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Historical map · 1980

Map of Africa in 1980

In 1980, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 72 states, empires and other polities in Africa. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Republic of Sudan, the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria and Zaire.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Africa in 1980. 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 1980 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1980
Atlas map: The Settler Redoubt (Apr 1980)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE DECOLONIZATION OF AFRICA, CHAPTER 9: THE SETTLER REDOUBT (APR 1980)

States and empires in Africa in 1980

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Republic of Sudan Wikipedia2.5 million km²2.5 million km²1956–2024
People's Democratic Republic of Algeria Wikipedia2.3 million km²2.3 million km²1963–2024
Zaire Wikipedia2.3 million km²2.3 million km²1971–1996
South Africa Wikipedia2.1 million km²2.1 million km²1932–2024
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Wikipedia1.8 million km²1.9 million km²1936–2024
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1969–2013
Republic of Chad Wikipedia1.3 million km²1.3 million km²1961–2024
People's Republic of Angola Wikipedia1.3 million km²1.3 million km²1976–2024
Ethiopia Wikipedia1.3 million km²1.3 million km²1942–2024
Republic of Mali1.3 million km²1.3 million km²1961–2024
Republic of the Niger Wikipedia1.2 million km²1.2 million km²1961–2024
Mauritania Wikipedia1.1 million km²1.1 million km²1961–2024
Arab Republic of Egypt Wikipedia953,000 km²953,000 km²1953–2024
Federal Republic of Nigeria Wikipedia915,000 km²915,000 km²1961–2024
Tanzania Wikipedia890,000 km²890,000 km²1964–2024
Mozambique Wikipedia787,000 km²787,000 km²1976–2024
Zambia Wikipedia750,000 km²750,000 km²1965–2024
Somali Democratic Republic Wikipedia649,000 km²649,000 km²1960–2024
Central African Republic Wikipedia623,000 km²623,000 km²1961–2024
Madagascar Wikipedia618,000 km²618,000 km²1960–2024
Republic of Kenya Wikipedia588,000 km²588,000 km²1963–2024
Republic of Botswana Wikipedia579,000 km²579,000 km²1967–2024
Islamic Republic of Iran Wikipedia548,000 km²1.6 million km²1979–2024
Republic of Cameroon Wikipedia468,000 km²468,000 km²1960–2024
Iraqi Republic Wikipedia434,000 km²434,000 km²1959–2024
Morocco Wikipedia407,000 km²407,000 km²1670–2024
Republic of Zimbabwe Wikipedia394,000 km²394,000 km²1980–2024
Republic of the Congo347,000 km²347,000 km²1961–2024
Republic of Côte d'Ivoire Wikipedia323,000 km²323,000 km²1961–2024
People's Democratic Republic of Yemen Wikipedia308,000 km²314,000 km²1968–1989
Republic of Upper Volta275,000 km²275,000 km²1961–1983
Gabon Wikipedia266,000 km²266,000 km²1961–2024
Guinea247,000 km²247,000 km²1960–2024
Ghana Wikipedia242,000 km²242,000 km²1958–2024
Republic of Uganda Wikipedia211,000 km²211,000 km²1963–2024
Republic of Turkey Wikipedia210,000 km²768,000 km²1924–2024
Republic of Senegal Wikipedia201,000 km²201,000 km²1961–2024
Syria Wikipedia187,000 km²187,000 km²1961–2024
North Yemen Wikipedia152,000 km²152,000 km²1919–1989
Republic of Tunisia Wikipedia152,000 km²152,000 km²1956–2024

Also on the map: People's Republic of Benin, Republic of Liberia, Malawi, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, State of Israel, Kingdom of Spain, Sierra Leone, Togo, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Equatorial Guinea, Third Hellenic Republic, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Burundi, Republic of Djibouti, Italian Republic, State of Kuwait, Swaziland, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, State of Qatar, Sultanate of Oman, Republic of The Gambia, Lebanon, Republic of Cyprus, Turkish Federated State of Kıbrıs, Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe, French Fifth Republic, State of Bahrain, Republic of Cabo Verde, Malta.

"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 1970

New on the map: Zaire, People's Republic of Angola, Arab Republic of Egypt, Mozambique, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Zimbabwe, People's Republic of Benin, Kingdom of Spain, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Third Hellenic Republic, Republic of Djibouti, United Arab Emirates, State of Qatar, Turkish Federated State of Kıbrıs, Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe, State of Bahrain, Republic of Cabo Verde.

Gone from the map: Democratic Republic of the Congo, United Arab Republic, Pahlavi Iran, Rhodesia, Francoist Spain, Republic of Dahomey, Greek junta, United Kingdom, British Empire.

What comes next: 1990

Appear by 1990: Namibia, Republic of Yemen, Burkina Faso.

Gone by 1990: People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, Republic of Upper Volta, North Yemen, State of Kuwait.

Read the history of 1980

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 1980?

The map data draws 72 states and other polities in Africa in 1980. The largest by land were the Republic of Sudan, the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Zaire, the South Africa and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

What was the largest empire in Africa in 1980?

Of the states on this map, the Republic of Sudan held the most land in total: about 2.5 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Africa in 1980 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1980, 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 1980