Romans in sub-Saharan Africa
The western coast of Africa was explored after the conquest of northern Morocco (then called Mauretania Tingitana). The Roman vassal king, Juba II, organized successful trade from the area of Volubilis. Pliny the Elder, drawing upon the accounts of Juba II, stated that a Roman expedition from Mauritania visited the Canaries and Madeira around 10 CE and found great ruins and only dogs (from those animals he called the islands, using the latin word "canarius" or "canis" for dog).