List of colonial governors in 1897

Belgium

 * Congo Free State
 * Théophile Wahis, Governor-General of the Congo Free State (1892–1908)
 * Émile Wangermée, acting Governor-General of the Congo Free State (1896–1900)

France

 * French Somaliland – Léonce Lagarde, Governor of French Somaliland (1888–1899)
 * Guinea – Noël-Eugène Ballay, Lieutenant-Governor of Guinea (1896–1898)

Japan

 * Taiwan – Nogi Maresuke, Governor-General of Taiwan (14 October 1896 – January 1898)

Portugal

 * Angola –
 * Gilherme Auguste de Brito Capelo, Governor-General of Angola (1896–1897)
 * António Duarte Ramada Curto, Governor-General of Angola (1897–1900)

United Kingdom
*#Territory was not a UK protectorate at the time. *#Territory was not a UK protectorate at the time.
 * Malta Colony – Arthur Fremantle, Governor of Malta (1893–1899)
 * Colony of Natal – Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson (1893–1901)
 * Royal Niger Company – Sir George Taubman Goldie, Governor of the Royal Niger Company (1895–1900)
 * New South Wales – Viscount Hampden, Governor of New South Wales (1895–1899)
 * North-Eastern Rhodesia
 * Patrick William Forbes, Administrator of North-Eastern Rhodesia (1895–1897)
 * Henry Lawrence Daly, acting Administrator of North-Eastern Rhodesia (1897–1898)
 * North-Western Rhodesia
 * British South Africa Company establishes colony of North-Western Rhodesia, 9 April
 * Robert Thorne Coryndon, Administrator of North-Western Rhodesia (1897–1899)
 * Queensland – Charles Cochrane-Baillie, Governor of Queensland (1896 – 31 December 1900 then State Governor on Australia's Federation to 1901)
 * Tasmania – Jenico Preston, Lord Gormanston, Governor of Tasmania (1893–1900)
 * South Australia – Sir Thomas Buxton, Governor of South Australia (1895–1899)
 * Victoria – Thomas, Earl Brassey, Governor of Victoria (1895–1900)
 * Western Australia – Lieutenant-Colonel Gerard Smith, Governor of Western Australia (1895–1900)