Map of Africa in 1852

On 1 July 1852, IntMap’s historical map draws 132 names within Africa. The borders for this date come from OpenHistoricalMap (day by day), then Cliopatria, Seshat Global History Databank (by year), then historical-basemaps — each drawn only where the records before it are silent. The map also draws 5 outlines here that the source gives no name.

Names on the map

As the map labels them, largest first by the area of the outline drawn inside this view. Areas are of the drawn outline, rounded, and approximate.

NameDrawn area in view (km²)
Ottoman Empire3,680,000
Turco-Egyptian Sudan2,060,000
Sokoto Caliphate1,200,000
Arabia905,000
Province of Mozambique811,000
Kingdom of Imerina626,000
Cape Colony517,000
Emirate of Nejd494,000
Persia469,000
French Republic410,000
Alawi Sultanate392,000
Wadai Empire377,000
Tukular Caliphate373,000
Sultanate of Utetera305,000
South African Republic284,000
Sultinate of Zanzibar271,000
Ethiopian Empire241,000
Bornu Empire228,000
Mossi States207,000
Kong Empire197,000
Lozi188,000
Yeke187,000
Mirambo Unyanyembe Ukimbu169,000
Kanem-Bornu142,000
Omani Slave Coast136,000
Muhammad Ali dynasty136,000
Egypt134,000
Orange River Sovereignty131,000
Bight of Benin124,000
Dendi Kingdom122,000
Majeerteen Sultanate115,000
Borgu States114,000
Kingdom of Lunda113,000
Massina Empire105,000
Ashanti Empire104,000
Ethiopia101,000
Sultanate of Dar al Kuti100,000
Barotse97,600
Liberia97,200
Spain96,800
Shona79,300
Colony of Sierra Leone76,500
Lunda76,300
Bight of Biafra75,200
Mbailundu72,700
Yaka67,500
Harer (Egypt)62,800
Ovimbundu61,000
Kuba60,900
Ndebele59,700
Bunyoro58,900
Buganda58,500
Gold Coast Colony56,300
Teke56,000
Angola (Portugal)52,900
Portuguese Guinea51,800
Transvaal48,600
Morocco47,800
Imamate of Futa Toro47,000
Colony of Natal46,900
Senegal (FR)46,300
Wassoulou Empire43,200
Imamate of Yemen42,900
Sultanate of Qishn and Socotra42,700
Kingdom of Portugal41,100
Kingdom of Rwanda40,000
Kingdom of Greece38,600
Nguni35,400
Sultanate of Damagaram32,700
British Cape Colony30,600
British Empire30,600
Futa Jalon30,400
Ngwato30,000
Kingdom of Burundi26,900
Portuguese Empire26,900
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies26,400
Zululand26,100
Basutoland21,300
Kingdom of Jolof20,500
Kingdom of Dahomey20,400
Rabih az-Zubayr20,300
Gabon19,700
Luba19,400
Dahomey19,200
Congo19,000
Bundu18,900
French Africa17,500
French Second Republic17,400
Kingdom of Saloum17,200
Shilluk Kingdom16,800
Ivory Coast14,900
Ato trading confederacy14,400
Kingdom of Cayor14,100
Spanish Guinea13,600
Swaziland12,700
Sultanate of Darfur12,700
Calabar12,300
Benin12,000
Gambia Colony and Protectorate11,700
Kingdom of Niani11,700
Griqualand West10,900
Futa Toro9,840
Algeria (FR)9,200
Spanish Posessions on the Gulf of Guinea8,920
Kingdom of Baol8,170
Sultanate of Lahej8,120
Mozambique7,850
Opobo7,000
Trucial Oman6,720
Rwanda6,070
Kingdom of Kakongo6,050
Kingdom of Waalo5,570
Kingdom of Wuli5,410
Natal5,180
Kingdom of Ngoyo3,920
Cotonou3,260
British Mauritius2,750
Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe2,560
Colony of Maryland2,520
Trucial States2,370
Kingdom of Sine2,320
United States of the Ionian Islands2,290
Haushabi Sultanate1,860
Mayotte1,620
Walvis Bay Colony1,610
Company Raj1,510
Sultanate of Ndzuwani1,260
French Nosy Be1,110
Crown Colony of Malta925
Sultanate of Mwali923
Nosy Boraha888
Saint Helena Crown Colony508

What changed since 1850–1851

Now drawn

South African Republic, Bight of Benin

No longer drawn

none

The same date elsewhere

World map · 1852 Map of Europe · 1852 Map of the Middle East · 1848–1854 Map of South Asia · 1850–1852 Map of East Asia · 1850–1854 Map of Southeast Asia · 1848–1852 Map of Central Asia · 1849–1855 Map of North America · 1851–1852 Map of Central America and the Caribbean · 1852 Map of South America · 1849–1852 Map of Oceania · 1852–1855

Source and method

Borders and names: OpenHistoricalMap (openhistoricalmap.org) · CC0 1.0 + Cliopatria v0.2.1 (Seshat Global History Databank, github.com/Seshat-Global-History-Databank/cliopatria) · CC BY 4.0 · adapted by IntMap: simplified, BC years made astronomical, and the ground OpenHistoricalMap (1689–1885, and from 1886 where CShapes is silent) and CShapes (1886–2019) state removed on their own dates + aourednik/historical-basemaps (github.com/aourednik/historical-basemaps) · GPL-3.0 · adapted by IntMap: each sheet before 1886 less the ground OpenHistoricalMap and Cliopatria state at that sheet's year.

Listed: every name whose outline IntMap draws inside 20°W–52°E, 36°S–38°N on this date, with the name the map writes on it. The list is worked out when the site is built, from the same records and the same code the map uses, so it says what the map shows — not more. Names are the source’s own, translated where the source or IntMap’s name table has a translation.

All data sources →

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