African independence: Africa in 1914 and 1960
Between 1914 and 1960, 30 states appear on the map of Africa and 20 disappear. Among those that vanish: French West Africa, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Belgian Congo. New on the map: Sudan, Zaire, Saudi Arabia. Libya gains the most territory.
Open 1960 in the interactive map
States that disappeared
| State | Area in 1914 |
|---|---|
| French West Africa | 6.39 million km² |
| Anglo-Egyptian Sudan | 2.59 million km² |
| Belgian Congo | 2.35 million km² |
| Arabia (Nejd) | 1.77 million km² |
| Rhodesia | 1.15 million km² |
| Abyssinia | 1.14 million km² |
| German E. Africa (Tanganyika) | 1.00 million km² |
| Kamerun | 830,000 km² |
| German South-West Africa | 800,000 km² |
| British Protectorate | 680,000 km² |
| British East Africa | 660,000 km² |
| Madagascar (France) | 580,000 km² |
New states on the map
| State | Area in 1960 |
|---|---|
| Sudan | 2.51 million km² |
| Zaire | 2.35 million km² |
| Saudi Arabia | 1.92 million km² |
| Chad | 1.27 million km² |
| Mali | 1.25 million km² |
| Niger | 1.18 million km² |
| Ethiopia | 1.14 million km² |
| Tanzania, United Republic of | 940,000 km² |
| Namibia | 800,000 km² |
| Zambia | 760,000 km² |
| Somalia | 640,000 km² |
| Central African Republic | 630,000 km² |
States that grew or shrank
What happened in between
| Year | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | The Year of Africa: seventeen African states become independent | Lagos |
People of the period
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| 1892 – 1975 | Haile Selassie I | Emperor of Ethiopia |
| c. 1897 – 1978 | Jomo Kenyatta | First president of Kenya |
| 1909 – 1972 | Kwame Nkrumah | First leader of Ghana |
| 1918 – 2013 | Nelson Mandela | President of South Africa |
Questions
How did the map of Africa change between 1914 and 1960?
Between 1914 and 1960, 30 states appear on the map of Africa and 20 disappear. Among those that vanish: French West Africa, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Belgian Congo. New on the map: Sudan, Zaire, Saudi Arabia. Libya gains the most territory.
Which states disappeared from the map of Africa between 1914 and 1960?
French West Africa, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Belgian Congo, Arabia (Nejd), Rhodesia, Abyssinia, German E. Africa (Tanganyika), Kamerun, German South-West Africa, British Protectorate.
Which new states appeared between 1914 and 1960?
Sudan, Zaire, Saudi Arabia, Chad, Mali, Niger, Ethiopia, Tanzania, United Republic of, Namibia, Zambia.
Borders are drawn from the nearest available maps and are approximate.
Last updated 10 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.