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Historical map · 1900

Map of Africa in 1900

In 1900, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 28 states, empires and other polities in Africa. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the British Empire, the British Africa and the French Africa. The British Empire reached well beyond Africa: its whole territory measured about 41.1 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Africa in 1900. 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 1900 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1900
Atlas map: Bismarck’s Europe and the Two Blocs (Aug 1907)
FROM THE ATLAS · WWI, CHAPTER 1: BISMARCK’S EUROPE AND THE TWO BLOCS (AUG 1907)

States and empires in Africa in 1900

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
British Empire Wikipedia8.4 million km²41.1 million km²1706–1999
British Africa Wikipedia7.6 million km²7.6 million km²1885–1960
French Africa Wikipedia4.5 million km²4.5 million km²1846–1957
French Third Republic Wikipedia4.5 million km²6.5 million km²1871–1939
Belgian Congo Wikipedia2.3 million km²2.3 million km²1890–1962
German Africa Wikipedia2.2 million km²2.2 million km²1871–1918
Kingdom of Portugal Wikipedia1.9 million km²1.9 million km²1147–1911
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia1.9 million km²2.0 million km²1502–1910
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia1.5 million km²2.2 million km²1305–1923
Ethiopian Empire Wikipedia966,000 km²966,000 km²1272–1935
Ottoman Tripolitania Wikipedia883,000 km²883,000 km²1840–1911
Sokoto Caliphate Wikipedia795,000 km²795,000 km²1805–1904
Emirate of Jabal Shammar Wikipedia676,000 km²676,000 km²1825–1921
Italian Africa Wikipedia590,000 km²590,000 km²1890–1943
Qajar Iran Wikipedia548,000 km²1.6 million km²1788–1923
Spanish Empire Wikipedia421,000 km²841,000 km²1516–1931
Kingdom of Spain Wikipedia421,000 km²841,000 km²1516–2024
British Gold Coast Wikipedia416,000 km²416,000 km²1873–1960
Morocco Wikipedia359,000 km²359,000 km²1670–2024
United Kingdom Wikipedia338,000 km²740,000 km²1709–2024
Wadai Empire Wikipedia280,000 km²280,000 km²1636–1910
Republic of Liberia Wikipedia100,000 km²100,000 km²1848–2024
Colony of Natal (British)62,000 km²62,000 km²1844–1910
Kingdom of Italy Wikipedia23,000 km²277,000 km²587–1946
Greece Wikipedia19,000 km²64,000 km²1822–1940
Swaziland Wikipedia17,000 km²17,000 km²1885–2024
Sultanate of Muscat and Oman Wikipedia6,810 km²127,000 km²1900–1969
Cretan State Wikipedia5,500 km²5,500 km²1898–1907

"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 1880

New on the map: British Africa, Belgian Congo, Italian Africa, Swaziland, Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, Cretan State.

Gone from the map: Khedivate of Egypt, British Cape Colony, Merina Kingdom, Emirate of Nejd, Bornu Empire, Ashanti Empire, Sultanate of Hobyo, Orange Free State, Kingdom of Lunda, Majeerteen Sultanate, Beylik of Tunis, Sultanate of Zanzibar, Zululand, Trucial States, Qatar, House of Khalifa.

What comes next: 1910

Appear by 1910: Emirate of Nejd.

Gone by 1910: Sokoto Caliphate, Swaziland, Cretan State.

Read the history of 1900

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 1900?

The map data draws 28 states and other polities in Africa in 1900. The largest by land were the British Empire, the British Africa, the French Africa, the French Third Republic and Belgian Congo.

What was the largest empire in Africa in 1900?

Of the states on this map, the British Empire held the most land in total: about 41.1 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Africa in 1900 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1900, 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 1900