Africa
| Old capital city | Country, empire | From | Until | Change, reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribeira Grande (now Cidade Velha) | Cape Verde | 1462? | 1770 | moved to Praia |
| Grand Bassam | Côte d'Ivoire | 1893 | 1900 | moved to Bingerville |
| Bingerville | Côte d'Ivoire | 1900 | 1933 | moved to Abidjan |
| Abidjan | Côte d'Ivoire | 1933 | 1983 | moved to Yamoussoukro |
| Fez | Morocco | ? | 1912 | Moved to Rabat |
| Al-Fustat | Egypt | 641 | 750 | Moved to Al-Askar |
| Al-Askar | Egypt | 905 | 969 | Moved to Cairo |
| Otjimbingwe | German South-West Africa | 1886 | 1892 | moved to Windhoek |
| Cape Coast | Ghana (Gold Coast) | 1664 | 1877 | moved to Accra |
| Bolama | Guinea-Bissau | 1879 | 1941 | moved to Bissau |
| Boe | Guinea-Bissau | 1973 | 1974 | moved back to Bissau |
| Njimi | Kanem | fl. 11th Century | c.1396 | lost to Bulala invaders (eventually moved to Ngazargamu) |
| Ngazargamu | Kanem-Bornu Empire | c.1472 | 1808 | lost to Fulani invaders (eventually moved to Kukawa) |
| Kukawa | Kanem-Bornu Empire | 1814 | 1893 | Kingdom ceased to exist |
| Lagos | Nigeria | 1914 | 1976 | moved to Abuja |
| Igbo Ukwu | Kingdom of Nri | 1043 | 1911 | Nigeria |
| Aneho | Togo | 1880s | 1897 | moved to Lomé |
| Zomba | Malawi | 1880s | 1975 | moved to Lilongwe |
| Dar es Salaam | Tanzania | 1961 | 1996 | moved to Dodoma |
| Axum | Ethiopia | 50 AD | ? | city abandoned |
| Debre Berhan | Ethiopia | 1456 | mid-1470s | Emperor returned to custom of a moving capital |
| Gondar | Ethiopia | 1635 | late 19th century | moved to Addis Ababa |
See also List of Egyptian capitals.
Read more about this topic: List Of Former National Capitals
Famous quotes containing the word africa:
“Day by day we hear the cry of AFRICA FOR THE AFRICANS. This cry has become a positive, determined one. It is a cry that is raised simultaneously the world over because of the universal oppression that affects the Negro.”
—Marcus Garvey (1887–1940)
““I’ll love you dear, I’ll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street.”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)
“I who have cursed
The drunken officer of British rule, how choose
Between this Africa and the English tongue I love?
Betray them both, or give back what they give?
How can I face such slaughter and be cool?
How can I turn from Africa and live?”
—Derek Walcott (b. 1930)