Colonial Africa Map (1884–1960)
From the 1880s to the independence era, almost every part of Africa was ruled by a European power. This page shows which empire held which territory and what those colonies are called today.
Last updated: September 2026
Between the 1880s and 1914 seven European powers took control of almost all of Africa: Britain, France, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Germany. Only Ethiopia and Liberia stayed independent. Colonial rule lasted until the independence wave of the late 1950s and 1960s, with the last colonies (Portuguese Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia) freed between 1974 and 1990.
The Powers and Their Territories
At the height of colonisation Britain and France held the largest territories; Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain claimed the rest. Ethiopia defeated Italy at Adwa in 1896 and Liberia, settled from 1822 by freed African Americans and independent since 1847, remained independent.
- British Empire: Egypt, Sudan (with Egypt), British East Africa (Kenya), Uganda, Zanzibar, Tanganyika (from 1919), Northern and Southern Rhodesia (Zambia, Zimbabwe), Nyasaland (Malawi), Bechuanaland (Botswana), Basutoland (Lesotho), Swaziland (Eswatini), the Union of South Africa, Nigeria, Gold Coast (Ghana), Sierra Leone, Gambia, British Somaliland, Mauritius, Seychelles, and after 1919 parts of Togoland and Kamerun
- French Empire: Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco (protectorate from 1912), French West Africa (Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Guinea), French Equatorial Africa (Chad, CAR, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon), Madagascar, Comoros, French Somaliland (Djibouti), and after 1919 most of Kamerun and Togoland
- Belgian Empire: Belgian Congo (DR Congo), Ruanda-Urundi (Rwanda, Burundi) from 1919
- Portuguese Empire: Angola, Mozambique, Portuguese Guinea (Guinea-Bissau), Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe
- Italian Empire: Libya, Eritrea, Italian Somaliland; occupied Ethiopia 1936–1941
- Spanish Empire: Spanish Sahara (Western Sahara), Spanish Morocco (northern zone), Ifni, Spanish Guinea (Equatorial Guinea)
- German Empire (until the First World War): Togoland, Kamerun, German East Africa, German South West Africa, which became League of Nations mandates after 1919
For a territory-by-territory snapshot at the height of colonial rule, see the map of Africa in 1914; for each empire's legacy, see colonial powers in Africa.
Colonial Names and Modern Countries
Many African countries changed their names at or after independence. The most common colonial names are:
| Colonial name | Modern country | Independence |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Coast | Ghana | 1957 |
| Dahomey | Benin | 1960 (renamed 1975) |
| Upper Volta | Burkina Faso | 1960 (renamed 1984) |
| French Sudan | Mali | 1960 |
| Ubangi-Shari | Central African Republic | 1960 |
| Middle Congo | Republic of the Congo | 1960 |
| Belgian Congo | DR Congo (called Zaire 1971–1997) | 1960 |
| Ruanda-Urundi | Rwanda and Burundi | 1962 |
| Tanganyika and Zanzibar | Tanzania | 1961 / 1963 (union 1964) |
| Nyasaland | Malawi | 1964 |
| Northern Rhodesia | Zambia | 1964 |
| Southern Rhodesia | Zimbabwe | 1980 |
| Bechuanaland | Botswana | 1966 |
| Basutoland | Lesotho | 1966 |
| Swaziland | Eswatini (renamed 2018) | 1968 |
| South West Africa | Namibia | 1990 |
| Portuguese Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | 1973–74 |
| Spanish Guinea | Equatorial Guinea | 1968 |
| French Somaliland (later Afars and Issas) | Djibouti | 1977 |
| Kenya Colony (British East Africa) | Kenya | 1963 |
| Spanish Sahara | Western Sahara (disputed) | Spain withdrew 1975–76 |
The Wave of Independence
Egypt (1922) and Libya (1951) came first. Most colonies became independent between 1956 (Sudan, Morocco, Tunisia) and 1980 (Zimbabwe), with the peak in the Year of Africa, 1960, when 17 countries became independent. Namibia (1990), Eritrea (1993, from Ethiopia) and South Sudan (2011, from Sudan) came later. See the independence timeline for every country.
Lasting Impact on the Map of Africa
Most of Africa's modern borders are colonial borders. The Berlin Conference of 1884–85 set the rules for claiming territory but did not itself draw most boundaries; they were fixed in dozens of treaties between the European powers over the following decades, usually without consulting Africans. The results include ethnic groups split across borders (the Maasai between Kenya and Tanzania, the Ewe between Ghana and Togo), awkward shapes such as The Gambia inside Senegal and Namibia's Caprivi Strip (now the Zambezi Region), and many straight-line desert borders. In 1964 the Organisation of African Unity agreed to respect the borders inherited at independence to avoid border wars; Eritrea and South Sudan are the main exceptions where new states were later created.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which European countries colonised Africa?
Seven: Britain, France, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Germany. Britain and France held by far the largest territories.
When did the colonisation of Africa start and end?
European footholds on the coast date from the 15th century, but most of Africa was conquered between about 1880 and 1914. Most countries became independent between 1956 and 1980; Namibia followed in 1990.
Did the Berlin Conference draw Africa's borders?
Not directly. The 1884–85 Berlin Conference agreed rules for claiming African territory and recognised King Leopold II's Congo Free State. Most borders were set in later treaties between the colonial powers.
Which African countries were never colonised?
Ethiopia and Liberia. Ethiopia was occupied by Italy from 1936 to 1941 but is generally not counted as a colony.