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# Kingdom of Kongo The Kingdom of Kongo, located north of the Malebo Pool of the Lower Congo River, was one of the most influential monarchies in West Central Africa, from the 1380s to the 1960s. It flourished due to fertile soils, abundant rainfall, and iron and copper deposits. The Bakongo peop...

# Kingdom of Kongo The Kingdom of Kongo, located north of the Malebo Pool of the Lower Congo River, was one of the most influential monarchies in West Central Africa, from the 1380s to the 1960s. It flourished due to fertile soils, abundant rainfall, and iron and copper deposits. The Bakongo people, living south of the Congo River, united into a single kingdom with a capital at Mbanza Kongo, ruled by the Manikongo (king of the Kingdom). The Portuguese arrival in 1483 provided the Kingdom with a material advantage through trade relations in the Atlantic trade. This, in turn, gave Kongo a competitive edge over other landlocked neighbors. ## African Empires (500 BCE to 1500 BCE) The map shows various African empires and kingdoms from 500 BCE to 1500 CE. The map includes the following regions: * Carthaginian Empire * Empire of Ghana * Mali Empire * Songhai Empire * Empire of Kanem * Fatimid Caliphate * Kingdom of Aksum * Christian Ethiopia * Kingdom of Kangaba * Great Zimbabwe Empire * Luba State *and many more. The map is represented by a grayscale image showing the locations and the various empires. A key accompanies the map to identify each region from the colored boxes.