Where was the banjo created?

The banjo is of African origin, with precursors existing in West Africa. The instrument appeared in the United States in the 17th and 18th centuries, brought to the New World by enslaved people from Africa. The first banjos had four or five strings and were made from gourds or calabashes covered with animal skin. The instrument evolved over time, and by the 19th century, it had become the five-string banjo we know today.