Africa's role in the global economy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries can be primarily characterized by its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, as well as the export of valuable resources such as gold and ivory. During this period, many West African kingdoms, as well as regions in Central Africa, engaged in trade networks that involved the sale of enslaved people to European traders, who then transported these individuals to the Americas for forced labor.
The statement that most accurately describes Africa's economic role during this time is:
Africa sold gold, ivory, and enslaved people while under the control of Portugal.
This reflects the reality of the economic interactions and colonial influences that shaped Africa's integration into the global economy during the Age of Exploration and the subsequent trade dynamics established by European powers.