Africa is one of the largest continents on the planet and is filled with great minerals and resources. It is also the second-most-populated continent on the planet. There are 54 countries in Africa. Algeria is the largest country on the continent, whereas Nigeria is the most populated country on the African continent.

The African continent is the second-largest continent in the world by population. According to the 2009 census, there are approximately 1 billion people in Africa, which constitute 15% of the world’s population. There are 1000 official languages, or even more, spoken across the continent. Islam and Christianity dominate the African soil. The continent is filled with religious people. Read below this article to find out how many countries there are in Africa.

List of Countries in Africa and their Capitals

There are two more states, but their independence is in dispute for a few reasons. These states are Western Sahara and Somaliland.

Why is Western Sahara not an African country?

Western Sahara, formerly Spanish Sahara, was a colony of Spain. Currently, it is claimed by the Kingdom of Morocco and, at the same time, by the Front of the Liberation of Sagui El Hamra and Rio de Oro. The Western Sahara region is currently on the UN’s list of non-self-governing territories, as it is listed as a non-decolonized territory. And that is why Western Sahara’s freedom is under dispute.

Why is Somaliland not an African country?

As for Somaliland, it is a self-declared state that is recognized as an autonomous state of the Somali region internationally. The government of the Republic of Somaliland believes that they’re the successors of the former British Somaliland Protectorate.

The British Somaliland Protectorate had united the Trust Territory of Somaliland, which was previously known as Italian Somaliland, to form the Somali Republic. The Republic of Somaliland is governed by a democratically elected government but is not recognized by any international government, country, or organization as an independent nation.

How big is Africa?

Africa is the second-largest continent on this planet, both in terms of land area and population. The continent covers around 3 million square kilometers of land. It is divided from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea and connected to Asia by the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal divides Mainland Egypt from the Sinai Peninsula.

The continent is surrounded by the Red Sea in the northeast, the Indian Ocean in the southwest, the Mediterranean in the north, and the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The Equator passes through six countries on the African continent, such as the Republic of Congo, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, and Somalia.

The northernmost tip of Africa, which is the Ras Ben Sakka in the country of Tunisia, is about 8050 kilometers from the southernmost part of Africa, which is Cape Agulhas in South Africa.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are 54 countries in Africa, constituting nearly 15 percent of the world’s total population. Additionally, it is also recognized as the second-largest populous continent in the world. In the above article, we have provided a complete list of countries situated in Africa and some interesting facts related to the continent.

FAQs: Countries in Africa and their Capitals

1. Which are the largest countries in Africa based on land area?

The five largest countries in Africa are Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Libya, and Chad, with Algeria being one of the largest countries in the world that ranks 10th on the list of large nations based on land size.

2. Which are the most populated countries in Africa?

The list of countries that have the highest population in Africa is as follows : Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Africa. Nigeria is responsible for 16% of the population in Africa.

3. Which are the smallest countries in Africa based on land area?

All the island nations in Africa are pretty small in size, such as the Seychelles, Sao Tome and Principe, Mauritius, Comoros, and Cape Verde.

4. Which are the least populated countries on the continent of Africa?

The least populated countries on the African continents are the Seychelles, Sao Tome and Principe, Cape Verde, Comoros, and Djibouti. The Seychelles are the 17th least populated country in the world.

5. What are the richest countries in Africa?

By looking at the purchasing gross domestic product of each country, we can tell that Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria, and Morocco are the top 5 richest countries on the continent. This is according to the data for 2019.

6. What are the poorest countries in Africa?

The poorest countries according to the 2019 GDP data are Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, and Liberia.