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Historical map · 1910

Map of Africa in 1910

In 1910, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 26 states, empires and other polities in Africa. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the French Third Republic, the French Africa and the British Empire. The British Empire reached well beyond Africa: its whole territory measured about 29.1 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Africa in 1910. 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 1910 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1910
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 1910

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
French Third Republic Wikipedia10.2 million km²12.2 million km²1871–1939
French Africa Wikipedia10.2 million km²10.2 million km²1846–1957
British Empire Wikipedia9.7 million km²29.1 million km²1706–1999
British Africa Wikipedia8.2 million km²8.2 million km²1885–1960
German Africa Wikipedia2.3 million km²2.3 million km²1871–1918
Belgian Congo Wikipedia2.3 million km²2.3 million km²1890–1962
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 Wikipedia1.1 million km²1.1 million km²1272–1935
British Gold Coast Wikipedia1.1 million km²1.1 million km²1873–1960
Ottoman Tripolitania Wikipedia881,000 km²881,000 km²1840–1911
Italian Africa Wikipedia590,000 km²590,000 km²1890–1943
Qajar Iran Wikipedia548,000 km²1.6 million km²1788–1923
Spanish Empire Wikipedia420,000 km²840,000 km²1516–1931
Kingdom of Spain Wikipedia420,000 km²840,000 km²1516–2024
Emirate of Nejd Wikipedia376,000 km²376,000 km²1824–1925
Morocco Wikipedia358,000 km²358,000 km²1670–2024
United Kingdom Wikipedia338,000 km²745,000 km²1709–2024
Wadai Empire Wikipedia280,000 km²280,000 km²1636–1910
Republic of Liberia Wikipedia100,000 km²100,000 km²1848–2024
Emirate of Jabal Shammar Wikipedia84,000 km²84,000 km²1825–1921
Colony of Natal (British)62,000 km²62,000 km²1844–1910
Greece Wikipedia25,000 km²70,000 km²1822–1940
Kingdom of Italy Wikipedia20,000 km²275,000 km²587–1946
Sultanate of Muscat and Oman Wikipedia6,810 km²127,000 km²1900–1969

"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 1900

New on the map: Emirate of Nejd.

Gone from the map: Sokoto Caliphate, Swaziland, Cretan State.

What comes next: 1914

Appear by 1914: Portuguese Republic, Qatar.

Gone by 1914: Kingdom of Portugal, Portuguese Empire, Ottoman Tripolitania, Morocco, Wadai Empire, Colony of Natal (British).

Read the history of 1910

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 1910?

The map data draws 26 states and other polities in Africa in 1910. The largest by land were the French Third Republic, the French Africa, the British Empire, the British Africa and the German Africa.

What was the largest empire in Africa in 1910?

Of the states on this map, the British Empire held the most land in total: about 29.1 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Africa in 1910 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1910, 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 1910