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Historical map · 2010

Map of Africa in 2010

In 2010, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 74 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 the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The United States of America reached well beyond Africa: its whole territory measured about 9.4 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Africa in 2010. 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 2010 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 2010
Atlas map: Twenty-Eight Days (2011)
FROM THE ATLAS · PROTEST AND CHANGE, CHAPTER 9: TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS (2011)

States and empires in Africa in 2010

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
Democratic Republic of the Congo Wikipedia2.3 million km²2.3 million km²1960–2024
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
Republic of Angola Wikipedia1.3 million km²1.3 million km²1976–2024
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
Ethiopia Wikipedia1.1 million km²1.1 million km²1942–2024
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
Somalia 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
Republic of Iraq Wikipedia439,000 km²439,000 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 km²767,000 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: State of Eritrea, Republic of Benin, Republic of Liberia, Malawi, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Kingdom of Spain, Sierra Leone, Togo, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, State of Israel, Equatorial Guinea, Third Hellenic Republic, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Burundi, Republic of Djibouti, Italian Republic, Kuwait, 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), Union of the Comoros, French Fifth Republic, São Tomé and Príncipe, Kingdom of Bahrain, United States of America, 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 2000

New on the map: United States of America.

What comes next: 2020

Appear by 2020: State of Libya, South Sudan, Contested areas of Syria and Iraq (source outline from 2014).

Gone by 2020: Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

Read the history of 2010

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 2010?

The map data draws 74 states and other polities in Africa in 2010. The largest by land were the Republic of Sudan, the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

What was the largest empire in Africa in 2010?

Of the states on this map, the United States of America held the most land in total: about 9.4 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Africa in 2010 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 2010, 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 2010