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Historical map · 1200

Map of Africa in 1200

In 1200, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 18 states, empires and other polities in Africa. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Ayyubid Sultanate, the Almohad Caliphate and the Great Seljuk Empire.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Africa in 1200. Zoom in, move the year slider to watch the borders change, or ask the history guide a question and it draws the answer on the map.

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States and empires in Africa in 1200

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Ayyubid Sultanate Wikipedia2.0 million km²2.0 million km²1177–1249
Almohad Caliphate Wikipedia827,000 km²925,000 km²1139–1343
Great Seljuk Empire Wikipedia742,000 km²989,000 km²1040–1201
Makuria Wikipedia213,000 km²213,000 km²347–1518
Ghana Empire Wikipedia205,000 km²205,000 km²793–1201
Alodia Wikipedia124,000 km²124,000 km²347–1506
Takrur Wikipedia74,000 km²74,000 km²1040–1235
Byzantine Empire Wikipedia71,000 km²431,000 km²633–1474
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia Wikipedia55,000 km²60,000 km²1099–1374
Uyunid Emirate Wikipedia50,000 km²74,000 km²1072–1235
Sultanate of Rum Wikipedia34,000 km²258,000 km²1094–1313
Kingdom of Sicily Wikipedia20,000 km²92,000 km²1139–1384
Empire of Kanem Wikipedia20,000 km²20,000 km²1072–1894
Zagwe dynasty Wikipedia15,000 km²15,000 km²947–1271
Kingdom of Cyprus Wikipedia11,000 km²11,000 km²1192–1491
Kingdom of Jerusalem Wikipedia8,900 km²8,900 km²1099–1293
Principality of Antioch Wikipedia5,460 km²5,460 km²1099–1271
County of Tripoli Wikipedia3,180 km²3,180 km²1111–1293

"In the data" gives the first and last year the dataset draws the state under this identity; states often existed earlier or later in another form.

What changed since 1100

New on the map: Ayyubid Sultanate, Almohad Caliphate, Kingdom of Sicily, Kingdom of Cyprus, County of Tripoli.

Gone from the map: Almoravid Dynasty, Fatimid Caliphate, Hamdanid Emirates, Najahid Dynasty, Hammadid Dynasty, Zirid dynasty, Norman Italy, County of Edessa, Ziyadid dynasty, Zurayid dynasty.

What comes next: 1300

Appear by 1300: Mamluk Sultanate, Allegiance of Ilkhanate to Yuan Dynasty, Mali Empire, Rasulid Dynasty, Hafsid Dynasty, Ethiopian Empire, Zayyanid dynasty, Ifat Sultanate, Bahrani Dynasty, Crown of Castile, Emirate of Granada, Crown of Aragon, Kingdom of Portugal, Principality of Achaea, Republic of Venice, Duchy of the Archipelago, Duchy of Athens.

Gone by 1300: Ayyubid Sultanate, Great Seljuk Empire, Ghana Empire, Takrur, Uyunid Emirate, Sultanate of Rum, Kingdom of Sicily, Zagwe dynasty, Kingdom of Jerusalem, Principality of Antioch, County of Tripoli.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in Africa in 1200?

The map data draws 18 states and other polities in Africa in 1200. The largest by land were the Ayyubid Sultanate, the Almohad Caliphate, the Great Seljuk Empire, Makuria and the Ghana Empire.

What was the largest empire in Africa in 1200?

Of the states on this map, the Ayyubid Sultanate held the most land in total: about 2.0 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Africa in 1200 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1200, zoom into any region, move through the years, and ask the history guide questions: it answers in plain words and draws places, armies and borders on the map.

About these borders

The borders come from Cliopatria (v0.2.1, Seshat Global History Databank, CC BY 4.0), the dataset behind our interactive map, with our audited name and border corrections. It records each state's territory year by year from 3400 BC to 2024. Borders before modern surveys are reconstructions: the data draws a state where it held control, and frontier zones, nomadic realms and loose overlordships are approximate. Areas are measured on an equal-area projection. Read how we make our maps.

Africa in other years

Other regions in 1200