Africa: Countries and Capitals

54 sovereign countries · updated guide

Africa is the world's second-largest continent and the second most populous, home to 54 sovereign countries — more than any other continent. From the Sahara in the north to the Cape in the south, it spans every climate zone on Earth and packs in an extraordinary range of landscapes, languages and cultures.

The countries of Africa and their capitals

Here is the full list of Africa's 54 sovereign countries with their capital cities. These are the countries you will meet when you play Africa rounds in the game.

Geography at a glance

Africa straddles the equator almost symmetrically, which means its climate bands mirror each other north and south. The vast Sahara Desert dominates the north, giving way to the semi-arid Sahel, then tropical rainforest around the Congo Basin, and finally the temperate grasslands and deserts of the south such as the Kalahari and Namib.

The continent's defining river is the Nile, the longest in the world, flowing north through Egypt and Sudan to the Mediterranean. The Congo River drains the rainforest heart of the continent, while the Niger and Zambezi (home to Victoria Falls) shape West and southern Africa respectively. The Great Rift Valley slices through the east, cradling huge lakes like Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi, and rising to Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak.

Regions of Africa

North Africa

The Mediterranean-facing states — Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt — share Arabic as a dominant language and a history tied to the Sahara and the Mediterranean trade world.

West Africa

A dense cluster of countries from Senegal to Nigeria, including the small coastal nations along the Gulf of Guinea. Nigeria is by far the most populous country on the continent.

Central Africa

Built around the Congo Basin rainforest, with the two Congos, Cameroon, Gabon and the Central African Republic. The DR Congo is geographically the largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa.

East Africa

The Rift Valley nations — Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the Horn of Africa — plus the island nations of the Indian Ocean such as Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles.

Southern Africa

From Angola and Zambia down to South Africa, including landlocked Lesotho and Eswatini, which are surrounded by their larger neighbours.

Tips for learning Africa on the map

• Start with the giants: Algeria (largest by area), Nigeria (most populous), Egypt, DR Congo and South Africa anchor the map.
• Learn the coastline as a loop — clockwise from Morocco it runs down West Africa, around the Cape, and up the east coast to the Horn.
• Watch the tricky pairs: the two Congos (Brazzaville vs. Kinshasa), Guinea vs. Guinea-Bissau vs. Equatorial Guinea, and Niger vs. Nigeria.

Keep exploring