Africa, the second-largest continent after Asia, covers approximately 30.3 million square kilometers (11.7 million square miles), representing about 20% of the Earth’s land area. The African continent has clearly defined borders and consists of 54 recognized sovereign countries. The African Union was launched in 2002 to support the economic, political, and social integration of Africa. It recognizes 55 union member states, which consist of the countries of the African continent. If you also recognize SADR, then there are 55 countries in Africa.
Geographically, the Atlantic Ocean borders Africa to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east.
Africa is divided into five regions: Northern Africa, Eastern and Western Africa, Central Africa and Southern Africa.
The linguistic diversity, with over 3,000 languages spoken, is a testament to the distinct cultures of each country. The largest African country by area is Algeria, with the Sahara taking up 80% of the country. There are 54 countries in Africa today. This is more than any other continent.Top 10 Largest Countries in Africa - Surface Area
Alphabetical List of African Countries and Capitals
- Algeria, Republic of - Algiers
- Angola, Republic of - Luanda
- Benin, Republic of - Porto-Novo (official)
- Botswana, Republic of - Gaborone
- Burkina Faso - Ouagadougou
- Burundi, Republic of - Bujumbura
- Cabo Verde, Republic of - Praia
- Cameroon, Republic of - Yaoundé
- Central African Republic - Bangui
- Chad, Republic of - N'Djamena
- Comoros, Union of the - Moroni
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the (DRC) - Kinshasa
- Congo, Republic of the - Brazzaville
- Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) - Yamoussoukro (official), Abidjan (administrative)
- Djibouti, Republic of - Djibouti
- Egypt, Arab Republic of - Cairo
- Equatorial Guinea, Republic of - Malabo
- Eritrea, State of - Asmara
- Eswatini, Kingdom of - Mbabane
- Ethiopia, Federal Democratic Republic of - Addis Ababa
- Gabonese Republic, (Gabon) - Libreville
- Gambia, Republic of The - Banjul
- Ghana, Republic of - Accra
- Guinea, Republic of - Conakry
- Guinea-Bissau, Republic of - Bissau
- Kenya, Republic of - Nairobi
- Lesotho, Kingdom of - Maseru
- Liberia, Republic of - Monrovia
- Libya - Tripoli
- Madagascar, Republic of - Antananarivo
- Malawi, Republic of - Lilongwe
- Mali, Republic of - Bamako
- Mauritania, Islamic Republic of - Nouakchott
- Mauritius, Republic of - Port Louis
- Morocco, Kingdom of - Rabat
- Mozambique, Republic of - Maputo
- Namibia, Republic of - Windhoek
- Niger, Republic of - Niamey
- Nigeria, Federal Republic of - Abuja
- Rwanda, Republic of - Kigali
- Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of - Sao Tome
- Senegal, Republic of - Dakar
- Seychelles, Republic of - Victoria
- Sierra Leone, Republic of - Freetown
- Somalia, Federal Republic of - Mogadishu
- South Africa, Republic of - Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
- South Sudan, Republic of - Juba
- Sudan, Republic of the - Khartoum
- Tanzania, United Republic of - Dodoma
- Togo, Republic of - Lomé
- Tunisia, Republic of - Tunis
- Uganda, Republic of - Kampala
- Zambia, Republic of - Lusaka
- Zimbabwe, Republic of - Harare
Here is the table with some additional data:
| Country | Population 2025 | Land Area (Km²) | Density (P/Km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | 47,435,312 | 2,381,740 | 20 |
| Angola | 39,040,039 | 1,246,700 | 31 |
| Benin | 14,814,460 | 112,760 | 131 |
| Botswana | 2,562,122 | 566,730 | 5 |
| Burkina Faso | 24,074,580 | 273,600 | 88 |
| Burundi | 14,390,003 | 25,680 | 560 |
| Cabo Verde | 527,326 | 4,030 | 131 |
| Cameroon | 29,879,337 | 472,710 | 63 |
| Chad | 21,003,705 | 1,259,200 | 17 |
| Comoros | 882,847 | 1,861 | 474 |
| Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) | 6,484,437 | 341,500 | 19 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 32,711,547 | 318,000 | 103 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 112,832,473 | 2,267,050 | 50 |
| Djibouti | 1,184,076 | 23,180 | 51 |
| Egypt | 118,365,995 | 995,450 | 119 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1,938,431 | 28,050 | 69 |
| Eritrea | 3,607,003 | 101,000 | 36 |
| Eswatini (fmr. ""Swaziland"") | 1,256,174 | 17,200 | 73 |
| Ethiopia | 135,472,051 | 1,000,000 | 135 |
| Gabon | 2,593,130 | 257,670 | 10 |
| Gambia | 2,822,093 | 10,120 | 279 |
| Ghana | 35,064,272 | 227,540 | 154 |
| Guinea | 15,099,727 | 245,720 | 61 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 2,249,515 | 28,120 | 80 |
| Kenya | 57,532,493 | 569,140 | 101 |
| Lesotho | 2,363,325 | 30,360 | 78 |
| Liberia | 5,731,206 | 96,320 | 60 |
| Libya | 7,458,555 | 1,759,540 | 4 |
| Madagascar | 32,740,678 | 581,795 | 56 |
| Malawi | 22,216,120 | 94,280 | 236 |
| Mali | 25,198,821 | 1,220,190 | 21 |
| Mauritania | 5,315,065 | 1,030,700 | 5 |
| Mauritius | 1,268,280 | 2,030 | 625 |
| Morocco | 38,430,770 | 446,300 | 86 |
| Mozambique | 35,631,653 | 786,380 | 45 |
| Namibia | 3,092,816 | 823,290 | 4 |
| Niger | 27,917,831 | 1,266,700 | 22 |
| Nigeria | 237,527,782 | 910,770 | 261 |
| Rwanda | 14,569,341 | 24,670 | 591 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 240,254 | 960 | 250 |
| Senegal | 18,931,966 | 192,530 | 98 |
| Seychelles | 132,779 | 460 | 289 |
| Sierra Leone | 8,819,794 | 72,180 | 122 |
| Somalia | 19,654,739 | 627,340 | 31 |
| South Africa | 64,747,319 | 1,213,090 | 53 |
| South Sudan | 12,188,788 | 610,952 | 20 |
| Sudan | 51,662,147 | 1,765,048 | 29 |
| Tanzania | 70,545,865 | 885,800 | 80 |
| Togo | 9,721,608 | 54,390 | 179 |
| Tunisia | 12,348,573 | 155,360 | 79 |
| Uganda | 51,384,894 | 199,810 | 257 |
| Zambia | 21,913,874 | 743,390 | 29 |
| Zimbabwe | 16,950,795 | 386,850 | 44 |
Read also: Experience Fad's Fine African Cuisine
Read also: The Story Behind Cachapas
Read also: Techniques of African Jewellery
