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Historical map · 1920

Map of Africa in 1920

In 1920, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 24 states, empires and other polities in Africa. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the British Empire, the French Third Republic and the French Africa. The British Empire reached well beyond Africa: its whole territory measured about 41.0 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Africa in 1920. 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 1920 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1920
Atlas map: The Peace That Failed (Feb 1919)
FROM THE ATLAS · WWI, CHAPTER 14: THE PEACE THAT FAILED (FEB 1919)

States and empires in Africa in 1920

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
British Empire Wikipedia12.0 million km²41.0 million km²1706–1999
French Third Republic Wikipedia11.3 million km²13.5 million km²1871–1939
French Africa Wikipedia11.1 million km²11.1 million km²1846–1957
British Africa Wikipedia10.1 million km²10.1 million km²1885–1960
Belgian Congo Wikipedia2.4 million km²2.4 million km²1890–1962
Portuguese Republic Wikipedia2.1 million km²2.2 million km²1911–1925
Italian Africa Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1890–1943
British Gold Coast Wikipedia1.2 million km²1.2 million km²1873–1960
Ethiopian Empire Wikipedia1.1 million km²1.1 million km²1272–1935
Emirate of Nejd Wikipedia504,000 km²504,000 km²1824–1925
Qajar Iran Wikipedia460,000 km²1.5 million km²1788–1923
Kingdom of Spain Wikipedia434,000 km²854,000 km²1516–2024
Spanish Empire Wikipedia434,000 km²854,000 km²1516–1931
United Kingdom Wikipedia337,000 km²765,000 km²1709–2024
Kingdom of Hejaz Wikipedia293,000 km²293,000 km²1916–1925
Emirate of Jabal Shammar Wikipedia245,000 km²245,000 km²1825–1921
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon Wikipedia210,000 km²210,000 km²1920–1945
North Yemen Wikipedia182,000 km²182,000 km²1919–1989
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia180,000 km²650,000 km²1305–1923
Republic of Liberia Wikipedia100,000 km²100,000 km²1848–2024
Asir Wikipedia96,000 km²96,000 km²1917–1923
Greece Wikipedia39,000 km²206,000 km²1822–1940
Muscat and Oman Wikipedia30,000 km²334,000 km²1900–1969
Kingdom of Italy Wikipedia26,000 km²299,000 km²587–1946

"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 1918

New on the map: French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon, North Yemen.

Gone from the map: German Africa.

What comes next: 1930

Appear by 1930: Portugal (military dictatorship), Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd, Kingdom of Egypt, Pahlavi Iran, Republic of Turkey.

Gone by 1930: Portuguese Republic, Emirate of Nejd, Qajar Iran, Kingdom of Hejaz, Emirate of Jabal Shammar, Ottoman Empire, Asir.

Read the history of 1920

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 1920?

The map data draws 24 states and other polities in Africa in 1920. The largest by land were the British Empire, the French Third Republic, the French Africa, the British Africa and Belgian Congo.

What was the largest empire in Africa in 1920?

Of the states on this map, the British Empire held the most land in total: about 41.0 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Africa in 1920 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1920, 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 1920