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Historical map · 1789

Map of Africa in 1789

In 1789, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 37 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 Morocco. The Spanish Empire reached well beyond Africa: its whole territory measured about 23.1 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Africa in 1789. 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.

OPEN 1789 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1789
Atlas map: Saint-Domingue: The Richest Colony (1789)
FROM THE ATLAS · TWO ROADS TO INDEPENDENCE, CHAPTER 1: SAINT-DOMINGUE: THE RICHEST COLONY (1789)

States and empires in Africa in 1789

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia1.9 million km²2.9 million km²1305–1923
Funj Sultanate Wikipedia629,000 km²629,000 km²1507–1821
Morocco Wikipedia388,000 km²388,000 km²1670–2024
Qajar Iran Wikipedia382,000 km²579,000 km²1788–1923
Bornu Empire Wikipedia340,000 km²340,000 km²1072–1894
Sultanate of Darfur Wikipedia296,000 km²296,000 km²1609–1876
Dutch Republic Wikipedia288,000 km²970,000 km²1582–1795
Wadai Empire Wikipedia281,000 km²281,000 km²1636–1910
Dutch Cape Colony Wikipedia279,000 km²279,000 km²1653–1795
Emirate of Diriyah Wikipedia275,000 km²275,000 km²1744–1819
Ethiopian Empire Wikipedia241,000 km²241,000 km²1272–1935
Regency of Algiers Wikipedia211,000 km²211,000 km²1706–1845
Qasimids Wikipedia154,000 km²154,000 km²1636–1802
Ashanti Empire Wikipedia154,000 km²154,000 km²1702–1897
Zand Dynasty Wikipedia125,000 km²901,000 km²1748–1793
Kingdom of Lunda Wikipedia113,000 km²113,000 km²1709–1889
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia102,000 km²15.9 million km²1502–1910
Spanish Empire Wikipedia90,000 km²23.1 million km²1516–1931
Oyo Empire Wikipedia88,000 km²88,000 km²1609–1835
Karamanli Dynasty Wikipedia86,000 km²86,000 km²1713–1839
Beylik of Tunis Wikipedia79,000 km²79,000 km²1706–1884
Kingdom of Spain Wikipedia76,000 km²504,000 km²1516–2024
Khanates of the Caucasus Wikipedia46,000 km²194,000 km²1748–1796
Sultanate of Oman Wikipedia29,000 km²121,000 km²1744–2024
Bamana Empire Wikipedia24,000 km²24,000 km²1713–1821
Kingdom of Naples (Napoleonic) Wikipedia20,000 km²92,000 km²1762–1814
Kingdom of Portugal Wikipedia15,000 km²96,000 km²1147–1911
Dutch Gold Coast Wikipedia9,120 km²9,120 km²1653–1872
Kingdom of France Wikipedia6,760 km²1.1 million km²990–1848
Kuwait Wikipedia5,510 km²5,510 km²1757–2024
British Empire Wikipedia3,620 km²2.8 million km²1706–1999
New France Wikipedia3,460 km²78,000 km²1609–1791
Freetown Colony Wikipedia3,440 km²3,440 km²1788–1796
French India Wikipedia3,300 km²10,000 km²1673–1847
House of Khalifa Wikipedia1,580 km²1,580 km²1783–1894
Republic of Venice Wikipedia1,240 km²45,000 km²705–1796
Danish Gold Coast Wikipedia720 km²720 km²1659–1852

"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 1776

New on the map: Qajar Iran, Khanates of the Caucasus, Freetown Colony, House of Khalifa.

Gone from the map: Bahrain.

What comes next: 1800

Appear by 1800: British Cape Colony, Merina Kingdom, French Consulate, Septinsular Republic, United Kingdom.

Gone by 1800: Dutch Republic, Dutch Cape Colony, Zand Dynasty, Khanates of the Caucasus, Kingdom of France, New France, Freetown Colony, House of Khalifa, Republic of Venice.

Read the history of 1789

Guided atlas chapters set near this date, each with its own map, causes and consequences:

Questions about this map

Which countries were in Africa in 1789?

The map data draws 37 states and other polities in Africa in 1789. The largest by land were the Ottoman Empire, the Funj Sultanate, Morocco, Qajar Iran and the Bornu Empire.

What was the largest empire in Africa in 1789?

Of the states on this map, the Spanish Empire held the most land in total: about 23.1 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Africa in 1789 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1789, 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 1789