Countries by continent
Africa has 54 countries recognized by the UN, from the largest, Algeria (2.38 million km²), to the smallest, the Seychelles (459 km²). It is the second most populous continent on Earth, led by Nigeria with some 220 million inhabitants. This table lists the African countries and their capitals, with the population and area of each one; click on a column header to sort the list.
List of the 54 African countries and their capitals
| Country | Capital | Population | Area (km²) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Algeria | Algiers | 46 814 308 | 2 381 740 |
 |
Angola | Luanda | 37 885 849 | 1 246 700 |
 |
Benin | Porto Novo | 14 462 724 | 114 760 |
 |
Botswana | Gaborone | 2 521 139 | 581 730 |
 |
Burkina Faso | Ouagadougou | 23 548 781 | 274 200 |
 |
Burundi | Bujumbura | 14 047 786 | 27 830 |
 |
Cameroon | Yaoundé | 29 123 744 | 475 440 |
 |
Cape Verde | Praia | 524 877 | 4 030 |
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Central African Republic | Bangui | 5 330 690 | 622 980 |
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Chad | N'Djamena | 20 299 123 | 1 284 000 |
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Comoros | Moroni | 866 628 | 1 861 |
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Democratic Republic of Congo | Kinshasa | 109 276 265 | 2 344 860 |
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Djibouti | Djibouti | 1 168 722 | 23 200 |
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Egypt | Cairo | 116 538 258 | 1 001 450 |
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Equatorial Guinea | Malabo | 1 892 516 | 28 050 |
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Eritrea | Asmara | 3 535 603 | 121 630 |
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Eswatini | Mbabane | 1 242 822 | 17 360 |
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Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | 132 059 767 | 1 136 240 |
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Gabon | Libreville | 2 538 952 | 267 670 |
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Gambia | Banjul | 2 759 988 | 11 300 |
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Ghana | Accra | 34 427 414 | 238 533 |
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Guinea | Conakry | 14 754 785 | 245 860 |
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Guinea-Bissau | Bissau | 2 201 352 | 36 130 |
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Ivory Coast | Yamoussoukro | 31 934 230 | 322 460 |
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Kenya | Nairobi | 56 432 944 | 580 370 |
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Lesotho | Maseru | 2 337 423 | 30 360 |
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Liberia | Monrovia | 5 612 817 | 111 370 |
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Libya | Tripoli | 7 381 023 | 1 759 540 |
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Madagascar | Antananarivo | 31 964 956 | 587 295 |
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Malawi | Lilongwe | 21 655 286 | 118 480 |
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Mali | Bamako | 24 478 595 | 1 240 190 |
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Mauritania | Nouakchott | 5 169 395 | 1 030 700 |
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Mauritius | Port Louis | 1 259 509 | 2 010 |
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Morocco | Rabat | 38 081 173 | 446 550 |
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Mozambique | Maputo | 34 631 766 | 799 380 |
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Namibia | Windhoek | 3 030 131 | 824 290 |
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Niger | Niamey | 27 032 412 | 1 267 000 |
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Nigeria | Abuja | 232 679 478 | 923 770 |
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Republic of the Congo | Brazzaville | 6 332 961 | 342 000 |
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Rwanda | Kigali | 14 256 567 | 26 340 |
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São Tomé and Príncipe | São Tomé | 235 536 | 960 |
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Senegal | Dakar | 18 501 984 | 196 710 |
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Seychelles | Victoria | 121 354 | 460 |
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Sierra Leone | Freetown | 8 642 022 | 72 300 |
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Somalia | Mogadishu | 19 009 151 | 637 660 |
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South Africa | Pretoria | 64 007 187 | 1 219 090 |
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South Sudan | Juba | 11 943 408 | 646 883 |
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Sudan | Khartoum | 50 448 963 | 1 878 000 |
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Tanzania | Dodoma | 68 560 157 | 947 300 |
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Togo | Lomé | 9 515 236 | 56 790 |
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Tunisia | Tunis | 12 277 109 | 163 610 |
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Uganda | Kampala | 50 015 092 | 241 550 |
 |
Zambia | Lusaka | 21 314 956 | 752 610 |
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Zimbabwe | Harare | 16 634 373 | 390 760 |
FAQs about African countries
How many countries are there in Africa?
Africa has 54 sovereign countries recognized by the UN, making it the most politically fragmented continent. It covers about 30,370,000 km² with a population of 1.4 billion.
What is the largest country in Africa?
Algeria is the largest country in Africa by area (2.38 million km²). The African continent covers about 30,370,000 km², which is 20% of the world's land area.
Which is the most populous country in Africa?
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with over 220 million inhabitants. Africa is expected to reach 2.5 billion people by 2050.
What is the smallest country in Africa?
Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa with only 459 km². This Indian Ocean archipelago is known for its exceptional biodiversity and beaches.