List of countries in Africa (2015)

Fully independent states
\* Six South African provinces: Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West

\** Nine Nigerian states: Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Cross River, Imo, Abia, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom

\*** Ethiopia except for Somali Region, plus Shinile/Sitti Zone, plus Eritrea

African Colonial Board
The African Colonial Board was set up by the Grand European Alliance in 1930 in an attempt to centralise the administration in Africa.

In 1920, under local revolutionary pressure, United Italy decided to leave its Libyan colony. However, within a month of independence, failure to create a unified government caused the creation of more than fifty factions, which eventually formed three large sides: Arab, Berber and Tuareg. The war was closely monitored by the GEA, which eventually decided in 1928 that the independence of Libya was a complete failure and descended into chaos almost immediately. Thus United Italy was tasked with retaking Libya, and the GEA agreed to establish a common roadmap for all colonies to independence.

In 1930, after much negotiations, the nine major GEA members, which together owns or protects all the African lands, agreed on the final Charter Treaty of the African Colonial Board. Every territorial unit on the African continent must join the African Colonial Board, except for three: Morocco, Egypt and Bechuanaland (becoming Botswana); which were still de jure independent kingdoms. Islands off the coast of Africa were not obliged to join and most were retained as colonies of individual European countries (Mayotte, Reunion, Canary Islands, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe, Cape Verde) until much later; Zanzibar and Madagascar, however, still became part of the ACB.

The Charter set up the main structure of the ACB: Europe's main control over Africa would be through the High Commissionary Board; the House of Deputies, a legislative body of 400 members, representing all members of the GEA and the Governors, appointed by the House of Deputies to each colony. Africans are also allowed to elect a 2000-member pan-African House of Commons. The seat of the ACB is in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Charter also set up criteria for colonies to be allowed to gain independence, including economic, political, social and cultural factors. Once a colony fulfils all of these criteria for seven consecutive years, it is allowed to hold a referendum on independence the following year.

Currently, there are 55 colonies under the jurisdiction of the ACB. They are divided into 4 regions, each electing a member to the African Presidency Council.

Northwest Region
[1]: Mali's regions Kayes, Koulikoro, Sikasso and Segou, plus Bamako

[2]: Mali's regions Tombouctou, Kidal, Gao and Mopti

[3]: All of Nigeria except the nine states comprising the ATL independent Biafra

Central Region
[1] Democratic Republic of the Congo's pre-2015 province of Équateur

[2]  Democratic Republic of the Congo's pre-2015 province of Orientale

[3]  Democratic Republic of the Congo's pre-2015 provinces of Maniema, Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu

[4]  Democratic Republic of the Congo's pre-2015 provinces of Kasai-Occidental and Kasai-Oriental

[5]  Democratic Republic of the Congo's pre-2015 provinces of Bandundu, Bas-Congo and Kinshasa

[6]  Democratic Republic of the Congo's pre-2015 province of Katanga

Southern Region
[1]: Three South African provinces: Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape