Some regions
claim independence but aren’t recognized. Others are technically part of
another country even though they’re thousands of kilometers away. The point is,
figuring out what is and isn’t a country in Africa is more complicated than you
might think. So, let’s take a look at some African countries that… well, don’t
really exist.
De Facto States & African Separatist Movements
First are the
places that act like independent countries and are fighting for their spot on
the world stage, but haven't received official recognition.
The most famous
case is the Republic of Somaliland. It sits in the Horn of Africa
and declared independence from Somalia in 1991,after years of civil war. Since then, it’s had its own government, army,
currency, and elections — basically everything a country should have. Except,
you know, international recognition. It’s generally more peaceful and stable
than the rest of Somalia, but for over three decades, the United Nations has
considered it part of Somalia. Recently, Ethiopiaagreed to recognize Somaliland in exchange for access to its ports,
but so far, they're the only ones.
Then there's
the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, also known as Western Sahara.
It declared independence in 1976 after Spain withdrew, but Morocco also claimed
the territory. The Sahrawi independence group—the Polisario Front—has been
fighting for full control ever since. Today, it’s recognizedby around 46 UN member states, but most of the world sides with Morocco. So
yeah, it’s a country… kind of.
Finally,
there's Cabinda. This small, oil-rich piece of land is separated
from Angola by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Republic of Cabinda
was declared in 1975, but Angola still controls it, and the Cabinda
independence movement is now basically underground.
Overseas Territories in Africa
Next are the
places that are geographically in Africa but are politically and legally part
of European countries. Unlike breakaway states that seek independence,
these overseas territories are legally part of a non-African country.
First
stop: Réunion. It’s a tropical island in the Indian Ocean, east of
Madagascar. You might think it’s an African island nation, but it’s
actually partof France. Not a former colony—literally France. People there are French
citizens, and they use the euro.
It's a similar
story for Mayotte, another island in the same region. Mayotte voted
to remain French when the rest of the Comoros declared independence in the
1970s. So while the Comoros is an independent country, Mayotte is a Frenchdepartment, governed directly from Paris, even though it’s 8,000 kilometers
away.
Let’s stay in
the ocean for one more: the island of Saint Helena. This remote
territory off the coast of Angola is best known as the island where Napoleon
was exiled. It’s part of the BritishOverseas Territories, which means it’s under the UK but has local
governance.
A Land Claimed by Two: The Hala'ib Triangle
Finally, there's
a place that isn't a state at all, but a patch of land that appears on two
different countries' maps at once. The Hala’ib Triangle is a
long-disputed border region on the Red Sea. The Hala'ib Triangle
dispute between Egypt and Sudan has been ongoing for decades. Both
countries claim it, both govern parts of it, and neither is giving up.
The Map Isn't the Territory
So there you have it—Somaliland, Western Sahara, Réunion, Mayotte, Cabinda, Saint Helena, and the Hala’ib Triangle. From breakaway states fighting for a flag to remote islands governed from Europe, these places prove that the simple lines on a map rarely tell the full story of the geopolitics of Africa.
The
stories of these unrecognized states show just how complex modern geography can
be. If you enjoy solving these cartographical puzzles, another great question
is: what's the deal with all the "Guineas"?
Read Next: What Are "The Guineas"?
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