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Kingdom↕ | Region↕ | Modern Country↕ | Founded (approx)↕ | Ended (approx)↕ | Famous Ruler↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ancient Egypt | North Africa | Egypt | -3100 | -30 | Ramesses II | Pyramids, hieroglyphics, Nile civilization |
Kingdom of Kush | Northeast Africa | Sudan | -1070 | 350 | Piye | Ruled Egypt as 25th dynasty, Meroe pyramids |
Aksumite Empire | Horn of Africa | Ethiopia / Eritrea | 100 | 960 | Ezana | Early adoption of Christianity, trade with Rome |
Ghana Empire | West Africa | Mali / Mauritania | 300 | 1200 | Tunka Manin | Gold and salt trans-Saharan trade |
Kanem-Bornu Empire | Central Africa | Chad / Niger / Nigeria | 700 | 1893 | Idris Alauma | 1,000-year Muslim empire around Lake Chad |
Mali Empire | West Africa | Mali | 1235 | 1670 | Mansa Musa | Wealthiest person in history, Timbuktu scholarship |
Kingdom of Zimbabwe | Southern Africa | Zimbabwe | 1220 | 1450 | Unknown (Mwenemutapa line) | Great Zimbabwe stone city, Indian Ocean trade |
Songhai Empire | West Africa | Mali / Niger | 1464 | 1591 | Askia Muhammad | Largest empire in African history at its peak |
Kingdom of Kongo | Central Africa | Angola / DR Congo | 1390 | 1914 | Afonso I | Early Christian conversion, Portuguese contact |
Benin Empire | West Africa | Nigeria | 1180 | 1897 | Ewuare the Great | Benin bronzes, walled capital |
Oyo Empire | West Africa | Nigeria / Benin | 1300 | 1896 | Alaafin Abiodun | Yoruba cavalry empire |
Ashanti Empire | West Africa | Ghana | 1670 | 1902 | Osei Tutu | Golden Stool, resisted British for decades |
Zulu Kingdom | Southern Africa | South Africa | 1816 | 1897 | Shaka Zulu | Military revolution, Battle of Isandlwana |
Ethiopian Empire | Horn of Africa | Ethiopia | 1270 | 1974 | Menelik II | Defeated Italy at Adwa, only uncolonized state |
Sokoto Caliphate | West Africa | Nigeria | 1804 | 1903 | Usman dan Fodio | Largest African state of 19th century |
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