African Timeline

  • Hausa
    Mar 30, 1100

    Hausa

    1100-1800
    One of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. Spanned from the Niger river to lake chad. It was made up of city-states.
  • Great Zimbabwe
    Apr 1, 1100

    Great Zimbabwe

    1100-1400 AD
    Great Zimbabwe is a city that was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe which had a population of about 18000 people. It’s located in the country of Zimbabwe and had a total of about 1784 acres. The city took over 300 years to finish building.
  • Mali
    Mar 30, 1235

    Mali

    1235-1610
    Mali is a developing country in western Africa with a stable and democratic government. The official language is French; however, thirteen local languages are also spoken and have status as national languages, with Bambara serving as lingua franca. The capital of Mali is Bamako.Most of Mali, in West Africa, lies in the Sahara. A landlocked country four-fifths the size of Alaska, it is bordered by Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, and the Côte d'Ivoire. Present-
  • Songhai
    Mar 30, 1340

    Songhai

    1340-1591
    The Songhai Empire, also known as the Songhay Empire, was a state located in western Africa.Its base of power was on the bend of the Niger River in present day Niger and Burkina Faso. Its capital was the city of Gao, where a Songhai state had existed since the 11th century.
  • Yoruba
    Apr 1, 1400

    Yoruba

    1400-1905
    The Yoruba or Oyo Empire was located in present day Nigeria. The capital was Oyo-lle. The empire spanned about 57915 square miles. The citizens spoke one language(Yoruba) and had one religion (Yoruba religion).
  • Mutapa
    Apr 1, 1430

    Mutapa

    1430-1760
    The Mutapa Empire was located between the Zambezi and the Limpopo rivers to Zimbabwe and Mozambique, with a total span of about 270,272 square miles.The citizens spoke two languages: Shona and Ikalangna. The capital city was Zvongombe.
  • Benin
    Apr 1, 1440

    Benin

    1440-1897
    Benin’s language was Edo. Benin is a developing country in West Africa. Its political capital is Porto Novo; however, its administrative capital, Cotonou, is Benin's largest city and the site of most government, commercial, and tourist activity. Benin was located in West Africa: present day Nigeria & Ghana.
  • Period: to

    African Kingdoms

  • Ghana

    Ghana

    830-1235 AD
    The Ghana Empire or Wagadou Empire spanned about 618 square miles and was located in present day Mauritania and Western Mali. The capital is Koumbi Saleh which was on the rim of the Sahara Desert. They spoke two different languages: Soninke and Mande.
  • Kilwa

    Kilwa

    Began around 960-1000A.D. Ended in the late 15th century
    Located in modern-day Tanzania. Kilwa was a trading city. Also, it has the largest group of pre-colonial ruins in East Africa.