User:EmperorOfSiberia/Forest Kingdoms

West African Forest Kingdoms The Forest Kingdoms were civilizations that emerged in West Africa's forested regions south of the Sahel. They include the Benin Empire, the Kingdom of Nri, the Oyo Empire, the Ashanti Empire and the city of Ife in what is now Nigeria, Benin (unrelated to the Kingdom of Benin), Togo and Ghana.

History
Nigeria has been inhabited since before 9000 BC. The earliest civilisation in West Africa was the Nok Culture which emerged c. 1000 BC and was using iron by 500 BC. They are best known for their sculptures which depict people and animals. The funcion of these figures remains unknown. The Nok culture vanished around 500 AD. Later on other kingdoms would rise in what is now southern Nigeria, starting with the kingdom of Nri or the Igbo people around 900 AD.