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Historical map · 2020

Map of Africa in 2020

In 2020, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 76 states, empires and other polities in Africa. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Sudan. 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 2020. 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 2020 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 2020
Atlas map: Two Movements Compared (2015)
FROM THE ATLAS · PROTEST AND CHANGE, CHAPTER 12: TWO MOVEMENTS COMPARED (2015)

States and empires in Africa in 2020

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
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
Republic of Sudan Wikipedia1.9 million km²1.9 million km²1956–2024
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Wikipedia1.8 million km²1.9 million km²1936–2024
State of Libya Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²2014–2024
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
Federal Republic of Somalia Wikipedia649,000 km²649,000 km²1960–2024
Central African Republic Wikipedia622,000 km²622,000 km²1961–2024
South Sudan Wikipedia619,000 km²619,000 km²2012–2024
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 Wikipedia209,000 km²767,000 km²1924–2024
Republic of Senegal Wikipedia201,000 km²201,000 km²1961–2024
Republic of Tunisia Wikipedia152,000 km²152,000 km²1956–2024

Also on the map: State of Eritrea, Syria, Republic of Benin, Republic of Liberia, Malawi, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Kingdom of Spain, Sierra Leone, Contested areas of Syria and Iraq (source outline from 2014), Togo, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Equatorial Guinea, Third Hellenic Republic, State of Israel, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Burundi, Republic of Djibouti, Italian Republic, Kuwait, Eswatini, 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 2010

New on the map: State of Libya, South Sudan, Contested areas of Syria and Iraq (source outline from 2014).

Gone from the map: Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

Read the history of 2020

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 2020?

The map data draws 76 states and other polities in Africa in 2020. The largest by land were the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Sudan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and State of Libya.

What was the largest empire in Africa in 2020?

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 2020 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 2020, 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 2020