History of Islam|- Africa

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_m&sl=auto&tl=ms&u=http://aydnajimudeen.blogspot.com/
As far as Africa is concerned, Islam entered into East Africa at the
very beginning of the Islamic period but remained confined to the
coast for some time, only the Sudanand Somaliland becoming gradually
both Arabized and Islamized.
West Africa felt the presence of Islam through North African traders
who travelled with their camel caravans south of the Sahara. By the
14th century there were already Muslim sultanates in such areas as
Mali, and Timbuctu in West Africa and Harar in East Africa had become
seats of Islamic leaming.
Gradually Islam penetrated both inland and southward. There
alsoappeared major charismatic figures who inspired intense
resistanceagainst European domination.
The process of the Islamization of Africa did not cease during the
colonial period and continues even today withthe result that most
Africans are now Muslims carrying on a tradition which has had
practically as long a history in certainareas of sub-Saharan Africa as
Islam itself.
In Africa also major countries with large or majority Muslim
populations such as Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania began to gain their
independence in the 1950's and 1960's with the result that by the end
of the decade of the 60's most parts of the Islamic world were formed
into independent national states. There were, however, exceptions. The
Muslim states in the SovietUnion failed to gain their autonomy or
independence. The same holds true for Sinkiang (called Eastem
Turkestan by Muslim geographers) while in Eritrea and the southern
Philippines Muslim independence movements still continue.