What were the major kingdoms of ancient Africa?
7 Influential African Empires
- The Kingdom of Kush. Meroë is an ancient city on the east bank of the Nile app.
- The Land of Punt. Papyrus showing preparations for an Egyptian journey to Punt. (
- Carthage. Tunisia, Carthage. (
- The Kingdom of Aksum.
- The Mali Empire.
- The Songhai Empire.
- The Great Zimbabwe.
- 7 Brutal Sieges.
What were the 5 African kingdoms?
Here are a few of the most influential ones that you may have never come across in your standard reading:

- The Mali Empire (1275 to 1670 AD)
- The Songhai Empire (1464 to 1591 AD)
- The Kingdom of Kush (c 1000 BC to 350 AD)
- The Kingdom of Benin (1180 to 1897 AD)
- The Mutapa Empire (1450–1629)
What is the oldest African kingdom?
The earliest kingdom in Africa was ancient Egypt. It was also one of the first civilizations in all of human history. The kingdom developed in about 3000 bce in the valley of the Nile River.
Where were the ancient African kingdoms located?
Several of the most famous kingdoms and empires of western Africa were located in the Sudan, a region that lies between the Sahara to the north and the rainforests to the south. Ancient Ghana was a powerful trading empire in what are now Mali and Mauritania.

What are the 4 empires of Africa?
The development of such major Sudanic kingdoms and empires as Ghana, Mali, Songhai, the Hausa states, and Kanem-Bornu along the southern fringes of the Sahara had a number of important consequences for the history of western Africa as a whole.
What were the 3 African kingdoms?
A succession of three great kingdoms came to power as their people, gained control of valuable trade routes in West Africa. Ghana was the first of these empires, followed by the kingdoms of Mali and Songhai.
What came first Egypt or Africa?
General History Africa’s first great civilization emerged in ancient Egypt in c. 3400 BC. Carthage was founded by Phoenicians in the 9th century BC. Ancient civilization, based around the River Nile in Egypt, which emerged 5,000 years ago and reached its peak in the 16th century BC.
Who was the first African king?
Sundiata Keita was the first ruler of the Mali Empire in the 13th century C.E. He laid the foundation for a powerful and wealthy African empire and proclaimed the first charter of human rights, the Manden Charter.
What was Africa called originally?
Alkebulan. According to experts that research the history of the African continent, the original ancient name of Africa was Alkebulan. This name translates to “mother of mankind,” or according to other sources, “the garden of Eden.” Alkebulan is an extremely old word, and its origins are indigenous.