List of European colonies in Africa

The following is a list of European colonies in Africa, organized alphabetically by the colonizing country. France had the most colonies in Africa with 35 colonies followed by Britain with 32. ^[1]

Belgian colonial empire

• Belgian Congo (Congo Free State annexed as a colony, today's Democratic Republic of the Congo)
• Ruanda-Urundi (comprising modern Rwanda and Burundi, 1922–62)

British Empire

Further information: Historiography of the British Empire

Opening of the railway in Rhodesia, 1899

Following the Fourth Anglo-Ashanti War in 1896, the British proclaimed a protectorate over the Ashanti Kingdom.

• Egypt
• British Cyrenaica (1943-1951, now part of Libya)
• British Tripolitania (1943-1951, now part of Libya)
• Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (1899–1956)
• British Somaliland (now part of Somalia)
• British East Africa
  • Kenya Colony
  • Uganda Protectorate
  • Tanzania
    • Tanganyika Territory (1919–61)
    • Zanzibar

• British Mauritius
• Bechuanaland (now Botswana)
• Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)
• Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia)
• British Seychelles
• British South Africa
  • South Africa
    • Transvaal Colony
    • Cape Colony
    • Colony of Natal
    • Orange River Colony
  • South-West Africa (from 1915, now Namibia)

• British West Africa
  • Gambia Colony and Protectorate
  • British Sierra Leone
  • Colonial Nigeria
  • British Togoland (1916–56, today part of Ghana)
  • Cameroons (1922–61, now part of Cameroon and Nigeria)
  • Gold Coast (British colony) (now Ghana)
• Nyasaland (now Malawi)
• Basutoland (now Lesotho)
• Swaziland (now Eswatini)
• St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Poland–Lithuania

• St. Andrews Island (in the Gambia)

Denmark–Norway

• Danish Gold Coast (coastal settlements in Ghana)

Dutch colonial empire

• Arguin Island (in Mauritania)
• Dutch Cape Colony
• Dutch Gold Coast (settlements along coast of Ghana, including El Mina)
• Dutch Loango-Angola (Luanda, Sonyo and Cabinda)
• Gorée (Senegal)
• Moçambique (Delagoa Bay)
• São Tomé
• South Africa
• Mauritius

French colonial empire

Map of French colonies in Africa (in green)

Further information: French Africa

• French North Africa
  • French Algeria (1830-1962; was administered as an integral part of France itself from 1848)
  • French Protectorate of Tunisia (1881–1956)
  • French Protectorate of Morocco (1912–1956)
  • Fezzan-Ghadames (1943–1951) (administration given by the UNO after its conquest by Charles de Gaulle)
  • Egypt (ownership 1798–1801; Condominium of France and the United Kingdom 1876–1882) ^[2]

The Foureau-Lamy military expedition sent out from Algiers in 1898 to conquer the Chad Basin and unify all French territories in West Africa.

• French West Africa
  • Ivory Coast (1843–1960)
  • Dahomey or French Dahomey (now Benin) (1883–1960)
    • Independent of Dahomey, under French protectorate in 1889
    • Porto-Novo (protectorate) (1863–1865, 1882)
    • Cotonou (protectorate) (1868)
  • French Sudan (now Mali) (1883–1960)
    • Senegambia and Niger (1902–1904)
  • Guinea or French Guinea (1891–1958)
  • Mauritania (1902–1960)
    • Adrar emirate (protectorate) (1909)
    • The Taganit confederation's emirate (protectorate) (1905)
    • Brakna confederation's emirate (protectorate)
    • Emirate of Trarza (protectorate) (1902)
  • Niger (1890–1960)
    • Sultanate of Damagaram (Zinder) (protectorate) (1899)
  • Senegal (1677–1960)
  • French Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) (1896–1960)
  • French Togoland (1918–1960) (formerly a German colony, mandate became a French colony) (now Togo)
  • Nigeria
    • The Enclaves of Forcados and Badjibo (territory under a lease of 30 years) (1900–1927)
    • The Emirate of Muri (Northeast of Nigeria) (1892–1893)
  • Gambia
    • Albreda (1681–1857)
    • Kunta Kinteh Island (1695–1697, 1702)

• French Equatorial Africa
  • Chad (1900–1960)
  • Oubangui-Chari (currently Central African Republic) (1905–1960)
    • Dar al Kuti (protectorate) (1897) (in 1912 its sultanate was suppressed by the French)
    • Sultanate of Bangassou (protectorate) (1894)
  • Present-day The Republic of Congo, then French Congo (1875–1960)
  • Gabon (1839–1960)
  • French Cameroon (91% of current Cameroon) (1918–1960) (formerly a German colony, Mandate, Protectorate then French Colony)
  • São Tomé and Príncipe (1709)

The Senegalese Tirailleurs, led by Colonel Alfred-Amédée Dodds, conquered Dahomey (present-day Benin) in 1892

• French East Africa and Indian Ocean
  • French Madagascar (1896–1960)
    • Kingdom of Imerina (protectorate; 1896)
  • Isle de France (1715–1810; now Mauritius)
  • Djibouti (French Somaliland) (the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas; French Somalia; 1862–1977)
  • French Egypt (1798–1801, 1858–1882, 1956)
  • Mayotte (1841–present)
  • Seychelles (1756–1810)
  • Chagos Archipelago (1721–1745, 1768–1814)
  • The Scattered Islands (Banc du Geyser, Bassas da India, Europa Island, Juan de Nova Island, Glorioso Islands, Tromelin Island)
  • Comoros (1866–1975)
  • Réunion (1710–present)

German Empire

Main article: German colonization of Africa

The following were German African protectorates:

German colonies in Africa, 1914

• German South West Africa, 1884 to 1915
• German West Africa, 1884 to 1915
  • Togoland, 1884 to 1916
  • Kamerun, from 1884 to 1916
  • Kapitaï and Koba, 1884 to 1885
  • Mahinland, March 11, 1885 to October 24, 1885
• German East Africa, 1885 to 1918
• Witu Protectorate, 1885 to 1890
• German Somali Coast, 1885 to 1888
• German Congo, 1884 to 1885
• German Katanga, 1886
• Gando Protectorate, 1895 to 1897
• Gulmu Protectorate, 1895 to 1897
• German South Africa, 1884 to 1885

Hospitaller Malta

• Tripoli

Italian colonial empire

• Italian East Africa
  • Italian Eritrea
  • Italian Somaliland (now Somalia)
  • Italian Ethiopia
    • Amhara Governorate
    • Galla-Sidamo Governorate
    • Harar Governorate
    • Scioa Governorate
• Italian Libya

Former colonies, protectorates and occupied areas

• Italian Eritrea (1882–1947)
• Italian Somalia (1889–1947)
  • Trust Territory of Somaliland (1950–1960)
• Libya (1911–1947)
  • Italian Tripolitania & Cyrenaica (1911–1934)
  • Italian Libya (1934–1943)
• Italian East Africa (1936–1941)
• Italian Ethiopia (1936–1941)
• Tunis (1942–1943)

Portuguese colonial empire

Marracuene in Portuguese Mozambique was the site of a decisive battle between Portuguese and Gaza king Gungunhana in 1895

• Portuguese Angola (now Angola)
  • Mainland Angola
  • Portuguese Congo(now Cabinda Province of Angola)
• Portuguese Mozambique(now Mozambique)
• Portuguese Guinea(now Guinea-Bissau)
• Portuguese Gold Coast now part of Ghana
• Portuguese Cape Verde
• Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe
  • São Tomé Island
  • Príncipe Island
  • Fort of São João Baptista de Ajudá(now Ouidah, in Benin)

Others

• Ajuda (Whydah, in Benin)

• Angola
• Annobón
• Cabinda
• Cape Verde (Cabo Verde)
• Ceuta
• Fort of São João Baptista de Ajudá
• Gorée (in Senegal)
• Malindi
• Mombasa
• Algarve Ultramar (Morocco)
  • Agadir
  • Alcacer Ceguer
  • Arzila
  • Azamor
  • Mazagan
  • Mogador
  • Safim
• Nigeria (Lagos area)
• Mozambique
• Portuguese Gold Coast (settlements along coast of Ghana)
• Portuguese Guinea (Guinea-Bissau)
• Quíloa
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Tangier
• Zanzibar
• Ziguinchor

Russian Empire

• Sagallo (6 January 1889–5 February 1889)

Spanish colonial empire

• Northern Spanish Morocco
  • Chefchaouen (Chauen)
    • Jebala (Yebala)
    • Kert
    • Loukkos (Lucus)
    • Rif

• Spanish West Africa
  • Ifni
  • Southern Spanish Morocco (Cape Juby)
  • Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara)
    • Saguia el-Hamra
    • Río de Oro

• Spanish Guinea(now Equatorial Guinea)
  • Fernando Pó
  • Río Muni
  • Annobón

Sweden

• Swedish Gold Coast

See also

• European exploration of Africa
• List of African territories and states by date of colonization
• Scramble for Africa

References

1. "A map of Europe based on how many colonies each country had". 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
2. "Centenaire de l'Entente cordiale : les accords franco-britanniques de 1904" (PDF) (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2011-08-29.