The following are short descriptions of the major places which have contributed to the shaping of Global African history. These encyclopedia entries serve as a starting point for much more inclusive descriptions and discussions that appear in other sources. For additional information please consult the print or website sources cited in the entry.
Port Harcourt is the capital, largest city, and port town of Rivers state. It is located in southern Nigeria and is situated along the Bonny River. In 2006 Port Harcourt boasted a population of 1,005,904 people making it the 5th most populous city in Nigeria. … Read MorePort Harcourt, Nigeria (1912- )
Benin City, which is also known as Edo, is located in the southern region of Nigeria. It is the capital of Edo state and in 2016 boasted a population of 1,500,000 people making it the largest city in the state as well as the fourth-largest … Read MoreBenin City, Nigeria (10th Century- )
George Town, located on the island of Grand Cayman, is the capital city of the Cayman Islands, British West Indies. There has been no archaeological evidence of an indigenous presence in the Cayman Islands before the arrival of the Europeans. The first European sighting of … Read MoreGeorge Town, Cayman Islands (1700- )
Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro Basilica is located in Yamoussoukro, which since March 1983 been the capital of Côte d’Ivoire (the Ivory Coast). It is the largest Christian church in the world, according to Guinness World Records. The basilica is not to be confused … Read MoreOur Lady Of Peace of Yamoussoukro Basilica (1989- )
Gustavia is the capital and main seaport of the island of Saint Barthélemy, also known as “St. Bart’s.” The Caribbean island is said to have been discovered by explorer Christopher Columbus in 1493, who named it after his brother Bartolomeo. The Taino Indians were the … Read MoreGustavia, Saint Barthélemy (1648- )
Yamoussoukro is currently the de jure capital of the nation of Cote d’Ivoire. The city had a population of 242,744 people in 2010. Yamoussoukro is located 274 km, or 170 miles, from the country’s de facto capital, Abidjan, where most of the government offices and … Read MoreYamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire (1909- )
The island of Zanzibar, now a part of Tanzania, was a nineteenth century East African trading empire that fell under the domination of the British who controlled it until the mid-twentieth century. Zanzibar is the leading producer of cloves in the world, which earned it … Read MoreSultanate of Zanzibar (1856–1964)
In May 2006 the world’s first underwater park, Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park, opened for public viewing. Located in Molinere Bay, off the west coast of the Caribbean island of Grenada, Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park covers an area of approximately 2,000 square miles and is home to 65 … Read MoreMolinere Underwater Sculpture Park (2006- )
Santo Domingo de Guzman, the capital of the Dominican Republic and the cultural, financial, and industrial center of the nation, was founded in 1496 by Bartholomew Columbus, the younger brother of Christopher Columbus. Situated on the southeastern coast of the island of Hispaniola (which The … Read MoreSanto Domingo de Guzman, The Dominican Republic (1496- )
Paramaribo is the largest city, chief port, and capital of Suriname, a country located on the north coast of South America and the continent’s smallest nation. The city had a population of 250,000 people in 2014 who comprised about half the population of the entire … Read MoreParamaribo, Suriname (1630- )
