁cities ▁and ▁states ▁form , ▁their ▁populations ▁being ▁fed ▁largely ▁ ▁Trade ▁routes ▁ ▁While ▁some ▁level ▁of ▁trade ▁had ▁been ▁on going , ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁cities ▁and ▁emp ires ▁made ▁it ▁far ▁more ▁central ▁to ▁the ▁African ▁economy . ▁North ▁Africa ▁was ▁central ▁to ▁the ▁trade ▁of ▁the ▁entire ▁Mediter rane an ▁region . ▁Out side ▁of ▁Egypt , ▁this ▁trade ▁was ▁mostly ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁Pho en icians ▁who ▁came ▁to ▁domin ate ▁North ▁Africa , ▁with ▁Car th age ▁becoming ▁their ▁most ▁important ▁city . ▁The ▁Gree ks ▁controlled ▁much ▁of