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Historical map · 600

Map of Africa in 600

In 600, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 10 states, empires and other polities in Africa. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Eastern Roman Empire, the Sasanian Empire and the Kingdom of Axum. The Sasanian Empire reached well beyond Africa: its whole territory measured about 3.0 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Africa in 600. 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 600 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 600

States and empires in Africa in 600

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Eastern Roman Empire Wikipedia1.4 million km²2.5 million km²31 BC–AD 632
Sasanian Empire Wikipedia899,000 km²3.0 million km²215–643
Kingdom of Axum Wikipedia394,000 km²394,000 km²50 BC–AD 946
Himyarite Kingdom Wikipedia297,000 km²297,000 km²110 BC–AD 601
Ghassanids Wikipedia265,000 km²265,000 km²510–633
Lakhmid Kingdom Wikipedia259,000 km²259,000 km²270–633
Nobatia Wikipedia148,000 km²148,000 km²347–655
Alodia Wikipedia124,000 km²124,000 km²347–1506
Makuria Wikipedia65,000 km²65,000 km²347–1518
Visigothic Kingdom Wikipedia55,000 km²531,000 km²426–723

"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 500

New on the map: Ghassanids.

Gone from the map: Allegiance of Ostrogothic Kingdom to Eastern Roman Empire, Vandal Kingdom.

What comes next: 700

Appear by 700: Umayyad Caliphate, Alliance between Byzantine Empire and Khazaria, Dabuyid Dynasty, Cyprus Condominium.

Gone by 700: Eastern Roman Empire, Sasanian Empire, Himyarite Kingdom, Ghassanids, Lakhmid Kingdom, Nobatia.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in Africa in 600?

The map data draws 10 states and other polities in Africa in 600. The largest by land were the Eastern Roman Empire, the Sasanian Empire, the Kingdom of Axum, the Himyarite Kingdom and Ghassanids.

What was the largest empire in Africa in 600?

Of the states on this map, the Sasanian Empire held the most land in total: about 3.0 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Africa in 600 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 600, 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 600