The correct response is the Indian Ocean. Both the Axum Empire and the Swahili city-states were located along the Indian Ocean coast and benefited from trade routes and access to maritime trade opportunities in the region.
The correct answer is the Red Sea. Both the Axum Empire and the Swahili city-states were located along the eastern coast of Africa, and the Red Sea played a significant role in their economic and cultural exchanges. To find the answer to this question, you could have looked at the geographical locations of the Axum Empire and the Swahili city-states and identified which geographic feature they both had in common.