This is a list of all present sovereign states in Africa[1] and their predecessors.
The region of Africa is generally defined geographically to include the subregions of African continent, Madagascar island, Mauritius Island and several minor islands, and their respective sovereign states.
Today, Africa consists of 54 sovereign states of various government types, the most common consisting of parliamentary systems.
Massylii (4th century) Part of the Kingdom of Mauretania (capital city in Volubilis, located in modern day Morocco)(3rd century BC – 25 BC) Kingdom of Numidia (202–40 BC) Center of the Kingdom of Mauretania (capital city in Cherchell, located in modern day Algeria)(25 BC-42 AD) Mauretania Caesariensis (40 BC-395 AD) (province of the Roman Empire) Mauretania Caesariensis (395–435) (province of the Western Roman Empire) Center of the Vandal Kingdom (435–439) Kingdom of Ouarsenis (430–735) Part of the Vandal Kingdom (439–534) Mauro-Roman Kingdom (477-578) Kingdom of the Aurès (484–703) Kingdom of Altava (578-708) Part of the Exarchate of Africa (590–698) (a division of the Eastern Roman Empire) Part of the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750) Part of the Abbasid Caliphate (750–778) Emirate of Tlemcen (757–790) Rustamid Imamate (778–909) Part of the Aghlabid Emirate (800–909) Part of the Fatimid Caliphate (909–973) Center of the Zirid Emirate (973–1014) Part of the Zirid Emirate (1014–1148) Hammadid Sultanate (1014–1152)Part of the Almohad Caliphate (1152–1235) Zayyanid Sultanate of Tlemcen (1235–1554) Sultanate of Tuggurt (1414–1871) Sultanate of Beni Abbas (1510–1872)Sultanate of Kuku (1515–1638) Eyalet of Aljazayer (1515–1830) (Eyalet (State) of the Ottoman Empire) Colony of Algeria (1830–1848) (part of the French Empire) Emirate of Abdelkader (1832–1847) ( French Algeria (1848–1962) (part of the French Empire, being an integral region of the metropole) Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (1958–1962) People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (1962–present) Burkina Faso was divided in several Mossi Kingdoms (11th century-1896) Kingdom of Gwiriko (1714–1897) part of the French West Africa, a federation of colonies of the French Empire (1896–1919) French Upper Volta (1919–1958) (part of the French West Africa) Republic of Upper Volta (1958–1984) (self-governing colony within the French Empire on 11 December 1958, full independent state on 5 August 1960) Burkina Faso (1984–present) Kanem-Bornu Kingdom (c.700–1900)Sultanate of Bagirmi (1480/1522-1897)Wadai Sultanate (1501–1912) French Chad (1900–1960) (part of French Equatorial Africa, federation of colonial possessions of the French Empire) Republic of Chad (1958–present) (self-governing colony within the French Empire on 28 November 1958, full independent state on 11 August 1960) Kingdom of Kongo (1390–1877) Kingdom of Ngoyo (15th century–1885) Kingdom of Luba (1585–1889)Kingdom of Lunda (c. 1600–1887)Anziku Kingdom (c. 1620–1880)Kuba Kingdom (1625–1884)Kingdom of Chokwe (1800–1891)Kingdom of Yeke (1856–1891) Congo Free State, state in personal union with the Kingdom of Belgium (it was a sovereign entity, a private domain of King Leopold II of Belgium)(1877–1908) Belgian Congo (1908–1960) (part of the Belgian Empire) Republic of the Congo (1960–1964)Democratic Republic of the Congo (1964–1971)Republic of Zaire (1971–1997) Democratic Republic of the Congo (1997–present) (resumed) 3rd–7th Dynasties of Ancient Egypt, the Old Kingdom of Egypt (2575–2150 BC) 8th–10th Dynasties of Ancient Egypt, the First Intermediate Period of Egypt: divided in many states (2181–2055 BC) 11th and 12th Dynasties of Ancient Egypt, reunified as the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (2055–1650 BC) 13th–17th Dynasties of Ancient Egypt, the Second Intermediate Period of Egypt: divided in many states (1650–1550 BC) 18th–20th Dynasties of Ancient Egypt, reunified as a New Kingdom of Egypt (1550–1069 BC) 21st–24th Dynasties of Ancient Egypt, the Third Intermediate Period of Egypt: divided in many states (1069–747 BC) 25th Dynasty of Egypt, also known as the Nubian Dynasty, Part of the Kingdom of Kush, (747 BC–656 BC) 26th Dynasty of Late Period of Ancient Egypt, reunified the country (664–525 BC) First Egyptian Satrapy, part of the Achaemenid Empire as the 27th Dynasty (525–404 BC) 28th–30th Dynasties of Late Period of Ancient Egypt (404–343 BC) Second Egyptian Satrapy, part of the Achaemenid Empire as the 31st Dynasty (343–332 BC) Part of the Macedonian Empire (Argead dynasty) (332–323 BC) Ptolemaic Kingdom (332–30 BC) Province of Egypt (30 BC-324 AD) (part of the Roman Empire) Province of Egypt (324–641) (part of the Eastern Roman Empire) Province of Egypt (619–629) (part of the Sasanian Empire) Part of the Rashidun Caliphate (641–661) Part of the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750) Part of the Abbasid Caliphate (750–868) Tulunid Emirate of Egypt, the first independent dynasty to rule Egypt since the Ptolemaic dynasty (868–905) Part of the Abbasid Caliphate (868–935) Ikhshidid State of Egypt, Syria and Hejaz, autonomous state within the Abbasid Caliphate (935–969) Part of the Fatimid Caliphate (969–973) Center of the Fatimid Caliphate, second independent dynasty of Egypt in the Middle Ages (973–1171) Center of the Ayyubid Sultanate of Egypt and Syria (Ayyubid Sultanate of Egypt, after the death of Saladin), third independent dynasty of Egypt in the Middle Ages (1171–1174) Part of the Ayyubid Sultanate of Egypt (1174–1218) Center of the Ayyubid Sultanate of Egypt (1218–1250) Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt (two independent dynasties: Baḥrī and Burjī dynasties) (1250–1517) Eyalet of Egypt, Eyalet (State) of the Ottoman Empire (1517–1867) (the Muhammad Ali dynasty became the hereditary governors [Wali] of the eyalet in 1805) Occupied by the First French Empire (1798–1801) Khedivate of Egypt, a de jure Ottoman autonomous viceroyalty (the viceroys [khedives] was from the Muhammad Ali dynasty)(Occupied by the British Empire from 1882 to 1922)(1867–1914) Sultanate of Egypt (Muhammad Ali dynasty), part of the British Empire (British protectorate) (1914–1922) Kingdom of Egypt (Muhammad Ali dynasty) (1922–1953) Arab Republic of Egypt (1953–1958) United Arab Republic (In union with Syria) (1958–1971) Arab Republic of Egypt (1971–present) Part of the Mali Empire (1287–1480) Gambia Colony and Protectorate (1821–1965) (Part of the British Empire) The Gambia, monarchic state in personal union with the United Kingdom (1965–1970) Republic of The Gambia (1970–1982) Republic of The Gambia, in union with Senegal in the Senegambia Confederation (1982–1989) Republic of The Gambia (1989–2015) Islamic Republic of The Gambia (2015–2017) Republic of The Gambia (2017–present) (resumed) Kingdom of Wala (1317–1894) Portuguese Gold Coast (1482–1642) (Part of the Portuguese Empire) Dutch Gold Coast (1598–1872) (Part of the Dutch Empire) Danish Gold Coast (1658–1850) (Part of the Danish Empire) Swedish Gold Coast (1650–1663) (Part of the Swedish Empire) Ashanti Empire (1670–1821) Branderberger/Prussian Gold Coast (1682–1721) (colony of Brandenburg-Prussia, later Prussia) British Gold Coast (1821–1957) (Part of the British Empire) Dominion of Ghana, monarchic state in personal union with the United Kingdom (1957–1960) Republic of Ghana (1960–present) Divided between the Fatimid Caliphate (Cyrenaica) and the Zirid Emirate (Tripolitania)(973–1051) Inhabited by Arabic and Berber tribes (1051–1148)Part of the Kingdom of Africa (Tripolitania) (1148–1159) Part of the Almohad Caliphate (Tripolitania) (1159–1184) Inhabited by Arabic and Berber tribes (1184–1404) Fezzan, part of the Kanem Bornu Kingdom (c.1400s-c.1600s)Part of the Sultanate of Tunis (Tripolitania) (1404–1551) Eyalet of Tripolitania (1551–1864) (Eyalet (State) of the Ottoman Empire) Vilayet of Tripolitania (1864–1912) (Vilayet (Province) of the Ottoman Empire) Italian Libya (1911–1943) (Part of the Italian Empire) Tripolitanian Republic (1918–1922) British Military Administration of Libya (1942–1951) (Part of the Allied administration of Libya) French Military Territory of Fezzan-Ghadames (1943–1951) (Part of the Allied administration of Libya) Emirate of Cyrenaica (1949–1951) Kingdom of Libya (1951–1969) (called United Kingdom of Libya until 1963) Libyan Arab Republic (1969–1977) Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (1977–2011) (before 1986 without the word "Great" in the full name of the country) State of Libya (Sometimes refer to as Libya) (2011–present) Ghana Empire, properly known as Wagadou (c. 300–c.
1200s)Gao Kingdom (c.800s-1430)Sosso Empire (c.1200-1235) Part of the Mali Empire (c.1240–1559) (capital city in Niani, Guinea) Center of the Mali Empire (1559–1610) (capital city moved to Kangaba, Mali) Songhai Empire (c. 1464–1591) Kénédougou Kingdom (c. 1600–1880)Bamana Kingdom (also known as Ségou Kingdom) (1712–1862)Kingdom of Kaarta (1754–1904)Caliphate of Hamdullahi (1818–1862)Tidjaniya Caliphate (1848–1893)Part of the Wassoulou Kingdom (1878–1898) French Sudan (1880–1958) (part of French West Africa, a federation of colonial possessions of the French Empire; 1902–1904 referred as Senegambia and Niger; 1904–1921 referred as Upper Senegal and Niger) Sudanese Republic (1958–1960) (self-governing colony of the French Empire from 24 November 1958 until 20 June 1960) Federated state of the Mali Federation (1960) (United together with Senegal from June to August 1960) Republic of Mali (1960–present) Bukunzi Kingdom of Rwanda, part of the German East Africa (1891–1919) (part of the German Empire)Kingdom of Rwanda, part of the Mandate of Ruanda-Urundi (1922–1962) (a League of Nations Mandate territory administered by Belgium)Kingdom of Rwanda, part of the Trust Territory of Ruanda-Urundi (1946–1962) (a United Nations Trust Territory administered by Belgium) Kingdom of Rwanda (1962) (independent state) Republic of Rwanda (1962–present) Italian Somaliland (1889–1936) (part of the Italian Empire) Dervish state (1889–1920) Part of Italian East Africa (1936–1941) (part of the Italian Empire) British Military Administration (Somaliland) (1941–1949) Trust Territory of Somaliland (1950–1960) (a United Nations Trust Territory administered by Italy) British Somaliland (1884–1940; 1941–1960) (part of the British Empire) State of Somaliland (1960) Somali Republic (1960–1969) Somali Democratic Republic (1969–1991) Republic of Somalia (1991–2012) (no central government existed, notable regimes included Interim Government of Somalia 1991–1997, Transitional National Government of Somalia 2000–2004, Transitional Federal Government of Somalia 2004–2012) Federal Republic of Somalia (2012–present) (a federal state formed by 5 federal states members) Catharginian Republic (c.480 BC-146 BC) Africa Proconsularis, province of the Roman Republic (later the Roman Empire) (146 BC-395 AD) Africa Proconsularis, province of the Eastern Roman Empire (395-439) Vandal Kingdom (439-533) Praetorian prefecture of Africa, part of the Eastern Roman Empire (534-590) Exarchate of Africa, part of the Eastern Roman Empire (590-698) Part of the Umayyad Caliphate (698-750) Part of the Abbasid Caliphate (750-800) Aghlabid Emirate (800-909) (Semi-independent emirate, nominally vassal or subject of the Abbasids, but de facto independent since 801) Center of the Fatimid Caliphate (909-973) (the capital cities was located in modern Tunisia) Zyrid Emirate, Vassal of the Fatimid Caliphate (973-1048) (The Fatimid Caliphate moved its capital city to Cairo, located in modern Egypt) Zyrid Emirate, independent state (1048-1148) Khurasanid dynasty (1058–1159) Kingdom of Africa (1148-c.1158) Part of the Almohad Caliphate (c.1158-1229) Hafsid Sultanate of Tunis (1229-1574) Eyalet of Tunis (1574–1705) (Eyalet (State) of the Ottoman Empire) Beylik of Tunis (1705–1881) (Beylik (Principality) of the Ottoman Empire) French protectorate of Tunisia (1881–1956) (Part of the French Empire) Kingdom of Tunisia(1956–1957) Republic of Tunisia (1957–present)