List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Africa

This is a list of sovereign states and dependent territories in Africa. It includes both fully recognised states, states with limited or zero recognition, and dependent territories of both African and non-African states. It lists 56 sovereign states (54 of which are member states of the United Nations), two non-sovereign (dependent) territories of non-African sovereign states, and nine sub-national regions of non-African sovereign states.

Malta and parts of France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain are located on the African continental plate, some considerably closer to the African mainland than the European mainland but, politically, are generally considered to be European by convention. Egypt, although extending into Asia through the Sinai Peninsula, is considered an African state.

Sovereign states

Recognised states

The following 54 fully recognised states are all members of the United Nations[1] and the African Union.[2][3][4][5]

Flag Map English short name
and
formal name
[6][7][8]
Local short name(s)
and
formal name(s)[6][7]
Capital
[8][9][10]
Population (2018)
[11][12]
Area[a][b]
[13]
Algeria

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Arabic: — الجزائر
الجمهورية الجزائرية الديمقراطية الشعبية

(Al Jazāʼir — Al Jumhūriyyah al Jazāʾiriyyah ad Dimuqrāṭiyyah ash Shaʾbiyyah)
Algiers

Arabic: الجزائر
(Al Jazā’ir)
42,228,408 2,381,740 km2 (919,595 sq mi)
Angola

Republic of Angola
Portuguese: Angola—República de Angola Luanda

Portuguese: Luanda
30,809,787 1,246,700 km2 (481,354 sq mi)
Benin

Republic of Benin
French: Bénin—République du Bénin Porto-Novo

French: Porto-Novo
11,485,044 112,622 km2 (43,484 sq mi)
Botswana

Republic of Botswana
English: Botswana—Republic of Botswana

Tswana: Botswana—Lefatshe la Botswana
Gaborone

English: Gaborone

Tswana: Gaborone
2,254,068 581,726 km2 (224,606 sq mi)
Burkina Faso Republic of Burkina Faso French: Burkina Faso Ouagadougou

French: Ouagadougou
19,751,466 274,000 km2 (105,792 sq mi)
Burundi

Republic of Burundi
French: Burundi—République du Burundi

Kirundi: Burundi—Republika y'u Burundi
Gitega

French: Gitega

Kirundi: Gitega

11,175,374 27,830 km2 (10,745 sq mi)
Cameroon

Republic of Cameroon
English: Cameroon—Republic of Cameroon

French: Cameroun—République du Cameroun
Yaoundé

English: Yaoundé

French: Yaoundé
25,216,267 475,442 km2 (183,569 sq mi) includes the Cameroonian-administered parts of Southern Cameroons, which is claimed by the Southern Cameroons Peoples Organisation as the Republic of Ambazonia
Cape Verde

Republic of Cabo Verde
Portuguese: Cabo Verde—República de Cabo Verde Praia

Portuguese: Praia
543,767 4,033 km2 (1,557 sq mi)
Central African Republic Sango: Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka

French: République centrafricaine
Bangui

French: Bangui
4,666,368 622,984 km2 (240,535 sq mi)
Chad

Republic of Chad
Arabic: جمهورية تشاد — تشاد
(Tshād—Jumhūriyyat Tshād)

French: Tchad—République du Tchad
N'Djamena

Arabic: نجامينا (Nijāmīnā)

French: Ndjamena
15,477,729 1,284,000 km2 (495,755 sq mi)
Comoros

Union of the Comoros
Arabic: — جزرالقمر
جمهورية القمرالمتحدة

(Juzur al Qamar—Jumhūriyyat al Qamar al Muttaḥidah)

Comorian: Komori—Udzima wa

Komori

French: Comores—Union des Comores

Moroni

Arabic: موروني (Mūrūnī)

French: Moroni
832,322 2,235 km2 (863 sq mi)
Democratic Republic of the Congo[n 1] French: République démocratique du Congo Kinshasa

French: Kinshasa
84,068,091 2,344,858 km2 (905,355 sq mi)
Republic of the Congo[n 2] French: République du Congo Brazzaville

French: Brazzaville
5,244,359 342,000 km2 (132,047 sq mi)
Djibouti

Republic of Djibouti
Arabic: جيبوتي — جمهورية جيبوتي
(Jibūti—Jumhūrīyat Jibūti)

French: Djibouti—République de Djibouti
Djibouti City

Arabic: مدينة جيبوتي (Jibūti Madīna)

French: Ville de Djibouti
958,923 23,200 km2 (8,958 sq mi)
Egypt

Arab Republic of Egypt[n 3]
Arabic: مصر — جمهورية مصر العربية (Miṣr—Jumhūrīyat Miṣr al ʿArabiyyah) Cairo

Arabic: القاهرة (al Qāhirah)
98,423,598 1,001,449 km2 (386,662 sq mi)
Equatorial Guinea

Republic of Equatorial Guinea
French: Guinée équatoriale—République de Guinée équatoriale

Portuguese: Guiné Equatorial—República da Guiné Equatorial

Spanish: Guinea Ecuatorial—República de Guinea Ecuatorial
Malabo[n 4]

French: Malabo

Portuguese: Malabo

Spanish: Malabo
1,308,975 28,051 km2 (10,831 sq mi)
Eritrea

State of Eritrea
Arabic: إرتريا — دولة إرتريا
(ʾIritriyā—Dawlat ʾIritriyā)

English: Eritrea—State of Eritrea

Tigrinya: ኤርትራ — ሃገረ ኤርትራ
(ʾErtra—Hagere ʾErtra)
Asmara

Arabic: أسمرة (ʾAsmara)

Tigrinya: ኣስመራ
(Asmera)
3,452,786 117,600 km2 (45,406 sq mi)
Eswatini

Kingdom of Eswatini
English: Eswatini—Kingdom of Eswatini

Swazi: eSwatini—Umbuso weSwatini
Lobamba (royal and legislative)
Mbabane (administrative)

English: Lobamba, Mbabane

Swazi: Lobamba, ÉMbábáne
1,136,281 17,364 km2 (6,704 sq mi)
Ethiopia

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Amharic: Iትዮጵያ — የIትዮጵያ ፈደራላዊ ዲሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ
(Ītyōṗṗyā—Ītyōṗṗyā Fēdēralāwī Dēmōkrāsīyāwī Rīpeblīk)
Addis Ababa

Amharic: አዲስ አበባ (Addis Abäba)
109,224,414 1,104,300 km2 (426,373 sq mi)
Gabon

Gabonese Republic
French: Gabon—République gabonaise Libreville

French: Libreville
2,119,275 267,668 km2 (103,347 sq mi)
The Gambia

Republic of the Gambia
English: The Gambia—Republic of the Gambia Banjul

English: Banjul
2,280,094 10,380 km2 (4,008 sq mi)
Ghana

Republic of Ghana
English: Ghana—Republic of Ghana Accra

English: Accra
29,767,102 238,534 km2 (92,098 sq mi)
Guinea[n 5]

Republic of Guinea
French: Guinée—République de Guinée Conakry

French: Conakry
12,414,293 245,857 km2 (94,926 sq mi)
Guinea-Bissau

Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Portuguese: Guiné-Bissau—República da Guiné-Bissau Bissau

Portuguese: Bissau
1,874,303 36,125 km2 (13,948 sq mi)
Ivory Coast

Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
French: Côte d'Ivoire—République de Côte d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro

French: Yamoussoukro
25,069,230 322,460 km2 (124,503 sq mi)
Kenya

Republic of Kenya
English: Kenya—Republic of Kenya

Swahili: Kenya—Jamhuri ya Kenya
Nairobi

English: Nairobi

Swahili: Nairobi
51,392,565 580,367 km2 (224,081 sq mi)
Lesotho

Kingdom of Lesotho
English: Lesotho—Kingdom of Lesotho

Sotho: Lesotho—Muso oa Lesotho
Maseru

English: Maseru

Sotho: Maseru
2,108,328 30,355 km2 (11,720 sq mi)
Liberia

Republic of Liberia
English: Liberia—Republic of Liberia Monrovia

English: Monrovia
4,818,973 111,369 km2 (43,000 sq mi)
Libya

State of Libya
Arabic: ليبيا (Lībīyā)

Berber: ⵍⵉⴱⵢⴰ (Libya)
Tripoli

Arabic: طرابلس (Ṭarābulus)

Berber: ⵟⵔⴰⴱⵍⴻⵙ (Ṭrables)
6,678,559 1,759,540 km2 (679,362 sq mi)
Madagascar

Republic of Madagascar
French: Madagascar—République de Madagascar

Malagasy: Repoblikan'i Madagasikara
Antananarivo

French: Antananarivo

Malagasy: Antananarivo
26,262,313 587,041 km2 (226,658 sq mi)
Malawi

Republic of Malawi
Chichewa: Malaŵi—Dziko la Malaŵi

English: Malawi—Republic of Malawi
Lilongwe

Chichewa: Lilongwe

English: Lilongwe
18,143,217 118,484 km2 (45,747 sq mi)
Mali

Republic of Mali
French: Mali—République du Mali Bamako

French: Bamako
19,077,749 1,240,192 km2 (478,841 sq mi)
Mauritania

Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Arabic: موريتانيا —
الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية
(Mūrītānīyyā

—Al Jumhūriyyah alʾIslāmiyyah al Mūrītānīyyah
)
Nouakchott

Arabic: نواكشوط (Nuwākshūṭ)
4,403,313 1,030,700 km2 (397,955 sq mi)
Mauritius

Republic of Mauritius
English: Mauritius—Republic of Mauritius

French: Maurice—République de Maurice

Mauritian Creole Moris—Repiblik Moris
Port Louis

English: Port Louis

French: Port-Louis

Mauritian Creole: Porlwi
1,267,185 2,040 km2 (788 sq mi)
Morocco

Kingdom of Morocco
Arabic : المغرب — المملكة المغربية
('Al Maḡrib—Al Mamlakah al Maḡribiyyah)

Berber: ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⴰⵖⵔⵉⴱ (
Tageldit n-Elmaġrib)
Rabat

Arabic: الرباط (ar-Ribaaṭ)

Berber: ⴰⵕⴱⴰⵟ (Aṛbaṭ)
36,029,093 446,550 km2 (172,414 sq mi) excludes all disputed territories

710,850 km2 (274,461 sq mi) includes the Moroccan-administered parts of Western Sahara, which is claimed by the Polisario Front as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Mozambique

Republic of Mozambique
Portuguese: Moçambique—República de Moçambique Maputo

Portuguese: Maputo
29,496,004 801,590 km2 (309,496 sq mi)
Namibia

Republic of Namibia
English: Namibia—Republic of Namibia Windhoek

English: Windhoek
2,448,301 825,418 km2 (318,696 sq mi)
Niger

Republic of the Niger
French: Niger—République du Niger Niamey

French: Niamey
22,442,831 1,267,000 km2 (489,191 sq mi)
Nigeria

Federal Republic of Nigeria
English: Nigeria—Federal Republic of Nigeria Abuja

English: Abuja
195,874,685 923,768 km2 (356,669 sq mi)
Rwanda

Republic of Rwanda
English: Rwanda—Republic of Rwanda

French: Rwanda—République du Rwanda

Kinyarwanda Rwanda—Repubulika y'u Rwanda
Kigali

English: Kigali

French: Kigali

Kinyarwanda Kigali
12,374, 397 26,798 km2 (10,347 sq mi)
Sao Tome and Principe

Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
Portuguese: São Tomé e Príncipe—República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe São Tomé

Portuguese: São Tomé
211,028 964 km2 (372 sq mi)
Senegal

Republic of Senegal
French: Sénégal—République du Sénégal Dakar

French: Dakar
15,854,323 196,723 km2 (75,955 sq mi)
Seychelles

Republic of Seychelles
English: Seychelles—Republic of Seychelles

French: Seychelles—République des Seychelles

Seychellois Creole: Sesel— Repiblik Sesel
Victoria

English: Victoria

French: Victoria

Seychellois Creole: Victoria
97,096 451 km2 (174 sq mi)
Sierra Leone

Republic of Sierra Leone
English: Sierra Leone—Republic of Sierra Leone Freetown

English: Freetown
7,650,150 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi)
Somalia

Federal Republic of Somalia
Arabic: الصومال —
جمهورية الصومال الفيدرالية
(Aṣ Ṣūmāl—Jumhūriyyah aṣ Ṣūmāl al Fīdrāliyyah)

Somali: Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya
Mogadishu

Somali: Muqdisho

Arabic: مقديشو (Maqadīshū)
15,008,226 637,657 km2 (246,201 sq mi)
South Africa

Republic of South Africa
Afrikaans: Suid-Afrika—Republiek van Suid-Afrika
Bloemfontein (judicial),
Cape Town (legislative),
and Pretoria (executive)
57,792,518 1,221,037 km2 (471,445 sq mi)
South Sudan

Republic of South Sudan
English: South Sudan—Republic of South Sudan Juba

English: Juba
10,975,927 644,329 km2 (248,777 sq mi)
Sudan

Republic of the Sudan
Arabic: السودان — جمهورية السودان
(As Sūdān—Jumhūriyyah as Sūdān)

English: Republic of the Sudan
Khartoum

Arabic: الخرطوم (Al Kharṭūm)
41,801,533 1,861,484 km2 (718,723 sq mi)
Tanzania

United Republic of Tanzania
English: Tanzania—United Republic of Tanzania

Swahili: Tanzania—Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
Dodoma (official)
Dar es Salaam (seat of government)

English: Dodoma

Swahili: Dodoma
56,313,438 945,203 km2 (364,945 sq mi)
Togo

Togolese Republic
French: Togo—République Togolaise Lomé

French: Lomé
7,889,093 56,785 km2 (21,925 sq mi)
Tunisia

Tunisian Republic
Arabic: تونس — الجمهورية التونسية
(Tūnis—Al Jumhūriyyah at Tūnisīyyah)
Tunis

Arabic: تونس (Tūnis)</
11,565,201 163,610 km2 (63,170 sq mi)
Uganda

Republic of Uganda
English: Uganda—Republic of Uganda

Swahili: Uganda—Jamhuri ya Uganda
Kampala

English: Kampala

Swahili: Kampala
42,729,036 236,040 km2 (91,136 sq mi)
Zambia

Republic of Zambia
English: Zambia—Republic of Zambia Lusaka

English: Lusaka
17,351,708 752,614 km2 (290,586 sq mi)
Zimbabwe

Republic of Zimbabwe
English: Zimbabwe—Republic of Zimbabwe Harare

English: Harare
14,438,802 390,757 km2 (150,872 sq mi)

States with limited or no international recognition

The following two entities have declared themselves to be sovereign states and are in control of some territory but have limited or no recognition from other states. Neither entity is a member state of the United Nations, although the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a member of the African Union.

Flag Map English short name
and
formal name
Status Local short name(s)
and
formal name(s)
Capital Population Area
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic[n 6] Claimed by Morocco as its southernmost provinces

Recognized by the African Union and 39 UN members as the representative government of Western Sahara
Arabic:
الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية
(Al Jumhūrīyah al ‘Arabīyah aṣ Ṣaḥrāwīyah ad Dīmuqrāṭīyah)

Spanish: República Árabe Saharaui Democrática
El Aaiún (proclaimed)[n 7]

Arabic: العيون (AlʿUyūn)

Spanish: El Aaiún
582,478 267,405 km2 (103,246 sq mi)
Somaliland

Republic of Somaliland[14][15]
State not controlled by Somalia[16]

Recognized by no UN member[17][18]
Arabic: أرض الصومال
— جمهورية أرض الصومال
(Arḍ aṣ Ṣūmāl—Jumhūrīyat Arḍ aṣ Ṣūmāl)

Somali: Jamhuuriyadda Somaliland
Hargeisa

Arabic: هرجيسا (Harjaysā)

Somali: Hargeysa
4,000,000 176,120 km2 (68,000 sq mi)

Constituent parts of non-African states

The 10 political entities in this list are constituent parts of non-African states.

Flag Map English short name
and
formal name
Status[19] Local short name(s)
and
formal name(s)
Capital Population Area[13]
Canary Islands Autonomous community of Spain Spanish: Islas Canarias Santa Cruz and Las Palmas[20]

Spanish: Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
2,207,225 7,447 km2 (2,875 sq mi)
Ceuta

Autonomous City of Ceuta
Autonomous city of Spain Spanish: Ceuta—Ciudad autónoma de Ceuta Ceuta

Spanish: Ceuta
84,843 28 km2 (11 sq mi)
French Southern and Antarctic Lands[n 8] Overseas territory of France French: Terres australes et antarctiques françaises Saint Pierre[n 9] No permanent population[21] 38.60 km2 (15 sq mi)
Madeira

Autonomous Region of Madeira
Autonomous Region of Portugal Portuguese: Madeira—Região Autónoma da Madeira Funchal

Portuguese: Funchal
267,785 828 km2 (320 sq mi)
Mayotte

Mayotte Region
Overseas region and constituent part of the French Republic French: Mayotte—Région Mayotte Dzaoudzi (official)
Mamoudzou (seat of prefect and departmental council)

French: Mamoudzou
266,380 374 km2 (144 sq mi)
Melilla

Autonomous City of Melilla
Autonomous city of Spain Spanish: Melilla—Ciudad autónoma de Melilla Melilla

Spanish: Melilla
84,714 20 km2 (8 sq mi)
Plazas de soberanía Overseas territory of Spain Spanish: Plazas de soberanía 74
Reunion

Reunion Region
Overseas region and constituent part of the French Republic French: Réunion—Région Réunion Saint-Denis

French: Saint-Denis
889,918 2,512 km2 (970 sq mi)
Pelagie Islands Archipelago of Italy Italian: Isole Pelagie

Sicilian: Ìsuli Pilaggî
Lampedusa e Linosa[n 10]

Italian: Lampedusa e Linosa

Sicilian: Lampidusa e Linusa
6,304 21.4 km2 (8 sq mi)
Socotra Archipelago Governorate of Yemen Arabic: أرخبيل سقطرى
(ʾArḫabīl Suquṭrā)
Hadibu

Arabic: اديبو (Ḥādībū)
60,550 3,974.64 km2 (1,535 sq mi)

Dependent territory of a sovereign state

Flag Map English short name
and
formal name
Status[19] Local short name
and
formal name
Capital Population Area[13]
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha British Overseas Territory English: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Jamestown 5,633 420 km2 (162 sq mi)

See also

Notes

  1. Also known as Congo-Kinshasa and formerly as Zaire.
  2. Also known as Congo-Brazzaville.
  3. Some territory could be argued to be a part of Asia or Africa.
  4. Oyala is to be the future capital of Equatorial Guinea; currently under construction.
  5. Also known as Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from neighboring Guinea-Bissau.
  6. Occupies part of the territory of Western Sahara, disputed with Morocco.
  7. Currently under Moroccan administration. Tifariti is the factual temporary capital, but Tindouf located in Algeria is the place of some government and military facilities.
  8. Only the Îles Éparses are considered part of the African continent. The remaining four districts lie outside the continental shelf in the Indian Ocean or Antarctica.
  9. The main station on the Îles Éparses is on Tromelin. The headquarters of the district chief, however, is Saint Pierre, in Réunion.
  10. Geographically part of the archipelago (Lampedusa and Lampione) belongs to the African continent; politically and administratively, the islands fall within the Province of Agrigento in Sicily

References

  1. "Member States". United Nations. Archived from the original on 2011-02-07. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  2. "Member States". African Union. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  3. "African Union Welcomes South Sudan as the 54th Member State of the Union". StarAfrica.com. 27 July 2011. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  4. "African Union suspends Central African Republic after coup". Los Angeles Times. 25 March 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-12-31. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  5. "Africa Population (LIVE)". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  6. "Field Listing :: Names". CIA. Archived from the original on 2017-07-01. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  7. "UNGEGN List of Country Names" (PDF). United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names. 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  8. "List of countries, territories and currencies". Europa. 9 August 2011. Archived from the original on 2013-07-16. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  9. "Field Listing :: Capital". CIA. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  10. "UNGEGN World Geographical Names". United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names. 29 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-08-01. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  11. ""World Population prospects – Population division"". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  12. ""Overall total population" – World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision" (xslx). population.un.org (custom data acquired via website). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  13. "Field Listing :: Area". CIA. Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  14. Name used in The Constitution of the Republic of Somaliland Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
  15. Susan M. Hassig, Zawiah Abdul Latif, Somalia, (Marshall Cavendish: 2007), p.10.
  16. "The Transitional Federal Charter of the Somali Republic" (PDF). University of Pretoria. 1 February 2004. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2010.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) "The Somali Republic shall have the following boundaries. (a) North; Gulf of Aden. (b) North West; Djibouti. (c) West; Ethiopia. (d) South south-west; Kenya. (e) East; Indian Ocean."
  17. Lacey, Marc (5 June 2006). The Signs Say Somaliland, but the World Says Somalia Archived 2011-05-30 at WebCite. The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
  18. "UN in Action: Reforming Somaliland's Judiciary" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-01-21. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
  19. "Field Listing :: Dependency Status". CIA. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  20. "Estatuto de Autonomía de Canarias en la Página Web Oficial del Gobierno de Canarias". .gobiernodecanarias.org. Archived from the original on 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  21. "French Southern and Antarctic Lands". Retrieved 5 October 2014.
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