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 AFRICA and INDIAN OCEAN
Mini World Atlas

Includes surrounding Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Use Edit >> Find, or scroll down,  to locate a country of your choice. Previous names for the country are shown in brackets. To find more info, use your favorite search engine with the country name followed by wiki or cia, for example Canada wiki or Canada cia. Click on location map for more detailed map. "Intl Oval" = Oval sign or sticker used to designate vehicle origin, eg: .

ALGERIA     ال جزائر     al-Jazāʼir    ⴷⵣⴰⵢⴻⵔ     Algérie
Location North Africa
Capital El Djazaïr [Algiers]
Religion Islam (Sunni)
Languages Arabic. Berber, French.
History French occupation ended 1962.
Intl Oval Oval DZ   
ANGOLA                (Portuguese West Africa)
Location Southern Africa
Capital Luanda
Religions Indigenous beliefs, Christianity
Languages Portuguese. Bantu
History Portuguese occupation ended 1975.
Intl Oval ANG 
BASSAS DA INDIA    
(Baixo da Judia)
French Southern and Antarctic Territory (FSAT)

Island offshore Mozambique, administered by France as a nature reserve.
BIAFRA    See also NIGERIA

The Republic of Biafra was a short-lived secessionist state in southeastern Nigeria.
It existed from May 30, 1967 to January 15, 1970.
 
BENIN     Bénin      (Dahomey)
Location West Africa
Capital  Porto Novo
Religions Indigenous beliefs, Christianity
Languages French, Fon, Yoruba
History French occupation ended 1960. renamed 1975.
Intl Oval  DY 
BOTSWANA                         (Bechuanaland)
Location Southern Africa
Capital Gaborone
Religions Indigenous beliefs, Christianity
Language English, Setswana.
History British occupation ended 1966. Name change 1966.
Intl Oval RB
BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY (BIOT)   Chagos Archipelago - Diego Garcia
Location Indian Ocean / East of Madagascar
Capital Diego Garcia
Language English
History British overseas territory
  Originally included Mauritius, Seychelles, Chagos Archipelago (main island Diego Garcia). After independence of Mauritius (1968) and Seychelles (1976), only the Chagos Archipelago remains.
Intl Oval GB
BURKINA FASO                       (Upper Volta)
Location West Africa
Capital Ouagadougou
Religions Indigenous beliefs, Islam (Sunni)
Language French, native African languages
History French occupation ended 1960. Renamed Burkina Faso 1984.
Intl Oval BF
BURUNDI                             (Ruanda-Urundi)
Location Central Africa
Capital Bujumbura
Religions Christianity and indigenous beliefs
Languages French, Kirundi, Swahili
History German occupation ended 1918, Belgian to 1962.
Intl Oval (none) 
CAMEROON      Kamerun
(Incl part of West Cameroon)
Location Central Africa
Capital Yaoundé
Religions Christianity, indigenous beliefs, Islam (Sunni)
Languages French, English, native languages
History German occupation ended 1918, French/British to 1962.
Intl Oval CAM 
CAPE VERDE     Cabo Verde
Location Off the coast of West Africa
Capital Praía
Religion Christianity
Language Portuguese. Crioulo
History Portuguese occupation ended 1975
Intl Oval CV
CHAD      تشاد‎        Tchad
(French Equatorial Africa)
Location North Africa
Capital N'Djamena
Religions Islam, Christianity
Languages French, Arabic
History French occupation ended 1960
Intl Oval TCH
COMOROS    جزر القمر‎, Juzur al-Qumur / Qamar
Location Indian Ocean / NW of Madagascar
Capital Moroni
Religion Islam (sunni)
Languages Comorian, Arabic, French
History French occupation ended 1975.
Intl Oval COM
CONGO-Brazzaville   Republic of the Congo
 (French Congo)               (Middle Congo)
Location Central Africa
Capital Brazzaville
Religions Christianity, indigenous beliefs
Languages French. Lingala, Monokutuba.
History French occupation ended 1960.
Intl Oval RCB
CONGO-Kinshasa        DR Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo  
(Belgian Congo, Zaire, Congo Free State,
Congo-Léopoldville)
Location Central Africa
Capital Kinshasa
Religions Christianity
Languages French, Lingala, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba.
History Belgian occupation ended 1960.
Intl Oval CGO 
DJIBOUTI     جمهورية جيبوتي      Gabuutih Ummuuno       Jamhuuriyadda Jabuuti  
(French Somaliland, Afar and Issa Land)
Location East Africa
Capital Djibouti
Religion Islam (Sunni)
Languages Arabic, French, Somali, Afar.
History French occupation ended 1977.
Intl Oval DJI 
EGYPT    مصر‎    Miṣr    مَصر    Maṣr
Location North Africa
Capital al-Qahira [Cairo]
Religion Islam (sunni), Christian (koptic)
Language Arabic
History British occupation ended 1922.
Intl Oval ET
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Guinea Ecuatorial
(Spanish Guinea, Rio Muni, Fernando Po)
Location Central Africa
Capital Malabo
Religion Christianity
Language Spanish, Fang, Bubi.
History Spanish occupation ended 1968.
Intl Oval GQ 
ERITREA    ኤርትራ ʾ Ertrā    إرتريا    Iritriyā
Location East Africa
Capital Asmara
Religions Christianity, Islam (Sunni)
Languages Trigre, Kunama, Afar, Amharic, Kunama.
History Independence from Ethiopia in 1993
Intl Oval ER
ETHIOPIA    ኢትዮጵያ   ʾĪtyōṗṗyā
(Abyssinia, Italian East Africa)
Location East Africa
Capital Addis Ababa
Religions Christianity, Islam (Sunni)
Language Amharian, Tigray, Oromo.
History Italian occupation 1936 - 1941.
Intl Oval ETH
EUROPA
French Southern and Antarctic Territory (FSAT)

Island offshore Mozambique, administered by France as a nature reserve.
GABON                             Gabonese Republic
Location Central Africa
Capital Libreville
Religions Christianity, indigenous beliefs
Language French, Fang, Bantu.
History French occupation ended 1960
Intl Oval
GAMBIA           Republic of The Gambia
Location West Africa
Capital Banjul
Religion Islam (Sunni)
Language English, Mandinko, Wolof.
History British occupation ended 1965
Intl Oval WAG
GHANA                               (Gold Coast)
Location West Africa
Capital Accra
Religions Christianity, indigenous beliefs
Languages English, Kwa, Gur.
History British occupation ended 1957
Intl Oval GH
GUINEA BISSAU        (Portuguese Guinea)
República da Guiné-Bissau
Location West Africa
Capital Bissau
Religions Indigenous beliefs, Islam (Sunni)
Languages Portuguese. Crioulo.
History Portuguese occupation ended 1974
Intl Oval RGB
GUINEA     République de Guinée
(French Guinea)
Location West Africa
Capital Conakry
Religion Islam (Sunni)
Language French, Mande, Susu.
History French occupation ended 1958
Intl Oval RG 
IVORY COAST               Cote d'Ivoire
Location West Africa
Capital Yamoussoukro
Religions Islam (Sunni), Christianity, indigenous beliefs
Language French. Dioula
History French occupation ended  1960
Intl Oval CI
JUAN DE NOVA
French Southern and Antarctic Territory (FSAT)

Island offshore Mozambique, administered by France as a nature reserve. Claimed by Madagascar.
KENYA         Jamhuri ya Kenya
Location East Africa
Capital Nairobi
Religions Christianity, indigenous beliefs
Languages Swahili, English
History British occupation ended 1963
Intl Oval EAK
LESOTHO           Muso oa Lesotho
(
Basutoland)
Location South Africa
Capital Maser
Religion Christianity
Languages SeSotho, English
History British occupation ended 1966.
Intl Oval LS
LIBERIA
Location West Africa
Capital Monrovia
Religions Indigenous religions, Islam, Christianity
Language English
History Liberia founded  in 1847.
Intl Oval LB
LIBYA     ‏ليبيا‎,     ⵍⵉⴱⵢ     Lībyā
Location North Africa
Capital Tripoli
Religion Islam (Sunni)
Language Arabic
History Italian occupation ended 1951. Partial ISIL occupation 2014 - present.
Intl Oval LAR
MADAGASCAR                   (Malagasy)
Repoblikan'i Madagasikara
 
Location Southern Africa/Indian Ocean
Capital Antananarivo
Religions Indigenous religions, Christianity
Languages Malagasy, French
History French occupation ended 1960.
Intl Oval RM
MALAWI     Dziko la Malaŵi     (Nyassaland)
Location Southern Africa
Capital Lilongwe
Religion Christianity
Languages Chichewa, English
History British occupation ended 1964
Intl Oval MW
MALI   Mali ka Fasojamana   (French Sudan)
Location West Africa
Capital Bamako
Religion Islam (Sunni)
Languages Bambara, French, Songhai
History French occupation ended 1960.
Intl Oval RMM
MAURITANIA       موريتانيا      Mūrītānyā
Location North Africa
Capital Nouakchott
Religion Islam (Sunni)
Languages Arabic, French
History French occupation ended 1960
Intl Oval RIM
MAURITIUS
Location Indian Ocean / East of Madagascar
Capital Port Louis
Religions Hinduism, Christianity, Islam
Languages Mauritian (Creole), Bhojipuri, English, French
History British occupation ended1968.
Intl Oval MS
MAYOTTE
Location Indian Ocean / NW of Madagascar
Capital Mamoudzou
Religion Islam (Sunni)
Language French,Mahoran dialect of Comorian.
History Overseas collectivity of France.
Intl Oval F
MOROCCO   Maroc  المغرب  al-Maġrib  
ⵍⵎⴰⵖⵔⵉⴱ
   Lmaġrib   
     (Spanish Morocco)
Location North Africa
Capital Rabat
Religion Islam (Sunni)
Languages Arabic, Berber
History French occupation ended 1956.
Intl Oval MA
MOZAMBIQUE
Location Southern Africa
Capital Maputo
Religions Indigenous religions, Christianity, Islam
Languages Portuguese, Swahili
History Portuguese occupation ended 1975
Intl Oval MOC
NAMIBIA          ((German) South West Africa)
Location Southern Africa
Capital Windhoek
Religion Christianity
Languages English, Bantu, Afrikaans, German
History South African occupation ended 1990
Intl Oval NAM
NIGERIA     Naìjíríyà
Location West Africa
Capital Lagos
Religions Christianity, Islam
Languages English, Yoruba, Ibo, Ful, Hausa
History British occupation ended 1960.
Intl Oval NGR
NIGER
Location West Africa
Capital Niamey
Religion Islam
Languages Hausa, Songhai, French
History French occupation ended 1960
Intl Oval RN
REUNION        (Ile Bourbon)
Location Indian Ocean / East of Madagascar
Capital Saint-Denis
Religion Christianity. Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism
Language French
History Overseas département of France
Intl Oval F
RHODESIA, SOUTHERN RHODESIA  SEE ZIMBABWE
                         
NORTHERN RHODESIA  SEE ZAMBIA

Rhodesia
(1932 - 1960) Southern Rhodesia, (1960 - 1979) became independent from Great Britain in 1980. It is now the nation of Zimbabwe.
 
RWANDA     Ruanda      (Ruanda-Urundi)
Location Central Africa
Capital Kigali
Religions Christianity, Indigenous religions
Languages French, English
History Belgian occupation ended 1962.
Intl Oval RWA
SAINT HELENA
Location Mid-South Atlantic / West Africa
Capital Jamestown
Religion Christianity
Language English
History Self-governing territory of Great Britain, includes the dependencies of Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha.
Intl Oval GB
SAO TOME and PRINCIPE
Location Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic)
Capital São Tomé
Religion Christianity
Languages Portuguese, Crioulo
History Portuguese occupation ended 1975
Intl Oval Oval STP
SENEGAL
Location West Africa
Capital Dakar
Religion Islam (Sunni)
Languages Wolof, French, Mande
History French occupation ended 1960. Briefly part of Mali Federation.
Intl Oval SN
SEYCHELLES         Sesel
Location Indian Ocean
Capital Victoria
Religion Christianity
Languages Creole, English
History British occupation ended 1976.
Intl Oval SY
SIERRA LEONE
Location West Africa
Capital Freetown
Religions Indigenous religions, Islam
Languages English, Mande, Krio
History British occupation ended 1961
Intl Oval Oval WAL
SOMALILAND  See also SOMALIA

The Italian UN Trust Territory of Somaliland merged with British Somaliland into independent Somalia in 1960. The former British portion of Somalia seceded in 1991 but is not recognized officially.
SOMALIA      الصومال      aṣ-Ṣūmāl
 
Soomaaliya    (British + Italian Somaliland)
Location East Africa
Capital Hargeisa
Religion Islam (Sunni)
Languages Somali, Arabic, English
History British occupation ended 1960.
Intl Oval
SO

        1928-1994


      1994 >>
SOUTH AFRICA
Location      Southern Africa  
Capital         Pretoria. Cape Town
Religion       Christianity
Languages   English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa
History         British occupation ended 1960.

It was divided into 4 provinces:
 
Cape Province, Natal, Orange Free State,
  and Transvaal.
Within those provinces, 10 homelands were
  created, four of which were granted
  independence by South Africa, not
  recognized by any other country.
They were  Bophuthatswana, Ciskei,
   Transkei, and Venda.
In addition, non-independent homelands
  existed within the borders of South Africa:
  Gazankulu, KaNgwane, KwaNdebele,
  KwaZulu, Lebowa, and Qwaqwa.
All ceased to exist in 1994 and have all been reincorporated into South Africa.

Intl Oval        ZA
SUDAN       السودان‎     as-Sūdān  
Location North Africa
Capital Khartoum
Religions Islam (97%), Indigenous religions, Christianity
Languages Arabic, African languages
History British-Egyptian occupation ended 1956       Conflict Map 2006
Intl Oval SUD
SOUTH SUDAN     حكومة جنوب السودان
Ḥukūmatu Janūbi as-Sūdān
Location North Africa
Capital Juba
Religions Indigenous religions (90%), Islam,  Christianity
Languages Arabic, African languages
History British-Egyptian occupation ended 1956. Final independence from Sudan July 2011  Conflict Map 2006
Intl Oval SS
SWAZILAND    Umbuso weSwatini
Location Southern Africa
Capital Mbabane
Religion Christianity
Languages Siswati, English
History British occupation ended 1968
Intl Oval SD
TANGIERS   See also MOROCCO

Tangiers was a free zone between 1923 and 1945, and was reunited with Morocco in 1956.
TANZANIA                                  (Tanganjika)
Location East Africa
Capital Dar es Salaam
Religions Christianity, Islam
Languages Kiswahili, English
History British occupation ended 1961, merged with Zanzibar in 1964. Includes Pemba Island.
Intl Oval EAT
TOGO        République Togolaise
Location West Africa
Capital Lomé
Religions Indigenous religions, Christianity, Islam
Languages French, Ewe, Kabyé
History French occupation ended 1960
Intl Oval TG
TRISTAN DA CUHNA

Tristan da Cunha is a dependency of St. Helena
TUNISIA     تونس     ⵜⵓⵏⴻⵙ    Tūnis    Tunisie
Location North Africa
Capital Tunis
Religion Islam
Languages Arab, Berber
History French occupation ended 1956
Intl Oval TN
UGANDA
Location East Africa
Capital Kampala
Religion Christianity
Languages Kiswahili, English, Buganda, Banyoro
History British occupation ended 1962
Intl Oval EAU
WESTERN SAHARA    الصحراء الغربية  
Aṣ-Ṣaḥrā’ al-Ġarbiyya        Taneẓroft Tutrimt 
Sáhara Occidental             (Spanish Sahara)
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)
Location North Africa
Capital El Aaiún
Religion Islam
Languages Arab, Spanish, Hassani
History Spanish occupation until 1976, annexed by Morocco in 1976. SADR controls only a portion of Western Sahara.
Intl Oval (none)
ZAIRE  See CONGO (Belgian Congo)

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo or Congo-Kinshasa) was known as Zaire from 1971 to 1997.

 
ZAMBIA                   (Northern Rhodesia)
Location Southern Africa
Capital Lusaka
Religions Christianity, Islam
Languages English, Bantu
History British occupation ended 1964
Intl Oval Z
ZIMBABWE   (Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia)
Location Southern Africa
Capital Harare
Religions Christianity, Indigenous religions
Languages English, Fanagolo, Bantu
History British occupation ended 1980.
Intl Oval ZW

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