When the African Union (AU) was founded in 2002, it represented almost the entire African continent. As the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), its membership was inherited from that body. Currently, the AU has the same 53 member states as when it was founded. Growth in the OAU typically came from post-colonial independence; as decolonization ended, the borders of the OAU had overlapped almost all of Africa. Anthem: Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together Capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Membership 53 member states Official languages The languages of Africa, as well as Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Swahili Formation - As Organisation of African Unity - As AU - May 25, 1963 - July 9, 2002 Chairman of the African Union... For other uses, see Africa (disambiguation). ... Flag of the Organisation of African Unity, later also used by the African Union. ... A state is a set of institutions that possess the authority to make the rules that govern a society, having internal and external sovereignty over a definite territory. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Colonialism. ... Colonialism in 1945 Decolonization is the process by which a colony gains its independence from a colonial power, a process opposite to colonization. ...

Membership

Article 29 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union (ratified July 11, 2000), states: The Constitutive Act of the African Union was the codified framework by wich the African Union would conduct itself. ...

1. Any African State may, at any time after the entry into force of this Act, notify the Chairman of the Commission of its intention to accede to this Act and to be admitted as a member of the Union.
2. The Chairman of the Commission shall, upon receipt of such notification, transmit copies thereof to all Member States. Admission shall be decided by a simple majority of the Member States. The decision of each Member State shall be transmitted to the Chairman of the Commission who shall, upon receipt of the required number of votes, communicate the decision to the State concerned.

The following two articles discuss the suspension and cessation of membership:

Governments which shall come to power through unconstitutional means shall not be allowed to participate in the activities of the Union.

and

1. Any State which desires to renounce its membership shall forward a written notification to the Chairman of the Commission, who shall inform Member States thereof. At the end of one year from the date of such notification, if not withdrawn, the Act shall cease to apply with respect to the renouncing State, which shall thereby cease to belong to the Union.
2. During the period of one year referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, any Member State wishing to withdraw from the Union shall comply with the provisions of this Act and shall be bound to discharge its obligations under this Act up to the date of its withdrawal.

The former of these two clauses has only applied to Mauritania after its 2005 coup d'etat and Togo. Madagascar was suspended during the dissolution of the OAU and formation of the AU (2001-2003.) The only state to leave the OAU/AU was Morocco, who withdrew in 1984, following the admission of Western Sahara's Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1982. It is the only African state not currently an AU member. Motto: Arabic: شرف إخاء عدل; French: Honneur, Fraternité, Justice (English: Honor, Fraternity, Justice) Anthem: National Anthem of Mauritania Capital Nouakchott Largest city Nouakchott Official language(s) Arabic Government Military junta  - President Ely Ould Mohamed Vall[1]  - Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar Independence From France   - Date November 28, 1960  Area    - Total 1,030... The Saharawi (or Sahrawi) Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is the long-form English translation of the government of Western Sahara (Arabic: الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الدمقرطية, Spanish: República Arabe Saharaui Democrática). ...

Chronology

OAU member states by the decade they joined.

The current AU covers almost the entirety of Africa.

• Founding of the OAU: May 25, 1963
  •  Algeria
  •  Burundi
  •  Cameroon
  •  Central African Republic
  •  Chad
  •  Republic of the Congo
  •  Democratic Republic of the Congo^[1]
  •  Benin^[2]
  •  Egypt
  •  Ethiopia
  •  Gabon
  •  Ghana
  •  Guinea
  •  Côte d'Ivoire^[3]
  •  Liberia
  •  Libya
  •  Madagascar^[4]
  •  Mali
  •  Mauritania^[5]
  •  Morocco^[6]
  •  Niger
  •  Nigeria
  •  Rwanda
  •  Senegal
  •  Sierra Leone
  •  Somalia
  •  Sudan
  •  Tanganyika^[7]
  •  Togo^[8]
  •  Tunisia
  •  Uganda
  •  Burkina Faso^[9]
  •  Zanzibar^[7].
• December 13, 1963
  •  Kenya
• July 13, 1964
  •  Malawi
• November 1, 1964
  •  Tanzania^[7]
• December 16, 1964
  •  Zambia
• October, 1965
  •  The Gambia
• October 31, 1966
  •  Botswana
  •  Lesotho
• August, 1968
  •  Mauritius
• September 24, 1968
  •  Swaziland
• October 12, 1968
  •  Equatorial Guinea
• November 19, 1973
  •  Guinea-Bissau
• February 11, 1975
  •  Angola
• July 18, 1975
  •  Cape Verde
  •  Comoros
  •  Mozambique
  •  São Tomé and Príncipe
• June 29, 1976
  •  Seychelles
• June 27, 1977
  •  Djibouti
• June, 1980
  •  Zimbabwe
• February 22, 1982
  • Western Sahara (SADR)
• June, 1990
  •  Namibia
• May 24, 1993
  •  Eritrea
• June 6, 1994
  •  South Africa

Map of the member states of the African Union. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Algeria_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Burundi. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cameroon. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Central_African_Republic. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Chad. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Republic_of_the_Congo. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Benin. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Egypt. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ethiopia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Gabon. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ghana. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Guinea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cote_d'Ivoire. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Liberia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Libya. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Madagascar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mali. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mauritania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Morocco. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Niger. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Nigeria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Rwanda. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Senegal. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sierra_Leone. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Somalia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sudan. ... Flag of Tanganyika Tanganyika was an East African republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, named after Lake Tanganyika, which formed its western border. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Togo. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tunisia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Uganda. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Burkina_Faso. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Zanzibar. ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar (IPA pronunciation: ), as used today, is the collective name for two East African islands off mainland Tanzania: Unguja (also called Zanzibar) and Pemba. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Kenya. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malawi. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tanzania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Zambia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_The_Gambia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Botswana. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lesotho. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mauritius. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Swaziland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Equatorial_Guinea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Guinea-Bissau. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Angola. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cape_Verde. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Comoros. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mozambique. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sao_Tome_and_Principe. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Seychelles. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Djibouti. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Zimbabwe. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Western_Sahara. ... The Saharawi (or Sahrawi) Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is the long-form English translation of the government of Western Sahara (Arabic: الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الدمقرطية, Spanish: República Arabe Saharaui Democrática). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Namibia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Eritrea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ...

Possible growth

The only African state which could join (more precisely re-activate its membership) is Morocco. On the African continent, the only dependencies that remain are the Spanish autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. These territories would very likely never achieve independence; they are more likely to be ceded to the Kingdom of Morocco, and the two states have had diplomatic tension over these regions since Moroccan independence in 1956. Off-shore islands which could otherwise be considered African include France's French Southern Territories, Mayotte, Réunion, and various islands in the Indian Ocean; most are uninhabited and there is a possibility that Mayotte will join Comoros or Réunion will be ceded to Mauritius, but none of these territories would likely become independent. Portugal's Madeira islands are also likely to remain an autonomous community. Spain's uninhabted plazas de soberanía, and the Canary Islands are off the coast of north Africa. The latter will likely remain an autonomous community, but Morocco has expressed interest in both. The United Kingdom's British Indian Ocean Territory and Saint Helena are closer to Africa than any other continent, and there is a chance that some of them would be ceded to African states at some point. Dependent areas are territories that for some reason do not possess full political independence or sovereignty as states. ... Area  â€“ Total   28 km² Population  â€“ Total (2005)  â€“ Density  75,276  2688. ... Area  â€“ Total    20 km² (8 mi²) Population  â€“ Total (2005)  â€“ Density  65,488  3274. ... The French Southern Territories (long name: Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, French: Territoire des Terres australes et antarctiques françaises or TAAF) are antarctic, volcanic islands in the southern Indian Ocean, south of Africa and about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia. ... Location of the Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean: • 1 : Bassas da India • 2 : Europa Island • 3 : Glorioso Islands • 4 : Juan de Nova Island • 5 : Tromelin Island (KM : Comoros, MG : Madagascar, MU : Mauritius, MZ : Mozambique, RE : Réunion, YT : Mayotte) The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean (French: ÃŽles Éparses... Motto: Das ilhas, as mais belas e livres (Of the islands, the most beautiful and free) Anthem: A Portuguesa (national) Hino da Região Autónoma da Madeira (local) Capital Funchal Largest city Funchal Official language(s) Portuguese Government Autonomous region  - President Alberto João Jardim Independence    - Settled 1420   - Autonomy... In addition to its autonomous communities, Spain has five plazas de soberanía (places of sovereignty) near Morocco administrated directly by Madrids Government. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ... In the early 1940s, the Moroccan nationalist party - Istiqlal - used the concept of Greater Morocco as a propaganda tool to rally support of Moroccan citizens against French colonial rule. ...

Notes

1. ^ Known as Zaire from 1971-1997.
2. ^ Known as Dahomey until 1975.
3. ^ Known by its translated name (in English, "Ivory Coast"), until 1985.
4. ^ Suspended from December, 2001-July 10, 2003.
5. ^ Suspended August 4, 2005, after a military coup. The present government has pledged to restore democratic elections by the end of 2007.
6. ^ Withdrew November 12, 1984.
7. ^ ^a b c Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged April 26, 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which was renamed Tanzania November 1, 1964.
8. ^ Suspended from February 25, 2005 after concerns over unconstitutional presidential appointment. Elections were held May 4, 2005.
9. ^ Known as Upper Volta until 1984.

Dahomey was a kingdom in Africa, situated in what is now the nation of Benin. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Flag of Tanganyika Tanganyika was an East African republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, named after Lake Tanganyika, which formed its western border. ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar (IPA pronunciation: ), as used today, is the collective name for two East African islands off mainland Tanzania: Unguja (also called Zanzibar) and Pemba. ... Motto: Travail, Liberté, Patrie (French: Work, Liberty, Homeland) Anthem: Salut à toi, pays de nos aïeux (Hail to thee, land of our forefathers) Capital Lomé Largest city Lomé Official language(s) French Government Republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule  - Prime Minister Edem Kodjo Independence    - From France April 27, 1960... Map showing the Volta river in Upper Volta Upper Volta (French: ) was the name of the African country now called Burkina Faso. ...

See also

• Foreign relations of the African Union

External links

• The official AU site

Member states of the African Union

Algeria | Angola | Benin | Botswana | Burkina Faso | Burundi | Cameroon | Cape Verde | Central African Republic | Chad | Comoros | D.R. Congo | Republic of the Congo | Côte d'Ivoire | Djibouti | Egypt | Eritrea | Ethiopia | Equatorial Guinea | Gabon | The Gambia | Ghana | Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | Kenya | Lesotho | Liberia | Libya | Madagascar | Malawi | Mali | Mauritania | Mauritius | Mozambique | Namibia | Niger | Nigeria | Rwanda | São Tomé and Príncipe | Senegal | Seychelles | Sierra Leone | Somalia | South Africa | Sudan | Swaziland | Tanzania | Togo | Tunisia | Uganda | Western Sahara (SADR) | Zambia | Zimbabwe A state is a set of institutions that possess the authority to make the rules that govern a society, having internal and external sovereignty over a definite territory. ... Anthem: Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together Capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Membership 53 member states Official languages The languages of Africa, as well as Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Swahili Formation - As Organisation of African Unity - As AU - May 25, 1963 - July 9, 2002 Chairman of the African Union... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_African_Union. ... The Democratic Republic of the Congo, called Zaïre between 1971 and 1997, is a nation in central Africa. ... The Saharawi (or Sahrawi) Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is the long-form English translation of the government of Western Sahara (Arabic: الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الدمقرطية, Spanish: República Arabe Saharaui Democrática). ...