INTERACTIVE MAP
There were many great empires throughout the continent of Africa. This site and the map below will focus on three great empires of West Africa: Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.
The Kingdom of Ghana was the first of the three and lasted roughly from the 500s to the 1200s CE.
The Empire of Mali came next and lasted from the 1200s to the 1460s CE.
Lastly, the Empire of Songhai overlapped with Mali for a time and lasted from the 1400s to 1591 CE.
For more information on the periodization of West African history, click here.
< For the complete experience, view the map in fullscreen by clicking the icon in the top right corner
For a more detailed map see "The Gold Road," created by Howard University's Center for African Studies.
Howard University, "The Gold Road" - Highly interactive, informative, and engaging. A great way for students to explore history and geography at the same time.
