Kingdom of Dagbon

Kingdom of Dagbon
Northern Territories
Kingdom of Dagbon Northern Territories
	Kingdom of Dagbon map
	Kingdom of Dagbon location map (colour squared black on green)
Status	Founding; (1409) The Northern Region; The Upper West Region; The Upper East Region;
Capital and largest city	Tamale
Official languages	Oti–Volta, Hausa (lingua franca)
Ethnic groups	Mole–Dagbani; Dagomba (Dagbani); Gonja (Guan); Wala (Waala); Gurunsi (Gurunsi); Mossi (Mooré); Mamprusi (Mampruli); Afro-Asiatic; Hausawa (Hausa/Ghananci); Songhai; Zabarima (Zarma) ; Mandé; Wangara (Dyula/Ligbi/Busansi); Ghanaian-Fulani; Fulfulde (Fula (Maasina))
Religion	Islam
Demonym(s)	Mole–Dagbani
Government	Monarchy
• King Ya-Na; King of the; Kingdom of Dagbon	Yakubu II
Area
• Total	97,702 km2 (37,723 sq mi)
Population
• 2010 estimate	about 4,228,116
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+0 (GMT)

Larabanga Mosque in Dagbon, built in the 15th century.

Mosque, Tamale, Northern region, Dagbon.

The Kingdom of Dagbon was an African kingdom in West Africa; it comprised the Northern, Upper West, and Upper East regions of present-day Ghana.^[1] The Kingdom of Dagbon's territories included Dagomba, Gonja, Mamprusi, Bimoba, Chokosi, and Konkomba in the Northern region; Wala and Dagati in the Upper West region; and Frafra, Kasena, Talensi, Kusasi, Mamprusi, Bulsa, and Nankana in the Upper East region.

History

The Kingdom of Dagbon was a Dagomba, Wala, Gurunsi, Mamprusi (Mossi), and Gonja (Guang) absolute monarchy before the British Empire colonized it. The Kingdom of Dagbon enjoyed distinct constitutional position before it became part of the Kingdom of Ashanti and British Togoland.^[1]^[2] It was culturally closer to, and was the result of, other Sahelian kingdoms, especially to the Mossi Kingdoms, Mali Empire, Songhai Empire, and Hausa Bakwai, with which Dagbon were major trading partners for salt, kola nuts, and slaves.