Map of Africa in 1885
On 1 July 1885, IntMap’s historical map draws 146 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.
| Name | Drawn area in view (km²) |
|---|---|
| Ottoman Empire | 2,630,000 |
| Congo Free State | 2,340,000 |
| Mahdist State | 2,230,000 |
| British Empire | 1,380,000 |
| British Africa | 1,320,000 |
| Upper River | 1,260,000 |
| Sokoto Caliphate | 1,070,000 |
| Kingdom of Portugal | 957,000 |
| German East Africa | 956,000 |
| Portuguese Empire | 943,000 |
| Arabia | 905,000 |
| German South-West Africa | 816,000 |
| Province of Mozambique | 811,000 |
| Kingdom of Imerina | 626,000 |
| French Congo | 615,000 |
| Cape Colony | 612,000 |
| German Cameroon | 527,000 |
| Persia | 469,000 |
| French Republic | 462,000 |
| French Africa | 421,000 |
| French Third Republic | 420,000 |
| Alawi Sultanate | 392,000 |
| Wadai Empire | 379,000 |
| Ethiopian Empire | 342,000 |
| Bechuanaland Protectorate | 324,000 |
| Sultanate of Utetera | 305,000 |
| South African Republic | 292,000 |
| Sultinate of Zanzibar | 271,000 |
| Emirate of Nejd | 268,000 |
| French Gabon | 267,000 |
| Aden Protectorate | 227,000 |
| Emirate of Jabal Shammar | 222,000 |
| Mossi States | 207,000 |
| Lozi | 188,000 |
| Yeke | 187,000 |
| Kong Empire | 180,000 |
| Bornu Empire | 179,000 |
| Mirambo Unyanyembe Ukimbu | 169,000 |
| French protectorate of Tunisia | 165,000 |
| British Raj (British India) | 164,000 |
| British Somaliland | 162,000 |
| Kanem-Bornu | 142,000 |
| Sultanate of Hobyo | 134,000 |
| Egypt | 134,000 |
| Orange Free State | 131,000 |
| Colony of the Rio de Oro | 122,000 |
| Dendi Kingdom | 120,000 |
| Majeerteen Sultanate | 115,000 |
| Borgu States | 114,000 |
| Oil Rivers Protectorate | 110,000 |
| Ashanti Empire | 104,000 |
| Sultanate of Dar al Kuti | 100,000 |
| Liberia | 99,700 |
| Barotse | 97,600 |
| Spain | 96,800 |
| Togoland Protectorate | 88,300 |
| Lagos Colony | 81,300 |
| Kingdom of Lunda | 79,700 |
| Shona | 79,300 |
| Colony of Sierra Leone | 76,500 |
| Lunda | 76,300 |
| Mbailundu | 72,700 |
| Yaka | 67,500 |
| Gold Coast Colony | 65,400 |
| Harer (Egypt) | 62,600 |
| Ovimbundu | 61,000 |
| Kuba | 60,900 |
| Ndebele | 59,700 |
| Bunyoro | 58,900 |
| Buganda | 58,500 |
| Teke | 53,300 |
| Angola (Portugal) | 52,900 |
| Portuguese Guinea | 51,800 |
| Transvaal | 48,600 |
| Colony of Natal | 46,900 |
| Sultanate of Qishn and Socotra | 42,700 |
| British Colonial Empire | 42,600 |
| Kingdom of Greece | 40,900 |
| Kingdom of Rwanda | 40,000 |
| Nguni | 35,400 |
| Sultanate of Damagaram | 32,700 |
| Colony of Basutoland | 30,600 |
| Futa Jalon | 30,400 |
| Ngwato | 30,000 |
| Swaziland | 30,000 |
| Kingdom of Burundi | 26,900 |
| Kingdom of Italy | 26,800 |
| Zululand | 25,100 |
| Obock and Protectorates of the Somali Coast and Dankils Countries | 23,900 |
| Kingdom of Spain | 23,800 |
| Spanish Empire | 23,800 |
| Basutoland | 21,300 |
| Kingdom of Jolof | 20,500 |
| Morocco | 20,500 |
| Kingdom of Dahomey | 20,400 |
| Rabih az-Zubayr | 20,300 |
| Gabon | 19,700 |
| Luba | 19,400 |
| Dahomey | 19,200 |
| Congo | 19,000 |
| Bundu | 18,900 |
| Ivory Coast | 14,900 |
| Ato trading confederacy | 14,400 |
| Kingdom of Cayor | 14,100 |
| Spanish Guinea | 13,600 |
| Cyprus Protectorate | 12,400 |
| Calabar | 12,200 |
| Benin | 12,000 |
| Gambia Colony and Protectorate | 11,700 |
| Kingdom of Niani | 11,700 |
| Griqualand West | 10,900 |
| Nieuwe Republiek | 10,200 |
| Algeria (FR) | 9,200 |
| British Gold Coast | 9,010 |
| Spanish Posessions on the Gulf of Guinea | 8,920 |
| Sultanate of Lahej | 8,120 |
| Protectorate of Wituland | 8,030 |
| Mozambique | 7,850 |
| Protectorate of Cabinda | 7,600 |
| Sultanate of Zanzibar | 7,260 |
| Opobo | 7,000 |
| Trucial Oman | 6,720 |
| Rwanda | 6,070 |
| Kingdom of Kakongo | 6,050 |
| Mayotte and Dependencies | 5,870 |
| Kingdom of Wuli | 5,410 |
| Natal | 5,180 |
| People's Republic of Zanzibar | 4,320 |
| Kingdom of Ngoyo | 3,920 |
| Senegal (FR) | 3,610 |
| Cotonou | 3,260 |
| Tukular Caliphate | 3,050 |
| British Mauritius | 2,750 |
| Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe | 2,560 |
| Trucial States | 2,370 |
| Kingdom of Sine | 2,320 |
| Protectorate of Bahrain | 2,180 |
| Territory of Ifni | 1,920 |
| Haushabi Sultanate | 1,860 |
| Sultanate of Ndzuwani | 1,260 |
| French Nosy Be | 1,110 |
| Crown Colony of Malta | 925 |
| Sultanate of Mwali | 923 |
| Nosy Boraha | 888 |
| Alawi Sheikhdom | 538 |
| Saint Helena Crown Colony | 508 |
What changed since 1884
Now drawn
Congo Free State, Mahdist State, British Africa, German East Africa, German Cameroon, Bechuanaland Protectorate, French Gabon, Kingdom of Spain, Spanish Empire, Nieuwe Republiek, British Gold Coast, Protectorate of Wituland, Protectorate of Cabinda, Mayotte and Dependencies
No longer drawn
Khedivate of Egypt, British Cape Colony, German Africa, Mayotte, Walvis Bay Colony
The same date elsewhere
World map · 1885 Map of Europe · 1882–1885 Map of the Middle East · 1885 Map of South Asia · 1885 Map of East Asia · 1885 Map of Southeast Asia · 1885 Map of Central Asia · 1879–1885 Map of North America · 1881–1885 Map of Central America and the Caribbean · 1885 Map of South America · 1885 Map of Oceania · 1884–1885
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.