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Africa in 1991

1991 is the year the Soviet Union ended. This map shows the 74 states and peoples the data has for Africa in that year.

Map of Africa in 1991 with 74 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 1991

Largest first, by area on this map.

  • French Fifth Republic
  • People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
  • Republic of Sudan
  • Zaire
  • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Libyan Arab Republic
  • South Africa
  • Republic of Chad
  • Mali Federation
  • Ethiopia
  • People's Republic of Angola
  • Republic of the Niger
  • Mauritania
  • Arab Republic of Egypt
  • Islamic Republic of Iran
  • Federal Republic of Nigeria
  • Tanzania
  • Namibia
  • Mozambique
  • Zambia
  • Federal Republic of Somalia
  • Madagascar
  • Central African Republic
  • Republic of Botswana
  • Republic of Kenya
  • Iraqi Republic
  • Morocco
  • Republic of Yemen
  • Republic of Cameroon
  • Republic of Zimbabwe
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
  • Burkina Faso
  • Republic of Turkey
  • Gabon
  • Guinea
  • Ghana
  • Syria
  • Republic of Uganda
  • Republic of Senegal
  • Republic of Tunisia
  • Kingdom of Great Britain
  • Republic of Benin
  • Kingdom of Spain
  • Kingdom of Jordan
  • Republic of Liberia
  • Malawi
  • Sultanate of Oman
  • Sierra Leone
  • Togo
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Third Hellenic Republic
  • Lesotho
  • State of Israel
  • Republic of Guinea-Bissau
  • Republic of Italy
  • Republic of Rwanda
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Republic of Burundi
  • Republic of Djibouti
  • Eswatini
  • Kuwait
  • Portugal
  • Lebanon
  • State of Qatar
  • Republic of The Gambia
  • Republic of Cyprus
  • Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  • Estado Novo
  • Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
  • Republic of Cabo Verde
  • São Tomé and Príncipe
  • Kingdom of Bahrain
  • Malta

New on the map since 1966

Zaire · Libyan Arab Republic · People's Republic of Angola · Arab Republic of Egypt · Islamic Republic of Iran · Namibia · Mozambique · Zambia · Republic of Botswana · Republic of Yemen · Republic of Zimbabwe · Syria · Kingdom of Spain · Malawi · Sultanate of Oman · United Arab Emirates · Third Hellenic Republic · Lesotho · Republic of Guinea-Bissau · Equatorial Guinea · Republic of Djibouti · Eswatini · Kuwait · Portugal · State of Qatar · Republic of The Gambia · Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus · Republic of Cabo Verde · São Tomé and Príncipe · Kingdom of Bahrain · Malta

Gone from the map by 2016

Zaire · Libyan Arab Republic · Iraqi Republic · Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Animated maps of this time

Africa in other years

Other regions in 1991

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.