Kingdom of Zimbabwe

African kingdoms and states, 430–1911

Besides the large empires and the colonial powers, Africa had many other states: the Berber kingdoms of late-Roman Mauretania and the Aurès; the Wolof states of Senegambia, the Fula imamates, Kaabu and the Moorish emirates; Kong, the Mossi kingdoms, Dagbon, Denkyira, Akwamu, Dahomey and Benin; the Hausa kingdoms, Nupe, Kebbi, Agadez, Damagaram and Baguirmi; the Ethiopian, Gibe and Somali sultanates and kingdoms, the Shilluk, Kilwa and Pate; Buganda, Bunyoro, Rwanda and Burundi; Loango, Ndongo, Matamba, Kasanje, Kuba, Luba, Lunda and Kazembe; Mapungubwe, Great Zimbabwe, Mutapa, Butua and the Rozvi; and Maravi, Gaza, the Nguni and Sotho kingdoms, the Lozi and the Sakalava. Dates and rulers come from cited reference articles. Few pre-colonial African frontiers were ever surveyed or described, and many of these states ruled people and trade routes more than fixed territory.