The
history of Africa begins with the emergence of
Homo sapiens in
East Africa, and continues into the present as a patchwork of diverse and politically developing nation states. The
recorded history of early civilization arose in
Egypt, and later in
Nubia, the
Sahel, the
Maghreb and the
Horn of Africa. During the
Middle Ages,
Islam spread west from Arabia to Egypt, crossing the Maghreb and the Sahel. A major center of Muslim culture was
Timbuktu. Some notable pre-colonial states and societies in Africa include the
Nok culture,
Mali Empire,
Ashanti Empire,
Kingdom of Mapungubwe,
Kingdom of Sine,
Kingdom of Sennar,
Kingdom of Saloum,
Kingdom of Baol,
Kingdom of Cayor,
Kingdom of Zimbabwe,
Kingdom of Kongo,
Empire of Kaabu,
Ancient Carthage,
Numidia,
Mauretania, the
Aksumite Empire, the
Ajuran Sultanate, and the
Adal Sultanate.