Place · region
Africa
Africa is the second-largest continent and the home of many of the empires covered by the site, from the Kushite and Aksumite empires to the Mali, Songhai, Oyo and Ashanti empires. Its trade in gold, ivory, salt and later enslaved people connected it to the Mediterranean, Islamic, Indian Ocean and Atlantic worlds. From the fifteenth century onwards European powers such as the Portuguese, British, French and Italian empires established colonies, culminating in the partition of the continent in the late nineteenth century.
Mentioned in 118 profiles
Abbasid CaliphateSocioeconomy, ImpactAchaemenid EmpireMilitaryAdal SultanateFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, ImpactAksumite EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Impact, SummaryAlmohad CaliphateSocioeconomy, DeclineAlmoravid EmpireSocioeconomy, ImpactAshanti EmpireSocioeconomy, Governance, Impact, Decline, SummaryBenin EmpireSocioeconomy, Military, Impact, SummaryBrazilian EmpireSocioeconomyBritish EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, DeclineDarfur SultanateImpactDutch EmpireFoundation, ImpactEmpire of JapanImpactEthiopian EmpireMilitary, ImpactFatimid CaliphateMilitary, Impact, DeclineFrench EmpireSocioeconomy, Governance, ImpactGaramantian EmpireSocioeconomy, Military, Impact, DeclineGerman EmpireImpactGhana EmpireImpactItalian EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, DeclineJolof EmpireImpact, SummaryKaabu EmpireSocioeconomy, ImpactKanem-Bornu EmpireSocioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, Decline, SummaryKongo EmpireFoundation, Military, Impact, SummaryKushite EmpireSocioeconomy, Impact, SummaryLuba EmpireSummaryLunda EmpireSocioeconomy, Impact, SummaryMali EmpireFoundation, Governance, Impact, SummaryMing EmpireSocioeconomy, ImpactMutapa EmpireSocioeconomy, Impact, SummaryOttoman EmpireImpactOyo EmpireFoundation, Governance, Impact, SummaryPortuguese EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Governance, Impact, DeclinePtolemaic EmpireSocioeconomy, ImpactPunic EmpireFoundation, Military, Governance, Impact, DeclineRashidun CaliphateImpactRoman EmpireSocioeconomy, Impact, DeclineRozvi EmpireFoundation, Impact, SummarySokoto CaliphateFoundation, Socioeconomy, Impact, Decline, SummarySong DynastySocioeconomy, ImpactSonghai EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Governance, Impact, Decline, SummarySpanish EmpireFoundation, Impact, DeclineTang DynastyImpactUmayyad CaliphateMilitary, Impact, DeclineWadai EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Impact, DeclineCanadaImpactPeople's Republic of ChinaImpactNumidiaFoundation, Decline, SummaryAfrica ProconsularisFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, Decline, SummaryMakuriaImpactFrench AlgeriaFoundation, ImpactSarmatiansImpactLusitaniaMilitary, DeclineEmirate of CórdobaFoundation, Socioeconomy, Impact, DeclineCaliphate of CórdobaFoundation, Socioeconomy, MilitaryKingdom of CastileMilitaryElectoral PalatinateImpactRepublic of GenoaSocioeconomy, ImpactKingdom of SicilySocioeconomy, MilitaryKingdom of PortugalSocioeconomy, Decline, SummaryPrincipality of CataloniaSocioeconomyCrown of AragonSocioeconomyMargraviate of MoraviaImpactEmirate of GranadaMilitary, SummaryDutch RepublicSocioeconomy, ImpactUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandMilitaryKingdom of BelgiumMilitaryKingdom of ItalyMilitary, SummaryKingdom of SabaSocioeconomyAlansImpact, Decline, SummaryBuyid dynastySocioeconomySheikhdom of SharjahSocioeconomySouth YemenMilitary, ImpactRepublic of YemenImpactBengal SultanateImpact, SummaryBritish RajMilitary, ImpactIndonesiaImpactHausa kingdomsSocioeconomy, Impact, SummaryMombasaImpactKingdom of BugandaMilitary, Impact, SummaryKingdom of RwandaImpact, Decline, SummaryMerina KingdomImpactKingdom of DahomeyMilitary, Governance, Impact, Decline, SummaryBarotselandImpact, Decline, SummarySwazi KingdomImpact, SummaryCape ColonyFoundation, Socioeconomy, Impact, Decline, SummaryZulu KingdomFoundation, Impact, Decline, SummaryLiberiaFoundation, Governance, SummarySouth African RepublicImpact, Decline, SummaryOrange Free StateImpact, Decline, SummarySultanate of ZanzibarSocioeconomy, Impact, Decline, SummaryCongo Free StateMilitary, SummaryFrench West AfricaFoundation, Military, Governance, Impact, Decline, SummaryUnion of South AfricaFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Impact, Decline, SummaryRepublic of South AfricaFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Impact, Decline, SummaryUgandaSocioeconomy, Impact, SummaryTanzaniaFoundation, Military, Impact, SummaryRepublic of SomalilandSocioeconomy, SummaryAncient EgyptianOrigins, LegacyArabicSpeakers, LegacyBahá'í FaithSpreadChristianitySpread, Community, Legacy, SummaryHinduismSpreadIslamSpread, SummaryJainismSpread, SummaryJudaismSpreadLatinSpeakers, LegacyManichaeismSpread, Legacy, SummarySikhismSpreadSwahiliOrigins, Speakers, Literature, Legacy, SummaryYoruba religionOrigins, Spread, SummaryZoroastrianismSpreadKilwa SultanateImpact, SummaryKingdom of ZimbabweFoundation, SummaryKingdom of MapungubweFoundation, Governance, Impact, SummaryKingdom of KanoImpactKingdom of NriImpact, SummaryBamana EmpireImpact
Mentioned in 43 state histories
See also
Cite this entry
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Africa. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/africa
- MLA
- “Africa.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/africa. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Africa.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/africa.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Africa’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/africa (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻