There are 54 countries in Africa; each with its capital, and most spoken language. We will explore the languages and how these African countries got their names.
African Countries, Capital Cities, Most Spoken Language
1. Algeria
- Capital: Algiers
- Most Spoken Language: Algerian Arabic is the most spoken indigenous language besides Berber in Algeria. It is spoken by more than half the population of the country.
- How It Got Its Name: The North African country got its name from its capital city “Algiers”, derived from the Arabic word al-jazā’ir which means Islands.
2. Angola
- Capital: Luanda
- Most Spoken Language: Besides Portuguese, there are several indigenous languages spoken in Angola; Umbundu, a Bantu language is widely spoken by 23 percent of Angolans, followed by Kikongo and Kimbundu.
- How It Got Its Name: Angola, located in southwestern Africa derived its name from the Kimbundu word “N’gola”, which stands for a king.
3. Benin
- Capital: Porto Novo
- Most Spoken Language: The most widely spoken indigenous language in Benin is Fon; it is used by nearly one-quarter of the West African country’s population, in addition to Yoruba, Yom, Bariba, Mina, Dendi, and Mokole.
- How It Got Its Name: The West African country was initially known as the Republic of Dahomey during the colonial era but changed to the Republic of Benin in 1975. Benin’s name is gotten from the Bight of Benin.
4. Botswana
- Capital: Gaborone
- Most Spoken Language: Setswana is spoken chiefly across the length and breadth of the Southern African country. Since it is the official language of Botswana, it is spoken by more than half of its population alongside Sekelanga and Shekgalagadi.
- How It Got Its Name: Before the Southern African country became known as Botswana, it was called “Bechuanaland” by the British colonialist who made it a protectorate in March 1885. By September 1996, it gained independence and was renamed “Botswana”, after the largest ethnic group “Tswana” which constitutes about 73 percent of the country’s population.
5. Burkina Faso
- Capital: Ouagadougou
- Most Spoken Language: The Majority of Burkina Faso’s population speaks Mossi (Moore), a Gur language. Additionally, there are other major indigenous languages such as Dyula, and Fula.
- How It Got Its Name: The name “Burkina Faso” came to be in August 1984 when its late former President Captain Thomas Sankara named the country after two of its major languages, Mossi and Dyula. He picked “Burkina” from Mossi which means “men of integrity” and “Faso” from Dyula which means “fatherland”. A marriage of the two phrases from the two languages births “Burkina Faso” as “the land of upright people” or “the land of honest people”
6. Burundi
- Capital: Gitega (political), Bujumbura (economic)
- Most Spoken Language: Kirundi, a Bantu language besides being the official language of Burundi, is also widely spoken throughout the country by the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups.
- How It Got Its Name: Burundi is named after Ntare I of Burundi, who ruled over the territory beginning in the late 16th century. He was credited with setting up the Senatare who were tribunal judges vested with the authority to settle property disputes among chiefs.
7. Cameroon
- Capital: Yaoundé
- Most Spoken Language: Cameroon is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world because of the 260 languages spoken across the country besides its two official languages; French and English. Some of the most spoken indigenous languages include Ewondo, Bassa, Douala, Fulfulde, Bulu, and Hausa.
- How It Got Its Name: The West African country got its name from Rio dos Camarões (River of Prawns), a name given to the Wouri River by Portuguese explorers who arrived in the country in the 15th or 16th century.
8. Cape Verde
- Capital: Praia
- Most Spoken Language: The most spoken language in Cape Verde apart from Portuguese is the Cape Verdean Creole (a Portuguese-based creole); which is also known as “Kriolu” or Kriol”. Three different theories exist on the formation of the Creole; the first (monogenetic) asserts the Portuguese simplified the Portuguese language so that African slaves can have access to it, while the second claims that it was African slaves that formulated it by replacing the African lexicon with Portugese’s using the grammar of Western African languages, and the third says it was created from Portuguese pidgin; which was transported by Portuguese settlers (lançados).
- How It Got Its Name: The country got its name from the Cap-Vert Peninsula.
9. Central African Republic
- Capital: Bangui
- Most Spoken Language: Sango (Sangho) is the most spoken language in the Central African Republic. Additionally, it is also one of two official languages; with the other being French, that is used by the country’s population.
- How It Got Its Name: The Central African country got its name from its geographical location (central region) and form of government (republican).
10. Chad
- Capital: N’Djamena
- Most Spoken Language: Chadian Arabic, a variety of Arabic that originates in the Arabic Peninsula, is widely spoken by almost half the population of Chad.
- How It Got Its Name: The north-central African country derived its name from Lake Chad, a lake that surrounds four countries such as Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria.
11. Comoros
- Capital: Moroni
- Most Spoken Language: Comorian (Shikomoro) is the most spoken language in Comoros, followed by French and Arabic. Also, all three are the official languages of the country.
- How It Got Its Name: The name of the southeastern African country was derived from “qamar”, an Arabic word for “moon”
12. Democratic Republic of Congo
- Capital: Kinshasa
- Most Spoken Language: French is not native to DRC, but is widely spoken by most of the country’s population. Additionally, there are about 242 spoken languages across the country, and of this number; Kituba (Kikongo), Lingala, Tshiluba, and Swahili are national languages.
- How It Got Its Name: The Democratic Republic of Congo got its name from the Congo River.
13. Djibouti
- Capital: Djibouti
- Most Spoken Language: The most widely spoken languages in Djibouti are Afar and Somali, in addition to French and Arabic which are the two official languages in the country.
- How It Got Its Name: Djibouti got its name from its capital, the City of Djibouti. Moreover, several theories exist on the origin of the country’s name. One of the theories states that the name was derived from the Afar word gabouti (plate), and another links it to gabood (upland/plateau).
14. Egypt
- Capital: Cairo
- Most Spoken Language: Egyptian Arabic, Sa’idi Arabic, Eastern Egyptian Bedawi, Sudanese rabic, Domari, Nobin, Beja, and Siwi are the most spoken languages in Egypt.
- How It Got Its Name: Egypt’s name is derived from the Greek word Aígyptos, and the Latin word Aegyptus.
15. Equatorial Guinea
- Capital: Malabo
- Most Spoken Language: Spanish is spoken by a majority of the population in Equatorial Guinea, while a smaller percentage speak French and other languages such as Portugueses, Fang, Ibo, Bubi, and Annoboneses.
- How It Got Its Name: The country got its name due to its nearness to the Equator and the Gulf of Guinea.
16. Eritrea
- Capital: Asmara
- Most Spoken Language: The majority of Eritreans speak Tigrinya which is one of the 9 national languages of the country (Tigre, Afar, Beja, Bilen, Kunama, Nara, and Saho)
- How It Got Its Name: Eritrea comes from the ancient Greek word for “Red Sea”.
17. eSwatini
- Capital: Mbabane (Executive), Lobamba (Legislative)
- Most Spoken Language: The most spoken language in Eswatini is SiSwati (Swazi).
- How It Got Its Name: The country was formerly known as “Swaziland” before it was renamed “eSwatini” in 2018 by King Mswati. It means “land of the Swazis”.
18. Ethiopia
- Capital: Addis Ababa
- Most Spoken Language: Ethiopia has several widely spoken languages such as Oromo, Amharic, Somali, Tigrinya, Sidama, Wolaytta, Sebat Bet Gurage, and Afar.
- How It Got Its Name: The country derived its name from the Greek word Aethiopia.
19. Gabon
- Capital: Libreville
- Most Spoken Language: Besides French being the most widely spoken language in Gabon, Fang, Mbere and Sira are the three biggest indigenous languages in the country.
- How It Got Its Name: Gabon was named by the Portuguese in the 15th century as “Gabao”.
20. Gambia
- Capital: Banjul
- Most Spoken Language: The most predominant languages in the Gambia include Mandinka, Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, and Serahule
- How It Got Its Name: The country got its name from the Mandinka word “Kambra/Kambaa”, which means Gambia River.
21. Ghana
- Capital: Accra
- Most Spoken Language: Akan (Asante Twi, Auapem Twi, Fante, and Nzema) is the most spoken language besides English in Ghana.
- How It Got Its Name: The West African country is named after the medieval Ghana of West Africa, and “Ghana” itself was the title of the kings who ruled over the then kingdom.
22. Guinea
- Capital: Conakry
- Most Spoken Language: On a regional basis, there are four most spoken languages in Guinea; Fula in Middle Guinea, Malinke in Upper Guinea, Susu in Guinea maritime, and koniaka in Guinea Forestiere. Additionally, French is the country’s official language.
- How It Got Its Name: The country got its name from the Guinea region which is located along the Gulf of Guinea.
23. Guinea-Bissau
- Capital: Bissau
- Most Spoken Language: The most widely spoken language in Guinea-Bissau is Portuguese creole (Kriol or crioulo). Also, Fula, Balanta, Mandinka, and Manjak are native languages that are predominant in rural areas.
- How It Got Its Name: Guinea-Bissau’s name is derived from a Berber word Amazigh, which means “land of the blacks”, and Bissau was added to differentiate it from Guinea.
24. Ivory Coast
- Capital: Yamoussoukro (Political), Abidjan (Economic)
- Most Spoken Language: Dyula is one of the widely spoken indigenous languages in the Ivory Coast alongside its official language, Franch. Others include Baoule, Anyin, Bete, Dida, Dan, and Guro
- How It Got Its Name: The country got its name from its location and the kind of resources that were prevalent during the advent of Portuguese and French merchan-explorers in the 15th and 16th centuries who named it Côte d’Ivoire and Costa do Marfim, respectively, witn both meaning Ivory Coast. The area that became known as Ivory Coast lies between Upper Guinea (Guinea de Cabo Verde) and Lower Guinea. Also, the coast was known for its exportation of ivory.
25. Kenya
- Capital: Nairobi
- Most Spoken Language: Swahili is spoken by a majority of Kenya’s population, in addition to English.
- How It Got Its Name: The East African country derived its name from Mount Kenya, the highest and second-highest in the country and Africa, respectively.
26. Lesotho
- Capital: Maseru
- Most Spoken Language: Lesotho’s most widely spoken language is Sesotho, a Southern Bantu Language. It was also recognized as one of the country’s two official languages together with English.
- How It Got Its Name: Lesotho was initially known as Basutoland before it was changed in 1966 following its independence from the United Kingdom. The name translated to “Land of the Sotho” in English.
27. Liberia
- Capital: Monrovia
- Most Spoken Language: The West African country is multilingual, with more than 20 indigenous languages such as Bandi, Dan Kpelle, Loma, Krumen, Kuwa, Sapo, and Gola. Moreover, the Liberian Kreyol, an Atlantic English-lexicon creole is mostly spoken in Liberia.
- How It Got Its Name: Liberia got its name in 1824 when the colony was created by the United States of America for freed African slaves. It connotes liberty and liberation (freedom).
28. Libya
- Capital: Tripoli
- Most Spoken Language: Arabic is the most spoken language in Libya, in addition to other minority languages such as Berber, Domari, Tedega, Turkish, and Greek.
- How It Got Its Name: The name Libya originates from the Greeks (Libu or Libue) who used it to refer to people of Cyrenaica and Marmarica. Subsequently, it became synonymous with natives of the North African region, and Italian Libya by 1934.
29. Madagascar
- Capital: Antananarivo
- Most Spoken Language: Malagasy is widely spoken in Madagascar. It is also the official language of the Island country alongside French.
- How It Got Its Name: The origin of Madagascar’s name is traced to 13th-century Venetian explorer Marco Polo who mistook the Island for the kingdom of Mogadishu in Somali, East Africa, as a result of mispronunciation and misspelling.
See Also-List Of All Francophone Countries In Africa
30. Malawi
- Capital: Lilongwe
- Most Spoken Language: Chichewa is spoken by nearly half the population of Malawi. It is followed by Chinyanja, Chiyao, Chitumbuka and Malawian Lomwe.
- How It Got Its Name: The country got its name from Maravi, a name that was used to call the Chewa people; the biggest ethnic group that occupies the country.
31. Mali
- Capital: Bamako
- Most Spoken Language: The most spoken language in Mali is Bambara (Bamanan or Bamanakan).
- How It Got Its Name: The West African country got its name from an ancient African kingdom known as the Empire of Mali. The empire is said to have controlled parts of the country from the 9th to 16th century.
32. Mauritania
- Capital: Nouakchott
- Most Spoken Language: Hassaniya, a variety of Maghrebi Arabic is widely spoken in Mauritania. Others include Pulaar, Soninke and Wolof.
- How It Got Its Name: The name “Mauritania” originated from the ancient Berber kingdom that was a force in the 3rd century BC.
33. Mauritius
- Capital: Porto Louis
- Most Spoken Language: Mauritian Creole, a French-based creole is the native language of Mauritians, while French and English are used in government business and politics.
- How It Got Its Name: Mauritius was named by the leader of a Dutch unit Admiral Wybarnd van Warywyck after Prince Maurice van Nassau of the Dutch Republic.
34. Morocco
- Capital: Rabat
- Most Spoken Language: Darija (Moroccan Arabic), a vernacular Arabic is spoken by a majority of the country’s population, in addition to Beber and French.
- How It Got Its Name: Morocco got its name from the city of Marrakesh, one of the largest cities in the country currently, and a one-time capital city during the existence of the Almoravid dynasty and Almohad Caliphate.
35. Mozambique
- Capital: Maputo
- Most Spoken Language: Portuguese though a foreign language, is spoken by half of the country’s population
- How It Got Its Name: The Portuguese named the Southeastern country after the Island of Mozambique (Mocambique), which lies off the northern part of the country.
36. Namibia
- Capital: Windhoek
- Most Spoken Language: The most spoken language in the Southern African country is Oshiwambo, Khoekhoegowab, Afrikaans, and RuKwangali.
- How It Got Its Name: Namibia is named after the Namib desert. It was proposed by Namibian politician and academic, Mburumba Kerina first as the “Republic of Namib” before the current name.
37. Niger
- Capital: Niamey
- Most Spoken Language: Hausa is widely spoken in Niger, in addition to Zarma, French, Fulfulde, Tamajaq, Kanuri, and Arabic.
- How It Got Its Name: The country got its name from the Niger River.
38. Nigeria
- Capital: Abuja
- Most Spoken Language: Nigeria has more than 525 native languages; with Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo spoke majorly across the country’s three main regions of North, West, and South.
- How It Got Its Name: The West African country was named after the Niger River by Flora Shaw in January 1897.
39. Republic of the Congo
- Capital: Brazzaville
- Most Spoken Language: Besides French, Kituba, Lingala, Batekes, and Ladi languages are mostly spoken in the country.
- How It Got Its Name: Congo-Brazzaville got its name from the Congo River; which is the second-largest river in Africa
40. Rwanda
- Capital: Kigali
- Most Spoken Language: Kinyarwanda is the most spoken language in Rwanda
- How It Got Its Name: The country’s name is derived from a Kinyarwanda verb “Kwanda” which translates to “the expansion” in English.
41. Sao Tome and Principe
- Capital: Sao Tome
- Most Spoken Language: The widely spoken language in the country is Portuguese, followed by Forro, Cabo Verdian, French, and Angolar.
- How It Got Its Name: The Island country got the first part of its name “Sao Tome” from Saint Thomas’s Day, which is rumored to be one of the dates the Island country was discovered. The second part of the name “Principe” is from “Ilha do Príncipe”, which means “the Prince’s Island”
42. Senegal
- Capital: Dakar
- Most Spoken Language: Wolof is the most spoken language in Senegal.
- How It Got Its Name: Senegal’s name was derived from the Senegal River.
43. Seychelles
- Capital: Victoria
- Most Spoken Language: Seychelles Creole, a French-based creole is widely spoken in the archipelagic country.
- How It Got Its Name: The origin of the country’s name dates back to 1742 when French explorer Lazare Picault landed on the Island and called it “Ile de l’Abondance”. Later on, he renamed it “Mahé”, and was subsequently changed to “Isle de Séchelles” after Viscount Jan Moreau de Séchelles, France’s Finance Minister during Louis XV’s reign.
44. Sierra Leone
- Capital: Freetown
- Most Spoken Language: The most spoken language in the country is the Krio (Sierra Leonean Creole).
- How It Got Its Name: Sierra Leone was first called Serra Lyoa (Lion Mountains) by the 15th-century Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra.
45. Somalia
- Capital: Mogadishu
- Most Spoken Language: Somali besides being one of the country’s two official languages, is also widely spoken.
- How It Got Its Name: The name Somali was derived from Samaal (Samaale), a forefather of some of the lineages in the country.
46. South Africa
- Capital: Pretoria (Executive), Cape Town (Legislative), Bloemfontein (Judicial)
- Most Spoken Language: There are three widely spoken languages in South Africa; Zulu, Xhosa, and Afrikaans.
- How It Got Its Name: The country’s name stems from its geographical location; which is at the southern end of the continent.
47. South Sudan
- Capital: Juba
- Most Spoken Language: Dinka, Nuer, Bari, and Zande are widely spoken languages in South Sudan.
- How It Got Its Name: In February 2011, the country became known as “South Sudan” due to its geographical region “Sudan”, which is situated “south” of the Sahara desert.
48. Sudan
- Capital: Khartoum
- Most Spoken Language: The most spoken language in Sudan is Sudanese Arabic.
- How It Got Its Name: The country got its name from bilād al-sūdān, an Arabic expression meaning “land of the blacks” in English. According to britannica.com, Arab geographers used the term to refer to the settled African countries at the southern edge of the Sahara.
49. Tanzania
- Capital: Dodoma
- Most Spoken Language: Swahili and English are two of the most spoken languages in Tanzania.
- How It Got Its Name: The name of the country is the marriage of the names of two states; Tanganyika and Zanzibar, that came together to create “Tanzania”.
50. Togo
- Capital: Lome
- Most Spoken Language: French is the official language of Togo, but is it mostly used in government and business dealings. However, indigenous languages such as Ewe and Kabiye are widely spoken in the south and north of the country, respectively.
- How It Got Its Name: The country got its name from the town of Togoville, which is derived from Lake Togo.
51. Tunisia
- Capital: Tunis
- Most Spoken Language: Tunisian Arabic is the most spoken language in the North African country.
- How It Got Its Name: Tunisia’s name emanated from Tunis, the capital city of the country. In its present form, it originates from French Tunisie.
52. Uganda
- Capital: Kampala
- Most Spoken Language: The majority of Uganda’s population speaks three languages such as Luganda, English, and Swahili.
- How It Got Its Name: The East African country is named after Buganda, an age-old kingdom that became popular in the 18th century in that part of the continent.
53. Zambia
- Capital: Lusaka
- Most Spoken Language: There are several widely spoken languages in Zambia including Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga, Tumbuka, and Lozi.
- How It Got Its Name: Initially known as Northern Rhodesia until its independence in October 1964, Zambia got its name from the Zambezi, the 4th longest river in Africa.
54. Zimbabwe
- Capital: Harare
- Most Spoken Language: The most spoken languages in Zimbabwe are Shona and Ndebele.
- How It Got Its Name: Formerly known as Southern Rhodesia, the country derived its current name from a Shona term for Great Zimbabwe, a medieval city in the southeast of Zimbabwe.
