Kingdom of Whydah
Kingdom of Whydah Glexwe, Xwéda | |||||||
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| Status | Country | ||||||
| Capital and largest city | Savi (also known as Tanvir) 6°25′N 2°06′E / 6.417°N 2.100°E | ||||||
| Official languages | Yoruba | ||||||
| Ethnic groups | Xwela-Xweda people | ||||||
| Religion | Vodun | ||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||
| History | |||||||
• Established | 17th century | ||||||
• Conquest by Dahomey | 1727 | ||||||
| Currency | Cowrie, Gold | ||||||
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| Today part of | Benin | ||||||
| History of Benin |
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| History of the Kingdom of Dahomey |
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The Kingdom of Whydah (/ˈhwɪdə, ˈhwɪdˌɔː/) was a kingdom on the coast of West Africa in what is now Benin. It was a major slave trading area which exported more than one million Africans to the United States, the Caribbean and Brazil before closing its trade in the 1860s. In 1700, it had a coastline of around 16 kilometres (10 mi); under King Haffon, this was expanded to 64 km (40 mi), and stretching 40 km (25 mi) inland.
The Kingdom of Whydah was centered in Savi. It also had connection to the city of Whydah. The last ruler of Whydah was King Haffon, who was deposed in 1727, when Whydah was conquered (and annexed) by the Kingdom of Dahomey.