Senegal Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Senegal appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 13 different states, among them Senegal, French West Africa, Mali, Takrur, Kaarta.
SenegalExplore the history of Senegal in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · Senegal as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of Senegal, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
| Map | Main states on this land |
|---|---|
| AD 700 | Saharan Nomadic Tribes 39% |
| 1000 | Takrur 39% |
| 1100 | Takrur 39% · Almoravid dynasty 3% |
| 1200 | Takrur 27% · Berber Tribes 21% |
| 1300 | Mali 100% |
| 1400 | Mali 100% |
| 1492 | Mali 91% |
| 1500 | Mali 91% |
| 1600 | Senegal 88% |
| 1650 | Senegal 15% · Portuguese Guinea 6% |
| 1700 | Senegal 15% · Portuguese Guinea 6% |
| 1783 | Senegal 15% · Kaarta 15% · Portuguese Guinea 6% |
| 1800 | Senegal 15% · Kaarta 15% · Portuguese Guinea 6% |
| 1815 | Kaarta 21% · Senegal 15% · Portuguese Guinea 6% |
| 1880 | Senegal (FR) 52% · Futa Toro 21% · Gambia 6% |
| 1900 | Senegal 52% · Futa Toro 21% · Gambia 6% |
| 1914 | French West Africa 100% |
| 1920 | French West Africa 100% |
| 1930 | French West Africa 100% |
| 1938 | French West Africa 100% |
| 1945 | Senegal 100% |
| 1960 | Senegal 100% |
| 1994 | Senegal 100% |
| 2010 | Senegal 100% |
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Senegal?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Senegal belonged to Senegal, French West Africa, Mali, Takrur, Kaarta, Senegal (FR), along with 7 other states.
What was Senegal part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Senegal lay within Takrur.
What was Senegal part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Senegal lay within Mali.
What was Senegal part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Senegal lay within Senegal.
Further reading
Last updated 9 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.