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Africa in 1942

1942 is the Axis at its greatest extent. This map shows the 24 states and peoples the data has for Africa in that year.

Map of Africa in 1942 with 24 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 1942

Largest first, by area on this map.

  • French Africa
  • British Africa
  • Free French
  • Belgian Congo
  • South Africa
  • Estado Novo
  • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Italian Africa
  • Ethiopia
  • Kingdom of Egypt
  • Kingdom of Iraq
  • Francoist Spain
  • Pahlavi Dynasty
  • Kingdom of Great Britain
  • British Colonial Empire
  • Republic of Turkey
  • French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon
  • Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  • North Yemen
  • Republic of Liberia
  • Sultanate of Muscat and Oman
  • Nazi Germany
  • Kingdom of Italy
  • Tangier International Zone

New on the map since 1917

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

Gone from the map by 1967

French Africa · British Africa · Free French · Belgian Congo · Italian Africa · Kingdom of Egypt · Kingdom of Iraq · British Colonial Empire · French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon · Sultanate of Muscat and Oman · Nazi Germany · Kingdom of Italy · Tangier International Zone

Animated maps of this time

Africa in other years

Other regions in 1942

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.