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Africa in 1938

1938 is the eve of the Second World War. This map shows the 23 states and peoples the data has for Africa in that year.

Map of Africa in 1938 with 23 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 1938

Largest first, by area on this map.

  • French Africa
  • British Africa
  • Italian Africa
  • Belgian Congo
  • South Africa
  • Estado Novo
  • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Kingdom of Egypt
  • Pahlavi Dynasty
  • Kingdom of Great Britain
  • Kingdom of Iraq
  • Second Spanish Republic
  • Republic of Turkey
  • French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon
  • North Yemen
  • Republic of Liberia
  • Sultanate of Muscat and Oman
  • Spanish Nationalists
  • First Hellenic Republic
  • Kingdom of Italy
  • Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  • Nazi Germany
  • Tangier International Zone

New on the map since 1913

South Africa · Estado Novo · Kingdom of Saudi Arabia · Kingdom of Egypt · Pahlavi Dynasty · Kingdom of Iraq · Second Spanish Republic · Republic of Turkey · French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon · North Yemen · Spanish Nationalists · Union of Soviet Socialist Republics · Nazi Germany

Gone from the map by 1963

French Africa · British Africa · Italian Africa · Belgian Congo · Kingdom of Egypt · Kingdom of Iraq · Second Spanish Republic · French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon · Sultanate of Muscat and Oman · Spanish Nationalists · First Hellenic Republic · Kingdom of Italy · Nazi Germany · Tangier International Zone

Animated maps of this time

Africa in other years

Other regions in 1938

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.