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Negroland, or Nigritia, is an archaic term in European mapping, referring to Europeans’ descriptions of West Africa as an area populated with negroes.
This area comprised at least the western part of the region called Sudan (not to be confused with the modern country). The term is probably a direct translation of the Arabic term ''Bilad as-Sudan'' (بلاد السودان), meaning "Land of the Blacks", corresponding to about the same area. There were various kinds of people in the area, including the Jews of Bilad as-Sudan. The Persians called these areas Zangistān (زنگستان), meaning "Land of the Blacks" and the name ''Zang'' for black still remains in the name of Zanzibar (from Persian زنگبار (Zangibār) meaning "The Coast of Blacks". The name was given by Persian navigators when they visited the area in the middle ages. Some of the greatest states of those considered part of Negroland were the Bornu Empire and the
Encyclopædia Britannica 10th Edition (1902) Online - States of Central Africa
Negroland, or Nigritia, is an archaic term in European mapping, referring to Europeans’ descriptions of West Africa as an area populated with negroes.
This area comprised at least the western part of the region called Sudan (not to be confused with the modern country). The term is probably a direct translation of the Arabic term ''Bilad as-Sudan'' (بلاد السودان), meaning "Land of the Blacks", corresponding to about the same area. There were various kinds of people in the area, including the Jews of Bilad as-Sudan. The Persians called these areas Zangistān (زنگستان), meaning "Land of the Blacks" and the name ''Zang'' for black still remains in the name of Zanzibar (from Persian زنگبار (Zangibār) meaning "The Coast of Blacks". The name was given by Persian navigators when they visited the area in the middle ages. Some of the greatest states of those considered part of Negroland were the Bornu Empire and the Sokoto Caliphate
The Sokoto Caliphate (), also known as the Fulani Empire or the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fulani jihads after defeating the Hausa Kingdoms in the Ful ...
.
"Negroland" represented the area between the region of Guinea and "Sahara" or "The Desert", the Sahara Desert. The name "Sahara" is derived from the Arabic word for "desert" in the feminine irregular form, the singular ṣaḥra' (صحراء /ˈsˤaħra/), plural ṣaḥārā (صَحَارَى /ˈsˤaħaːraː/ 5] 7]), ṣaḥār (صَحَار), ṣaḥrāwāt (صَحْارَاوَات), ṣaḥāriy (صَحَارِي). "Guinea", not to be confused with Guinea, the modern country, then referred to the south-facing coast of West Africa and the land stretching upriver from there. Herman Moll's 1727 map labels these " Grain Coast", " Slave Coast", and " Gold Coast". "Negroland" was the territory to the north of this, along the east–west axis of the Niger River, and the west-facing coast. Moll's map labels Gambia, Senegal, Mandinga and many other territories.
In 1823, approximately the same area was described as "Nigritia" on an American map published by Fielding Lucas Jr.
Fielding Lucas Jr. (September 3, 1781 – March 12, 1854) was an American cartographer, an artist, and a publisher of prominence during the early 19th century. He is known as the earliest successful commercial map publisher in the city of Balti ...
See also
*Sahel
The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...
Sources
Encyclopædia Britannica 10th Edition (1902) Online - States of Central Africa
References
{{Regions of Africa History of Africa Regions of Africa