Map of Africa in 1 AD (1 CE)
In 1 CE the atlas maps 4 states and empires with territory in Africa. The largest by mapped territory was The Roman Empire, at about 3.55M km², followed by The Kingdom of Kush. The map below is set to 1 CE; the table lists every state shown, with the modern countries its borders covered.
- States Mapped
- 4
- Largest
- 3.55M km²
- Modern Countries Covered
- 37
- Longest Established
- 1000 BCE – 1 CE
Map of Africa in 1 CE
Borders are drawn for 1 CE. Drag the timeline to move to another year.
The Major Powers of 1 CE
The Roman Empire
31 BCE – 476 CEThe Roman Empire was a state that dominated the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa during the classical period. The Roman Republic had previously conquered most of these territories, which later came under permanent single-person rule following Octavian's rise to power and the establishment of the Augustan Principate in 27 BC.
Mapped extent in 1 CE: 3.55M km²
The Kingdom of Kush
1000 BCE – 346 CEThe Kingdom of Kush, also known as the Kushite Empire, or simply Kush, was an ancient kingdom in Nubia, centered along the Nile Valley in what is now northern Sudan and southern Egypt.
Mapped extent in 1 CE: 336,379 km²
Mauretania
212 BCE – 42 CEMauretania is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Mediterranean Maghreb. Originally established in the northwest of Morocco, it encompassed at its height northern-central Morocco and western-central Algeria.
Mapped extent in 1 CE: 215,292 km²
Kingdom of Axum
50 BCE – 946 CEThe Kingdom of Aksum, or the Aksumite Empire, was a kingdom in the Horn of Africa and South Arabia from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, based in what is now Eritrea and Northern Ethiopia, and spanning present-day Djibouti, Sudan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Emerging from the earlier Dʿmt civilization, the kingdom was founded in the 1st century.
Mapped extent in 1 CE: 97,004 km²
Descriptions are the opening of each state's Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
States and Empires in 1 CE
4 mapped, largest territory first. Dates are the span of each state's mapped borders.
| # | State | Mapped area | Dates | Modern countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Roman Empire | 3.55M km² | 31 BCE – 476 CE | Egypt, Turkey, Germany, France, Italy and 28 more |
| 2 | The Kingdom of Kush | 336,379 km² | 1000 BCE – 346 CE | Sudan |
| 3 | Mauretania | 215,292 km² | 212 BCE – 42 CE | Algeria, Morocco |
| 4 | Kingdom of Axum | 97,004 km² | 50 BCE – 946 CE | Ethiopia, Eritrea |
1 CE by Region
1 CE: Quick Answers
- What empires and states existed in Africa in 1 CE?
- The atlas maps 4 states in Africa in 1 CE. The largest by mapped territory were The Roman Empire, The Kingdom of Kush, Mauretania, Kingdom of Axum.
- What was the largest empire in Africa in 1 CE?
- The Roman Empire had the largest mapped territory among states present in Africa in 1 CE, about 3.55M km², followed by The Kingdom of Kush (336,379 km²). Areas are measured from the mapped borders and are approximate.
- What did the map of Africa look like in 1 AD?
- In 1 CE the map of Africa was divided between 4 mapped states and empires. The Roman Empire held the largest territory, followed by The Kingdom of Kush. Their borders covered parts of 37 present-day countries.
- How many states are shown on the map for 1 CE?
- 4. The map shows the states recorded in the atlas's dated border dataset for that year; states and peoples absent from that dataset are not shown.