Country
list
The purpose of this country list is to list
all the African countries covered by our database on Palearctic
migrant bird species (we include all the Atlantic islands considered to be part
of the African realm, but not the islands of the Indian oceans, which are,
nevertheless, mentioned at the end of this list) and to give a very brief
history of each country.
The reason for
doing so is to enable users to trace alternative and/or older country names
when referring, for example, to old references in our database (e.g. Belcher CF,
1930. The Birds of Nyasaland refers
to the birds of today’s Malawi), and to enable users to understand why some
regions have ornithological literature mostly written in, for example, English,
French or Spanish, which mostly harks back to their colonial past. It is in no way meant to represent a complete
history of each country or meant to glorify the colonial past of African
countries. Note also that in our database we use some short country names, e.g.
Zaire, for countries that currently have longer names, e.g. Democratic
Republic of the Congo, for ease of data entry; users are of course welcome to
change the name of a country to whatever they think is the most appropriate
name.
African Countries included in our database:
Algeria
The Democratic
and Popular Republic of Algeria used to be a French colony which became
independent in 1962. Algeria,
together with Libya, the northern parts of Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara comprise the region of the Maghreb (or Moghreb).
Angola
The Republic of Angola used to be a Portuguese colony which became
independent in 1975, but continued civil war plagued the country until
recently.
Azores (Portugal)
The Azores (Portuguese: Açores) are an archipelago
of nine islands in the middle of the north Atlantic Ocean about
??? km west of ???. The islands are an autonomous region of Portugal.
Benin
Benin used to be called Dahomey and was one of
the eight territories of French West Africa (Afrique occidentale française, AOF). In 1960, it became
independent as the Republic of Dahomey. Dahomey together with Ivory Coast, Niger and Upper Volta subsequently formed the short-lived
Sahel-Benin Union, later the Conseil de l'Entente. In
1975, the country was renamed the People's Republic of Benin.
Botswana
The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana)
was formerly a British protectorate called Bechuanaland Protectorate (BP),
which became independent in 1966.
Burkina Faso
Upper Volta (or Haute Volta) and was one of the eight territories of French West Africa (Afrique occidentale française, AOF). It became independent in 1960 and was renamed the Republic of Upper Volta. Upper Volta together with Dahomey, Ivory Coast and Niger subsequently formed the short-lived
Sahel-Benin Union, later the Conseil de l'Entente. The country was renamed Burkina
Faso in 1984. Burkina Faso together with Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and Sudan forms the Sahel
region.
Burundi
In the 1880s, Burundi (along with Rwanda) became part of German East Africa , but the Germans began to govern the
area only in 1897. In 1916, Belgian forces occupied Rwanda, and after the war, it became part of the
Belgian League of Nations mandate of Ruanda-Urundi (which in 1946 became a UN trust territory). ).
In 1962, the Republic of Burundi became independence.
Cameroon
Britain, Germany and France all occupied parts of this country in the
1800’s and early 1900’s, with the French part together with Congo becoming part of one of the four
territories of French
Equatorial Africa (French: Afrique Équatoriale Française, AEF) in 1910. In 1919, Cameroon was divided into French and British
zones, which became League of Nations mandates. In 1946, they became UN trust territories. In the 1950s,
guerrilla warfare raged in the French Cameroons. France granted self-government to the French Cameroons in 1957. In 1960, the French Cameroons
became independent as the Republic of Cameroon. The British-administered territory called
British Cameroons was divided into two zones, both administratively linked with
Nigeria. In 1961, the northern zone voted for union with Nigeria, and the southern zone for incorporation
into Cameroon, which was subsequently reconstituted as a
federal republic.
Canary Islands (Spain)
The Canary
Islands (formerly also called Fortunate Islands) are
an archipelago of 7 islands in the north Atlantic Ocean about ??? km west of Morocco and Western Sahara. The islands belong to Spain,
and form an autonomous community of that country.
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde (Portuguese:
Cabo Verde) is an archipelago of 10 main islands and
about 8 islets in the north Atlantic Ocean about ??? km west of ???. It became independent
from Portugal in 1975.
Central African Republic
Often abbreviated as CAR, it has also been called the Central African Empire. It was a French colony called Ubangi-Shari (French: Oubangui-Chari) and became one
of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa (French: Afrique Équatoriale Française, AEF) in 1910. It became
independent in 1960.
Chad
The Republic of Chad became a French colony in 1891 and became one of
the four territories of French Equatorial Africa (French: Afrique Équatoriale Française, AEF) in 1920. It became independent
in 1960. Chad together with Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and Sudan forms the Sahel
region.
Congo
We used the name “Congo”
for what today is called the Republic of the Congo
(capital: Brazzaville), which is also known as "Congo-Brazzaville" or as Middle Congo (or Moyen Congo). It was once a French colony and became one of
the four territories of French Equatorial Africa (French: Afrique Équatoriale Française, AEF) in 1910. It became
independent in 1960.
Djibouti
The Republic of Djibouti was a French colony first called the French
Somaliland, then renamed to the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas. It became independent
in 1977. Djibouti together with Burkina Faso, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and Sudan forms the Sahel
region.
Egypt
Egypt together with Sudan used to form Nubia. Egypt briefly united with Syria to
form the United Arab Republic (UAR), a political federation between the two
countries that lasted from 1958 until 1961, although Egypt
continued to be known as the UAR until 1971. The United Arab States was a much
looser confederation, established between the UAR and North Yemen. It lasted from 1958 to 1961. Today its name is the Arab Republic
of Egypt.
Equatorial Guinea
The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is a nation in central Africa, and was formerly a Spanish colony called Spanish
Guinea that became independent in 1968. It includes the mainland part called
Río Muni as well as a number of islands, including the sizable island of Bioko where the capital, Malabo (formerly Santa Isabel), is located.
Eritrea
Eritrea has been ruled by
many powers (Italy before World War II, United Kingdom after World War II, and
Ethiopia after 1960) before it became independent in 1993. Eritrea together with Ethiopia and Somalia used to form Italian
East Africa. Eritrea together with Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and Sudan forms the Sahel region.
Ethiopia
The Federal
Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was historically called Abyssinia, and was independent except for a brief
period of Italian occupation (1936–1941). Ethiopia together with Eritrea and Somalia used to form Italian East Africa. Ethiopia
together with Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and Sudan forms the Sahel region.
Gabon
The Gabonese Republic (French: République Gabonaise) was a French
colony that became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa (French: Afrique Équatoriale Française,
AEF) in 1910. It became independent in
1960.
Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia was a British colony which became
independent in 1965. Gambia
and Senegal together form the geographic region called Senegambia (which also was the name of a loose political confederation between
the two countries that lasted from 1982 until 1989). Gambia
together with Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and Sudan forms the Sahel region.
Ghana
The Republic of Ghana was formed from the merger of the British colony
of the Gold Coast and the British Togoland trust territory in 1957 when Ghana became independent from the United Kingdom.
Guinea
The Republic of Guinea (French: République de Guinée) also has
the local name of Guinee. It was a French colony called French Guinea (French:
Guinée française) and became one of the eight territories of French West Africa (Afrique occidentale française, AOF) in
1895. It became independent in 1958.
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau (República da Guiné-Bissau) was once a
colony called Portuguese Guinea and became independent
in 1974. Upon independence,
the name of its capital, Bissau, was
added to the country's official name in order to prevent confusion between itself
and the Republic of Guinea. Guinea-Bissau together with Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and Sudan forms the Sahel region.
Ivory Coast
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (or simply Côte d'Ivoire) is often called Ivory Coast in English. It was a French colony and
became one of the eight territories of French West Africa (Afrique occidentale française, AOF) in
1895. It became independent in 1960. Ivory Coast together with Dahomey, Niger and Upper Volta subsequently formed the short-lived
Sahel-Benin Union, later the Conseil de l'Entente.
Kenya
Kenya was a British colony that together with Tanzania and Uganda used to form British East Africa. The Republic of Kenya became independent from the United
Kingdon in 1963.
Lesotho
Basutoland was
renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho ('Muso oa Lesotho) upon independence from the United Kingdom in 1966.
Liberia
The Republic of Liberia was founded by black American settlers who were
mostly freed slaves and which called the country Liberia, which means "Land of the Free"
in Latin.
Libya
Traditionally, Libya was divided into three sections called
Fezzan, Tripolitania, and Cyrenaica,
the latter two which were Roman colonies. Occupied by Italy during World War II, Libya became independent after the war, and is
now also known as the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Libya together with Algeria, the northern parts of Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara comprise the region of the Maghreb (or Moghreb).
Madeira (Portugal)
Madeira Islands is an archipelago of 5 main islands and
several islets in the north Atlantic Ocean about 580 km west of Morocco.
The islands are an autonomous region of Portugal.
Malawi
Established in 1891, the British Central Africa Protectorate became
the British protectorate of Nyasaland by 1907. Pressure for independence increased after
Nyasaland was joined with Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1953 to form the Federation of
Rhodesia and Nyasaland, which became dissolved in 1963. Nyasaland
was named the Republic of Malawi upon becoming independent from the United Kingdom in 1964.
Mali
The Republic of Mali (République du Mali) was formerly part of a
French colony called Upper Senegal, the Sudanese Republic, or French Sudan (Fr. Soudan) Territory, which became
one of the eight territories of French West Africa (Afrique occidentale
française, AOF) in 1895. In 1959, the union of Mali and Senegal became the Mali Federation, which became
independent from France in 1960. Senegal withdrew from the Mali Federation after a
few months, and the Republic of Mali withdrew from the French Community in
September 1960. Mali together
with Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and Sudan forms the Sahel region.
Mauritania
Mauritania was a French colony that was one of the eight territories of French West Africa (Afrique occidentale française, AOF). It
became independent in 1960 and is now known as the Islamic Republic of
Mauritania. Mauritania together with Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and Sudan forms the Sahel region. The northern parts of Mauritania, however, together with Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Western
Sahara comprise the region of the Maghreb (or Moghreb).
Morocco
The Kingdom of Morocco became
a French protectorate in 1912. It remained a Kingdom until it achieved
independence in 1956. It then recovered Tangier, formerly an international
city. Ifni was a former Spanish possession in south-western Morocco that
was ceded by Morocco in 1859 and returned to Morocco
in 1969. Together with Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara), it formed the Spanish colony called Spanish West Africa. Morocco
annexed Western Sahara in the 1970s. Morocco,
together with Algeria, Libya, the northern parts of Mauritania, Tunisia and Western Sahara comprise the region of the Maghreb (or Moghreb).
Mozambique
The Republic of Mozambique was formerly called Portuguese East Africa and became independent
in 1975.
Namibia
The Republic of Namibia was formerly a German colony called German Southwest Africa (German: Deutsch-Südwestafrika). South Africa occupied the German colony during World
War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it
annexed the territory. It became independent from South Africa in 1990.
Niger
Niger was a French colony that became one of the eight territories of French West Africa (Afrique occidentale française, AOF). It
became independent in 1960. Niger together with Dahomey, Ivory Coast and Upper Volta subsequently formed the short-lived
Sahel-Benin Union, later the Conseil de l'Entente. Niger together with Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and Sudan forms the Sahel
region.
Nigeria
The Royal Niger
Company was chartered by the British government in 1886. Northern and Southern Nigeria became British protectorates in 1901 and
were amalgamated into a single colony in 1914. The Federal Republic of Nigeria
won full independence in 1960, as a federation of three regions (Eastern, Northern
and Western Region), each retaining a substantial measure of self-government. Nigeria together with Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Somalia and Sudan forms the Sahel
region.
Rwanda
In the 1880s, Rwanda (along with Burundi) became part of German East Africa , but the Germans began to govern the
area only in 1907. In 1916, Belgian forces occupied Rwanda, and after the war, it became part of the
Belgian League of Nations mandate of Ruanda-Urundi (which in 1946 became a UN trust territory). In
1962, the Republic of Rwanda was granted independence from Belgium.
Saint Helena (UK)
Saint Helena (also
spelled St. Helena) refers to both an island and administrative unit in the south
Atlantic Ocean 2800 km off west of Angola, and to the British Overseas
territory that includes not only the island of Saint Helena but also the dependencies
of Ascension, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha, which consists of
Tristan da Cunha Island, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, and the three
Nightingale Islands.
São Tomé and Príncipe
Also spelled Sao Tome and Principe. Príncipe is the smaller of the two major
islands, with several smaller islands also belonging to this island state. It
was once a Portuguese colony.
Senegal
The Republic of Senegal was a French colony and became one of the eight
territories of French
West Africa (Afrique
occidentale française, AOF) in 1895. It became independent in 1960. Senegal
and Gambia together form the geographic region called Senegambia (which also was the name of a loose political confederation between
the two countries that lasted from 1982 until 1989). Senegal together with Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan forms the Sahel region.
Sierra Leone
The Republic of Sierra Leone was a British colony which became independent
in 1961.
Somalia
Somalia, which was formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, became
independent from the United Kingdom in 1960 upon unification of the British and
ex-Italian Somali protectorates (called British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland). Together with Eritrea and Somalia, it also used to form Italian East Africa. The coastal region of Somalia covering most of the Indian Ocean coast
of the country, from the Gulf of Aden to the Juba River, is also called Benadir. Somalia
together with Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan forms the Sahel region.
South Africa
The former name of
north-western South Africa was British Bechuanaland which was the southern part of the territory of Bechuanaland (now Botswana). The former name of north-eastern South Africa was Transvaal. The Union of South Africa was created in 1910 from four
self-governing British colonies: the Cape of Good Hope Province (Cape Province;
previously Cape Colony), Natal Province (Natal Colony), the Orange Free State Province
(Orange River Colony or Oranje Vrij
Staat) and the Transvaal Province (Transvaal
Colony or Zuid Afrikaansche
Republiek). The Republic of South Africa became
independent from the United
Kingdom after the
National Party won the general election of 1948 and subsequently introduced the
policies of apartheid. After much internal and external political pressure, the
first free elections were held in 1994.
Spain
Ceuta and Melilla are two small Spanish exclaves in northwestern
Africa, located on the northernmost tip of the Maghreb, on the Mediterranean
coast near the Strait
of Gibraltar. The Canary Islands (see above) also
belong to Spain.
Sudan
The Repubic of Sudan
together with Egypt used to form Nubia, and it was a British colony until it became independent in 1956. Sudan
together with Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Somalia forms the Sahel
region.
Swaziland
After the South African War of 1899–1902, Swaziland
became a British protectorate which became independent in 1968 as the Kingdom of Swaziland.
Tanzania
The United
Republic of Tanzania used to be a British trust territory called the Mandated
Territory of Tanganyika, which was formed from the colony of German East Africa
(formed in the 1880s), captured by the British during World War I and mandated
to them in 1922 by the League of Nations. Tanganyika together with Kenya and Uganda used to form British East Africa. In 1961, Tanganyika became independent
from the United Kingdom, forming the Republic of Tanganyika in 1962, and
uniting with the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba (which became independent from
the United Kingdom in 1963) to form Tanzania in 1964.
Togo
In 1884, Togoland
became a German colony. In 1914, Togo was occupied by French and British forces, and,
after World War I, was split between the British and the French by League of Nations mandates. After the expiration of the
French-administered UN trusteeship in 1960, French Togoland becoming Togo, also known as the Togolese Republic.
Tunisia
Tunisia became a French protectorate in 1881 and became independent in
1956. The Tunisian Republic together with Algeria, Libya, the northern parts of Mauritania, Morocco and Western Sahara comprise the region of the Maghreb (or Moghreb).
Uganda
The Republic of Uganda was a British colony that together with Kenya and Tanzania used to form British East Africa. It became independent in 1962.
Western Sahara
In 1884, Spain
claimed a protectorate over the coast from Cape Bojador to Cap Blanc on the north-western coast of Africa. The boundaries of the
protectorate were extended by Franco-Spanish agreements in 1900, 1904, and
1920. Together with Ifni (now south-western Morocco),
it formed the Spanish colony called Spanish West Africa. In 1957, a rebel
movement ousted the Spanish, who regained control of the region with French
help in 1958, after which Spain joined the previously separate districts of Saguia el Hamra (in the north)
and Rio de Oro (in the south) to form the province of
Spanish Sahara. After political pressure from within the region and from neighbouring countries, Spain
withdrew from the province in 1976, when it was renamed Western Sahara (also called Sahara
Occidental). In the same year, the northern two-thirds of this region were
annexed by Morocco and the southern remainder by Mauretania. In 1979,
following Mauritania's withdrawal, Morocco
took over the southern part as well. A guerrilla war with the Algerian-supported
Polisario Front contesting Morocco’s
sovereignty ended in a 1991 United Nations brokered cease-fire, but a UN-organized referendum on the region’s final status has
been repeatedly postponed. Thus, authority over the region is still disputed
between the Polisario Front movement which claims the
region as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)
and Morocco, which now largely controls the region. Western Sahara together with Algeria, Libya, the northern parts of Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia comprise the region of the Maghreb (or Moghreb).
Zaire
We used the name
“Zaire” (French: Zaïre) for
what today is called the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (often
abbreviated as DRC; capital: Kinshasa, formerly Léopoldville), which is also known as "Congo-Kinshasa", Belgian Congo, or Congo Free State. It was once the personal property of
King Leopold II of Belgium, and later a Belgian colony which became independent
in 1960 as the "Republic of the Congo" In 1966, it was renamed the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, and again renamed the Republic of Zaire between 1971 and
1997.
Zambia
The territory of Northern Rhodesia was proclaimed in 1888 by Britain, but was administered by the British
South Africa Company (BSAC) from 1891 until it was annexed by the United Kingdom in 1923 and its administration
transferred to the British Colonial Office in 1924 as a protectorate. In 1953, Northern
Rhodesia was joined with Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Nyasaland (now Malawi) to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, which became dissolved in 1963. Northern
Rhodesia became the Republic of Zambia upon becoming independent from the United Kingdom in 1964.
Zimbabwe
The territory of Southern Rhodesia was annexed by the United Kingdom from the British South Africa Company
(BSAC) in 1922 when it became a self-governing British colony. In 1953, Southern
Rhodesia was joined with Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Nyasaland (now Malawi) to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, which became dissolved in 1963. A 1961
constitution had been formulated that favoured whites in power, and in 1965,
the white minority government of Rhodesia unilaterally declared its independence
from the United Kingdom. UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising finally led
to free elections in 1980, when Rhodesia became the Republic of Zimbabwe.
African Countries not included in our database because
they lie in the Indian Ocean:
Comoros
The Union of the Comoros (until 2002 called the Islamic Federal
Republic of the Comoros) is a country in the Indian Ocean, situated at the northern end of the
Mozambique Channel between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique. The country consists principally of
three volcanic islands: Grande Comore, Moheli and Anjouan, while the nearby island of Mayotte is claimed by Comoros but declined independence from France. The country's territory also encompasses
many smaller islands.
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar, or Madagascar, is a borderless island nation in the
Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. It is biologically distinct from the African
continent.
Mauritius
The Republic of Mauritius is
an island nation in the southwest Indian
Ocean, about 900 km east of Madagascar. In addition to the island of Mauritius, the
republic includes the islands of St. Brandon and Rodrigues
and the Agalega Islands. Mauritius is part of the Mascarene Islands, with the French island of Réunion 200 km to the southwest.
Mayotte
Mayotte is an overseas collectivity of France at
the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique, in the Comoros Archipelago. It is also known as Mahoré, especially by advocates of its inclusion in the
Union of Comoros.
Réunion
Réunion (French: La Réunion) is an island and
overseas département (département
d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France, located in the Indian
Ocean east of Madagascar, about 200 km southwest of Mauritius. It was formerly
also called Bourbon Island.
Seychelles
The Republic of Seychelles is
a nation of islands in the Indian Ocean, some 1600 km east of mainland Africa and northeast of the island of Madagascar.
Other nearby island countries and territories include Mauritius
and Réunion to the south, Comoros
to the southwest, and the Maldives
to the northeast.
Sources
Most of the information on this website was
taken from Encyclopedia.com (http://www.encyclopedia.com/), Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page)
and the World Factbook
(http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/).