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Africa in 1961

1961 is the year the Berlin Wall was built. This map shows the 49 states and peoples the data has for Africa in that year.

Map of Africa in 1961 with 49 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 1961

Largest first, by area on this map.

  • British East Africa
  • French Fifth Republic
  • Republic of Sudan
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • South Africa
  • Estado Novo
  • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Kingdom of Libya
  • United Arab Republic
  • Republic of Chad
  • Mali Federation
  • Ethiopia
  • Republic of the Niger
  • Mauritania
  • Pahlavi Dynasty
  • Federal Republic of Nigeria
  • Tanzania
  • Federal Republic of Somalia
  • Madagascar
  • Central African Republic
  • Iraqi Republic
  • Kingdom of Great Britain
  • Morocco
  • Republic of Cameroon
  • Francoist Spain
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
  • Burkina Faso
  • Republic of Turkey
  • Gabon
  • Guinea
  • Ghana
  • Republic of Syria
  • Republic of Senegal
  • Republic of Tunisia
  • North Yemen
  • Kingdom of Jordan
  • Republic of Benin
  • Republic of Liberia
  • Sierra Leone
  • Togo
  • Belgian Congo
  • Kingdom of Greece
  • Republic of Italy
  • State of Israel
  • State of Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Republic of Cyprus
  • Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

New on the map since 1936

British East Africa · French Fifth Republic · Republic of Sudan · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Kingdom of Libya · United Arab Republic · Republic of Chad · Mali Federation · Ethiopia · Republic of the Niger · Mauritania · Federal Republic of Nigeria · Tanzania · Federal Republic of Somalia · Madagascar · Central African Republic · Iraqi Republic · Morocco · Republic of Cameroon · Francoist Spain · Republic of the Congo · Republic of Côte d'Ivoire · Burkina Faso · Gabon · Guinea · Ghana · Republic of Syria · Republic of Senegal · Republic of Tunisia · Kingdom of Jordan · Republic of Benin · Sierra Leone · Togo · Kingdom of Greece · Republic of Italy · State of Israel · State of Kuwait · Lebanon · Republic of Cyprus

Gone from the map by 1986

British East Africa · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Kingdom of Libya · United Arab Republic · Pahlavi Dynasty · Francoist Spain · Republic of Syria · Belgian Congo · Kingdom of Greece

Animated maps of this time

Africa in other years

Other regions in 1961

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.