Map of Africa in 1880

On 1 July 1880, IntMap’s historical map draws 129 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 Empire3,850,000
Khedivate of Egypt2,340,000
Upper River1,260,000
Sokoto Caliphate1,200,000
Arabia905,000
Province of Mozambique811,000
Kingdom of Imerina626,000
Cape Colony610,000
Persia469,000
French Republic462,000
Alawi Sultanate392,000
Wadai Empire379,000
Ethiopian Empire342,000
Emirate of Nejd325,000
Sultanate of Utetera305,000
Transvaal Colony284,000
Sultinate of Zanzibar271,000
Bornu Empire228,000
Aden Protectorate227,000
Mossi States207,000
Lozi188,000
Yeke187,000
Kong Empire180,000
Mirambo Unyanyembe Ukimbu169,000
French Africa145,000
French Third Republic144,000
Kanem-Bornu142,000
Emirate of Jabal Shammar136,000
Sultanate of Hobyo134,000
Egypt134,000
Orange Free State131,000
Dendi Kingdom120,000
Majeerteen Sultanate115,000
Borgu States114,000
Kingdom of Lunda110,000
Ashanti Empire104,000
Sultanate of Dar al Kuti100,000
Liberia99,700
Barotse97,600
Spain96,800
Lagos Colony81,300
Shona79,300
Colony of Sierra Leone76,500
Lunda76,300
Mbailundu72,700
Yaka67,500
Gold Coast Colony65,400
Harer (Egypt)62,800
Ovimbundu61,000
Kuba60,900
Ndebele59,700
Bunyoro58,900
Buganda58,500
Teke53,300
Angola (Portugal)52,900
Portuguese Guinea51,800
British Empire49,500
Transvaal48,600
Morocco47,800
Colony of Natal46,900
Kingdom of Portugal45,200
Sultanate of Qishn and Socotra42,700
British Colonial Empire42,600
Kingdom of Greece40,900
Kingdom of Rwanda40,000
Nguni35,400
Sultanate of Damagaram32,700
Portuguese Empire31,000
Futa Jalon30,400
Ngwato30,000
Kingdom of Burundi26,900
Kingdom of Italy26,800
Zululand25,600
People's Republic of Zanzibar24,300
Basutoland21,300
Kingdom of Jolof20,500
Kingdom of Dahomey20,400
Rabih az-Zubayr20,300
Gabon19,700
Luba19,400
Dahomey19,200
Congo19,000
Bundu18,900
Ivory Coast14,900
Ato trading confederacy14,400
Kingdom of Cayor14,100
Spanish Guinea13,600
Swaziland12,700
Cyprus Protectorate12,400
Calabar12,300
Benin12,100
Gambia Colony and Protectorate11,700
Kingdom of Niani11,700
Griqualand West10,900
Algeria (FR)9,200
Spanish Posessions on the Gulf of Guinea8,920
Sultanate of Lahej8,120
Mozambique7,850
Obock Colony7,600
Sultanate of Zanzibar7,260
Opobo7,000
Trucial Oman6,720
British Cape Colony6,120
Rwanda6,070
Kingdom of Kakongo6,050
Kingdom of Wuli5,410
Natal5,180
Kingdom of Ngoyo3,920
Senegal (FR)3,610
Cotonou3,260
Tukular Caliphate3,050
British Mauritius2,750
Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe2,560
Trucial States2,370
Kingdom of Sine2,320
Protectorate of Bahrain2,180
German Africa1,940
Territory of Ifni1,920
Haushabi Sultanate1,860
British Raj (British India)1,660
Mayotte1,620
Walvis Bay Colony1,610
Sultanate of Ndzuwani1,260
French Nosy Be1,110
Crown Colony of Malta925
Sultanate of Mwali923
Nosy Boraha888
Alawi Sheikhdom538
Saint Helena Crown Colony508

What changed since 1878–1879

Now drawn

Upper River

No longer drawn

Wassoulou Empire, Futa Toro

The same date elsewhere

World map · 1880 Map of Europe · 1879–1880 Map of the Middle East · 1880 Map of South Asia · 1880–1884 Map of East Asia · 1880–1883 Map of Southeast Asia · 1880–1881 Map of Central Asia · 1879–1885 Map of North America · 1877–1880 Map of Central America and the Caribbean · 1874–1884 Map of South America · 1880–1884 Map of Oceania · 1880–1883

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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