List of Countries in Africa

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Getting a Visa to Visit African Countries

Every country in Africa regulates its visa policy, so to visit the continent, you need to apply for an entry permit for your destination country— see below how to get a visa for Africa:

Quick Facts About Africa

Africa is the second-largest and most populated continent after Asia. It covers around 6% of Earth’s total surface, and it’s the only continent that stretches across the four hemispheres. Considered the oldest mainland, it’s widely believed to be the home of the first human. The continent is also home to the largest desert globally— the Sahara.

Here are some interesting facts about Africa:

Area	30.3 million km²
Number of countries	54 (plus two de facto independencies)
Biggest country (by area)	Algeria
Population (2021)	1.37 billion
Most populated country	Nigeria
Number of languages spoken	Over 2,000 languages across the continent
Largest peninsula	Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti)
Highest mountain	Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
Longest river	Nile River

How Many Countries Are There in Africa?

Africa has 54 independent countries, which include the following:

Country	Capital	Area km2	Population
Algeria	Algiers	2,381,740	44.6 million
Angola	Luanda	1,246,700	33.9 million
Benin	Porto-Novo	112,620	12.4 million
Botswana	Gaborone	600,370	2.3 million
Burkina Faso	Ouagadougou	274,200	21.4 million
Burundi	Gitega	27,830	12.2 million
Cameroon	Yaounde	475,440	27.2 million
Cape Verde	Praia	4,033	561.898
Central African Republic	Bangui	622,984	4.9 million
Chad	N’Djamena	1,284,000	16.9 million
Comoros	Moroni	2,170	888,451
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Kinshasa	2,345,410	92.3 million
Djibouti	Djibouti	23,000	1 million
Egypt	Cairo	1,001,450	101.4 million
Equatorial Guinea	Malabo	28,051	1.4 million
Eritrea	Asmara	121,320	6 million
Eswatini	Mbabane	17,363	1.1 million
Ethiopia	Addis Ababa	1,127,127	117.8 million
Gabon	Libreville	267,667	2.2 million
Ghana	Accra	239,460	31.7 million
Guinea	Conakry	245,857	13.4 million
Guinea-Bissau	Bissau	36,120	2 million
Ivory Coast	Abidjan,	322,460	27 million
Kenya	Nairobi	582,650	54.9 million
Lesotho	Maseru	30,355	2,1 million
Liberia	Monrovia	111,370	5.1 million
Libya	Tripoli	1,759,540	6.9 million
Madagascar	Antananarivo	587,040	28.4 million
Malawi	Lilongwe	118,480	19.6 million
Mali	Bamako	1,240,000	20 million
Mauritania	Nouakchott	1,030,700	4.7 million
Mauritius	Port Louis	2,040	1.2 million
Morocco	Rabat	446,550	37.3 million
Mozambique	Maputo	801,590	32.1 million
Namibia	Windhoek	825,418	2.5 million
Niger	Niamey	1,267,000	25.1 million
Nigeria	Abuja	923,768	211.4 million
Republic of the Congo	Brazzaville	342,000	5.6 million
Rwanda	Kigali	26,338	13.2 million
Sao Tome and Principe	Sao Tome	1,001	223,368
Senegal	Dakar	196,190	17.1 million
Seychelles	Victoria	455	98.908
Sierra Leone	Freetown	71,740	8.1 million
Somalia	Mogadishu	637,657	16.3 million
South Africa	Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Pretoria	1,219,912	60 million
South Sudan	Juba	619,745	11.3 million
Sudan	Khartoum	1,861,484	44.9 million
Tanzania	Dodoma	945,087	61.4 million
The Gambia	Banjul	11,300	2.4 million
Togo	Lome	56,785	8.4 million
Tunisia	Tunis	163,610	11.9 million
Uganda	Kampala	236,040	47.1 million
Zambia	Lusaka	752,614	18.9 million
Zimbabwe	Harare	390,580	15 million

Somaliland, and Western Sahara, are two de facto independent territories that are yet to be fully recognized as sovereign states in Africa.

Map of African Countries

Languages Spoken in Africa

According to UNESCO, more than 2,000 languages are recognized across the continent, but the following languages are the most spoken in Africa:

Language	Territory	Number of speakers
Swahili	Tanzania Uganda The Democratic Republic of Congo Kenya Ethiopia Sudan Burundi Rwanda	100-150 million
Arabic	Egypt Algeria Chad Comoros Djibouti Libya Morocco Somalia Mauritania Tunisia	100- 120 million
French	Gabon Mauritius Côte d’Ivoire Senegal Sao Tome and Principe Algeria Tunisia Morocco	100-120 million
Hausa	Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Chad Congo Eritrea Ghana	50 million
Yoruba	Nigeria Bening Togo	40 million
Oromo	Ethiopia Kenya Somalia Egypt	30 million
Igbo	Nigeria Cameroon Equatorial Guinea Benin	30 million
Portuguese	Angola Mozambique Guinea-Bissau Cape Verde Sao Tome and Principe Equatorial Guinea	14 million
Zulu	South Africa Lesotho Eswatini	10 million
Shona	Zimbabwe Mozambique	10 million

Best Countries to Visit in Africa

Here are some of the most visited countries in Africa:

Egypt. Home to the famous Pyramids, Egypt saw around 13 million visitors in 2019. It has a lot to offer to tourists starting from the Nile, Valley of the Kings, and the Saqqara complex. Not to mention you can explore the birthplace of one of the oldest civilizations in the world.
Morocco. Similar to Egypt, in 2019, Morocco saw over 12 million visitors. The foreign visitors were mainly from Europe and the US, and the most visited destinations included Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech, and Rabat.
Namibia. Located in South Africa, Namibia sees over a million visitors annually. It’s mostly known for its ecotourism which allows visitors to experience the wildlife in the country.
Algeria. With 2.4 million visitors in 2019, Algeria is another famous country in Africa. It has plenty to offer, and one of the most attractive structures in the country is the Sahara Desert. Moreover, in Algeria, you will find Constantine, known for its stunning bridges.
Tanzania. This African country sees over a million visitors each year, where in only 2019, the number of tourists reached 1.5 million. Tanzania has many national parks and several UNESCO heritage sites that are very attractive to tourists. Additionally, in Zanzibar (an archipelago in Tanzania), you can explore some of the best beaches in Africa.

Most Popular Tourist Destinations in Africa

Africa has plenty to offer to tourists, but some of the most popular attractions include:

Serengeti National Park. This national park is located in Tanzania and is a World Heritage Site. The park is home to over 2 million animals in Africa, and it’s open to the public for daily tours or even weekly stays. It’s also where the Great Migration happens— a yearly event in which the wildebeest migrates from Serengeti to Masai Mara reserve in Kenya.
Lake Nakuru. The lake is found in the Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya— one of the most visited parks in the region. It serves as a sanctuary for many endangered species. However, the lake is inhabited by the pink flamingos, which cover the entire area, and from above, you can only see a pink blob instead of the lake.
Table Mountain. Located in Cape Town, South Africa, Table Mountain is the most visited site in that region, with 4.2 million visitors each year. Unlike other high peaks, the mountain is called a “table mountain” due to its flat top. Moreover, it has diverse flora and fauna, and any visitor can explore the territory via cableway or by just hiking up the mountain.
Okavango Delta. Known as the “Jewel of the Kalahari,” the Okavango Delta is a must-see phenomenon in Africa. This water sanctuary grows to double its size during the rainy season— becoming the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem. Located in Botswana, it’s home to several species of wildlife and new species undiscovered by science before, so you have the opportunity to explore one of nature’s greatest wonders.
Pyramids of Egypt. There are over 100 identified pyramids located in Egypt— the most famous being the Giza Pyramids. These buildings are some of the oldest man-made structures, and one of them — the Pyramid of Khufu— is a part of the world’s seven wonders.
Lake Retba. Found in Senegal, Retba is named after its unique pink color. Because of the high salt content, the algae “Dunaliella salina” thrives, making the lake pink and sometimes even blood-red.

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