Several important empires flourished in western Africa at various times after about A.D. 1000. They were the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires.<NP> The Ghana Empire existed from the 300's to the mid-1000's. The Arabs called Ghana the "land of gold" because Ghanaian traders supplied them with gold from regions south of the empire. The Mali Empire arose during the 1200's. One of its cities, Timbuktu, became an important center of trade and Muslim culture. The empire began to break up during the 1400's. By 1500, most of it had come under the control of the Songhai Empire. This empire became powerful mainly by controlling trade across the Sahara. Songhai lasted until 1591.
