There are hundreds of monarchies in Africa; that is: either actually or nominally self-governing states, territories, or nations on the continent of Africa where supreme power resides with an individual, who is recognised as the head of state. All are similar in that the sovereign inherits his or her office and usually keeps it until death or abdication. However, only five are sovereign, while the remaining are sub-national monarchies. Of the former, four are constitutional monarchies, wherein the sovereign is bound by laws and customs in the exercise of his or her powers, and one is an absolute monarchy, wherein the sovereign rules without bounds; three of these monarchies are independent states, while the remaining two are dependencies of European monarchies. Those monarchies that are sub-national in nature are not sovereign, and exist within larger political associations.
Some current monarchies
- African monarchs
Queen Nyayecu ( I ) of Kingdom of Canaan, United Afro States. 2012, Greater Upper Nile.
Former monarchies
Pre-colonial Africa
- Iron Age empires of North Africa
- Medieval (8th to 13th century) Islamic empires (caliphates) in North Africa
- the medieval Sahelian kingdoms
- The Ethiopian Empire is notable as an empire in continuous existence from the 13th to the 20th centuries, succumbing neither to the Islamic conquests nor to European colonialism.
- empires of the "transitional period" of the 15th to 19th centuries.
- Islamic sultanates of the Sudan and the great Somali Empire (Golden Empire)
- kingdoms of West Africa succeeding the Sahelian kingdoms
- kingdoms of Central and Southern Africa such as the Kongo Kingdom and the Mutapa Empire.
- The Merina Kingdom of Madagascar.
20th century
- Ankole (Uganda) (abolished 1967)
- Burundi (Kingdom of) (abolished 1966)
- Central African Empire (abolished 1979)
- Â Congo Free State (annexed by Belgium 1908)
- Â Egypt (Kingdom of) (abolished 1953)
- Â Ethiopia (Empire of) (abolished 1975)
- Â Libya (Kingdom of) (abolished 1969)
- Â Rwanda (Kingdom of) (abolished 1961)
- Â Tunisia (Kingdom of) (abolished 1957)
- Zanzibar (Sultanate of) (abolished 1964)
Former Commonwealth realms
Notes
- ^ Absolute primogeniture is being considered.
- ^ Nation here refers to the more strict usage of the word, meaning a body of people or a community. The monarchies in this column are all sub-national monarchies, and do not constitute sovereign states.