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. As of 2024, it is home to over 1.5 billion people, making it the second most populous continent after Asia.
The African continent has clearly defined borders and consists of 54 recognized sovereign countries. The linguistic diversity, with over 3,000 languages spoken, is a testament to the distinct cultures of each country. Among the widely spoken languages are Arabic, Swahili, French, and English.
Geographically, the Atlantic Ocean borders Africa to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east. The largest African country by area is Algeria, with the Sahara taking up 80% of the country. Madagascar is one of the many significant islands associated with the continent.
Africa is projected to witness one of the fastest economic growths in 2024, with nine of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies located on the continent.
Countries in Africa in alphabetical order
Here is the alphabetical list of the African country names with their capitals. We have also included the countries’ regions, the international standard for country codes (ISO 3166) and continents, as they may extend more than one continent.
Country | Country Capital | Country Code | Region | Continent |
---|---|---|---|---|
Algeria | Algiers | DZ | Northern Africa | Africa |
Angola | Luanda | AO | Southwest Africa | Africa |
Benin (Dahomey) | Porto-Novo | BJ | Western Africa | Africa |
Botswana | Gaborone | BW | Southern Africa | Africa |
Burkina Faso (Upper Volta) | Ouagadougou | BF | Western Africa | Africa |
Burundi | Gitega (political capital), Bujumbura (commercial capital) | BI | Eastern Africa | Africa |
Cabo Verde | Praia | CV | Western Africa | Africa |
Cameroon | Yaoundé | CM | Western Africa | Africa |
Central African Republic | Bangui | CF | Central Africa | Africa |
Chad | N'Djamena | TD | Central Africa | Africa |
Comoros | Moroni | KM | Eastern African Coast | Africa |
Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | Yamoussoukro (legislative capital), Abidjan (administrative capital) | CI | Western Africa | Africa |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | Kinshasa | CD | Central Africa | Africa |
Djibouti | Djibouti city | DJ | Eastern Africa | Africa |
Egypt | Cairo | EG | Northeastern Africa, Southwestern Asia | Africa, Asia |
Equatorial Guinea | Malabo | GQ | Western Central Africa | Africa |
Eritrea | Asmara | ER | Northeastern Africa | Africa |
Eswatini (Swaziland) | Mbabane (administrative capital), Lobamba (royal and legislative capital) | SZ | Southern Africa | Africa |
Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | ET | Eastern Africa | Africa |
Gabon | Libreville | GA | Central Africa | Africa |
Gambia, The | Banjul | GM | Western Africa | Africa |
Ghana | Accra | GH | Western Africa | Africa |
Guinea | Conakry | GN | Western Africa | Africa |
Guinea-Bissau | Bissau | GW | Western Africa | Africa |
Kenya | Nairobi | KE | Eastern Africa | Africa |
Lesotho | Maseru | LS | Southern Africa | Africa |
Liberia | Monrovia | LR | Western Africa | Africa |
Libya | Tripoli | LY | Northern Africa | Africa |
Madagascar | Antananarivo | MG | Southeastern Africa Coast | Africa |
Malawi | Lilongwe | MW | Southeastern Africa | Africa |
Mali | Bamako | ML | Western Africa | Africa |
Mauritania | Nouakchott | MR | Western Africa | Africa |
Mauritius | Port Louis | MU | Southern Africa | Africa |
Morocco | Rabat | MA | Northern Africa | Africa |
Mozambique | Maputo | MZ | Southeastern Africa | Africa |
Namibia | Windhoek | NA | Southern Africa | Africa |
Niger | Niamey | NE | Western Africa | Africa |
Nigeria | Abuja | NG | Western Africa | Africa |
Republic of the Congo | Brazzaville | CG | Central Africa | Africa |
Rwanda | Kigali | RW | Central Africa | Africa |
São Tomé and Príncipe | São Tomé | ST | Central Africa | Africa |
Senegal | Dakar | SN | Western Africa | Africa |
Seychelles | Victoria | SC | Eastern African Coast | Africa |
Sierra Leone | Freetown | SL | Western Africa | Africa |
Somalia | Mogadishu | SO | Eastern Africa | Africa |
South Africa | Pretoria (administrative capital), Bloemfontein (judicial capital), Cape Town (legislative capital) | ZA | Southern Africa | Africa |
South Sudan | Juba | SS | East-Central Africa | Africa |
Sudan | Khartoum | SD | Northeastern Africa | Africa |
Tanzania | Dodoma | TZ | Eastern Africa | Africa |
Togo | Lomé | TG | Western Africa | Africa |
Tunisia | Tunis | TN | Northern Africa | Africa |
Uganda | Kampala | UG | East-Central Africa | Africa |
Zambia | Lusaka | ZM | South-Central Africa | Africa |
Zimbabwe | Harare | ZW | Southern Africa | Africa |
How many countries are in Africa?
There are 54 countries in Africa today: Algeria, Angola, Benin (Dahomey), Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Depending on the source, some may claim there are 55 countries in Africa, as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) seeks international recognition as an independent nation.
United Nations members in Africa
The United Nations (UN) recognizes 54 African states:
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- United Republic of Tanzania
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
The African Union member states
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.
The difference lies in the partially recognized state of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, a self-declared state claiming authority over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, which is mostly under Moroccan control.
In comparison, the UN lists it as a non-self-governing territory. If you also recognize SADR, then there are 55 countries in Africa.
Learn about the other six continents here.