How many countries are in Africa: 54

Africa is the second-largest and second-most populous continent in the world, after Asia. It covers about 30.3 million square kilometers, which is about 20.4% of the Earth’s land area. It is also home to about 1.3 billion people, which is about 16.7% of the world’s population. Africa is a continent of great diversity, with more than 3,000 ethnic groups, more than 2,000 languages, and various cultures, religions, and traditions.

But how many countries are there in Africa? According to the United Nations, there are 54 countries in Africa today. These countries are divided into five subregions: Northern Africa, Eastern Africa, Western Africa, Middle Africa, and Southern Africa. Each subregion has its own characteristics, challenges, and opportunities.

Some of the countries are very large, such as Algeria, which is the largest African country by area, and Nigeria, which is the largest African country by population. Some of the countries are very small, such as Seychelles, which is the smallest African country by area, and Saint Helena, which is the smallest African country by population.

list of all the countries in Africa : 54 Country

The following is the list of all the countries in Africa, along with their population and subregion, based on the United Nations official statistics¹:

Country	Population (2023)	Subregion
Nigeria	223,804,632	Western Africa
Ethiopia	126,527,060	Eastern Africa
Egypt	112,716,598	Northern Africa
DR Congo	102,262,808	Middle Africa
Tanzania	67,438,106	Eastern Africa
South Africa	60,414,495	Southern Africa
Kenya	55,100,586	Eastern Africa
Uganda	48,582,334	Eastern Africa
Sudan	48,109,006	Northern Africa
Algeria	45,606,480	Northern Africa
Morocco	37,840,044	Northern Africa
Angola	36,684,202	Middle Africa
Ghana	34,121,985	Western Africa
Mozambique	33,897,354	Eastern Africa
Madagascar	30,325,732	Eastern Africa
Côte d’Ivoire	28,873,034	Western Africa
Cameroon	28,647,293	Middle Africa
Niger	27,202,843	Western Africa
Mali	23,293,698	Western Africa
Burkina Faso	23,251,485	Western Africa
Malawi	20,931,751	Eastern Africa
Zambia	20,569,737	Eastern Africa
Chad	18,278,568	Middle Africa
Somalia	18,143,378	Eastern Africa
Senegal	17,763,163	Western Africa
Zimbabwe	16,665,409	Eastern Africa
Guinea	14,190,612	Western Africa
Rwanda	14,094,683	Eastern Africa
Benin	13,712,828	Western Africa
Burundi	13,238,559	Eastern Africa
Tunisia	12,458,223	Northern Africa
South Sudan	11,088,796	Eastern Africa
Togo	9,053,799	Western Africa
Sierra Leone	8,791,092	Western Africa
Libya	6,888,388	Northern Africa
Congo	6,106,869	Middle Africa
Central African Republic	5,742,315	Middle Africa
Liberia	5,418,377	Western Africa
Mauritania	4,862,989	Western Africa
Eritrea	3,748,901	Eastern Africa
Gambia	2,773,168	Western Africa
Botswana	2,675,352	Southern Africa
Namibia	2,604,172	Southern Africa
Gabon	2,436,566	Middle Africa
Lesotho	2,330,318	Southern Africa
Guinea-Bissau	2,150,842	Western Africa
Equatorial Guinea	1,714,671	Middle Africa
Mauritius	1,300,557	Eastern Africa
Eswatini	1,210,822	Southern Africa
Djibouti	1,136,455	Eastern Africa
Comoros	852,075	Eastern Africa
Cabo Verde	598,682	Western Africa
Sao Tome & Principe	231,856	Middle Africa
Seychelles	107,660	Eastern Africa

In addition to these 54 countries, there are also some dependencies or other territories in Africa that are not fully sovereign or recognized by the United Nations. These include:

Territory	Population (2023)	Dependency of
Réunion	981,796	France
Western Sahara	587,259	(disputed)
Mayotte	335,995	France
Saint Helena	5,314	U.K.

Africa is a continent of immense beauty, diversity, and potential. It offers a wide range of experiences and opportunities for travelers, from adventure and wildlife to culture and history. It is also a continent of challenges and struggles, facing issues such as poverty, conflict, disease, and climate change.

However, it is also a continent of resilience and hope, where people are working hard to overcome their difficulties and achieve their dreams. Africa is a continent that deserves to be explored, appreciated, and supported by the rest of the world.

Why Western Sahara is not an African country?

Western Sahara is not an African country because it is not recognized as a sovereign state by most of the international community, including the United Nations and the African Union. Western Sahara is a disputed territory that is claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi nationalist movement that seeks independence for the region.

Western Sahara was a Spanish colony until 1975, when Spain withdrew and Morocco and Mauritania annexed parts of the territory. A war broke out between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which was supported by Algeria, until a ceasefire was reached in 1991. Since then, the status of Western Sahara has remained unresolved, despite several attempts to hold a referendum on self-determination.

Morocco controls about 80% of the territory, including the capital city of Laayoune, and considers it as part of its southern provinces. The Polisario Front controls the remaining 20% of the territory, which it calls the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), and has its headquarters in Tindouf, Algeria.

The SADR is recognized by some countries, mainly in Africa and Latin America, but not by the United Nations or the African Union. Western Sahara is therefore a contested territory that is neither a country nor a part of Morocco, according to international law.

How big is Africa?

Africa is a very large continent, with an area of about 30.3 million square kilometers (11.7 million square miles) . This means that Africa covers 20% of the Earth’s land area and 6% of its total surface area . To put this into perspective, Africa is big enough to fit the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico, and many European countries combined ¹. You can see a map that shows the true size of Africa compared to other countries here: Mapped: Visualizing the True Size of Africa.

Africa is also the second-most populous continent in the world, with about 1.4 billion people as of 2021 . This accounts for about 18% of the world’s human population. Africa has 54 fully recognized sovereign states, as well as some dependencies and disputed territories ². You can see the list of all the countries in Africa, along with their population and subregion, here: Africa – Wikipedia.

Africa is a continent of great diversity, with more than 3,000 ethnic groups, more than 2,000 languages, and various cultures, religions, and traditions . Africa is also a continent of great beauty, with diverse landscapes, wildlife, and natural resources. Africa faces many challenges and opportunities, such as poverty, conflict, disease, climate change, development, and innovation. Africa is a continent that deserves to be explored, appreciated, and supported by the rest of the world.

According to the web search results, the largest countries in Africa by land area are as follows:

• Algeria: 2,381,741 km² (919,595 mi²) 

• Democratic Republic of the Congo: 2,344,858 km² (905,355 mi²)

• Sudan: 1,861,484 km² (718,723 mi²)

• Libya: 1,759,540 km² (679,360 mi²)

• Chad: 1,284,000 km² (496,000 mi²) 

• Niger: 1,267,000 km² (489,000 mi²) 

• Angola: 1,246,700 km² (481,400 mi²) 

• Mali: 1,240,192 km² (478,841 mi²) 

• South Africa: 1,221,037 km² (471,445 mi²) 

• Ethiopia: 1,104,300 km² (426,400 mi²) 

These 10 countries account for about 50% of the total land area of Africa, which is 30,265,522 km² (11,685,583 mi²) ¹. You can see more details and rankings of the African countries by area in the following links:

largest and smallest countries in Africa by land area are as follows:

the largest and smallest countries in Africa by land area are as follows:

• The largest country in Africa by land area is Algeria, with an area of 2,381,741 km² (919,595 mi²). Algeria is also the largest country in the Arab world and the tenth-largest country in the world ¹. Algeria is located in Northern Africa and has a population of about 45.6 million people .
• The smallest country in Africa by land area is Seychelles, with an area of 452 km² (175 mi²). Seychelles is also the smallest country in the world by land area that is not a city-state . Seychelles is located in Eastern Africa and has a population of about 107,000 people .

The second-largest and second-smallest countries in Africa by land area are:

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with an area of 2,344,858 km² (905,355 mi²) ¹²³. The DRC is located in Middle Africa and has a population of about 102.3 million people.
• The Gambia, with an area of 11,295 km² (4,361 mi²). The Gambia is located in Western Africa and has a population of about 2.8 million people.

Richest countries in Africa

Looking at the purchasing gross domestic product (GDP) of the countries in Africa, the Top 5 richest countries in Africa in 2019 were:

1. Egypt
2. Nigeria
3. South Africa
4. Algeria
5. Morocco

Poorest countries in Africa

The Top 5 poorest countries in Africa in 2019 by purchasing GDP were:

1. Burundi
2. The Central African Republic
3. The Democratic Republic of the Congo
4. Eritrea
5. Liberia

Most populated countries in Africa

Nigeria is Africa’s most populated country, followed by Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

1. Nigeria: 181 million inhabitants; almost 16% of the African population
2. Ethiopia: 104 million inhabitants; one of the fastest growing populations with an annual growth rate of 2.6%
3. Egypt: 89 million inhabitants; almost 8% of the African population
4. Democratic Republic of the Congo: 77 million inhabitants; one of the fastest growing populations in Africa and the world
5. South Africa: 55 million inhabitants; constitutes almost 5% of the African population with annual population growth of 1.6%