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

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
- 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

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]

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)

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

The following were German African protectorates:

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

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

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)

Sweden

Swedish Gold Coast

References

^ "A map of Europe based on how many colonies each country had". 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
^ "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.

[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.

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