Portuguese Africa: Map & History
Portuguese Africa is mapped in the atlas for 1507 CE – 1581 CE, with a peak mapped extent of about 35,685 km².
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Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
Portuguese Africa is mapped in the atlas for 1507 CE – 1581 CE, with a peak mapped extent of about 35,685 km².
Modern Countries Once Part of Portuguese Africa
At its mapped extent, Portuguese Africa covered territory in 6 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Cape Verde1507–1581 CE · nearly all
- Equatorial Guinea1507–1581 CE · a large part
- Morocco1507–1546 CE · a small part
- Mozambique1534–1581 CE · a small part
- Tanzania1507–1581 CE · a small part
- Angola1579–1581 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Portuguese 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.
Portuguese Africa Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 35,685 km² in 1580 CE.
Portuguese Africa: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Portuguese Africa exist?
Portuguese Africa is dated to 1507 CE – 1581 CE, in the Early Modern & Age of Discovery era.
How large was Portuguese Africa at its peak?
At its peak in 1580 Portuguese Africa covered about 35,685 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Avarga
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