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Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Great Zimbabwe, and the Kongo
were regions in Africa that developed into impressive
empires because of their location and trade. Their individual downfalls
occurred because of internal and external problems.
Most of the records discovered by
Historians relating to Ghana,
Mali and Songhai
were left by Arabs who traded or lived in these regions. Historians believe that the people in these
empires obtained iron-making technology from the Nok people, who lived in the
area between 500 B.C. and A.D. 200. This lead to the development of swords and
spears made of iron which allowed them to become more powerful than their
neighbors in warfare. These Africans lived near the Niger
River which became a natural highway for trade and they traded
with the North African and surrounding neighbors.
The empires of Great
Zimbabwe, as well as, the Kongo emerged when descendants from the Bantu tribe
divided. The Bantu people became one
of the greatest tribes and grew very large and dominant about 1,000 years
ago. As the tribe grew, the Bantu split into many clans. Due to overcrowding, a few of the Bantu
tribes migrated from north and northwest Africa further south looking for new
land and more room in which to live.
Please click on the links
above to learn more about these five early African trading empires.
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