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 recognized states, states with limited recognition, and dependent territories of both African and non-African states. It lists 54 sovereign states and 10 non-sovereign territories.

Malta and parts of France, Italy, Portugal and Spain are located on the African continental plate, some considerably closer to the African than European mainland, but politically are generally considered European by convention. Similarly, the island of Socotra is also on the African plate and much closer to Africa, but is politically part of the Asian state of Yemen. 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 as of 2015, all except Morocco and the Central African Republic are members of the African Union.[2][3][4]

* = Membership Withdrawn[n 1]
* = Membership Suspended[n 2]
Flag Map English short and formal names
[5][6][7]
Domestic short and formal names[5][6] Capital
[7][8][9]
Population[a][b]
[10]
Area[a][b]
[11]
Flag of Algeria
Algeria

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Arabic: الجزائر — الجمهورية الجزائرية الديمقراطية الشعبية (al-Jazāʼir — al-Jumhūriyya al-Jazāʾiriyya d-Dimuqrāṭiyya al-Šaʾbiyya) Algiers

Arabic: الجزائر (al-Jazā’er)
33,333,267 2,381,740 km2 (919,595 sq mi)
Angola

Republic of Angola
Portuguese: Angola — República de Angola Luanda

Portuguese: Luanda
16,941,000 1,246,700 km2 (481,354 sq mi)
Benin

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

French: Porto-Novo
8,439,000 112,622 km2 (43,484 sq mi)
Botswana

Republic of Botswana
English: Botswana — Republic of Botswana

Tswana: Botswana — Lefatshe la Botswana
Gaborone

English: Gaborone

Tswana: Gaborone
1,839,833 581,726 km2 (224,606 sq mi)
Burkina Faso French: Burkina Faso Ouagadougou

French: Ouagadougou
13,228,000 274,000 km2 (105,792 sq mi)
Burundi

Republic of Burundi
Kirundi: Burundi — Republika y'u Burundi

French: Burundi — République du Burundi
Bujumbura

Kirundi: Bujumbura

French: Bujumbura
7,548,000 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
17,795,000 475,442 km2 (183,569 sq mi)
Cape Verde

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

Portuguese: Praia
420,979 4,033 km2 (1,557 sq mi)
Central African Republic Sango: Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka

French: République centrafricaine
Bangui

French: Bangui
4,216,666 622,984 km2 (240,535 sq mi)
Chad

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

French: Tchad — République du Tchad
N'Djamena

Arabic: نجامينا (Nijāmīnā)

French: Ndjamena
10,146,000 1,284,000 km2 (495,755 sq mi)
Comoros

Union of the Comoros
Arabic: جزر القمر — جمهورية القمر المتحدة (Juzur al-Qamar — Jumhūriyyat al-Qamar al-Muttaḥida)

Comorian: Komori — Udzima wa Komori

French: Comores — Union des Comores
Moroni

Arabic: موروني (Mūrūnī)

French: Moroni
798,000 2,235 km2 (863 sq mi)
Democratic Republic of the Congo[n 3] French: République démocratique du Congo Kinshasa

French: Léopoldville
75,507,308 2,344,858 km2 (905,355 sq mi)
Republic of the Congo[n 4] French: République du Congo Brazzaville

French: Brazzaville
4,012,809 342,000 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
906,000 23,200 km2 (8,958 sq mi)
Egypt

Arab Republic of Egypt[n 5]
Arabic: مصر — جمهورية مصر العربية (Miṣr — Jumhūrīyat Miṣr al-ʿArabiyya) Cairo

Arabic: القاهرة (al-Qāhirah)
90,850,000 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 6]

French: Malabo

Portuguese: Malabo

Spanish: Malabo
504,000 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)
5,880,000 117,600 km2 (45,406 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)
85,237,338 1,104,300 km2 (426,373 sq mi)
Gabon

Gabonese Republic
French: Gabon — République gabonaise Libreville

French: Libreville
1,384,000 267,668 km2 (103,347 sq mi)
Gambia

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

English: Banjul
1,517,000 10,380 km2 (4,008 sq mi)
Ghana

Republic of Ghana
English: Ghana — Republic of Ghana Accra

English: Accra
23,000,000 238,534 km2 (92,098 sq mi)
Guinea[n 7]

Republic of Guinea
French: Guinée — République de Guinée Conakry

French: Conakry
10,057,975 245,857 km2 (94,926 sq mi)
Guinea-Bissau

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

Portuguese: Bissau
1,586,000 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
17,654,843 322,460 km2 (124,503 sq mi)
Kenya

Republic of Kenya
English: Kenya — Republic of Kenya

Swahili: Kenya — Jamhuri ya Kenya
Nairobi

English: Nairobi

Swahili: Nairobi
34,707,817 580,367 km2 (224,081 sq mi)
Lesotho

Kingdom of Lesotho
English: Lesotho — Kingdom of Lesotho

Sotho: Lesotho — Muso oa Lesotho
Maseru

English: Maseru

Sotho: Maseru
2,067,000 30,355 km2 (11,720 sq mi)
Liberia

Republic of Liberia
English: Liberia — Republic of Liberia Monrovia

English: Monrovia
4,128,572 111,369 km2 (43,000 sq mi)
Libya

State of Libya
Arabic: ليبيا (Lībiyā)

Berber: ⵍⵉⴱⵢⴰ (Libya)
Tripoli

Arabic: طرابلس (Ṭarābulus)

Berber: ⵟⵔⴰⴱⵍⴻⵙ (Ṭrables)
6,036,914 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
18,606,000 587,041 km2 (226,658 sq mi)
Malawi

Republic of Malawi
Chichewa: Malaŵi — Dziko la Malaŵi

English: Malawi — Republic of Malawi
Lilongwe

Chichewa: Lilongwe

English: Lilongwe
12,884,000 118,484 km2 (45,747 sq mi)
Mali

Republic of Mali
French: Mali — République du Mali Bamako

French: Bamako
13,518,000 1,240,192 km2 (478,841 sq mi)
Mauritania

Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Arabic: موريتانيا — الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية (Mūrītānīyya — al-Jumhūriyya al-ʾIslāmiyya al-Mūrītānīyya) Nouakchott

Arabic: نواكشوط (Nuwākshūṭ)
3,069,000 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 — Republik Moris
Port Louis

English: Port Louis

French: Port-Louis

Mauritian Creole: Port Louis
1,219,220 2,040 km2 (788 sq mi)
Morocco

Kingdom of Morocco
Arabic : المغرب — المملكة المغربية (al-Maḡrib — al-Mamlaka al-Maḡribiyya)

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

Arabic: الرباط (ar-Ribaaṭ)

Berber: ⴰⵕⴱⴰⵟ (Aṛbaṭ)
35,757,175 446,550 km2 (172,414 sq mi)The area 446,550 km2 (172,410 sq mi) excludes all disputed territories, while 710,850 km2 (274,460 sq mi) includes the Moroccan-administered parts of Western Sahara (claimed as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic by the Polisario Front).
Mozambique

Republic of Mozambique
Portuguese: Moçambique — República de Moçambique Maputo

Portuguese: Maputo
20,366,795 801,590 km2 (309,496 sq mi)
Namibia

Republic of Namibia
English: Namibia — Republic of Namibia Windhoek

English: Windhoek
2,031,000 825,418 km2 (318,696 sq mi)
Niger

Republic of Niger
French: Niger — République du Niger Niamey

French: Niamey
13,957,000 1,267,000 km2 (489,191 sq mi)
Nigeria

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

English: Abuja
174,507,539 923,768 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
7,600,000 26,798 km2 (10,347 sq mi)
São Tomé and Príncipe

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

Portuguese: São Tomé
183,176 964 km2 (372 sq mi)
Senegal

Republic of Senegal
French: Sénégal — République du Sénégal Dakar

French: Dakar
11,658,000 196,723 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
80,654 451 km2 (174 sq mi)
Sierra Leone

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

English: Freetown
6,144,562 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi)
Somalia

Federal Republic of Somalia
Arabic: الصومال — جمهورية الصومال الديموقراطية (Aṣ-Ṣomāl — Jumhūriyya aṣ-Ṣomāl al-Fidrāliyya)

Somali: Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya
Mogadishu

Somali: Muqdisho

Arabic: مقديشو (Maqadīshū)
10,532,017 637,657 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)
52,981,991 1,221,037 km2 (471,445 sq mi)
South Sudan

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

English: Juba
8,260,490 644,329 km2 (248,777 sq mi)
Sudan

Republic of Sudan
Arabic: السودان — جمهورية السودان (As-Sūdān — Jumhūriyya as-Sūdān)

English: Republic of the Sudan
Khartoum

Arabic: الخرطوم (al-Kharṭūm)
36,787,012 1,861,484 km2 (718,723 sq mi)
Swaziland

Kingdom of Swaziland
English: Swaziland — Kingdom of Swaziland

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

English: Lobamba, Mbabane

Swazi: Lobamba, ÉMbábáne
1,032,000 17,364 km2 (6,704 sq mi)
Tanzania

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

Swahili: Tanzania — Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
Dodoma

English: Dodoma

Swahili: Dodoma
44,929,002 945,203 km2 (364,945 sq mi)
Togo

Togolese Republic
French: Togo — République Togolaise Lomé

French: Lomé
7,154,237 56,785 km2 (21,925 sq mi)
Tunisia

Tunisian Republic
Arabic: تونس — الجمهورية التونسية (Tūnis — al-Jumhūriyya at-Tūnisīyya) Tunis

Arabic: تونس (Tūnis)
10,102,000 163,610 km2 (63,170 sq mi)
Uganda

Republic of Uganda
English: Uganda — Republic of Uganda

Swahili: Uganda — Jamhuri ya Uganda
Kampala

English: Kampala

Swahili: Kampala
27,616,000 236,040 km2 (91,136 sq mi)
Zambia

Republic of Zambia
English: Zambia — Republic of Zambia Lusaka

English: Lusaka
14,668,000 752,614 km2 (290,586 sq mi)
Zimbabwe

Republic of Zimbabwe
English: Zimbabwe — Republic of Zimbabwe Harare

English: Harare
13,010,000 390,757 km2 (150,872 sq mi)

States with limited recognition

The following are states that have established themselves in Africa as sovereign states, but remain limited in official recognition and are not members of the United Nations. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic however, is a member of the African Union.

Flag Map English short and formal names Status Domestic short and formal names Capital Population Area
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic[n 8] Claimed as the southernmost provinces of Morocco. Recognized by the African Union and 47 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 9]

Arabic: العيون (al-ʿuyūn)

Spanish: El Aaiún
266,000 267,405 km2 (103,246 sq mi)
Somaliland

Republic of Somaliland[12][13]
State within the Federal regions of Somalia.[14] Recognized by no UN member.[15][16] Arabic: جمهورية أرض الصومال — أرض الصومال (Jumhūrīyat Arḍ aṣ-Ṣūmāl)

Somali: Jamhuuriyadda Somaliland
Hargeisa

Arabic: هرجيسا

Somali: Hargeysa
4,000,000 137,600 km2 (53,128 sq mi)

Non-sovereign territories

There are 10 non-sovereign territories currently located in Africa.

Dependent territories

Further information: Dependent territory

This list contains territories that are politically administered as external dependencies of other nations.

Flag Map English short and formal names Status[17] Domestic short and formal names Capital Population Area[11]
French Southern and Antarctic Lands[n 10] French overseas territory Saint-Pierre[n 11] No permanent population[18] 38.60 km2 (15 sq mi)
Flag of the United Kingdom, as used in Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha British overseas territory Jamestown 5,661 420 km2 (162 sq mi)

Other areas

This list contains territories that are administered as incorporated parts of a primarily non-African state.

Flag Map English short and formal names Status[17] Domestic short and formal names Capital Population Area[11]
Canary Islands Spanish autonomous community Spanish: Islas Canarias Santa Cruz and Las Palmas[19]

Spanish: Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
2,205,247 7,447 km2 (2,875 sq mi)
Ceuta

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

Spanish: Ceuta
76,861 28 km2 (11 sq mi)
Madeira

Autonomous Region of Madeira
Portuguese autonomous region Portuguese: Madeira — Região Autónoma da Madeira Funchal

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

Department of Mayotte
French overseas department French: Mayotte — Département de Mayotte Mamoudzou

French: Mamoudzou
186,452 374 km2 (144 sq mi)
Melilla

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

Spanish: Melilla
72,000 20 km2 (8 sq mi)
Plazas de soberanía Spanish overseas territory Spanish: Plazas de soberanía N/A 74
Réunion

Réunion Island
French overseas region French: Réunion — Îles Réunion Saint-Denis

French: Saint-Denis
793,000 2,512 km2 (970 sq mi)
Pelagie Islands Italian territory Italian: Isole Pelagie

Sicilian: Ìsuli Pilaggî
Lampedusa e Linosa[n 12]

Italian: Lampedusa e Linosa

Sicilian: Lampidusa e Linusa
6,304 21.4 km2 (8 sq mi)

See also

Notes

  1. Morocco withdrew its membership from the preceding Organization of African Unity in 1984 due to the OAU's recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as the government of Western Sahara. Morocco remains withdrawn from the African Union for the same reason.
  2. Central African Republic was suspended from the African Union on 25 March 2013 due to the ongoing Central African Republic conflict.
  3. Also known as Congo-Kinshasa and formerly as Zaire.
  4. Also known as Congo-Brazzaville.
  5. Some territory could be argued to be a part of Asia or Africa.
  6. Oyala is to be the future capital of Equatorial Guinea; currently under construction.
  7. Also known as Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from neighboring Guinea-Bissau.
  8. Occupies part of the territory of Western Sahara, disputed with Morocco.
  9. Currently under Moroccan administration. Tifariti is the factual temporary capital, but Tindouf located in Algeria is tha place of some government and military facilities.
  10. 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.
  11. The main station on the Îles Éparses is on Tromelin. The headquarters of the district chief, however, is Saint-Pierre, in Réunion.
  12. 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. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  2. "Member States". African Union. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  3. "African Union Welcomes South Sudan as the 54th Member State of the Union". StarAfrica.com. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  4. "African Union suspends Central African Republic after coup". Los Angeles Times. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Field Listing :: Names". CIA. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  6. 1 2 "UNGEGN List of Country Names" (PDF). United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names. 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  7. 1 2 "List of countries, territories and currencies". Europa. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  8. "Field Listing :: Capital". CIA. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  9. "UNGEGN World Geographical Names". United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  10. "Country Comparison :: Population". CIA. July 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 "Field Listing :: Area". CIA. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  12. Name used in The Constitution of the Republic of Somaliland
  13. Susan M. Hassig, Zawiah Abdul Latif, Somalia, (Marshall Cavendish: 2007), p.10.
  14. "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. "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."
  15. Lacey, Marc (5 June 2006). The Signs Say Somaliland, but the World Says Somalia. The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
  16. "UN in Action: Reforming Somaliland's Judiciary" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-05-29.
  17. 1 2 "Field Listing :: Dependency Status". CIA. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  18. "French Southern and Antarctic Lands". Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  19. "Estatuto de Autonomía de Canarias en la Página Web Oficial del Gobierno de Canarias". .gobiernodecanarias.org. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
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