Africa, which was also referred to as Alkebulan in former times, has 54 countries. If the two breakaway states of Western Sahara and Somaliland are officially recognized, this will push the number of countries on the continent to 56.
Africa is the continent with the most countries, followed by Asia, which has 48, Europe (44), North America (23), Australia and Oceania (14), and South America (12).
Even though it has the most countries, Africa is not the biggest continent. The entire continent has a size of 30.37 million square kilometers, which makes it the second largest continent, while Asia, with a size of 44.58 million km², is the largest continent by size. After Africa, the third biggest continent is North America (24.5 million square kilometers), then South America (17.8 million square kilometers), Antarctica (14.2 million square kilometers), Europe (9.9 million square kilometers), and then Australia (7.7 million square kilometers).
All Countries in Africa
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Camoros
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- 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
- Swaziland
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
The continent is divided into five regions: North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa. Eastern Africa has the most number of countries, 18, followed by West Africa (17), Central Africa (9), North Africa (7), and Southern Africa (5).
South Sudan is the youngest country in Africa
Before 2011, Africa had only 53 countries. However, with the successful breakaway of South Sudan from Sudan on July 9, 2011, making it the youngest country on the continent, the number of countries on the continent officially grew to 54.
At the moment, there are more than 10 active separatist movements in Africa spread across Cameroon, where Ambazonia is seeking to be recognized as a country, Nigeria, which has the Biafra agitation, and Mali with Azawad.
Other territories seeking to be recognized as countries in Africa are Casamance (Senegal), Cabinda (Angola), Somaliland (Somalia), Ogaden (Ethiopia), Tigray (Ethiopia), Barotseland (Zambia), and Rwenzururu (Uganda).
Largest countries in Africa by land area
Algeria is the largest country in Africa, with a population of 2,382,740 square kilometers. Algeria is also the 10th largest country in the world. It is closely followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has a population of 2,344,858 square kilometers.
Other countries that form the 10 largest countries on the continent are Sudan (1,862,484), Libya (1,760,540 km2), Chad (1,284,846 km2), Niger (1,268,642 km2), Angola (1,246,700 km2), Mali (1,240,192 km2), South Africa (1,221,037 km2), and Ethiopia (1,104,300 km2).
The smallest countries on the continent are Cape Verde (4,034 km2), Mauritius (2,240 km2), Comoros (2,236 km2), São Tomé and Príncipe (1,000 km2), and Seychelles (452 km2).
See Also: 15 Richest African Countries: Population, GDP, Minerals, Foreign Reserve
Most Populous Countries in Africa
As of 2025, the country with the largest population in Africa is Nigeria, which boasts close to 240 million people.
Often referred to as the giant of Africa, Nigeria is the 14th largest country on the continent by size. Nonetheless, it still stands not only as the most populous in Africa but also as the most populous black nation in the world.
The African country is the sixth-largest country in the world by population.
Ethiopia, with a population of close to 130 million people, ranks as the second most populous country in Africa. It is followed by Egypt with more than 114 million people, DR Congo, with over 105 million people, and Tanzania, which stands as the fifth most populous nation on the continent with over 66 million people.
Least Populated Countries in Africa
Just in the same way that it is the smallest country on the continent by size, Seychelles is also the smallest African country by population. The East African country has a population of less than 130,000 people according to its most recent records in 2025.
São Tomé and Príncipe is the second least populated country in Africa, with a population of less than 240,000 people. Others are Cape Verde (over 520,000 people), Comoros (850,000 people), Djibouti (1,152,944 people), and Eswatini (1,273,506 people).
According to the World Population Review, Mauritius is the only African country with a declining population as of 2025. It has a current population of 1.3 million people, but it is estimated that by 2050, its population may drop to 1.1 million and 582 thousand by 2100.
