In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Africa played a significant and multifaceted role in the global economy, particularly influenced by European colonial powers and the transatlantic slave trade. The most accurate description of Africa's role during this period from the options provided would be:
B. Africa sold gold, ivory, and enslaved people while under the control of Portugal.
During this time, Portuguese traders were heavily involved in African trade, particularly along the West Coast. They established trade routes that capitalized on Africa's rich resources, including gold and ivory, while also participating in the transatlantic slave trade, which saw millions of Africans being forcibly taken as enslaved persons to the Americas.
Option C, which refers to the sale of enslaved people to the Middle East for hard labor, is also true but focuses on a different aspect of the trade occurring at that time. The Middle Eastern slave trade was indeed significant, but Africa's role was more prominently defined by its involvement with European powers and the Atlantic World.
Options A and D are less accurate in this context. African exports to Asia and the Middle East were not as prominent or significant compared to the trade with Europe, and while the Kingdom of Kongo was involved in the slave trade, it primarily engaged with European traders rather than profiting predominantly from trade with Asia.
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