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Africa in 1890

This map shows the 37 states and peoples the data has for Africa in that year.

Map of Africa in 1890 with 37 states and peoples
Borders: Cliopatria, Seshat Global History Databank (CC BY 4.0). Coarse outlines: check and adjust them for your story.

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States and peoples in Africa in 1890

Largest first, by area on this map.

  • British Africa
  • Mahdist State
  • Belgian Congo
  • Ottoman Empire
  • French Africa
  • Kingdom of Portugal
  • German Africa
  • Ottoman Tripolitania
  • Qajar Dynasty
  • Sokoto Caliphate
  • Merina Kingdom
  • Kingdom of Spain
  • Morocco
  • Emirate of Jabal Shammar
  • Ethiopian Empire
  • South African Republic
  • Kingdom of Great Britain
  • Wadai Empire
  • Italian Africa
  • Bornu Empire
  • Ashanti Empire
  • Free Orange State
  • Emirate of Nejd
  • Sultanate of Hobyo
  • Republic of Liberia
  • Trucial States
  • Natalia Republic
  • Kingdom of Italy
  • Zululand
  • First Hellenic Republic
  • Swaziland
  • Kingdom of Belgium
  • Sultanate of Oman
  • Russian Empire
  • Qatar Dynasty
  • British Colonial Empire
  • House of Khalifa

New on the map since 1865

British Africa · Mahdist State · Belgian Congo · German Africa · Emirate of Jabal Shammar · Italian Africa · Sultanate of Hobyo · Swaziland · Kingdom of Belgium · Sultanate of Oman · British Colonial Empire

Gone from the map by 1915

Mahdist State · Kingdom of Portugal · Ottoman Tripolitania · Sokoto Caliphate · Merina Kingdom · Morocco · South African Republic · Wadai Empire · Bornu Empire · Ashanti Empire · Free Orange State · Sultanate of Hobyo · Trucial States · Natalia Republic · Zululand · Swaziland · Kingdom of Belgium · Sultanate of Oman · Qatar Dynasty · House of Khalifa

Animated maps of this time

Africa in other years

Other regions in 1890

The outlines are coarse and follow the Cliopatria dataset: borders before modern surveys are estimates, and a blank area means the data has no state on record there, not that nobody lived there. A state that changed hands during the year can appear together with its successor.