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Nigeria: An ivory pendant mask depicting the iyoba (queen mother) Idia (16th century), Benin Empire, 16th century.<br/><br/> Idia was the mother of Esigie (r. 1504-1550), the Oba (king) of the Benin Empire. She played a critical part in the rise and reign of her son, being described as a great warrior who fought tirelessly before and during her son's rule.<br/><br/> The Kingdom of Benin, also called the Edo Kingdom and the Benin Empire, was a kingdom in West Africa in what is now southern Nigeria; it is not to be confused with the modern nation of Benin. The Kingdom of Benin's capital was Edo, now known as Benin City in Nigeria's Edo state. The Benin Kingdom was 'one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa', and was formed around the 11th century CE, lasting until its annexation by the British Empire in 1897.
Portuguese explorer Prince Henry, known as the Navigator, was the first European to methodically explore Africa and the oceanic route to the Indies. From his residence in the Algarve region of southern Portugal, he directed successive expeditions to circumnavigate Africa and reach India.<br/><br/> In 1420, Henry sent an expedition to secure the uninhabited but strategic island of Madeira. In 1425, he tried to secure the Canary Islands as well, but these were already under firm Castilian control. In 1431, another Portuguese expedition reached and annexed the Azores.