Rich in material required to sustain plant growth. We say a land is fertile when we know that we can grow many plants there. The great circle which divides the Earth in half. Because of the tilt of the earth, the suns rays are strongest near the equator. In traditional Africa, there were three types of governing powers.
Most people are familiar with the Kings that ruled the vast empires of western and central Africa.
Countries like Ghana, Benin, and Dahomey were ruled by kings. The second type of government was ruled by emirs which governed locally and were loosely connected to other states. The third government was a council of elders. This was traditionally found in Eastern Africa. This being the most democratic of governments, the council of elders would meet to discuss problems and then make decisions based on everyone's opinion.