West Africa sway not only over most of the other kingdoms in Yorubaland, but also over nearby African states, notably the Fon Kingdom of Dahomey in the modern Republic of Benin to the west. The Benin Empire was a pre-colonial empire located in what is now southern Nigeria. Its capital was Edo, now known as Benin City, Edo. It should not be confused with the modern-day country called Benin, formerly called Dahomey. The Benin Empire was "one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa, dating perhaps to the eleventh century CE". The Benin Empire
Dahomey Amazons Nawi claimed to have fought the French in 1892. Nawi died in November 1979, aged well over 100. Dahomey Amazons were represented in the 1987 film "Cobra Verde" by German director Werner Herzog. Ghezo's Amazons play a significant role in the novel "Flash for Freedom!" by George MacDonald Fraser. The unit is also depicted in (a special edition of, and now DLC of) PC game "". In the African Kingdoms expansion to "Age of Empires II", Gbeto are the Malian unique unit. In either game, the Dahomey/Gbeto are the only female military units. A segment of "QI" Series 7 Episode