<Tr> <Th> Endangered </Th> <Td> 1990 - 2005; 2012 - present </Td> </Tr> <P> Timbuktu (/ ˌtɪmbʌkˈtuː /), also spelt Tinbuktu, Timbuctoo and Timbuktoo (Berber languages: ⵜⵉⵏⴱⵓⴽⵜⵓ; French: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: Tumbutu), is an ancient city in Mali, situated 20 km (12 mi) north of the Niger River . The town is the capital of the Timbuktu Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali . It had a population of 54,453 in the 2009 census . </P> <P> Starting out as a seasonal settlement, Timbuktu became a permanent settlement early in the 10th century . After a shift in trading routes, Timbuktu flourished from the trade in salt, gold, ivory and slaves . It became part of the Mali Empire early in the 14th century . In the first half of the 15th century, the Tuareg tribes took control of the city for a short period until the expanding Songhai Empire absorbed the city in 1468 . A Moroccan army defeated the Songhai in 1591 and made Timbuktu, rather than Gao, their capital . The invaders established a new ruling class, the Arma, who after 1612 became virtually independent of Morocco . However, the golden age of the city, during which it was a major learning and cultural centre of the Mali Empire, was over, and it entered a long period of decline . Different tribes governed until the French took over in 1893, a situation that lasted until it became part of the current Republic of Mali in 1960 . Presently, Timbuktu is impoverished and suffers from desertification . </P> <P> In its Golden Age, the town's numerous Islamic scholars and extensive trading network made possible an important book trade: together with the campuses of the Sankore Madrasah, an Islamic university, this established Timbuktu as a scholarly centre in Africa . Several notable historic writers, such as Shabeni and Leo Africanus, have described Timbuktu . These stories fuelled speculation in Europe, where the city's reputation shifted from being extremely rich to being mysterious . </P>

What do all the african trade cities shown on this map have in common