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African countries. West African countries and their capitals West African countries

Africa is the largest region in area (30 million sq. km.), including 54 independent states. Some of them are rich and developing, others are poor, some are landlocked and others are not. So how many countries are there in Africa, and which countries are the most developed?

North African countries

The entire continent can be divided into five zones: North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, South Africa.

Rice. 1. African countries.

Almost the entire region of North Africa (10 million sq. km.) lies on the territory of the Sahara Desert. This natural area is characterized by high temperatures; it is here that the world's highest temperature in the shade is recorded - +58 degrees. The largest states in Africa are located in this region. These are Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Sudan. All these countries are territories with access to the sea.

Egypt - tourist center of Africa. People from all over the world come here to enjoy the warm sea, sandy beaches and infrastructure completely suitable for a good holiday.

State of Algeria with the capital of the same name, it is the largest country by area in North Africa. Its area is 2382 thousand square meters. km. The largest river in this area is the Sheliff River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Its length is 700 km. The remaining rivers are much smaller and are lost among the Sahara deserts. Algeria produces large quantities of oil and gas.

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Sudan is a country in the North African region that has access to the Red Sea.

Sudan is sometimes called the “country of three Niles” - White, Blue, and the main one, which is formed as a result of the merger of the first two.

Sudan has dense and rich vegetation of tall grass savannas: in the wet season, the grass here reaches 2.5 - 3 m. In the very south there is a forest savannah with iron, red and black ebony trees.

Rice. 2. Ebony.

Libya - a country in the central part of North Africa, with an area of ​​1,760 thousand square meters. km. Most of the territory is a flat plain with altitudes ranging from 200 to 500 meters. Like other countries in North America, Libya has access to the Mediterranean Sea.

West African countries

West Africa is washed by the Atlantic Ocean from the south and west. The Guinean forests of the tropical region are located here. These areas are characterized by alternating rainy and dry seasons. West Africa includes many countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Cameroon, Liberia. The population of this region is 210 million people. It is in this region that Nigeria (195 million people) is located, the largest country by population in Africa, and Cape Verde, a very small island state with a population of about 430 thousand people.

Agriculture plays a major role in the economy. West African countries are leaders in the collection of cocoa beans (Ghana, Nigeria), peanuts (Senegal, Niger), and palm oil (Nigeria).

Central African countries

Central Africa is located in the western part of the continent and lies in the equatorial and subequatorial belt. This area is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea. There are a lot of rivers in Central Africa: Congo, Ogowe, Kwanza, Kwilu. The climate is humid and hot. This area includes 9 countries, including Congo, Chad, Cameroon, Gabon, and Angola.

In terms of natural resources, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the richest countries on the continent. Here are unique rainforests - the Selvas of Africa, which make up 6% of the world's rainforests.

Angola is a major export supplier. Coffee, fruits, and sugar cane are exported abroad. And in Gabon they mine copper, oil, manganese, and uranium.

East African countries

The coast of East Africa is washed by the Red Sea, as well as the Nile. The climate in this area is different in each country. For example, the Seychelles are characterized as humid maritime tropics, dominated by monsoons. At the same time, Somalia, also belonging to East Africa, is a desert where there are practically no rainy days. This region includes Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Some East African countries are characterized by the export of specific products that are not available in other African countries. Kenya exports tea and coffee, while Tanzania and Uganda export cotton.

Many people are interested in where is the capital of Africa? Naturally, each country has its own capital, but the capital of Ethiopia, the city of Addis Ababa, is considered the heart of Africa. It is landlocked, but it is here that the representative offices of all the countries of the mainland are located.

Rice. 3. Addis Ababa.

Southern African countries

South Africa includes South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland.

South Africa is the most developed in its region, and Swaziland is the smallest. Swaziland borders South Africa and Mozambique. The country's population is only 1.3 million people. This region is located in the tropical and subtropical climate zone.

List of African countries with capitals

  • Algiers (capital - Algiers)
  • Angola (capital - Luanda)
  • Benin (capital - Porto Novo)
  • Botswana (capital - Gaborone)
  • Burkina Faso (capital - Ouagadougou)
  • Burundi (capital - Bujumbura)
  • Gabon (capital - Libreville)
  • Gambia (capital - Banjul)
  • Ghana (capital - Accra)
  • Guinea (capital - Conakry)
  • Guinea-Bissau (capital - Bissau)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo (capital - Kinshasa)
  • Djibouti (capital - Djibouti)
  • Egypt (capital - Cairo)
  • Zambia (capital - Lusaka)
  • West Sahara
  • Zimbabwe (capital - Harare)
  • Cape Verde (capital - Praia)
  • Cameroon (capital - Yaounde)
  • Kenya (capital - Nairobi)
  • Comoros (capital - Moroni)
  • Congo (capital - Brazzaville)
  • Cote d'Ivoire (capital - Yamoussoukro)
  • Lesotho (capital - Maseru)
  • Liberia (capital - Monrovia)
  • Libya (capital - Tripoli)
  • Mauritius (capital - Port Louis)
  • Mauritania (capital - Nouakchott)
  • Madagascar (capital - Antananarivo)
  • Malawi (capital - Lilongwe)
  • Mali (capital - Bamako)
  • Morocco (capital - Rabat)
  • Mozambique (capital - Maputo)
  • Namibia (capital - Windhoek)
  • Niger (capital - Niamey)
  • Nigeria (capital - Abuja)
  • Saint Helena (capital - Jamestown) (UK)
  • Reunion (capital - Saint-Denis) (France)
  • Rwanda (capital - Kigali)
  • Sao Tome and Principe (capital - Sao Tome)
  • Swaziland (capital - Mbabane)
  • Seychelles (capital - Victoria)
  • Senegal (capital - Dakar)
  • Somalia (capital - Mogadishu)
  • Sudan (capital - Khartoum)
  • Sierra Leone (capital - Freetown)
  • Tanzania (capital - Dodoma)
  • Togo (capital - Lome)
  • Tunisia (capital - Tunisia)
  • Uganda (capital - Kampala)
  • Central African Republic (capital - Bangui)
  • Chad (capital - N'Djamena)
  • Equatorial Guinea (capital - Malabo)
  • Eritrea (capital - Asmara)
  • Ethiopia (capital - Addis Ababa)
  • Republic of South Africa (capital - Pretoria)

What have we learned?

Africa is the hottest continent on Earth. There are 54 independent states on the continent, which belong to one of five regions: North Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, South Africa. African countries and their capitals are unique. Each country has its own characteristics and characteristics.

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Africa is a huge continent with many countries. Consider the West African region, countries and their capitals.

West Africa, a region of the West African continent comprising the countries of:

  1. (the capital is Porto-Novo; the seat of government is the city of Cotonou),
  2. Burkina Faso (capital Ouagadougou),
  3. Cameroon (capital Yaounde),
  4. Cape Verde (capital of Praia),
  5. Congo (capital Brazzaville),
  6. Cote d'Ivoire (capital Yamoussoukro),
  7. Equatorial Guinea,
  8. Gambia (capital Banjul),
  9. Ghana (capital Accra),
  10. Guinea (capital of Conakry),
  11. Guinea-Bissau (capital of Bissau),
  12. Gabon (capital Liberville),
  13. Liberia (capital Monrovia),
  14. Mali (capital Bamako),
  15. Mauritania (capital Nouakchott),
  16. Niger (capital Niamey),
  17. Nigeria (capital Abuja),
  18. Senegal (capital Dakar),
  19. Sierra Leone (capital Freetown),
  20. Togo (capital Lome).

In addition, the West African region includes the overseas territories of Great Britain - the islands of Ascension, Tristan da Cunha (with its capital Jamestown).

West Africa is a term used in Encyclopedia Britannica.

West Africa Map

It runs from Guinea at the northwestern tip of Africa to Angola in the south, along the western coast of Africa.

Notes:
Guinea (country of susu) - Lower Guinea with the capital Conakry.
Fulbe - Middle Guinea and a small part of Upper Guinea around the city of Dabola. The most likely capital is the city of Labe.
Mandingo (country of the Mandingo peoples, the largest of which is the Malinke) - most of Upper Guinea and Forest Guinea. The capital is the city of Kankan.

Benin State is the historical name of the state near the Niger Delta. The northern part of Benin, together with the northern part of Togo, forms the state of Gour.

Hausa - Nigerian provinces of Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi (capital - Jos); the southern provinces of Maradi, Tahwa, Zinder (the capital is the city of Kano, the modern center of the Hausa).
Yoruba - provinces of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Kwara (capital - Ibadan). The former capital of all of Nigeria, the city of Lagos is inhabited by representatives of different ethnic groups from all over Nigeria.
Igbo - Anambra and Imo provinces (capital - Enugu).
Edo - Bendel province (capital - Benin city).
Indo-European Rivers Province and Bendel Province (capital - Port Harcourt).
Cross is the province of Cross River (the capital is the city of Calabar).
Bornu is a province of Bornu in the departments of Diffa and Zinder (the capital is the city of Maiduguri).
Nupe is a province of Niger and a small territory of Kwara (the capital is the city of Beda).
Igala is the western part of Benue Province (the capital is Idah).
Benue - east of Igala (capital - Oturkpo).
Tiwi is the western part of the Plateau province and the central part of the Benue province (the capital is the city of Makurdi).
Benue is the province of Gongola and the eastern parts of the provinces of Plateau and Benue (the capital is the city of Yola).

Mandara (country of the Mandara ethnic group) is the Northern province (the capital is the city of Garwah).
Adamawa (country of central Cameroon, the Fulani ethnic group and small ethnic groups: Chamba, Duru, Bute - the southern part of the Northern province (the capital is the city of Ngaoundere).
Bamum (country of the Bamum, Bamileke, Tikar ethnic groups) is the Western and Northwestern provinces (the capital is the city of Bafoussam).

Fanґ (country of the Fanґ ethnic group) is a province of modern Cameroon; Gabonese province of Volev-Ntem, northern part of Ogooue-Ivindo, Estuere; The mainland of modern Equatorial Guinea is Mbini (the capital is the city of Yaoundén / the current capital of Cameroon).
Cameroon Province Coastal and southern part of the South-West Province (capital - Douala).

Loango - the remaining territories of modern Gabon (the capital is the city of Libreville / the modern capital of Gabon).

Bioko (country of the Bube ethnic group) is the territory of the island of Bioko (the capital is the city of Malabo / the current capital of Equatorial Guinea).

The territorial limits of Sao Tome and Principe with its capital in the city of Sao Tome.

Africa is the second largest continent in the world, followed by Eurasia.

Interesting facts about African countries:

  • Algeria is the largest country in Africa. More than 80% of the territory is occupied by the Sahara Desert.
  • Angola. The capital of Angola, Luanda, is considered the most expensive city to live in, but 50% of the country's population cannot read and write.
  • Benin is a small country, famous for the town of Ouidah, which is considered a stronghold of the Voodoo religion. Benin is one of the countries in Africa that fully provides itself with all necessary food products.
  • Botswana is one of the least explored countries in Africa. More than 70% of the territory is desert.

  • Burkina Faso is a country with a very low standard of living. In the country it is rare to meet a person over 65 years old. The country is visited extremely rarely by tourists.
  • Burundi is a country without hospitals. There are only about 200 doctors and nurses in the entire state, so the level of medical care is one of the lowest in the world.
  • Gabon is one of the most stable and richest countries on the African continent. About 80% of the country's territory is occupied by tropical forests.
  • The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa by area.
  • Ghana is the first state in West Africa to gain independence from the British people.
  • Guinea is the leader in bauxite reserves. It is among the 10 poorest countries in the world.
  • Guinea-Bissau. There is not a single power plant in the country. Electricity is supplied from city generators and is turned on only for 2-3 hours a day.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo. The main attraction of the republic is the Congo River, which is one of the deepest in the world.
  • Djibouti is one of the driest countries in the world.
  • Egypt is one of the cheapest and most popular resorts in the world. Famous for its developed infrastructure in tourist cities. But outside the tourist area, Egyptians live very poorly. It is in Egypt that one of the seven wonders of the world is located - the Pyramid of Cheops.

    One of the wonders of the world is the Pyramid of Cheops. Egypt

  • Zambia is the first African country to make banknotes from plastic rather than paper. The most visited place by tourists is the village of Mukuni artisans.
  • Zimbabwe. One of the world's coffee exporters. The country has a very high unemployment rate in 2019 – about 80%.
  • Cape Verde is a country of 18 islands. The state is engaged in the production and export of footwear.
  • Cameroon. Half of the state's territory is occupied by forests, which are home to the largest goliath frogs in the world. The population lives below the poverty line, but despite this, the people of Cameroon are always hospitable and good-natured towards tourists.
  • Kenya is the country with the largest international airport in East Africa. Kenya is different from other countries. There are no seasons in the country, there are only seasons: dry and rainy.
  • Comoros Islands. A country where it is impossible to pay with a bank card. There are not even ATMs on the territory of the state.
  • Congo is famous for the most dangerous dormant volcano in the world - Newiragongo.
  • Cote d'Ivoire. More than 60 peoples live in the state. It is in this country that the largest church in the world is located.
  • Lesotho is located in the highlands. There are two diamond mines in the country.
  • Liberia. The country has not yet fully recovered from the war in 1980. The population lives below the poverty line. The only country in the world where there is not a single traffic light.
  • Libya. 90% of the area is covered by desert. A state with a very limited number of animals and plants. The lack of flora and fauna is caused by the arid climate.
  • Mauritius is a tourist resort that ranks second in terms of living standards on the African continent.
  • Mauritania. All the rivers in this country dry up in the summer, except for one - Senegal. 100% of the Mauritanian population professes Islam.
  • Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. The country is the world's first producer of vanilla.
  • Malawi is the poorest republic in Africa. The country is famous for its orchids; more than 400 species grow on the territory of the state.
  • Mali. The country ranks among the world's leading gold exporters.
  • Morocco is a tourist country, visited by more than 10 million tourists every year. In the country, namely in Casablanca, there is the tallest religious building - the Hassan Mosque 2.
  • Mozambique. About 25% of the country's population does not consider themselves followers of any faith, although they are not atheists. Meat is rare in Mozambique.
  • Namibia. On its territory there is the world's largest underground lake. Tourists are attracted to Namibia by the “skeleton coast” - a surf line strewn with whale skeletons.

    “Skeleton Coast” is one of the most memorable places

  • Niger. About 80% of the republic's area is occupied by the Sahara Desert. Niger is first in the world in terms of birth rate.
  • Nigeria is the republic that ranks first in Africa in terms of population. The country is engaged in the production and export of oil and petroleum products.
  • Rwanda is the country with the tallest inhabitants on the planet. Rwanda has no railways or trams. The country is one of the few in Africa that does not experience a shortage of drinking water.
  • Sao Tome and Principe are islands that are extinct volcanoes. The islands are popular with a local attraction - the Mouth of Hell (a place in the rocks from where a stream of sea water flows).
  • Swaziland is a country with 2 capitals: Mbabane and Lobamba. The country is ruled by a king, but his power is partially limited by parliament. The republic ranks first in the world in terms of the number of HIV-infected people.
  • Seychelles is one of the most expensive resorts in the world. The Seychelles includes 115 islands, of which only 33 are inhabited.
  • Senegal. The national symbol of this country is the baobab. The famous Paris-Dakar rally is held annually in the capital of Senegal.

    The Paris-Dakar Rally is a dream for many

  • Somalia is one of the most armed countries in the world. For local residents, constantly carrying firearms is considered the norm. Somalia is a country with anarchy.
  • Sudan is a state where marriages with deceased people are legally permitted. Sudan is the world's largest importer of gum arabic.
  • Sierra Leone. One of the poorest countries in the world. Half of the republic's population cannot read or write.
  • Tanzania. A third of the country is occupied by nature reserves. The republic is characterized by a low level of education. According to statistics, only half of Tanzanian children attend school. The country has 2 capitals and the largest crater in the world - Ngorongoro.
  • Togo is a country known for having the largest traditional market in the world, where you can buy absolutely everything. Togo is a country of contrasts, where monolithic elite high-rise buildings border on the mud huts of the poor.
  • Tunisia is a popular tourist country, famous not only for its unique culture and nature, but also for its “Rose of the Sahara” landmark. This crystal is formed in the desert from salt and sand. Many tourists buy crystal as a souvenir to decorate aquariums and houses.

    The amazing phenomenon “Rose of the Sahara”

  • Uganda is the youngest republic in the world. The average age of Ugandans is 15 years. The country is home to one of the deepest lakes in the world - Albertina.
  • The Central African Republic is a state with incredible reserves of uranium, gold, oil and diamonds. But despite this, the country is among the 30 poorest republics in the world.
  • Chad. The country is named after Lake Chad, which is located on its territory. The country does not have a complete railway connection. This republic amazes with its dry and arid climate; the maximum temperature in the shade in summer reaches 56 degrees Celsius.
  • Equatorial Guinea is a country where the land is bright red due to the special composition of the soil. In Equatorial Guinea, gold mining is available to everyone.
  • Eritrea is one of the poorest countries on the planet. Eritrea has no national language. This country became famous in the world thanks to the 30-year war for independence.
  • Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country on the planet. Ethiopia is an agricultural country where cereals, sugar cane, potatoes and cotton are grown.
  • South Africa is the most diverse national republic on the African continent. South Africa is the most developed country in Africa.
  • South Sudan is one of the least developed republics in Africa. The country doesn't even have running water. South Sudan is famous for constant civil wars and political upheavals.

The area of ​​South Africa is 3.1 million square meters. km. The region is characterized by the development of the mining industry.

Table: Southern African countries

North Africa is washed by the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea. Area - about 10,000,000 sq. km. Most of this part of the African continent is occupied by the Sahara Desert.

Table: North African countries

West Africa is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Covers the Sahel and Sudan regions. This part of the continent is leader in the number of HIV infections and malaria.

Table: West African countries

State Square Population of the state Capital
Benin 112 620 10 741 458 Porto-Novo, Cotonou
Burkina Faso 274,200 17 692 391 Ouagadougou
Gambia 10 380 1 878 999 Banjul
Ghana 238 540 25 199 609 Accra
Guinea 245 857 11 176 026 Conakry
Guinea-Bissau 36 120 1 647 000 Bissau
Cape Verde 4 033 523 568 Praia
Ivory Coast 322 460 23,740,424 Yamoussoukro
Liberia 111 370 4 294 000 Monrovia
Mauritania 1 030 700 3 359 185 Nouakchott
Mali 1 240 000 15 968 882 Bamako
Niger 1 267 000 23 470 530 Niamey
Nigeria 923 768 186 053 386 Abuja
Senegal 196 722 13 300 410 Dakar
Sierra Leone 71 740 5 363 669 Freetown
Togo 56 785 7 154 237 Lome

In 2019, the states of Central Africa have a very good range of natural resources, so the countries are not only actively developing the industrial sector, but are also the leading subjects of foreign trade on the African continent.

Table: countries of Central Africa

State Square Population of the state Capital
Angola 1 246 700 20 172 332 Luanda
Gabon 267 667 1 738 541 Libreville
Cameroon 475 440 20 549 221 Yaounde
Democratic Republic of the Congo 2 345 410 77 433 744 Kinshasa
Congo 342 000 4 233 063 Brazzaville
Sao Tome and Principe 1001 163 000 Sao Tome
CAR 622 984 5 057 000 Bangui
Chad 1 284 000 11 193 452 N'Djamena
Equatorial Guinea 28 051 740 743 Malabo

East Africa occupies the highest part of the continent. It is in this part that the highest point in Africa is located - Kilimanjaro. Most of the territory is savannah. East Africa has the largest number of national and protected parks. East Africa is characterized by frequent civil wars and armed conflicts.

Table: East African countries

State Square Population of the state Capital
Burundi 27 830 11 099 298 Bujumbura
Djibouti 22 000 818 169 Djibouti
Zambia 752 614 14 222 233 Lusaka
Zimbabwe 390 757 14 229 541 Harare
Kenya 582 650 44 037 656 Nairobi
Comoros (Comoros) 2 170 806 153 Moroni
Mauritius 2040 1 295 789 Port Louis
Madagascar 587 041 24 235 390 Antananarivo
Malawi 118 480 16 777 547 Lilongwe
Mozambique 801 590 25 727 911 Maputo
Rwanda 26 338 12 012 589 Kigali
Seychelles 451 90 024 Victoria
Somalia 637 657 10 251 568 Mogadishu
Tanzania 945 090 48 261 942 Dodoma
Uganda 236 040 34 758 809 Kampala
Eritrea 117 600 6 086 495 Asmara
1 104 300 90 076 012 Addis Ababa
South Sudan 619 745 12 340 000 Juba

On the territory of the African continent there are 55 countries that are bordered by:

  1. Mediterranean Sea.
  2. Red Sea.
  3. Indian Ocean.
  4. Atlantic Ocean.

The area of ​​the African continent is 29.3 million square kilometers. If we take into account the islands near Africa, the area of ​​this continent increases to 30.3 million square kilometers.

The African continent occupies approximately 6% of the total area of ​​the globe.

The largest country in Africa is Algeria. The area of ​​this state is 2,381,740 square kilometers.

Table. Largest states in Africa:

List of largest cities by population:

  1. Nigeria - 166,629,390 people. In 2017, it was the most populous country in Africa.
  2. Egypt - 82,530,000 people.
  3. Ethiopia - 82,101,999 people.
  4. Republic of the Congo. The population of this African country is 69,575,394 inhabitants.
  5. Republic of South Africa. There were 50,586,760 people living in South Africa in 2017.
  6. Tanzania. This African country has a population of 47,656,370 people.
  7. Kenya. This African country has a population of 42,749,420 people.
  8. Algeria. This tropical African country is home to 36,485,830 people.
  9. Uganda - 35,620,980 people.
  10. Morocco - 32,668,000 people.

When we hear the word "Africa", we immediately imagine beautiful nature, many exotic animals. And, indeed, Africa is famous for this. Africa is a large continent of a wide variety of cultures and landscapes, surpassed in size and population only by Asia.

Africa is also very beautiful because it is located in several natural zones and climatic zones, which makes its flora and fauna simply unique. On the African continent you can see deserts that are completely unsuitable for economic use, which look very impressive, and lush evergreen forests and savannas. Africa is home to approximately 14% of the world's population and accounts for more than 20% of the land surface. Much of this land is dominated by deserts and savanna plains, although there are also areas of tropical forest.

The flora of Africa is so rich that it is difficult to describe, since it is impossible to give preference to anything. And the animal world, for the most part, depends on the plant world. Many will not agree with this, however, this is true, because in Africa there are a lot of birds that need trees, a lot of snakes that need deserts, a large number of ungulates that also need certain natural conditions.

On the map of Africa you can see more than 50 countries of the world. Just half a century ago, most of them were ruled by strong European powers who enriched themselves from the natural resources of their colonies. Since the 1960s, African countries began to gain independence. However, years of foreign domination doomed the majority of Africans to poverty and deprived them of the opportunity to receive an education and a profession. The result of colonial rule was wars between many nationalities, and ancestral territories were divided by new state borders.

Due to Africa's history as a colonized continent, traditional African culture has experienced strong Arab and European influences. Especially the northern parts of Africa, including the Maghreb countries and Egypt, which belong more to the Arab world than to the African world. Arab influence is also visible along the western coastline and offshore islands such as Zanzibar, Madagascar and Mauritius. European influence is widespread throughout the continent, but the English influence is most noticeable and is most felt in southern Africa, in countries such as South Africa and Namibia.

Africa in the language of numbers and facts:

  • The area of ​​Africa is 30.3 million km2, the area of ​​the African islands is 1.1 million km2 (the largest of which is Madagascar - 587 thousand km2).
  • Africa is the second largest continent on the planet, second only to Eurasia.
  • Africa, including the African islands, occupies 1/5 of the Earth's land area.
  • Africa contains 70% of proven diamond reserves and 55% of gold.
  • The highest point of the mainland is the Kilimanjaro volcano - 5895 m, the lowest is Lake Assal - (-153) m.
  • The northern point is Cape El Abyard, the southern point is Cape Agulhas, the eastern point is Cape Almadi, the western point is Cape Ras Hafun.
  • The largest lake in Africa is Lake Victoria (area 68.4 km2).
  • The largest state in Africa by area is Algeria - 2.381 million km 2.

Africa is the largest continent on the planet, which in terms of size and population ranks second after Eurasia. This occupies 6% of the Earth's area and more than 20% of the entire land area. The list consists of 62 units. Conventionally, this continent is divided into four parts - Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern. These borders coincide with the borders of the states that are located there. Some of them have access to the seas and oceans, others are located inland.

Geographical location of the continent

Africa itself is located, one might say, in the center of the planet. From the north it is washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, from the northeast by the Red Sea and the eastern part is bathed in the waters of the Indian Ocean, and all the western coasts, among which there are both resorts and industrial cities, are plunged into the waters of the Atlantic. The relief, as well as the flora and fauna of this continent are very diverse and mysterious. Most of it is occupied by deserts, where incredible heat persists all year round. However, in some regions there are mountains covered with eternal snow. It is impossible to fully imagine a list of African countries without some of the natural features of each of them.

Countries and cities

Now we will look at the largest and most famous countries in Africa. A list with capitals, as well as languages ​​used, is given below:

  • Algeria - Algeria - Arabic.
  • Angola - Luanda - Portuguese.
  • Botswana - Gaborone - Setswana, English.
  • Guinea - Conakry - French.
  • Zambia - Lusaka - English.
  • Egypt - Cairo - Arabic.
  • Kenya - Nairobi - English, Swahili.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo - Kinshasa - French.
  • Libya - Tripoli - Arabic.
  • Mauritania - Nouakchott - Arabic.
  • Madagascar - Antananarivo - French, Malagasy.
  • Mali - Bamako - French.
  • Morocco - Rabat - Arabic.
  • Somalia - Mogadishu - Arabic, Somalia.
  • Sudan - Khartoum - Arabic.
  • Tanzania - Dodoma - Swahili, English.
  • Tunisia - Tunisia - Arabic.
  • South Africa - Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfont - Zulu, Swati, English and many others.

This is not a complete list of African countries. Among them there are also very poorly developed areas that are part of both other African and European powers.

Northern region closest to Europe

It is generally accepted that the most developed regions are the North and a small part of the South. All other states are in the so-called “safari” zone. There is an unfavorable climate for life, desert terrain, and the absence of inland waters. Now we will briefly look at what they are. The list consists of 6 administrative units, which include: Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Sudan. Most of this territory is the Sahara Desert, so local thermometers never drop below 10 degrees Celsius. It is also important to note that in this region, all countries were at one time or another under the rule of European powers. Therefore, local residents are very familiar with the Romano-Germanic family of languages. Nowadays, proximity to the Old World allows residents of North Africa to establish business relations with its representatives.

Other very significant regions of the continent

As mentioned above, the developed countries of Africa are not only in the north of the continent. The list of all the rest is much shorter, since it consists of one power - South Africa. This unique state contains absolutely everything you can imagine. At the height of summer, there is a peak influx of tourists from all over the world. People come to the region to see the unique shores, as well as to swim in the waters of the Indian or Atlantic Ocean. Along with this, fishing, boat trips, and excursions to local museums and attractions are very developed in the region. Along with this, local residents are actively engaged in the extraction of diamonds and oil, which are concentrated in huge quantities in the depths of this region.

South African cities that amaze with their beauty

Sometimes you get the feeling that the very center of world civilization is concentrated not in Europe, not even in America, but precisely in the very south of the African continent. Here, such world-famous cities as Pretoria, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth have grown up. jacaranda The territory of the cities is inhabited both by white settlers who have settled here for a very long time, and by the historical owners of these lands - black Africans. You can talk about these enchanting places for hours, since they are the best countries and capitals of Africa. The list of southern cities and resorts given above will allow you to better navigate this area.

Conclusion

The cradle of all earthly humanity, the birthplace of minerals and jewelry, unique natural wonders and luxurious resorts that contrast with the poverty of the local population - all this is concentrated on one single continent. A simple listing of names - a list of African countries - cannot fully reveal all the potential that is stored in these lands and on their surface, and in order to get to know these territories, you need to go there and see everything with your own eyes.

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