The Expanse of Ancient Kingdoms
Twenty of Africa's great states, mapped at their approximate greatest extent. Hover or tap a region to explore. Boundaries in precolonial Africa were zones of influence rather than fixed lines — these shapes are historical approximations, not surveyed borders.
Every kingdom in the Atlas
Linked to the modern countries that inherit their heritage.
Numidia(Algeria)Kingdom of Tlemcen (Zayyanid)(Algeria)Regency of Algiers(Algeria)Kingdom of Kongo(Angola)Ndongo(Angola)Matamba(Angola)Lunda sphere(Angola)Kingdom of Benguela(Angola)Kingdom of Dahomey(Benin)Allada(Benin)Porto-Novo (Hogbonu)(Benin)Borgu states(Benin)Tswana merafe (Bangwato, Bakwena, Bangwaketse)(Botswana)Butua (Kalanga) state(Botswana)Mossi Kingdoms (Ouagadougou, Yatenga, Tenkodogo)(Burkina Faso)Gwiriko (Dioula)(Burkina Faso)Kingdom of Burundi (Urundi)(Burundi)Bamoun (Bamum) Kingdom(Cameroon)Bamiléké chefferies(Cameroon)Adamawa Emirate(Cameroon)Kotoko city-states(Cameroon)Guanche menceyatos of Tenerife(Canary Islands)Guanartemates of Gran Canaria(Canary Islands)Zande (Bandia) kingdoms(Central African Republic)Dar al-Kuti sultanate(Central African Republic)Kanem-Bornu Empire(Chad)Sultanate of Bagirmi(Chad)Wadai Empire(Chad)Sultanates of Ndzuwani (Anjouan), Bambao and others(Comoros)Kong Empire(Côte d'Ivoire)Indénié(Côte d'Ivoire)Sanwi(Côte d'Ivoire)Baoulé chiefdoms(Côte d'Ivoire)Kingdom of Kongo(Democratic Republic of the Congo)Luba Empire(Democratic Republic of the Congo)Lunda Empire(Democratic Republic of the Congo)Kuba Kingdom(Democratic Republic of the Congo)Msiri's Yeke Kingdom(Democratic Republic of the Congo)Sultanate of Adal (shared)(Djibouti)Afar sultanates (Tadjoura, Raheita)(Djibouti)Ancient Egypt (Old, Middle, New Kingdoms)(Egypt)Kingdom of Kush (Nubia)(Egypt)Fatimid Caliphate(Egypt)Mamluk Sultanate(Egypt)Bubi Kingdom of Bioko(Equatorial Guinea)Kingdom of Aksum (core region)(Eritrea)Medri Bahri(Eritrea)Kingdom of Eswatini (Swazi Kingdom)(Eswatini)D'mt(Ethiopia)Kingdom of Aksum(Ethiopia)Zagwe dynasty(Ethiopia)Solomonic Ethiopian Empire(Ethiopia)Sultanate of Adal(Ethiopia)Kingdom of Kaffa(Ethiopia)Kingdom of Orungu(Gabon)Loango sphere(Gabon)Asante Empire(Ghana)Denkyira(Ghana)Dagbon(Ghana)Fante Confederacy(Ghana)Mali Empire (heartland)(Guinea)Imamate of Futa Jallon(Guinea)Wassoulou Empire of Samori Touré(Guinea)Kaabu Empire(Guinea-Bissau)Swahili city-states (Lamu, Mombasa, Pate)(Kenya)Wanga Kingdom(Kenya)Kingdom of Lesotho (Basotho Kingdom)(Lesotho)Kingdom of the Vai(Liberia)Condo Confederation(Liberia)Garamantes(Libya)Carthaginian Tripolitania(Libya)Kingdom of Cyrene(Libya)Karamanli Tripoli(Libya)Kingdom of Imerina(Madagascar)Sakalava kingdoms (Menabe, Boina)(Madagascar)Betsimisaraka confederation(Madagascar)Maravi Empire(Malawi)Ngoni kingdoms (M'mbelwa, Maseko)(Malawi)Ghana Empire(Mali)Mali Empire of Sundiata & Mansa Musa(Mali)Songhai Empire(Mali)Segou Bamana kingdom(Mali)Massina Empire(Mali)Ghana Empire (Wagadu core)(Mauritania)Almoravid Empire(Mauritania)Emirates of Trarza and Brakna(Mauritania)Sultanates of Mayotte(Mayotte)Comorian sultanate network(Mayotte)Almoravid Empire(Morocco)Almohad Caliphate(Morocco)Marinid Sultanate(Morocco)Saadi and Alaouite dynasties(Morocco)Mwenemutapa (Mutapa) sphere(Mozambique)Gaza Empire(Mozambique)Swahili sultanates (Sofala, Angoche)(Mozambique)Ovambo kingdoms (Ondonga, Uukwanyama)(Namibia)Oorlam-Nama polities(Namibia)Songhai Empire(Niger)Sultanate of Aïr (Agadez)(Niger)Damagaram (Zinder)(Niger)Dosso kingdom(Niger)Nok culture(Nigeria)Ife(Nigeria)Oyo Empire(Nigeria)Benin Kingdom(Nigeria)Kanem-Bornu(Nigeria)Sokoto Caliphate(Nigeria)Nri(Nigeria)Land of Punt (associated)(Puntland)Majeerteen Sultanate(Puntland)Sultanate of Hobyo(Puntland)Kingdom of Kongo (northern provinces)(Republic of the Congo)Tio (Teke) Kingdom(Republic of the Congo)Loango Kingdom(Republic of the Congo)Maroon leaders of the highlands (Anchaing, Dimitile, Mafate)(Réunion)Kingdom of Rwanda (Nyiginya dynasty)(Rwanda)Angolar maroon 'kingdom' of Amador(São Tomé and Príncipe)Jolof Empire(Senegal)Kingdoms of Sine and Saloum(Senegal)Futa Toro(Senegal)Kingdom of Cayor(Senegal)Koya (Temne) Kingdom(Sierra Leone)Mende confederacies(Sierra Leone)Land of Punt (associated)(Somalia)Sultanate of Mogadishu(Somalia)Ajuran Empire(Somalia)Adal Sultanate(Somalia)Majeerteen & Geledi sultanates(Somalia)Land of Punt (associated)(Somaliland)Adal Sultanate (Zeila)(Somaliland)Isaaq Sultanate(Somaliland)Habr Yunis and Habr Awal polities(Somaliland)Warsangali Sultanate(Somaliland)Mapungubwe(South Africa)Zulu Kingdom(South Africa)Xhosa polities(South Africa)Bapedi (Maroteng) Kingdom(South Africa)VhaVenda (Thulamela)(South Africa)Shilluk Kingdom(South Sudan)Azande kingdoms (Avongara)(South Sudan)Kingdom of Kush (Kerma, Napata, Meroë)(Sudan)Christian Nubia (Makuria, Alodia)(Sudan)Funj Sultanate of Sennar(Sudan)Sultanate of Darfur(Sudan)Kilwa Sultanate(Tanzania)Sultanate of Zanzibar(Tanzania)Chagga chiefdoms(Tanzania)Karagwe(Tanzania)Kaabu Empire(The Gambia)Niumi(The Gambia)Kombo(The Gambia)Notsé (Ewe ancestral city)(Togo)Tado (Aja origin site)(Togo)Carthaginian Empire(Tunisia)Aghlabid Emirate(Tunisia)Hafsid Sultanate(Tunisia)Bunyoro-Kitara(Uganda)Buganda(Uganda)Ankole (Nkore)(Uganda)Toro(Uganda)Busoga(Uganda)Almoravid origins (Sanhaja)(Western Sahara)Beni Hassan migrations(Western Sahara)Ma al-Aynayn's Smara polity(Western Sahara)Barotseland (Lozi)(Zambia)Bemba kingdom(Zambia)Kazembe-Lunda(Zambia)Undi's Chewa state(Zambia)Shirazi settlements(Zanzibar)Omani Sultanate of Zanzibar(Zanzibar)Swahili city-state network(Zanzibar)Great Zimbabwe(Zimbabwe)Mutapa Empire(Zimbabwe)Rozvi Empire(Zimbabwe)Ndebele Kingdom(Zimbabwe)