Amateur radio call signs of Africa
Encyclopedia
Amateur radio or ham radio
is practised by operators holding nationally allocated call signs in African countries or foreign administered territories and other nations or DXCC entities. Callsign allocation from the International Telegraph Union is administered by national political authorities and international mandates, the story of African callsigns reflects colonialism and the independence movements within the 20th Century.
assignes Africa as ITU region #1. It has assigned call signs prefix blocks to countries including 77 DXCC entities in and off-shore of Africa. Western Sahara is not a DXCC entity but uses SØ as a prefix.
The following call sign blocks are used for all radio communication, broadcasting or transmission:
In Morocco CN8 is for residents, CNØ is for visitors. SØ for Western Sahara is an unofficial prefix, not issued by the ITU
.
Sudan further subdivides its call signs thusly, with those assigned to what is now South Sudan continuing: ST2 Khartoum and its region, ST3 Wad Madani, central region, ST4 Al Ubayyid, Kurdufan region, ST5 Kassala, eastern region, ST6 Port Sudan, northeast region, ST7 Ad'Damir, northwest region, ST8 Al'Fashir, Darfour region, and ST9 Malakal, central-south region; Wau, Bahr-al-Ghazal region.
Nigeria further subdivides its prefixes thusly: 5N1 = OGUN, OYO, ONDO; 5N2 = KWARA, KOGI, NIGER, OSUN; 5N3 = EDO, DELTA, ANAMBRA; 5N4 = ENUGU, RIVERS, ABIA; 5N5 = CROSS RIVERS, AKWA-IBOM, IMO, BENUE; 5N6 = PLATEAU, TARABA, BAUCHI; 5N7 = ADAMAWA, YOBE, BORNO; 5N8 = KANO, JIGAWA; 5N9 = KADUNA, SOKOTO, KEBBI, KATSINA; and 5NØ = LAGOS STATE AND ABUJA, F.C.T.
Senegal further subdivides its prefixes thusly: 6W1 Dakar, 6W2 Ziguinchor, 6W3 Diourbei, 6W4 St. Louis 6W5 Tambacounda, 6W6 Kaolack, 6W7 Thies, 6W8 Louga, 6W9 Fatick and 6WØ Kolda.
Liberia further subdivides its prefixes thusly: EL1 Grand Bassa, River Cess, EL2 Montserrado, Bomi, Margibi, EL3 Sinoe, EL4 Maryland, Grand Kru, EL5 Lofa, EL6 Grand Gedeh, EL7 Bong, EL8 Nimba, EL9 Grand Cape Mount,and ELØ for Novices and Club Stations
Democractic Republic of Congo (Zaire) further subdivides its call signs thusly: 9Q1-Kinshasa, 9Q2-Bas Congo, 9Q3-Bandundu, 9Q4-Equateur, 9Q5-Province orientale, 9Q6-North Kivu-South Kivu-Maniema, 9Q7-Katanga, 9Q8-Oriental Kasai, 9Q9-Occidental Kasai, and 9QØ-Reserved
For Eritrea only contacts made November 14, 1962, and before, or May 24, 1991, and after, count for this entity.
Tanzania further subdivides its prefix thusly: 5H1-Zanzibar and Pemba Islands, 5H2-Arysha,Kilimanjaro,Tanga, 5H3-Pwani,Dar Es Salaam(including Mafia Island), 5H4-Morogoro, 5H5-Lindi,Mtwara,Ruvuma, 5H6-Iringa, 5H7-Mbeya, 5H8-Kigoma,Rukwa, Tabora, 5H9-Ziwa Magharibi,Mwanza,Mara,Shinyanga(including Ukerewe Islands), and 5HØ-Dodoma,Singida.
Somalia further subdivides its call signs according to the province of issue: 6OØ indicates the license was issued in Puntland, Northern Somalia, and; 6O1 is issued in Southern Somalia.
and in the 1960s.
The 1947 Atlantic City ITU Conference reallocated call sign blocks to African countries and European colonies according to this table.
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
is practised by operators holding nationally allocated call signs in African countries or foreign administered territories and other nations or DXCC entities. Callsign allocation from the International Telegraph Union is administered by national political authorities and international mandates, the story of African callsigns reflects colonialism and the independence movements within the 20th Century.
Call sign blocks for telecommunication
The International Telecommunication UnionInternational Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
assignes Africa as ITU region #1. It has assigned call signs prefix blocks to countries including 77 DXCC entities in and off-shore of Africa. Western Sahara is not a DXCC entity but uses SØ as a prefix.
The following call sign blocks are used for all radio communication, broadcasting or transmission:
CQ Zone 33/northwest Africa, European territories
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Apprx. # callsigns |
|---|---|---|
| 3V, TS | Tunisia | 53 |
| 7R, 7T - 7Y | Algeria | 94 |
| CN, 5C - 5G | Morocco | 453 |
| CQ3, CQ9, CR3, CR9, CS3, CS9, CT3, CT9 | Madeira Is. (Portugal) | 408 |
| AM8, AN8, AO8, EA8 - EH8 | Canary Is. (Spain) | 3,693 |
| AM9, AN9, AO9, EA9, EB9. EC9, ED9. EE9, EF9, EG9, EH9 | Ceuta (Spain) | 771 |
| AM9, AN9, AO9, EC9, ED9 | Melilla (Spain) | incl. in Ceuta |
| IG9 & IH9 | Pelagie, Pantelleria (Italy) | ?? |
| SØ | Western Sahara | 32 |
In Morocco CN8 is for residents, CNØ is for visitors. SØ for Western Sahara is an unofficial prefix, not issued by the ITU
Itu
Itu is an old and historic municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2009 was 157,384 and the area is 641.68 km². The elevation is 583 m. This place name comes from the Tupi language, meaning big waterfall. Itu is linked with the highway numbered the SP-75 and are flowed...
.
CQ Zone 34/northeast Africa
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Apprx. # callsigns |
|---|---|---|
| 5A | Libya | 22 |
| ST, 6TA - 6UZ | Sudan | 46 |
| ST, 6TA - 6UZ | South Sudan | ?? |
| SSA - SUZ, 6AA - 6BZ | Egypt | 113 |
Sudan further subdivides its call signs thusly, with those assigned to what is now South Sudan continuing: ST2 Khartoum and its region, ST3 Wad Madani, central region, ST4 Al Ubayyid, Kurdufan region, ST5 Kassala, eastern region, ST6 Port Sudan, northeast region, ST7 Ad'Damir, northwest region, ST8 Al'Fashir, Darfour region, and ST9 Malakal, central-south region; Wau, Bahr-al-Ghazal region.
CQ Zone 35/west coast (northern) central Africa
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Apprx. # callsigns |
|---|---|---|
| 3X | Guinea | 46 |
| 5N - 5O | Nigeria | 152 |
| 5T | Mauritania | 69 |
| 5U | Niger | 38 |
| 5V | Togo | 49 |
| 6V - 6W | Senegal | 137 |
| 9G | Ghana | 121 |
| 9L | Sierra Leone | 62 |
| C5 | The Gambia | 86 |
| D4 | Cape Verde | 26 |
| EL, 5L - 5M, 6Z, A8, D5 | Liberia | 127 |
| J5 | Guinea-Bissau | 45 |
| TU | Côte d'Ivoire | 108 |
| TY | Benin | 46 |
| TZ | Mali | 52 |
| XT | Burkina Faso | 59 |
Nigeria further subdivides its prefixes thusly: 5N1 = OGUN, OYO, ONDO; 5N2 = KWARA, KOGI, NIGER, OSUN; 5N3 = EDO, DELTA, ANAMBRA; 5N4 = ENUGU, RIVERS, ABIA; 5N5 = CROSS RIVERS, AKWA-IBOM, IMO, BENUE; 5N6 = PLATEAU, TARABA, BAUCHI; 5N7 = ADAMAWA, YOBE, BORNO; 5N8 = KANO, JIGAWA; 5N9 = KADUNA, SOKOTO, KEBBI, KATSINA; and 5NØ = LAGOS STATE AND ABUJA, F.C.T.
Senegal further subdivides its prefixes thusly: 6W1 Dakar, 6W2 Ziguinchor, 6W3 Diourbei, 6W4 St. Louis 6W5 Tambacounda, 6W6 Kaolack, 6W7 Thies, 6W8 Louga, 6W9 Fatick and 6WØ Kolda.
Liberia further subdivides its prefixes thusly: EL1 Grand Bassa, River Cess, EL2 Montserrado, Bomi, Margibi, EL3 Sinoe, EL4 Maryland, Grand Kru, EL5 Lofa, EL6 Grand Gedeh, EL7 Bong, EL8 Nimba, EL9 Grand Cape Mount,and ELØ for Novices and Club Stations
CQ Zone 36/west coast (southern) central Africa
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Apprx. # callsigns |
|---|---|---|
| 3C | Equatorial Guinea | 29 |
| 3CØ | Annobon Is. (Equatorial Guinea) | 9 |
| 9I - 9J | Zambia | 89 |
| 9O - 9T | Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) | 62 |
| 9U | Burundi | 18 |
| 9X | Rwanda | 32 |
| D2 - D3 | Angola | 42 |
| S9 | Sao Tome & Principe | 50 |
| TJ | Cameroon | 39 |
| TL | Central Africa Republic | 45 |
| TN | Republic of Congo | 27 |
| TR | Gabon | 90 |
| TT | Chad | 62 |
| ZD7 | St. Helena (UK) | 49 |
| ZD8 | Ascension Is. (UK) | 52 |
Democractic Republic of Congo (Zaire) further subdivides its call signs thusly: 9Q1-Kinshasa, 9Q2-Bas Congo, 9Q3-Bandundu, 9Q4-Equateur, 9Q5-Province orientale, 9Q6-North Kivu-South Kivu-Maniema, 9Q7-Katanga, 9Q8-Oriental Kasai, 9Q9-Occidental Kasai, and 9QØ-Reserved
CQ Zone 37/east coast mainland Africa
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Apprx. # callsigns |
|---|---|---|
| 5H - 5I | Tanzania | 199 |
| 5X | Uganda | 56 |
| 5Y - 5Z | Kenya | 145 |
| 7O | Socotra (Yemen) | ?? |
| 7Q | Malawi | 95 |
| C8 - C9 | Mozambique | 98 |
| E3 | Eritrea | 15 |
| ET, 9E - 9F | Ethiopia | 39 |
| J2 | Djibouti | 82 |
| T5, 6OA - 6OZ | Somalia | 39 |
For Eritrea only contacts made November 14, 1962, and before, or May 24, 1991, and after, count for this entity.
Tanzania further subdivides its prefix thusly: 5H1-Zanzibar and Pemba Islands, 5H2-Arysha,Kilimanjaro,Tanga, 5H3-Pwani,Dar Es Salaam(including Mafia Island), 5H4-Morogoro, 5H5-Lindi,Mtwara,Ruvuma, 5H6-Iringa, 5H7-Mbeya, 5H8-Kigoma,Rukwa, Tabora, 5H9-Ziwa Magharibi,Mwanza,Mara,Shinyanga(including Ukerewe Islands), and 5HØ-Dodoma,Singida.
Somalia further subdivides its call signs according to the province of issue: 6OØ indicates the license was issued in Puntland, Northern Somalia, and; 6O1 is issued in Southern Somalia.
CQ Zone 38/southern Africa
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Apprx. # callsigns |
|---|---|---|
| 3DA | Swaziland | 101 |
| 3Y | Bouvet (Norway) | 12 |
| 7P | Lesotho | 98 |
| A2, 8O | Botswana | 100 |
| V5A - V5Z, V51, V52 | Namibia | 170 |
| Z2 | Zimbabwe | 121 |
| ZD9 | Tristan da Cunha & Gough Is. (UK) | 15 |
| ZR - ZU, S8 | South Africa | 9,696 |
| ZS8 | Prince Edward & Marion Is. (South Africa) | 7 |
South Africa
South Africa further divides its call signs thusly:- ZS1 Western Cape Province
- ZS2 Eastern Cape Province
- ZS3 Northern Cape Province
- ZS4 Free State Province
- ZS5 Kwazulu-Natal Province
- ZS6 Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Northwest and Limpopo provinces
- ZS7 Antarctica
- ZS8 Marion Is
- ZU Designates an entry level licence
- ZR Used to designate a restricted licence but has been merged into the unrestricted class together with ZS
- ZT Very rarely used only for contest stations
- ZSLnnn callsign is allocated to 'Shortwave Listeners'.
- S8 Transkei No longer valid
CQ Zone 39/Africa off-shore, Indian Ocean
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Apprx. # callsigns |
|---|---|---|
| 3B6,7 | Agalega & St. Brandon Is. (Mauritius) | 14 |
| 3B8 | Mauritius | 123 |
| 3B9 | Rodrigues Is. (Mauritius) | 15 |
| 5R - 5S, 6X | Madagascar | 93 |
| D6 | Comoros | 25 |
| FH | Mayotte (France) | 51 |
| FR/G | Glorioso Is. (France) | ?? |
| FR/J,E | Juan de Nova, Europa (France) | ?? |
| FR | Reunion Is. (France) | 237 |
| FR/T | Tromelin Is. (France) | ?? |
| FT5W | Crozet Is. (France) | ?? |
| FT5X | Kerguelen Is. (France) | ?? |
| FT5Z | Amsterdam & St. Paul Is. (France) | ?? |
| S7 | Seychelles | 86 |
| VKØ | Heard Is. (Australia) | 35 |
| VQ9 | Chagos Is. (UK) | 80 |
History of call sign allocation
The callsign allocation history of mainland Africa and off-shore islands is complex and related to the colonial status of European powers in the early-20th century period. Call signs changed in relation to various independence movements, particularly following World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and in the 1960s.
International Radiotelegraph Conferences
The conference held in 1927 assigned call prefixes to Morocco (CNA-CNZ), Egypt (SUA-SUZ), Republic of Liberia (ELA-ELZ), Ethiopia (ETA-ETZ), and the Union of South Africa (ZSA-ZUZ). These, however, did not necessarily include amateur radio operation. African areas administered politically by colonizing countries (i.e. Great Britain, Portugal, France, etc.) adopted call signs issued to those countries for colonial purposes.The 1947 Atlantic City ITU Conference reallocated call sign blocks to African countries and European colonies according to this table.
| 1947 Call sign block | 1947 Country or Colonial power |
|---|---|
| CNA - CNZ | Morocco |
| CQA - CRZ | Portuguese colonies |
| DNA - DQZ | Belgian Congo |
| ELA - ELZ | Republic of Liberia |
| ETA - ETZ | Ethiopia |
| FAA - FZZ | France and its colonies |
| HWA - HYZ | France and its colonies |
| IAA - IZZ | Italy and its colonies |
| SSA - SUZ | Egypt |
| THA - THZ | France and its colonies |
| VPA - VSZ | British Colonies |
| XXA - XXZ | Portuguese colonies |
| ZBA - ZJZ | British Colonies |
| ZQA - ZQZ | British Colonies |
| ZRA - ZUZ | Union of South Africa |
| 3VA - 3VZ | France and its colonies |
See also
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- Amateur radio license
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- ITU prefix - amateur and experimental stations