|
Africa covers an area of around 30.3 million km²,
which corresponds to around 22% of the earth's land
area. Around 1.1 billion people live on the continent
in 54 independent states, with the continent having the
highest population growth of all continents.
The smallest country on the continent, with an area
of 11,295 square kilometers Gambia, and the largest was
up to the independence of South Sudan of Sudan km² with
an area of 2,505,813. Since then, Algeria has been the
largest country in Africa with an area of 2,381,741
km² - closely followed by the Democratic Republic of the
Congo with an area of 2,344,885 km².
The densely populated state is Nigeria with over 186
million residents.
The largest island on the continent is Madagascar,
which has an area of 587,041 km². After Indonesia,
Madagascar is the second largest island nation in the
world.
The longest river on the continent is the Nile with a
length of over 6,500 km, the highest mountain is
Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with a height of 5,895 m and the
largest lake on the continent is Lake Victoria with an
area of 68,000 km².
The Sahara is 9 million square kilometers, the largest
dry desert in the world.
Africa is considered the cradle of humanity. The
oldest traces of Homo erectus (1.5 million years old)
were found here, followed by Homo sapiens about 250,000
years ago.
The continent exports around 70% of the world market
share in cocoa, 50% in diamonds, 25% in gold and around
10% in oil. Other export items are coffee, fruits such
as bananas, citrus fruits and others - as well as
numerous tropical woods. South Africa's share of global
coal production is around 6% after China, the USA, India
and Australia.
From July 9-11, 2002, a conference on the
establishment of the African Union (AU) took place in
Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. With the exception of
Morocco, all African countries now belong to this union
with its headquarters in Addis Ababa/Ethiopia. It is the
successor organization to the OAU, which was founded on
May 25, 1963, to which it has more rights.
Congo Conference
From November 15, 1884 to February 26, 1885, a
conference of 14 heads of state took place in Berlin at
the invitation of Chancellor von Bismarck, in which,
among other things, the division of Africa among the
colonial powers was decided. The effects of this
conference - known as the Congo Conference or the Berlin
Conference, can still be felt today.
Note
The population figures of the countries listed are
mostly extrapolations and estimates and therefore only a
rough guide. In addition, they are changing as a result
of refugee movements.
In providing this information, we relied on the Foreign
Office in Berlin and information from the embassies.
| Country |
Area in km² |
Population in millions |
Capital |
| Egypt |
1,001,450 |
about 100 |
Cairo |
| Equatorial Guinea |
28.051 |
1.3 |
Malabo |
| Ethiopia |
1,104,300 |
115 |
Addis Ababa |
| Algeria |
2,381,741 |
44 |
Algiers |
| Angola |
1,246,700 |
26 |
Luanda |
| Benin |
112,622 |
12 |
Porto Novo (seat of government in Cotonou) |
| Botswana, Botswana |
582,000 |
2.3 |
Gaborone |
| Burkina Faso |
274.200 |
20 |
Ouagadougou |
| Burundi |
27,834 |
11.5 |
Bujumbura |
| Democratic Republic of Congo |
2,345,410 |
85 |
Kinshasa |
| Djibouti |
23,200 |
0.92 |
Djibouti |
| Ivory Coast |
322,461 |
26 |
Yamoussoukro, reg. Seat: Abidjan |
| Eritrea |
124,000 |
9 |
Asmara |
| Gabon |
267,667 |
2 |
Libreville |
| Gambia |
11,295 |
2.3 |
Banjul |
| Ghana |
238,537 |
31 |
Accra |
| Guinea |
250.158 |
13 |
Conakry |
| Guinea-Bissau |
36,125 |
1.9 |
Bissau |
| Cameroon |
475,442 |
25 |
Yaoundé |
| Cape Verde |
4.033 |
0.55 |
Praia |
| Kenya |
580.367 |
50 |
Nairobi |
| Comoros |
1,862 |
0.87 |
Moroni |
| Lesotho |
30,355 |
2.1 |
Maseru |
| Liberia |
111,370 |
5 |
Monrovia |
| Libya |
1,775,500 |
6.7 |
Tripoli |
| Madagascar |
587.041 |
27 |
Antananarivo |
| Malawi |
118,484 |
19 |
Lilongwe |
| Mali |
1,240,192 |
20.2 |
Bamako |
| Morocco |
459,000 |
36.5 |
Rabat |
| Mauritania |
1,030,700 |
4.5 |
Nouakchott |
| Mauritius |
2,040 |
1.3 |
Port Louis |
| Mozambique |
799.380 |
30 |
Maputo |
| Namibia |
824.292 |
2.7 |
Windhoek |
| Niger |
1,267,000 |
23.3 |
Niamey |
| Nigeria |
923,768 |
214 |
since December 12, 1991 Abuja |
| Republic of the Congo |
342,000 |
5.5 |
Brazzaville |
| Rwanda |
26,340 |
13 |
Kigali |
| Zambia |
752.614 |
18.3 |
Lusaka |
| Sao Tome and Principe |
1,001 |
0.210 |
Sao Tome |
| Senegal |
196.190 |
16 |
Dakar |
| Seychelles |
455 |
0.095 |
Victoria |
| Sierra Leone |
71,740 |
7.5 |
Freetown |
| Zimbabwe |
390,580 |
16.5 |
Harare |
| Somalia |
637.657 |
15.9 |
Mogadishu |
| South Africa |
1,219,090 |
59.6 |
Pretoria |
| Sudan |
approx. 1,850,000 |
43.5 |
Khartoum |
| South Sudan |
619,000-644,000 |
12.9 |
Juba (Juba) |
| Swazila |
17,364 |
1.2 |
Mbabane (seat of government in Lobamba) |
| Tanzania |
945.087 |
59 |
Dodoma (seat of government in Dar es Salaam) |
| Togo |
56,785 |
8 |
Lomé |
| Chad |
1,284,000 |
16.5 |
N'Djamena |
| Tunisia |
164.150 |
11.7 |
Tunis |
| Uganda |
241.040 |
44 |
Kampala |
| Central African Republic |
622.984 |
4.8 |
Bangui |
Source:
List of Countries in Africa – Countryaah.com
Here are brief introduction for each country in
Africa:
- Egypt: Egypt is best known as the land of the
pharaohs and pyramids. In the wake of the "Arab
Spring", the first demonstrations began in January
2011, leading to the resignation of Egyptian
President Mubarak and the formation of a military
council.
- Equatorial Guinea: In 1963, its total
independence (of the country got its internal
autonomy and then on October 12, 1968 Spain).
- Ethiopia: Former Emperor Haile Selassie was
overthrown in 1974.
- Algeria: After a gruesome and bloody eight-year
war, the country gained independence from France in
the Treaty of Evian (Évian-les-Bains / France) in
1962. After the separation of South Sudan from
Sudan, Algeria is the country with the largest area
in Africa.
- Angola: The country gained independence (from
Portugal) on November 11, 1975.
But shortly afterwards, a civil war that lasted
until 2002 broke out, mainly between the former
liberation movements MPLA, UNITA and FNLA.
Up to 50,000 Cuban soldiers temporarily supported
the Marxist MPLA.
- Benin: Until 1975 the country was called
Dahomey. As early as August 1, 1960, what was then
Dahomey gained its independence (from France).
- Botswana: The country, located in southern
Africa and with no access to the sea, gained
political independence (from Great Britain) on
September 30, 1966.
- Burkina Faso: The very poor but relatively
peaceful country gained independence (from France)
on August 5th, 1960.
- Burundi: From 1885 to 1918 it was part of German
East Africa. It later fell to Belgium, from which it
gained independence on July 1, 1962:
- Democratic Republic of Congo: The former Zaire
became independent on June 30, 1960 (from Belgium)
- Djibouti: The country achieved its independence
on June 27, 1977, after it had already been granted
extensive self-government by France in 1972.
- Ivory Coast: The country gained full
independence (from France) on August 7, 1960.
- Eritrea: After around 30 years of civil war,
Eritrea declared its independence on May 24, 1993
and thus separated from its dependence on Ethiopia.
- Gabon: The country, located on the Atlantic
Ocean, gained its independence (from France) on
August 17, 1960.
- Gambia: Gambia is the smallest country in terms
of area on the African continent (excluding the
island states). The country on the Atlantic Ocean
achieved its political independence on February 18,
1965 (from
Great Britain), it is completely surrounded by
Senegal (except for the coast).
- Ghana: The country has an approximately 540 km
long coast to the Atlantic. It became independent on
March 6, 1957 and at the same time a member of the
Commonwealth.
- Guinea: The country on the Atlantic Ocean
achieved its political independence (from France) on
October 2, 1958. The first president was Sékou Touré
(1922-1984 in the USA).
- Guinea-Bissau: The country on the Atlantic Ocean
declared its independence from Portugal on September
24, 1973, which was then recognized on September 10,
1974.
- Cameroon: This Central African country, located
on the Atlantic Ocean, gained political sovereignty
(from France) on January 1st, 1960.
- Cape Verde: The island state in the central
Atlantic consists of nine inhabited islands.
- Kenya: This East African seaside country
achieved political independence (from Great Britain)
on December 12, 1963. There are numerous national
parks in the country.
- Comoros: The Comoros, located in the Indian
Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar, comprise
three of the four main islands of the Comoros
Archipelago.
- Lesotho: The Kingdom of Lesotho is an enclave in
the territory of South Africa. The country achieved
its political independence on October 4, 1966 (from
Great Britain).
- Liberia: The country on the Atlantic Ocean is
the second longest independent country in Africa. It
became a sovereign state on July 26, 1847.
- Libya: The country has been effectively ruled by
Muammar al-Gaddafi since 1969. Demonstrations
against his rule began in February 2011. Gaddafi was
shot dead on February 15, 2011. A national
transitional council was established.
- Madagascar: After Indonesia, Madagascar is the
second largest island in terms of area state of the
earth. It is located off the east coast of
Mozambique in the Indian Ocean.
- Malawi: Malawi is a landlocked country in
Southeast Africa. On July 6, 1964, the country
gained political independence from Great Britain.
- Mali: Mali is a landlocked country, about half
of which consists of desert (Sahara). It is one of
the poorest countries in the world. Nevertheless,
the coexistence of people is very peaceful. On
September 22nd, 1960 the country gained independence
(from France).
- Morocco: Kingdom in the northwest of the
continent.
- Mauritania: Islamic Presidential Republic. Since
independence in 1960 (from France) alternating
military regimes in power, currently a "Military
Council for Justice and Democracy" rules, which
wants to hold elections soon.
- Mauritius: Mauritius is located east of
Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.
- Mozambique: The country is located in Southeast
Africa on the Indian Ocean. On June 25, 1975, it
gained political independence (from Portugal).
- Namibia: The former German South West Africa,
known among other things from the genocide of the
Hereros in 1904 by German colonial troops.
- Niger: The country is a landlocked country in
northern Africa. It borders Algeria and Libya to the
north. The country is one of the least developed
countries in the world. The country achieved its
political independence on August 3, 1960 (from
France).
- Nigeria: The oil country in West Africa with
Christian and Muslim residents. Independent since
October 1st, 1960
- Republic of the Congo: The Republic of the Congo
gained independence (from France) on August 15,
1960.
- Rwanda: Here, in 1994, nearly 800,000 Tutsis
were murdered by Hutum militias without UN
intervention.
- Zambia: The country in southern Africa achieved
its political independence (from Great Britain) on
October 24, 1864.
- Sao Tome and Principe: The island nation is
located in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of
Africa. Sao Tomé is named after Saint Thomas.
Principé is the Prince's island.
- Senegal: The country on the Atlantic coast
surrounds Gambia. It became politically independent
(from France) on August 20, 1960
- Seychelles: The Seychelles are an island nation
in the Indian Ocean.
- Sierra Leone: The country is one of the least
developed countries in the world. It is located on
the Atlantic Ocean in northern Africa. The country
gained its political independence on April 27, 1961
(from Great Britain).
- Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe is the former Rhodesia. The
former freedom fighter Robert Gabriel Mugabe (born
1924) has been president since 1987 and is in the
process of ruining the country economically,
politically and morally.
- Somalia: Known from the storming of the hijacked
Lufthansa plane "Landshut" in Mogadishu in 1977 by
the GSG 9 border guard.
- South Africa: Apartheid was abolished in 1994
and Nelson Mandela was elected President on May 9th
of that year.
- Sudan: The former country with the largest area
in Africa is located in Northeast Africa on the Red
Sea. After South Sudan's independence on July 9,
2011, he had to cede this top position to Algeria.
- South Sudan: On July 9, 2011, as a result of the
referendum of 9 January 2011, South Sudan achieved
2011 until January 16 its independence from Sudan.
- Swaziland: The absolutist Kingdom of Swaziland
achieved political independence (from Great Britain)
on September 6, 1968.
- Tanzania: Here you will find the highest
mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro, and the famous
Serengeti National Park with an area of 14,763 km2.
- Togo: From 1884 to 1914 the area was a German
protected area as a Togoland. On April 27, 1960 the
country gained its political independence (from
France).
- Chad: This state, located in the middle of
Africa and bordering Libya in the north, received
its political independence (from France) on August
11, 1960.
- Tunisia: In the country is the former Carthage
(near today's Tunis), which was founded in 146 BC.
Was completely destroyed by the Romans. In December
2010 the Jasmine Revolution began in Tunisia. Head
of State Ben Ali left the country on January 14,
2011. Prime Minister Ghannouchi formed a
transitional government three days later.
- Uganda: The country's most famous politician is
without a doubt Idi Amin (1924-2003). After he had
put himself to power in 1971, he had around 300,000
people murdered, sometimes under barbaric
circumstances. In 1979, after Ugandans in exile and
Tanzanian troops had conquered the country, he fled
via Iraq to Saudi Arabia, where he died in a
comfortable villa on August 16, 2003.
- Central African Republic: On August 13, 1962,
the country gained full sovereignty (from France).
Islands and island countries
| Canaries (politically belong to Spain) |
Area: 7,447 km2,
population: 1.9 million,
administrative headquarters: Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria administers the eastern islands of Gran
Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. From Santa
Cruz de Tenerife the western islands of
Tenerife, La Palma and El Hierro. |
| Cape Verde |
Capital: Praia, area: 4,033 km2,
residents: 418,000. |
| Comoros |
Capital: Moroni, area: 1,862 km2,
population: 715,000 |
| Madagascar |
Capital: Antananarivo, area: 587,041 km2,
population: 17 million. |
| Mauritius |
Capital: Port Louis, area: 2,040 km2,
population: 1.2 million |
| Réunion, belongs to France |
Capital: Saint Denis, area: 2,517 km2,
population: 767,000 |
| Sankt Helena, belongs to Great Britain |
Main town: Jamestown., Area: 414 km2,
population: 7500 |
| Seychelles |
Capital: Victoria, area: 455 km2,
population: 82,000 |
| Madeira in the Atlantic, belongs to Portugal |
Capital: Funchal, area: 794 km2,
population: 270,000 |
| Mayotte, belong to France |
Capital: Mamoutzou, area: 374 km2,
population: 186,000 |
CFA franc
The CFA Franc or Franc CFA (FCFA) is the official
currency of the 14 African countries that were formerly
colonies of France. In colonial times, the abbreviation
stood for Colonies Francaise d'Afrique. Today the
abbreviation stands for Franc de la
Communanté Financiére d'Afrique in the
countries of the UEMOA. In the countries of CEMAC, the
same abbreviation stands for Franc de la
Coopération Financiére en Afrique Central.
The UEMOA (Union économique et Monétaire Ouest
Africaine) is the abbreviation for the West African
Economic and Monetary Union, to which the following
countries belong:
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Ivory Coast
- Guinea-Bissau
- Mali
- Niger
- Senegal
- Togo
The CEMAC (Communauté économique et monétaire de
l'Afrique Centrale) is the abbreviation for the Central
African Economic and Monetary Union. The following six
countries belong to it:
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Cameroon
- Republic of the Congo
- Chad
- Central African Republic
The CFA franc is firmly linked to the euro, but the
values are different for the XAF and XOF. The
following applies to the XOF in the West African
Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) area:
€ 1 = 655,957 CFA francs
For the XAF in the area of the CEMAC, i.e. in the
Central African Economic and Monetary Union, the fixed
exchange rate applies:
1 € = 682,671 CFA francs |