List of historical states in Africa
Even before the conquest by the Europeans during the colonial period, there were numerous states in Africa . Most of them were monarchies (kingdoms) and were based on traditional African forms of rule. The following list gives an overview:
States of antiquity and antiquity
- Agisymba
- Aksumite Empire
- Egypt
- Da'amot
- Carthage
- Kerma
- Kush / Nubia , see also Meroe
- Cyrene
- Mauritania (Kingdom)
- Numidia ("Empire of Massinissa")
- Punt (goldland)
- Vandal Empire
States of the Middle Ages
- Al-Abwab
- Empire of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), see also History of Ethiopia
- Ardra
- Fessan
- Ghana Empire , see also the history of Mali
- Kanem and Bornu
- Cyrenaica , see also Barka Plateau
- Kingdom of Lado
- Mali Empire , see also History of Mali
- Kingdoms in Nubia
- Songhaireich , see also the history of Mali
- Tekrur
- Greater Zimbabwe
States of the pre-colonial modern times
North africa
- Reign of Algiers (1659-1830)
- Almoravid Empire
- Omdurman (Caliphate) ( Mahdist State )
- Sultanate of Fezzan
- Tripoli reign (1603-1835)
- Tripolitan State (1912-1913)
- Tripolitan Republic (1918-1922)
- Reign of Tunis (1591–1881)
Today's Ethiopia / Horn of Africa
- Empire of Abyssinia , see also History of Ethiopia
- Kingdom of Amhara , see also Amhara
- Awsa
- Kingdom of Garo
- Kingdom of Gera
- Kingdom of Gomma
- Kingdom of Gumma
- Sultanate of Ifat
- Kingdom of Jimma
- Kingdom of Janjero
- Kingdom of Kaffa , see also Kaffa (region)
- Kingdom of Limmu-Ennarea
- Kingdom of Shewa
- Kingdom of Tigray , see also Tigray (region)
- Sultanate of Adal
- Sultanate of Harar , see also Adal
West Africa
-
Ardra and the successor realms of Adja :
- Allada ("Great Ardra")
- Little Adra
- Kingdom of Dahomey
- Sultanate of Aïr
- Akan states
- States of the Bambara :
- Benin (Kingdom)
- Empire Baguirmi
- Elmina
- Full areas
- Gulmu (= Gourma, Gurma)
- House states (Islamic-African city-states), see also Hausa
- Kanem Bornu
- Mandara Empire
-
Mande / Mandinka states
- Kaabu / Gabú
- for more see List of Historic Empires in Gambia
- Maryland in Liberia existed at Cape Palmas from 1834 to 1857
- Moogo ( Mossi Empire)
- Kingdom of Dagomba (see also: Northern Territories of the Gold Coast for the later British Protectorate)
- Darfur / Fur Sultanate
- Koya (Empire of Temne )
- Nupe
- Empire Wadai
- Wolof states , see also Wolof
- Kénédougou (Empire)
- Empire Kong
- Samory empire , see also Samory Touré
- Sine (State of the Serer )
- Yorùbá states
- Emirate of Zabarima
Central and East Africa
- Kingdom of Adrar
- Aro Confederation
-
Bantu empires
- At the mouth of the Congo and in what is now Angola (around 15th-18th centuries):
-
Kingdoms of the African Great Lakes :
- Kingdom of Ankole or Nkole
- Babembe
- Bahunda
- Banande
- Bufuriru
- Bugabo
- Banyoro (or Bunyoro , Bunjoro )
- Buganda
- Buha
- Buhavu
- Buhweju
- Bujiji
- Bukerebe , see also Ukerewe
- Kingdom of Burundi or Urundi , see also List of the Kings of Burundi and Burundi
- Bushi
- Bushingo
- Bushubi
- Busoga
- Buzinza
- Buyungu
- Buzinza
- Gisaka
- Heru
- Igara
- Ihangiro
- Karagwe
- Kimwani
- Kiziba
- Kyamutwara
- Kyania
- Mirambo
- Mpororo
- Mubari
- Muhambwe
- Nkore
- Kingdom of Rwanda , see also List of Kings of Rwanda and Rwanda
- Ruguru
- Rusubi
- Sukuma
- Kingdom of Toro
- Around the Zambezi and Limpopo (around 13th-19th centuries):
- Barue
- Bangwato (Kingdom of Bamangwato )
- Butua
- Kingdom of Gaza
- Kiteve
- Manica
- Maravi
- Monomotapa ( Munhumutapa Empire , Mutapa Empire, Karanga Empire)
- Mtetwa Empire
- Kingdom of Barotse , see also Lozi (people)
- Shona
- In the Congo Basin :
- Sultanate of Bang Assu (around 1780-1917)
- Cokwe
- Kazanye
- Kasongo
- Msidis Reich / Yeke (Reich)
- Cuba Federation
- Kingdom of Lunda (17th - 19th centuries)
- Kingdom of Luba (16th - 19th centuries)
- Sultanate of Rafai (around 1800–1939)
- Yaka
- Sultanate of Zémio (around 1800–1923)
- Gonja
- Gwiriko
- Kazembe
- Khasso / Xaaso
- Lado (Kingdom)
- Logon states
- Rich in Madagascar
- Matabele Kingdom
- Ovimbundu
- Sahé
- Sannar or Sennar
- Sultanate of Zanzibar , see also Zanzibar
- Taqali
- Uterera (Sultanate)
- Witu
Southern Africa
Boer Republics
- Graaff-Reinet (1795–1796)
- Goshen (1882-1883)
- Griqua countries:
- Klein Vrystaat (1886-1891)
- Republic of Lydenburg (1856-1860)
- Republic of Natalia (1839–1843), see also Natal
- Nieuwe Republiek (1884–1888)
- Orange Free State (1854–1902)
- Stellaland (1883)
- United States of Stellaland (1883–1885)
- South African Republic
- Swellendam (1795)
- Transvaal (1857-1902)
- Republic of Utrecht (1854–1860)
- Republic of Winburg-Potchefstroom (1844–1857)
- Republic of Upingtonia (1885–1887)
Bantustans
No longer existing or renamed states of the later modern times
- Anjouan (1997-2001 and 2007 detached from the Comoros )
- Biafra (1967–1970 hardly internationally recognized state in southern Nigeria )
- " Republic of Benin " (1967 short-lived state in western Nigeria)
- Dahomey (renamed the People's Republic of Benin in 1975 ), see also Kingdom of Dahomey
- Jubaland (detached from Somalia 1998–2001, then part of Southwest Somalia )
- Katanga (1960–1966 declared independent by the Democratic Republic of the Congo )
- Mali Federation (1959–1960 merger of Mali and Senegal )
- Mohéli ( detached from the Comoros in 1997–2001 )
- Upper Volta (renamed Burkina Faso in 1984)
- People's Republic of Pemba (1964 briefly independent, then to People's Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba , then to Tanzania )
- Rif Republic ( detached from Spanish Morocco 1921–1926 )
- Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (also Central African Federation , largely autonomous from 1953 to the end of 1963)
- Rhodesia (1965–1979, ultimately unsuccessful separation from Great Britain )
- Rwenzururu (had broken away from Toro and Uganda from 1963 to 1982 )
- Sultanate of Zanzibar (1963–1964 constitutional monarchy )
- People's Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba (emerged from the sultanate in 1964, united with Tanganyika to form Tanzania in the same year )
- South Kasai (1960–1961 de facto independent from Congo-Léopoldville )
- Southwest Somalia (released from Somalia 2002–2006 )
- Tanganyika (1961–1964 independent state, united with Zanzibar to form Tanzania in 1964 )
- United Arab Republic (1958–1961 merger of Egypt and Syria )
- Zaire (1971–1997 name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo )
- Central African Empire (1976–1979 name of the Central African Republic )
- Zimbabwe-Rhodesia (1979)