Editing Sub-Saharan Africa (section)

===West Africa===
{{Main|History of West Africa}}
{{Further|Ghana Empire|Mali Empire|Songhay Empire|Kingdom of Benin|Kingdom of Nri}}

[[File:Nok sculpture Louvre 70-1998-11-1.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Nok culture|Nok]] sculpture, terracotta, [[Louvre]]]]

The [[Bantu expansion]] is a major migration movement that originated in West Central Africa (possibly around Cameroon) around 2500&nbsp;BCE, reaching East and Central Africa by 1000&nbsp;BCE and Southern Africa by the early centuries&nbsp;CE.

The [[Djenné-Djenno]] city-state flourished from 250 BCE to 900 CE and was influential to the development of the [[Ghana Empire]]. The [[Nok culture]] of Nigeria (lasting from 1,500 BCE to 200 CE) is known from a type of [[terracotta]] figure.<ref name="PB 2014">Breunig, Peter. 2014. Nok: African Sculpture in Archaeological Context: p. 21.</ref> There were a number of medieval empires of the southern Sahara and the Sahel, based on [[trans-Saharan trade]], including the [[Ghana Empire]] and the [[Mali Empire]], [[Songhai Empire]], the [[Kanem Empire]] and the subsequent [[Bornu Empire]].<ref>Davidson, Basil. ''Africa History, Themes and Outlines'', revised and expanded edition. New York: Simon & Schuster, pp. 87–107, {{ISBN|0-684-82667-4}}.</ref> They built stone structures like in [[Tichit]], but mainly constructed in [[adobe]]. The [[Great Mosque of Djenne]] is most reflective of Sahelian architecture and is the largest adobe building in the world.

In the forest zone, several states and empires such as [[Bono state|Bono State]], [[Akwamu]] and others emerged. The [[Ashanti Empire]] arose in the 18th century in modern-day [[Ghana]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Meyerowitz |first=Eva L. R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F3lyAAAAMAAJ |title=The Early History of the Akan States of Ghana |date=1975 |publisher=Red Candle Press |isbn=9780608390352 |language=en }}</ref> The [[Kingdom of Nri]], was established by the [[Igbo people|Igbo]] in the 11th century. Nri was famous for having a priest-king who wielded no military power. Nri was a rare African state which was a haven for freed slaves and outcasts who sought refuge in their territory. Other major states included the kingdoms of [[Ife|Ifẹ]] and [[Oyo Empire|Oyo]] in the western block of Nigeria which became prominent about 700–900 and 1400 respectively, and center of [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] culture. The Yoruba built massive mud walls around their cities, the most famous being [[Sungbo's Eredo]]. Another prominent kingdom in southwestern Nigeria was the [[Kingdom of Benin]], whose power lasted between the 15th and 19th century. Their dominance reached as far as the well-known city of Eko which was named [[Lagos]] by the Portuguese traders and other early European settlers. The [[Kingdom of Benin|Edo]]-speaking people of Benin are known for their famous bronze casting and rich coral, wealth, ancient science and technology and the [[Walls of Benin]], one of the longest man-made structures on the world.

In the 18th century, the Oyo and the [[Aro Confederacy]] were responsible for most of the slaves exported from modern-day Nigeria, selling them to [[Atlantic slave trade|European slave traders]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/7.htm |title=The Slave Trade |publisher=Countrystudies.us |access-date=9 June 2008 |archive-date=23 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623172414/http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/7.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the [[Napoleonic Wars]], the British expanded their influence into the Nigerian interior. In 1885, British claims to a West African sphere of influence received international recognition, and in the following year the [[Royal Niger Company]] was chartered under the leadership of [[George Taubman Goldie|Sir George Goldie]]. In 1900, the company's territory came under the control of the British government, which moved to consolidate its hold over the area of modern Nigeria. On 1 January 1901, Nigeria [[Colonial Nigeria|became]] a [[British protectorate]] as part of the [[British Empire]], the foremost world power at the time. Nigeria was granted its [[independence]] in 1960 during the period of [[decolonization|decoloniszation]].