Wakanda is the fictional African nation featured in Black Panther. In Marvel’s stories, it is generally located in East Africa and is ruled by the Black Panther, traditionally the nation’s monarch and protector.
Wakanda is famous for its vast supply of vibranium, the rare metal that powers much of its extraordinary technology. Because the country concealed its resources and isolation from the outside world, it developed into one of the most technologically advanced societies in the Marvel universe while appearing to outsiders as a relatively poor, traditional nation.
The country was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 in July 1966. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wakanda first appears in Captain America: Civil War before becoming the main setting of Black Panther. Director Ryan Coogler drew visual and cultural inspiration from several African traditions, including the southern African kingdom of Lesotho.
Wakanda is not the same fictional country as Zamunda from Coming to America, nor is it Genosha or Latveria, which belong to different Marvel storylines.