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Historical map · 1990

Map of Africa in 1990

In 1990, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 71 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 1990. 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 1990 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1990
Atlas map: Gorbachev and the Unraveling (Nov 1989)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE COLD WAR, CHAPTER 11: GORBACHEV AND THE UNRAVELING (NOV 1989)

States and empires in Africa in 1990

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
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
South Africa Wikipedia1.2 million km²1.2 million km²1932–2024
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 Wikipedia1.0 million km²1.0 million km²1953–2024
Federal Republic of Nigeria Wikipedia915,000 km²915,000 km²1961–2024
Tanzania Wikipedia890,000 km²890,000 km²1964–2024
Namibia Wikipedia834,000 km²834,000 km²1990–2024
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
Republic of Yemen458,000 km²465,000 km²1990–2024
Iraqi Republic Wikipedia457,000 km²457,000 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
Burkina Faso Wikipedia275,000 km²275,000 km²1984–2024
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
Republic of Tunisia Wikipedia152,000 km²152,000 km²1956–2024

Also on the map: Republic of Benin, Republic of Liberia, Malawi, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Kingdom of Spain, Sierra Leone, Togo, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Equatorial Guinea, State of Israel, Third Hellenic Republic, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Burundi, Republic of Djibouti, Italian Republic, Swaziland, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, State of Qatar, Sultanate of Oman, Republic of The Gambia, Lebanon, Republic of Cyprus, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognised only by Turkey), 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 1980

New on the map: Namibia, Republic of Yemen, Burkina Faso.

Gone from the map: People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, Republic of Upper Volta, North Yemen, State of Kuwait.

What comes next: 2000

Appear by 2000: Democratic Republic of the Congo, State of Eritrea, Kuwait.

Gone by 2000: Zaire.

Read the history of 1990

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 1990?

The map data draws 71 states and other polities in Africa in 1990. The largest by land were the Republic of Sudan, the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Zaire, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

What was the largest empire in Africa in 1990?

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 1990 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1990, 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 1990