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Early Sub-Saharan States and Empires

Sub-Saharan AfricaGeopolitical

Empires of Sub-Saharan Africa prior to European colonization

A world map shows early Sub-Saharan states and empires, marked with blue shaded regions.

The ancient sub-Saharan states and empires can be categorized into three clusters: western, eastern, and central and southern Africa. In the western cluster, major states included Mali in present-day western Mali and Senegal, Ghana in western Mali, and Songhai in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. The Hausa states occupied regions in Niger and northern Nigeria, while Kanem Borno spanned Niger, Chad, northern Nigeria, and Cameroon. Closer to the seacoast, smaller kingdoms like Ashanti in present-day Ghana, Dahomey in Togo and Benin, and Ife/Oyo, Benin, and Nok in modern Nigeria thrived.

In the eastern cluster, ancient states such as Darfur and Kush or Nubia were located in southwestern and northern Sudan, respectively. Axum and Abyssinia were prominent in northern Ethiopia. Bunyoro and Buganda were significant in what is now Uganda, while Swahili city-states emerged along the coasts of present-day Kenya and Tanzania.

The central and southern African cluster included the Kongo near the coast of the modern Democratic Republic of Congo and northern Angola. Lunda spanned eastern Angola and adjacent parts of Congo, while Lozi covered eastern Angola and adjacent parts of Zambia. The Karanga/Mutapa state was in Zimbabwe, with Swazi and Zulu in eastern South Africa, and Merina in Madagascar.

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Early Sub-Saharan States and Empires																								Volcanoes
Abyssinia 700–1974 C.E.	Ashanti 1700–1900 C.E.	Axum 200–700 C.E.	Benin 1400 B.C.E.–1800 C.E.	Buganda 1600–1966 C.E.	Bunyoro 1500–1900 C.E.	Dahomey 1700–1900 C.E.	Darfur 1400–1800 C.E.	Ghana 700–1070 C.E.	Hausa States 1000–1900 C.E.	Ife/Oyo 1400–1850 C.E.	Kanem-Borno 800–1900 C.E.	Karanga/Mutapa 1000–1700 C.E.	Kongo 1400–1650 C.E.	Kush/Nubia 2000 B.C.E.–1590 C.E.	Lozi 1800–1900 C.E.	Lunda1500–1700 C.E.	Mali 1230–1430 C.E.	Merina 1800s	Nok 500 B.C.E.–200 C.E.	Songhai 1460–1590 C.E.	Swahili City-States 1100–1800s C.E.	Swazi 1800 C.E.–present	Zulu 1800s	Adatara	Agung	Akagi	Akita-Yake-yama	Alaid	Alayta	Ambalatungan Group	Ambrym	Aoba	Ararat	Arenal	Asama	Askja	Aso	Avachinsky	Awu	Azul, Cerro	Azuma	Bagana	Balbi	Bandai	Batur	Bezymianny	Bulusan	Calbuco	Cameroon, Mt.	Camiguin	Campi Flegrei	Carran-Los Venados	Chaiten	Chichon, El	Chokai	Cleveland	Colima	Cosiguina	Cotopaxi	Daisetsu	Dakataua	Deception Island	Dieng Volc Complex	Dona Juana	Dubbi	Egon	Esjufjoll	Etna	Eyjafjallajokull	Fogo	Fournaise, Piton de la	Fuego	Galeras	Galunggung	Gamalama	Grimsvotn	Guagua Pichincha	Guntur	Hakkoda Group	Hakone	Hekla	Hood	Hualalai	Hudson, Cerro	Huila	Ijen	Irazu	Izalco	Kaba	Kanlaon	Karkar	Karthala	Karymsky	Katla	Kelimutu	Kelut	Kieyo	Kilauea	Kirishima	Kliuchevskoi	Komaga-take	Krafla	Kusatsu-Shirane	La Palma	Lamington	Lamongan	Lengai, Ol Doinyo	Lewotobi	Liamuiga	Llaima	Lokon-Empung	Lonquimay	Maderas	Mahawu	Marapi	Mauna Loa	Mayon	Merapi	Michoacan-Guanajuato	Mutnovsky	Nabro	Narugo	Nasu	Negro, Cerro	Niigata-Yake-yama	Novarupta	Nyamuragira	Nyiragongo	Okataina	Okmok	Oku Volc Field	On-take	Oshima	Pacaya	Pago	Papandayan	Parker	Pelee	Peuet Sague	Pinatubo	Popocatepetl	Purace	Puyehue	Ragang	Raung	Redoubt	Reventador	Rinjani	Ruapehu	Ruiz	Sabancaya	Salak	San Cristobal	San Jorge	San Salvador	Sangay	Santa Ana	Santa Maria	Savai'i	Semeru	Shikotsu	Shishaldin	Shiveluch	Sinabung	Sinarka	Sirung	Soputan	Sorikmarapi	Soufriere Guadeloupe	Soufriere Hills	Soufriere St. Vincent	Spurr	St. Helens	Taal	Tambora	Tangkubanparahu	Tate-yama	Taupo	Tengger Caldera	Tokachi	Tolbachik	Tullu Moje	Tungurahua	Ubinas	Umboi	Unzen	Usu	Vesuvius	Victory	Villarrica	Vilyuchik	Vsevidof	Westdahl	Yake-dake	Yasur	Yellowstone	Zao
																																										1	1																		1																														2														1																								5						1														1										2																			2							1				1
																																																																																																													1																													4																																	3
																								2		1	2								14		14				1			2											1					2																			1	5																			6		2		4																			1	2		1							2	3																												1																4			2						3	6							1			1
																												2										2								1																																															1							2																				1																																											3		1																1										1
																																				1															2																1	16	1		1					3					4													2								1		1																																		4																1															1	6																		7
																																		4						1								5				1	1					2	1					1								8	1				2							3	3		2	1																						1		1	1											1										3								2	2				1			2	1		1		1	1	1	4																									9	1						4
								1.32%									12.8%														3	4																														1									1																																																																																																		1																										5
																																																						3		1	2																									2	1															14																		3			1							1				1											2					1																2										1	2																			1	1			1
																									2					1									5						1		4			5													9			1								2	6			2								2			1	1					1	12										2		2			2			1	2		18	25																		1	1		1	4				1	1			2				1								23				10		2	1	1						3	1	3			2
																																	1
43.3%	26.9%	14.4%	3.79%	14.0%	21.9%	14.0%	13.1%	24.7%	14.5%	5.72%	24.9%	30.6%	9.42%	22.1%	12.4%	11.6%	36.1%	19.8%	7.35%	25.0%	2.71%	100%	1.57%						1																				1																1					3																						6					1										4														1						2	3			2																																																			1

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