The Axumite Kingdom was a large African Kingdom that spanned from 200 BC to around 700 AD. It was located on the Eastern coast and lies in modern day Somalia. It was a kingdom that bridged the two land masses of Asia and Africa as it also had influence in modern day Yemen. This might seem strange now because there would be a large sea blocking them from passage, but the small gateway of Bab el Mandeb is a canal and only later rose up due to human interaction and climate change. It was in fact the Axumite Kingdom that caused Yemen to be called Africa by many. In terms of terrain, the Axumite Kingdom is a pretty flat area with sand dunes and grass fields taking up majority of the land area and the rest of their influence being in their naval power.
In terms of competition for land, on the eastern side of Axumite, there were a variety of clans and groups opposing the Axum rule. Some of these smaller kingdoms include Himyar and Qataban in Yemen, Hadhramaut in Oman, and just smaller tribes and groups wandering the deserts of Saudi Arabia. On the west side of Aksumite, there were fewer groups. The major competitor was the large empire of Carthage which did change in leadership many times, but their Eastern reach crept over to the Red Sea which sometimes led to conflicts between the two kingdoms. The other large western kingdom was the Kingdom of Meroe which had ties to Ancient Egypt and also had numerous skirmishes with the Axumitians.
Because “The kingdom was at the crossroads of the three continents: Africa, Arabia and the Greco-Roman World, and was the most powerful state between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia” (UNESCO) the ancient Axum empire had total control over the seaports on the Red sea. Having access to this was a key part in the overall wealth and success of the empire, but “Aksum [only] continued to dominate the Red Sea coast until the end of the 9th century, exercising its influence from the shores of the Gulf of Aden to Zeila on the northern coast of Somaliland (modern Somalia and Djibouti)” (Metych).
Aksumite Kingdom grew through their trade networks and control of the Bab el Mandeb river and Red Sea. There is a high chance that with their strong naval power they also journeyed outside their borders and settled in places they traveled to including India, Egypt, Italy, Greece, Kenya, Thailand and even some areas of Indonesia. Oftentimes settlers will stay in the area and cause their influence to linger throughout the area. The Akumitians often considered themselves an empire due to their multitude of colonies around the world, but their influence of Axum did not directly influence the smaller colonies.