British Africa: Map & History
The Scramble for Africa was the invasion, conquest, and colonisation of most of Africa by seven Western European powers, which were driven by the Second Industrial Revolution during the late 19th and early 20th centuries through the era of "New Imperialism".
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Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The Scramble for Africa was the invasion, conquest, and colonisation of most of Africa by seven Western European powers, which were driven by the Second Industrial Revolution during the late 19th and early 20th centuries through the era of "New Imperialism". Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom were the contending powers.
Modern Countries Once Part of British Africa
At its mapped extent, British Africa covered territory in 30 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Uganda1885–1960 CE · nearly all
- Ethiopia1941 CE · nearly all
- Sudan1885–1955 CE · nearly all
- Iraq1919–1945 CE · nearly all
- Botswana1885–1960 CE · nearly all
- Zimbabwe1890–1960 CE · nearly all
- South Sudan1885–1955 CE · nearly all
- Jordan1922–1945 CE · nearly all
- Lesotho1885–1960 CE · nearly all
- Eritrea1941–1952 CE · nearly all
- Gambia1885–1960 CE · nearly all
- Swaziland1908–1960 CE · nearly all
- Sierra Leone1885–1960 CE · nearly all
- Kuwait1922–1945 CE · nearly all
- Zambia1895–1960 CE · nearly all
- Somalia1890–1959 CE · nearly all
- Egypt1885–1921 CE · nearly all
- South Africa1885–1931 CE · most
- Namibia1916–1931 CE · most
- Tanzania1913–1960 CE · most
- Malawi1895–1960 CE · most
- Kenya1890–1960 CE · most
- Palestine1918–1945 CE · most
- Syria1918–1945 CE · most
- Israel1918–1945 CE · most
- Libya1905–1952 CE · a large part
- Lebanon1918 CE · a large part
- Iran1919–1945 CE · a large part
- Mozambique1918 CE · a small part
- Turkey1918 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Rift Valley, Kenya
- Western Cape, South Africa
- Northern Cape, South Africa
- North West, South Africa
- Amhara, Ethiopia
- Central, Botswana
- Eastern, Kenya
- KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples, Ethiopia
- Western, Zambia
- Arusha, Tanzania
- Bari, Somalia
- Copperbelt, Zambia
- Erongo, Namibia
- Gauteng, South Africa
- Karas, Namibia
- Khuzestan, Iran
- Limpopo, South Africa
- Mpumalanga, South Africa
- North-West, Botswana
- Orange Free State, South Africa
- Ajdabiya, Libya
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside British Africa's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
British Africa in Depth
History and characteristics
David Livingstone's explorations, carried on by Henry Morton Stanley, excited imaginations with Stanley's grandiose ideas for colonisation; but these found little support owing to the problems and scale of action required, except from Leopold II of Belgium, who in 1876 had organised the International African Association. From 1869 to 1874, Stanley was secretly sent by Leopold II to the Congo region, where he made treaties with several African chiefs along the Congo River and by 1882 had sufficient territory to form the basis of the Congo Free State.
Background
By 1841, businessmen from Europe had established small trading posts along the coasts of Africa, but they seldom moved inland, preferring to stay near the sea. They primarily traded with locals. Large parts of the continent were essentially uninhabitable for Europeans because of their high mortality rates from tropical diseases such as malaria. In the middle of the 19th century, European explorers mapped much of East Africa and Central Africa.
As late as the 1870s, Europeans controlled approximately 10% of the African continent, with all their territories located near the coasts. The most important holdings were Angola and Mozambique, held by Portugal; the Cape Colony, held by the United Kingdom; and Algeria, held by France.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Scramble for Africa (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Interactive map
British Africa on the World War I map →
See British Africa’s territory change day by day from 4 August 1914, with every battle it fought.
Interactive map
British Africa on the World War II map →
See British Africa’s territory change day by day from 3 September 1939, with every battle it fought.
British Africa Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which British Africa appears, with the other states of the time.
British Africa Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 10,639,583 km² in 1919 CE.
British Africa: Frequently Asked Questions
When did British Africa exist?
British Africa is dated to 1885 CE – 1960 CE, in the Industrial era.
How large was British Africa at its peak?
At its peak in 1919 British Africa covered about 10,639,583 km².
How did the map of British Africa change over time?
British Africa appears on 3 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1900 CE to 1945 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad