
10,000 polities, not a blank map
Precolonial Africa held up to 10,000 states and polities—from San bands to Sahelian empires and Swahili towns.Africa: A Continent of 10,000 Polities

City walls and caravans
By the 9th century, dynastic states spread across the savannah; later, Hausa cities built walls and powered trade.Africa: A Continent of 10,000 Polities