Songhai Empire
geographical name
Song·hai Empire ˈsȯŋ-ˌhī 
variants or Songhay Empire
a former Muslim empire that was established circa 1000 and was centered on the Niger River town of Gao (now in Mali)
Note: At its greatest extent, early in the 16th century, the Songhai Empire stretched from the Atlantic into present-day Niger and Nigeria. It fell to Moroccan forces in 1591.