Belgian colonial empire in Africa [1886–1961] Africa • Middle Africa


Timeline of stamp issuing entities of Belgian colonial empire in Africa and connected areas

Congo Free State 1886–1900
German South-West Africa 1897–1906
Belgian Congo 1909–1960
Belgian Occupation of German East Africa 1916–1922
Ruanda-Urundi 1924–1961
Republic of Congo - Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) 1960–1971
South Kasai 1961
Burundi 1962–today
Rwanda 1962–today
Zaire 1971–1997
Democratic Republic of the Congo 1997–today
•
•
1890
•
•
•
1900
•
•
1910
•
•
1920
•
•
1930
•
•
1940
•
1950
•
•
•
•
•
•
1960
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1970
•
1980
•
•
1990
•
2000
2010
•
2020

Stamp issuing entities of Belgian colonial empire in Africa and connected areas

Name Issued
stamps 		Bird
stamps
1886–1900 Congo Free State

The Congo Free State (French: État indépendant du Congo) was a large area in Central Africa that was privately controlled by Leopold II, King of the Belgians.

 ≈ 30
1897–1906 German South-West Africa

German South-West Africa (German: Deutsch-Südwestafrika, DSWA) was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 until 1915, it was one and a half times the size of the mainland German Empire in Europe at the time.

→ see under German South-West Africa 		≈ 30
1909–1960 Belgian Congo

The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between King Leopold II’s formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.

 ≈ 400 ≈ 2
1916–1922 Belgian Occupation of German East Africa

Ruanda-Urundi was a part of German East Africa under Belgian military occupation from 1916 to 1924 in the aftermath of World War I when a military expedition had the Germans out of the colony.

 ≈ 40
1924–1961 Ruanda-Urundi

Ruanda-Urundi was made a League of Nations class B mandate, allotted to Belgium, from 1924 to 1945. It was designated as a United Nations trust territory, still under Belgian administration, until 1962, when it developed as the independent states of Rwanda and Burundi.

 ≈ 200
1960–1971 Republic of Congo - Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa)

The Belgian Congo achieved independence on 30 June 1960 under the name “République du Congo” (“Republic of Congo” or “Republic of the Congo” in English). As the neighboring French colony of Middle Congo (Moyen Congo) also chose the name “Republic of Congo” upon achieving its independence, the two countries were more commonly known as “Congo-Léopoldville” and “Congo-Brazzaville”, after their capital cities. A constitutional referendum on 1965 resulted in the country’s official name being changed to the “Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

→ see under Congo, Democratic Republic 		≈ 400
1961 South Kasai

South Kasai was a secessionist region in the area of south central Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) during the early 1960s. The region sought independence in similar circumstances to neighboring State of Katanga during the political turmoil arising from the decolonization of Belgian Congo.

→ see under South Kasai 		≈ 30
1962–today Burundi

Burundi /bəˈrʊndɨ/, officially the Republic of Burundi (Kirundi: Republika y’Uburundi, [buˈɾundi]; French: République du Burundi, [byˈʁyndi]), is a landlocked country in the African Great Lakes region of Southeast Africa, bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. It is also sometimes considered part of Central Africa.

→ see under Burundi 		≈ 2 Thousand ≈ 258
1962–today Rwanda
→ see under Rwanda 		≈ 1 Thousand ≈ 80
1971–1997 Zaire

In 1971 it was changed again to the “Republic of Zaïre”.

→ see under Congo, Democratic Republic 		≈ 900 ≈ 52
1997–today Democratic Republic of the Congo

In 1997 the name was reverted to the “Democratic Republic of the Congo”.

→ see under Congo, Democratic Republic 		≈ 700 ≈ 217

About Belgian colonial empire in Africa

also known as: Belgian colonies in Africa en, Belgische Kolonien in Afrika de

Inscriptions on stamps

Congo Free State 1886–1900 ÉTAT INDEPENDANT DU CONGO
© 2013-2019 Tamás Majoros
sadtuna.org
→ Sources & credits