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Historical map · 1942

Map of Africa in 1942

In 1942, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 25 states, empires and other polities in Africa. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the British Empire, Vichy France and the French Africa. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics reached well beyond Africa: its whole territory measured about 20.6 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Africa in 1942. 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 1942 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1942
Atlas map: Pearl Harbor: The Roads Meet (1941)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE ROAD TO WAR, CHAPTER 12: PEARL HARBOR: THE ROADS MEET (1941)

States and empires in Africa in 1942

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
British Empire Wikipedia8.9 million km²17.5 million km²1706–1999
Vichy France Wikipedia8.7 million km²10.2 million km²1940–1944
French Africa Wikipedia8.7 million km²8.7 million km²1846–1957
British Africa Wikipedia7.0 million km²7.0 million km²1885–1960
Free French Wikipedia2.4 million km²2.4 million km²1940–1944
Belgian Congo Wikipedia2.4 million km²2.4 million km²1890–1962
Portugal (Estado Novo) Wikipedia2.1 million km²2.2 million km²1926–2024
South Africa Wikipedia2.1 million km²2.1 million km²1932–2024
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Wikipedia1.8 million km²1.9 million km²1936–2024
Italian Africa Wikipedia1.5 million km²1.5 million km²1890–1943
British Gold Coast Wikipedia1.2 million km²1.2 million km²1873–1960
Ethiopia Wikipedia1.1 million km²1.1 million km²1942–2024
Kingdom of Egypt Wikipedia1.0 million km²1.0 million km²1922–1952
Francoist Spain Wikipedia434,000 km²854,000 km²1939–1975
Kingdom of Iraq Wikipedia434,000 km²434,000 km²1932–1957
United Kingdom Wikipedia361,000 km²693,000 km²1709–2024
Republic of Turkey Wikipedia210,000 km²768,000 km²1924–2024
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon Wikipedia196,000 km²196,000 km²1920–1945
Pahlavi Iran Wikipedia159,000 km²1.2 million km²1924–1978
North Yemen Wikipedia152,000 km²152,000 km²1919–1989
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Wikipedia104,000 km²20.6 million km²1922–1991
Republic of Liberia Wikipedia100,000 km²100,000 km²1848–2024
Nazi Germany Wikipedia58,000 km²3.0 million km²1933–1944
Kingdom of Italy Wikipedia42,000 km²427,000 km²587–1946
Muscat and Oman Wikipedia12,000 km²315,000 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 1940

New on the map: Ethiopia, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Gone from the map: Greece.

What comes next: 1945

Appear by 1945: French Fourth Republic, Kingdom of Greece, Lebanon.

Gone by 1945: Vichy France, Free French, Italian Africa, Kingdom of Iraq, Nazi Germany.

Read the history of 1942

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 1942?

The map data draws 25 states and other polities in Africa in 1942. The largest by land were the British Empire, Vichy France, the French Africa, the British Africa and Free French.

What was the largest empire in Africa in 1942?

Of the states on this map, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics held the most land in total: about 20.6 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Africa in 1942 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1942, 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 1942