The Wangara (also known as Wakore, Wankori, Ouankri, Wangarawa) are a diaspora community of ethnic Soninke origin who served as specialized long-distance merchants throughout West Africa, particularly in trans-Saharan trade.
Originating from the Ghana Empire, over time the Wangara became integrated into numerous other communities and ethnic groups, particularly in Timbuktu, Agadez, Kano, Gao, Salaga, Kong, Bissa, Kankan, Fouta Jallon, Djenné as well as Bambouk, Bure, Lobi, and (to a lesser degree) Bono goldfields and Borgu.
[1] They were practicing Muslims who helped spread the religion widely and served as clerics, political advisors, healers and marabouts, often following the Suwarian Tradition.
The geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi referred to the Wangara as being from "the land of gold, famous on account of the great quantities and good quality of that metal."
Between the 12th and 14th centuries, the Wangara extended their trade networks eastwards towards the Gao Empire & the Lake Chad basin and south to the Guinea Highlands and Volta River.
Their strategic movements were a response to increased commercial traffic along the trade routes - a consequence of Almoravid and Almohad political and social hegemonies and commercial activity in the Maghreb and Andalusia (9th–15th century) and, in part, an effort to consolidate Ghana's political interests in the southern Sahara.
[citation needed] While the Wangara themselves were only able to build communities as far east as Kano, their nomadic Fulani vassals proved more successful in penetrating the Chad basin, especially after the rise of 18th and 19th century Jihad states such as Macina and the Sokoto Caliphate.
Wangara trade undoubtedly benefited, albeit vicariously, through the extension of the eastward routes by the pastoral Fulani on their Hajj to Mecca.
It marks the southern end of the long-distance trade route from Djenné and Timbuktu, and was where precious goods from the forest zone (gold, kola) were produced; it also forms the border and link between the Mande-Dyula and Hausa-Zongo linguistic and economic spheres.The Wangara founded the important Islamic centers of Kong and Bouna, as well of Begho, Bole (Boualé), Bondoukou and others on the forest fringe.
In his Esmeraldo de Situ Orbis (1505–1508), Duarte Pacheco Pereira described the gold trade in Djenne and Bighu.
Geographers of that period, such as James Rennell, shifted the Wangara country far to the east and confused Idrisi's description with accounts which probably referred to Lake Chad.