Map of Africa in 500 AD (500 CE)
In 500 CE the atlas maps 4 states and empires with territory in Africa. The largest by mapped territory was Eastern Roman Empire, at about 2.00M km², followed by Vandal Kingdom. The map below is set to 500 CE; the table lists every state shown, with the modern countries its borders covered.
- States Mapped
- 4
- Largest
- 2.00M km²
- Modern Countries Covered
- 27
- Longest Established
- 50 BCE – 500 CE
Map of Africa in 500 CE
Borders are drawn for 500 CE. Drag the timeline to move to another year.
The Major Powers of 500 CE
Eastern Roman Empire
395–632 CEThe Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Eastern part of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, it endured until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453.
Mapped extent in 500 CE: 2.00M km²
Vandal Kingdom
439–533 CEThe Vandal Kingdom or Kingdom of the Vandals and Alans was a confederation of Vandals and Alans, and a barbarian kingdom established under Gaiseric, a Vandalic warlord. It ruled parts of North Africa and the Mediterranean for 99 years from 435 to 534 AD.
Mapped extent in 500 CE: 248,581 km²
Alodia
347–1506 CEAlodia, also known as Alwa, was a medieval kingdom in what is now central Sudan. Its capital was the city of Soba, located near modern-day Khartoum at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers.
Mapped extent in 500 CE: 123,780 km²
Kingdom of Axum
50 BCE – 946 CEThe Kingdom of Aksum, or the Aksumite Empire, was a kingdom in the Horn of Africa and South Arabia from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, based in what is now Eritrea and Northern Ethiopia, and spanning present-day Djibouti, Sudan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Emerging from the earlier Dʿmt civilization, the kingdom was founded in the 1st century.
Mapped extent in 500 CE: 97,004 km²
Descriptions are the opening of each state's Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
States and Empires in 500 CE
4 mapped, largest territory first. Dates are the span of each state's mapped borders.
| # | State | Mapped area | Dates | Modern countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Roman Empire | 2.00M km² | 395–632 CE | Russia, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Romania and 13 more |
| 2 | Vandal Kingdom | 248,581 km² | 439–533 CE | France, Italy, Spain, Algeria, Morocco and 2 more |
| 3 | Alodia | 123,780 km² | 347–1506 CE | Sudan |
| 4 | Kingdom of Axum | 97,004 km² | 50 BCE – 946 CE | Ethiopia, Eritrea |
500 CE by Region
500 CE: Quick Answers
- What empires and states existed in Africa in 500 CE?
- The atlas maps 4 states in Africa in 500 CE. The largest by mapped territory were Eastern Roman Empire, Vandal Kingdom, Alodia, Kingdom of Axum.
- What was the largest empire in Africa in 500 CE?
- Eastern Roman Empire had the largest mapped territory among states present in Africa in 500 CE, about 2.00M km², followed by Vandal Kingdom (248,581 km²). Areas are measured from the mapped borders and are approximate.
- What did the map of Africa look like in 500 AD?
- In 500 CE the map of Africa was divided between 4 mapped states and empires. Eastern Roman Empire held the largest territory, followed by Vandal Kingdom. Their borders covered parts of 27 present-day countries.
- How many states are shown on the map for 500 CE?
- 4. The map shows the states recorded in the atlas's dated border dataset for that year; states and peoples absent from that dataset are not shown.