Mali and Songhai Sometimes history seems to repeat itself. The rise and fall of two medieval kingdoms of West Africa is an example of this. Mali and Songhai, as well as the smaller kingdom of Ghana before them, were once great trading kingdoms famous for their gold. Yet despite their greatness, they each declined for similar reasons.
Mansa Musa Mansa Musa was an important Malian king from 1312 to 1337 expanding the Mali influence over the Niger city-states of Timbuktu, Gao, and Djenne. Mansa Musa (Mansa meaning emperor or sultan and Musa meaning Moses), the grandson of one of Sundiata�s sisters, is often referred to as "The Black Moses" (Jeffries & Moss 1997).
A History of Ghana The Republic of Ghana is named after the medieval Ghana Empire of West Africa. The actual name of the Empire was Wagadugu. Ghana was the title of the kings who ruled the kingdom. It was controlled by Sundiata in 1240 AD, and absorbed into the larger Mali Empire. (Mali Empire reached its peak of success under Mansa Musa around 1307).
An Introduction to Africa Geographia invites our readers to explore all the traditional African safari destinations, but the game parks and wildlife reserves are only the beginning of the adventure. The second largest continent on Earth, Africa contains more countries than any other. With a history of human habitation that begins with the oldest known ancestors of man, the continent's cultural wealth easily matches its natural attractions. Empires rose and fell in Africa thousands of years before the European powers began their protracted exploitation of the continent, and much pre-colonial culture remains intact.
ANCIENT AFRICA The European colonial powers called Africa �the Dark Continent� when they began their explorations. They saw it as a vast and dangerous place filled with savage people, but Africa has been home to many advanced, exotic civilizations.
COLONIAL AFRICAA great reference site with information about Africa duing its coloinal era. Thank you Mr. Dowling!
MODERN AFRICAAfrica is the world's second largest continent. More than three times the size of the United States, Africa is home to enormous mountains, tropical rainforests, grassy savannas, three large deserts, and the world's longest river. Thank you Mr. Dowling!