After the Western Roman Empire's collapse in the late 5th century, the political structure underwent significant changes. The territory was divided among various Germanic kingdoms, with the most notable being the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths, the Vandal Kingdom in North Africa, the Kingdom of the Visigoths in Spain, and the Kingdom of the Franks in Gaul. These successor states ruled their respective regions, often independently of the former Roman central authority. This fragmentation contributed to the end of Roman political unity in the Western Mediterranean.