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Historical map · 1600

Map of Africa in 1600

In 1600, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 12 states, empires and other polities in Africa. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Ottoman Empire, the Funj Sultanate and the Saadi Sultanate. The Spanish Empire reached well beyond Africa: its whole territory measured about 13.6 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Africa in 1600. 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 1600

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia2.9 million km²4.3 million km²1305–1923
Funj Sultanate Wikipedia632,000 km²632,000 km²1507–1821
Saadi Sultanate Wikipedia578,000 km²578,000 km²1556–1740
Ethiopian Empire Wikipedia526,000 km²526,000 km²1272–1935
Bornu Empire Wikipedia341,000 km²341,000 km²1072–1894
Safavid Dynasty Wikipedia313,000 km²2.2 million km²1502–1737
Alliance between Papal States and Spanish Empire Wikipedia159,000 km²7.3 million km²755–1870
Spanish Empire Wikipedia159,000 km²13.6 million km²1516–1931
Kingdom of Kongo Wikipedia132,000 km²132,000 km²1440–1669
Mali Empire Wikipedia129,000 km²129,000 km²1236–1611
Iberian Union Wikipedia111,000 km²796,000 km²1582–1639
Republic of Venice Wikipedia7,180 km²50,000 km²705–1796

"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 1550

New on the map: Saadi Sultanate, Alliance between Papal States and Spanish Empire, Iberian Union.

Gone from the map: Songhai Empire, Wattasid dynasty, Hafsid Dynasty, Zayyanid dynasty, Personal union of Spanish Empire with Habsburg Monarchy, Kingdom of Spain, Sultanate of Harar, Portuguese Empire, Kingdom of Portugal, Portuguese Africa.

What comes next: 1648

Appear by 1648: Sultanate of Darfur, Wadai Empire, Qasimids, Kingdom of Spain, Portuguese Empire, Kingdom of Portugal, Dutch Republic, Oyo Empire, New France, Kingdom of France, Kingdom of England, English Colonial Empire.

Gone by 1648: Alliance between Papal States and Spanish Empire, Mali Empire, Iberian Union.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in Africa in 1600?

The map data draws 12 states and other polities in Africa in 1600. The largest by land were the Ottoman Empire, the Funj Sultanate, the Saadi Sultanate, the Ethiopian Empire and the Bornu Empire.

What was the largest empire in Africa in 1600?

Of the states on this map, the Spanish Empire held the most land in total: about 13.6 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Africa in 1600 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1600, 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 1600