What regions are included in Africa. West Africa: List of West African countries

Beautiful and vibrant Africa is the second largest continent in the world. More than 1 billion people live in its open spaces. And its lands are conditionally divided into 5 regions. Traditionally, the countries of Africa, the list of which consists of 62 items, belong to the following regions:

South.
Western.
Northern.
East.
And Central.

This division is due to different geographical and climatic conditions, differences in cultures and forms of government of states.

There are dependent and independent territories in Africa. There are 37 countries with access to the seas and oceans. Present (10 units). And 16 countries located in the interior of the continent.

African countries: list of states of the southern region

South Africa keeps memories of the colonization period in its memory. Nuclear weapons were developed on its territory, which the government then abandoned. It includes countries such as:

Zimbabwe;
Mozambique;
Comoros;
Seychelles;
Mauritius Island;
Reunion;
Madagascar;
Lesotho;
Botswana;
Swaziland;
Namibia.

The largest country on this earth is the Republic of South Africa (South Africa). Almost the entire population of the Southern Region lives and works there. There are 11 official languages in this territory. The ethnic composition of South Africa is a diverse group of numerous religious associations.

The proximity of the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean make South Africa attractive for tourism. The southern part of the continent is warm and humid all year round. But the climate is temperate, so the heat is tolerated quite easily.

African countries: list of states of the Western region

The humid and windy climate of West Africa is directly dependent on the capricious trade winds. This territory consists of the following countries:

Sierra Leone;
Senegal;
Benin;
Burkina Faso;
Gambia;
Ghana;
Togo;
Guinea;
Guinea-Bissau;
Cape Verde;
Cameroon;
Mauritania;
Nigeria;
Niger;
Mali;
Liberia;
Ivory Coast;
Saint Helena.

The Western region is the birthplace of many African languages. Even today oral folklore is valued on its territory. And ceremonial dances are included in the program of every significant holiday.

The Cameroon Mountains are the natural boundary of this land in the east. In the south of the region itself, the legendary Sahara desert begins. And in the west, the natural boundary forms the Atlantic Ocean.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria a few years ago received the status of the largest oil producer. Most of the population speaks several dialects at once. 527 languages are officially recognized in this country. Among them there are 11 "dead" dialects, English and several other languages of the local ethnic group are taught in state schools.

Abuja is the Nigerian capital, chosen by the government as the most ethnically neutral place in the Western Region. After the completion of the main stages of construction in 1976, Abuja received the status of the main city of Nigeria instead of the overcrowded Logos.

African countries: list of states of the Northern region

A significant part of the Northern region is occupied by the sands of the Sahara desert. The largest states of the entire African continent border on the endless sandy sea:

Sudan;
Tunisia;
Algeria;
Morocco;
Libya;
SADR;
Egypt.

The Mediterranean natural area is considered very comfortable for living. Therefore, there are large tourist sites of the African continent, which are known throughout the world.

The economy of this region is in better condition than in other parts of Africa. The proximity of Europe affects not only the development of the region, but also its cultural heritage.

Tunisia is the country that has the most competitive economy among all African countries. About 10 million people live in Tunisia, most of whom speak Arabic. Almost the entire population of the northern state professes Islam. The Mediterranean climate makes Tunisia an important tourism sector. The country's culture contains a wide variety of trends that are organically woven into the daily life of the Tunisian people.

African countries: list of countries in the Eastern region

East of the mysterious Nile, there are several countries that make up the Eastern Region. Among them are such states as:

Ethiopia;
Eritrea;
Uganda;
Tanzania;
Somalia;
Mayotte;
Kenya;
Djibouti;
Zambia;
Comoros;
Malawi.

The climate of East Africa is arid in the central regions. But on the coast, it quickly changes to tropical. Former colonists set the borders of states rather arbitrarily. Due to the fact that cultural and religious directions were not taken into account, the development of the Eastern region is taking place at a very slow pace.

Kenya is not only a favorite place for tourists, but also a place that has amazing flora and fauna. On the territory of Kenya there are a large number of nature reserves that are protected by the international organization UNESCO.

In Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, people speak English and the local language, Swahili. For a long time this country was a colony of Great Britain.

African countries: list of states of the Central region

In the heart of Africa are the following states:

Angola;
Congo;
Sao Tome;
Equatorial Guinea.

These countries are endowed with a subequatorial climate. Thanks to the extensive river system, it is there that you can see endless forests consisting of evergreen and deciduous trees.

The Republic of the Congo is extremely rich in minerals. This circumstance several centuries ago contributed to the emergence of the African "gold" rush in the country.

The capital of the country with an unusual name Brazzaville is quite developed in terms of education. The literacy rate of the population there reaches 82%. The economy of the state is based on oil production and agriculture. The cultural sector is represented by folk art. The trend of contemporary art is also well developed.

All countries in Africa, the list of which is given above, are considered officially recognized states. Meanwhile, many territories of the African continent have recently embarked on the path of international recognition and so far are not real states. But they still have border symbols on some maps.

Anthropologists call Africa the cradle of civilization. According to research, human culture first appeared there. Paradoxically, in the place of origin of all living things, there are still corners where no human foot has set foot. Of the 29 million square meters, only a small part is inhabited by people. The rest of the space is deserts and tropical forests. African fauna is unique. this continent is not found anywhere else.

Exploring the countries of Africa, the list of which is so diverse, it is difficult to imagine that the Sahara Desert covers an area larger than the entire territory of the United States. Also on the territory of the continent, half of all the gold in the world is mined. And the name of this part of the world comes from one of the most ancient tribes "Afri".

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 items. Conventionally, this mainland 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 position 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 bathes in the waters of the Indian Ocean, and all the western coasts, among which there are both resorts and industrial cities, plunge 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, in which the incredible heat lasts all year round. However, in some regions, mountains covered with eternal snows rise. The list of African countries cannot be fully represented without some of the natural features of each of them.

Countries and cities

Now we will consider the largest and most famous countries in Africa. The list with capitals as well as the languages used is given below:

Algiers - Algiers - 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, Somali.
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 are also very poorly developed territories 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 zone of the so-called "safari". There can be traced an unfavorable climate for life, a desert relief, as well as the absence of internal waters. Now we will briefly look at what they are The list consists of 6 administrative divisions, 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 at one time or another were under the rule of European powers. Therefore, the locals are well acquainted with the Romano-Germanic family of languages. Nowadays, proximity to the Old World allows the inhabitants of North Africa to establish business relations with its representatives.

Other highly significant regions of the continent

As mentioned above, not only in the north of the mainland are the developed countries of Africa. The list of all the rest is much shorter, since it consists of one power - South Africa. This unique state contains absolutely everything that you can imagine. At the height of summer, the peak of the influx of tourists from all over the world can be traced here. People come to the region to look at the unique shores, as well as to swim in the waters of the Indian or Atlantic Ocean. Along with this, fishing, boat trips, 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 the depths of this region in huge quantities.

South African cities that amaze with their beauty

Sometimes there is a feeling that the very center of world civilization is concentrated not in Europe, not even in America, but in the very south of the African continent. Such world-famous cities as Pretoria, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth, which were earlier, grew up here. jacarand. The territory of the cities is inhabited by both white settlers, who have settled here for a very long time, and the historical owners of these lands - black Africans. You can talk about these charming places for hours, since they are the best countries and capitals of Africa. The list of southern cities and resorts above will allow you to better navigate in 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 enumeration of names - a list of African countries - cannot fully reveal all the potential that is stored in these lands and on their surface, but in order to get to know these territories, you need to go there and see everything with your own eyes.

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African countries are very heterogeneous. The total number of states that were formed here at different times, today has 62 countries, the vast majority of which - more than fifty - have the status of independent. Fifteen countries are located inside the continent, 37 have an ocean or sea coast, ten are islands. The African continent is geographically divided into four parts according to the location of the parts of the world: Southern, Northern, Western, Eastern. The mainland is washed by two oceans - the Indian and the Atlantic, of the seas - the most salty Red and the warmest Mediterranean, as well as the Suez Canal.

Central Africa
South Africa
Northern part of the mainland
West Africa
East Africa

Central Africa

In the center of the mainland is the Congo depression, the Andola and Azande plateaus, and the Luandan plateau. The central part of the continent includes coastal territories washed by the Gulf of Guinea and the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The list of states that are located on the territory of the central subregion includes the following:

Republics of Gabon, Cameroon, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic;
Democratic Republic of the Congo;
public education Chad;
the islands of Sao Tome and Principe;

The overseas territory of Britain - the famous island of St. Helena - is usually geographically ranked as a central sub-region.

South Africa

The southern sub-region consists of five countries: the Republic of South Africa, the Kingdom of Swaziland, the Republics of Namibia, Botswana, the Kingdom of Letoso. This list reflects the existence of a regional association: all of these are members of the South African Customs Union. The rich countries of Africa, which are part of it, are engaged in the extraction of diamonds, oil, and other natural resources.

There is another list related to the South African sub-region:

the republics of Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi;
the island states of Mauritius, Madagascar;
the island group of Mayotte.

Territorially adjacent to the region is the island part of the French overseas possessions of Reunion. Sometimes Central African Angola, DR Congo, and East African Tanzania are sometimes referred to the south of the African continent.

Northern part of the mainland

The list of North African countries is short. In the north of the continent, the countries of Africa closest to European are located:

Arab Republic of Egypt;
Algerian People's Democratic Republic;
State of Libya;
Republic of Sudan.

These are the largest African countries, which also have the most developed economies. In addition to them, the Canary Islands are included in the northern subregion. Most of the region is occupied by the Sahara desert.

West Africa

The list of countries in the West African region is quite large:

Republics of Benin, Niger, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Guinea, Cape Verde, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Togolese Republic;
state of Burkina Faso;
Islamic Republic of Mauritania;
federal republic of Nigeria.

Despite the reserves of natural resources, this part of the mainland is considered one of the poorest.

East Africa

The East African subregion is a small country, about two hundred nationalities:

Republic of Kenya, Burundi, Djibouti, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Somalia;
Union of the Comoros;
Seychelles;
State of Eritrea.

The entire mainland is a huge number of language groups, tribal associations. The eastern part of the hottest continent of the planet is engaged in the export of precious metals,

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Africa is a part of the world with an area of \u200b\u200bwith islands of 30.3 million km 2, this is the second place after Eurasia, 6% of the entire surface of our planet and 20% of the land.

Geographical position

Africa is located in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres (most), a small part in the Southern and Western. Like all large fragments of the ancient mainland Gondwana, it has a massive outline, large peninsulas and deep bays are absent. The length of the continent from north to south is 8 thousand km, from west to east - 7.5 thousand km. In the north it is washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, in the northeast by the Red Sea, in the southeast by the Indian Ocean, in the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Africa is separated from Asia by the Suez Canal, from Europe by the Strait of Gibraltar.

Main geographical features

Africa lies on an ancient platform, which determines its flat surface, which in some places is dissected by deep river valleys. On the coast of the mainland there are few lowlands, the northwest is the location of the Atlas Mountains, the northern part, almost completely occupied by the Sahara desert, is the Ahaggar and Tibetsi highlands, the east is the Ethiopian highlands, the southeast is the East African plateau, the extreme south is the Cape and Draconian mountains The highest point in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 m, Masai plateau), the lowest is 157 meters below sea level in Lake Assal. Along the Red Sea, in the Ethiopian Highlands and to the mouth of the Zambezi River, the world's largest fault in the earth's crust stretches, which is characterized by frequent seismic activity.

Rivers flow through Africa: Congo (Central Africa), Niger (West Africa), Limpopo, Orange, Zambezi (South Africa), as well as one of the deepest and longest rivers in the world - the Nile (6852 km), flowing from south to north (its sources are on the East African plateau, and it flows, forming a delta, into the Mediterranean Sea). The rivers are high-water only in the equatorial zone, due to the large amount of precipitation there, most of them are characterized by high flow speed, have many rapids and waterfalls. In lithospheric faults filled with water, lakes were formed - Nyasa, Tanganyika, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest after Lake Superior (North America) - Victoria (its area is 68.8 thousand km 2, length 337 km, max depth - 83 m), the largest salty drainless lake is Chad (its area is 1.35 thousand km 2, located on the southern outskirts of the largest desert in the world, the Sahara).

Due to the location of Africa between two tropical zones, it is characterized by high total solar radiation, which gives the right to call Africa the hottest continent on Earth (the highest temperature on our planet was recorded in 1922 in El Azizia (Libya) - +58 C 0 in the shadow).

On the territory of Africa, such natural zones are distinguished as evergreen equatorial forests (the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, the Congo depression), in the north and south turning into mixed deciduous-evergreen forests, then there is a natural zone of savannahs and light forests, extending to Sudan, East and South Africa, to Sevre and southern Africa savannas are replaced by semi-deserts and deserts (Sahara, Kalahari, Namib). In the southeastern part of Africa there is a small zone of mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains - a zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs. The natural zones of mountains and plateaus are subject to the laws of altitudinal zonation.

African countries

The territory of Africa is divided among 62 countries, 54 are independent, sovereign states, 10 are dependent territories belonging to Spain, Portugal, Great Britain and France, the rest are unrecognized, self-proclaimed states - Galmudug, Puntland, Somaliland, the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). For a long time, the countries of Asia were foreign colonies of various European states and only by the middle of the last century gained independence. Africa is divided into five regions based on geographic location: North, Central, West, East and South Africa.

List of African countries

Nature

Mountains and plains of Africa

Most of the African continent is a plain. There are mountain systems, uplands and plateaus. They are presented:

the Atlas Mountains in the northwestern part of the continent;
the Tibesti and Ahaggar uplands in the Sahara Desert;
Ethiopian highlands in the eastern part of the mainland;
Dragon Mountains in the south.

The highest point in the country is Mount Kilimanjaro, with a height of 5,895 m, belonging to the East African Plateau in the southeastern part of the mainland ...

Deserts and savannas

The largest desert zone of the African continent is located in the northern part. This is the Sahara desert. On the southwestern side of the continent is another smaller desert, the Namib, and from it, inland to the east, is the Kalahari Desert.

The territory of the savanna occupies the main part of Central Africa. In area, it is much larger than the northern and southern parts of the mainland. The territory is characterized by the presence of pastures typical for savannas, low shrubs and trees. The height of grassy vegetation varies depending on the amount of precipitation. It can be almost desert savannas or tall grasses, with grass cover from 1 to 5 m in height...

Rivers

On the territory of the African continent is the longest river in the world - the Nile. Its direction of flow is from south to north.

In the list of major water systems of the mainland, Limpopo, Zambezi and the Orange River, as well as the Congo, which flows through the territory of Central Africa.

On the Zambezi River is the famous Victoria Falls, 120 meters high and 1,800 meters wide...

lakes

The list of large lakes of the African continent includes Lake Victoria, which is the second largest freshwater reservoir in the world. Its depth reaches 80 m, and the area is 68,000 square kilometers. Two more large lakes of the continent: Tanganyika and Nyasa. They are located in the faults of the lithospheric plates.

There is Lake Chad in Africa, which is one of the world's largest endorheic relict lakes that have no connection with the oceans ...

Seas and oceans

The African continent is washed by the waters of two oceans at once: the Indian and the Atlantic. Also off its coast are the Red and Mediterranean Seas. From the Atlantic Ocean in the southwestern part of the water form the deep Gulf of Guinea.

Despite the location of the African continent, coastal waters are cool. This is influenced by the cold currents of the Atlantic Ocean: the Canary in the north and the Bengal in the southwest. From the Indian Ocean, the currents are warm. The largest are Mozambique, in the northern waters, and Needle, in the southern ...

Forests of Africa

Forests from the entire territory of the African continent make up a little more than a quarter. Here are subtropical forests growing on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains and the valleys of the ridge. Here you can find holm oak, pistachio, strawberry tree, etc. Coniferous plants grow high in the mountains, represented by Aleppo pine, Atlas cedar, juniper and other types of trees.

Closer to the coast there are cork oak forests, in the tropical area evergreen equatorial plants are common, for example, mahogany, sandalwood, ebony, etc...

Nature, plants and animals of Africa

The vegetation of the equatorial forests is diverse, there are about 1000 species of various tree species: ficus, ceiba, wine tree, olive palm, wine palm, banana palm, tree ferns, sandalwood, mahogany, rubber trees, Liberian coffee tree, etc. . It is home to many species of animals, rodents, birds and insects living right on the trees. On earth live: bush pigs, leopards, African deer - a relative of the okapi giraffe, large apes - gorillas ...

40% of the territory of Africa is occupied by savannas, which are huge steppe areas covered with forbs, low, thorny shrubs, milkweed, and stand-alone trees (tree-like acacias, baobabs).

Here there is the largest accumulation of such large animals as: rhinoceros, giraffe, elephant, hippopotamus, zebra, buffalo, hyena, lion, leopard, cheetah, jackal, crocodile, hyena dog. The most numerous animals of the savannah are such herbivores as: bubal (antelope family), giraffe, impala or black-fifth antelope, various types of gazelles (Thomson, Grant), blue wildebeest, and in some places there are rare jumping antelopes - springboks.

The vegetation of deserts and semi-deserts is characterized by poverty and unpretentiousness, these are small thorny shrubs, separately growing bunches of herbs. In the oases, the unique Erg Chebbi date palm grows, as well as plants that are resistant to drought conditions and the formation of salts. In the Namib Desert, unique velvichia and nara plants grow, the fruits of which feed on porcupines, elephants and other animals of the desert.

Of the animals, various species of antelopes and gazelles live here, adapted to the hot climate and capable of traveling great distances in search of food, many species of rodents, snakes, and turtles. Lizards. Among mammals: spotted hyena, common jackal, maned sheep, Cape hare, Ethiopian hedgehog, gazelle dorcas, saber-horned antelope, Anubis baboon, wild Nubian donkey, cheetah, jackal, fox, mouflon, there are permanently living and migratory birds.

Climatic conditions

Seasons, weather and climate of African countries

The central part of Africa, through which the equator line passes, is in a low pressure area and receives sufficient moisture, the territories north and south of the equator are in the subequatorial climatic zone, this is a zone of seasonal (monsoonal) moisture and arid desert climate. The extreme north and south are in the subtropical climate zone, the south receives precipitation brought by air masses from the Indian Ocean, the Kalahari Desert is located here, the north has the minimum amount of precipitation due to the formation of a high pressure area and the characteristics of the movement of the trade winds, the largest desert in the world is the Sahara, where the amount Precipitation is minimal, in some areas it does not fall at all ...

Resources

African Natural Resources

In terms of water resources, Africa is considered one of the least prosperous continents in the world. The average annual volume of water is only enough to meet primary needs, but this does not apply to all regions.

Land resources are represented by large areas with fertile lands. Only 20% of all possible land is cultivated. The reason for this is the lack of the proper volume of water, soil erosion, etc.

The forests of Africa are a source of timber, including species of valuable varieties. The countries in which they grow, the raw materials are exported. Resources are misused and ecosystems are slowly being destroyed.

In the bowels of Africa there are deposits of minerals. Among those sent for export: gold, diamonds, uranium, phosphorus, manganese ores. There are significant reserves of oil and natural gas.

Energy-intensive resources are widely represented on the continent, but they are not used due to the lack of proper investments...

Among the developed industrial sectors of the countries of the African continent, one can note:

the mining industry that exports minerals and fuels;
the oil refining industry, distributed mainly in South Africa and North Africa;
chemical industry specializing in the production of mineral fertilizers;
as well as the metallurgical and engineering industries.

The main agricultural products are cocoa beans, coffee, corn, rice and wheat. In the tropical regions of Africa, oil palm is grown.

Fishing is poorly developed and accounts for only 1-2% of the total volume of agriculture. Livestock indicators are also not high, and the reason for this is the infection of livestock with tsetse flies ...

culture

The peoples of Africa: culture and traditions

About 8,000 peoples and ethnic groups live on the territory of 62 African countries, which in total is about 1.1 billion people. Africa is considered the cradle and ancestral home of human civilization, it was here that the remains of ancient primates (hominids) were found, which, according to scientists, are considered the ancestors of people.

Most of the peoples in Africa may number from several thousand people to several hundred living in one or two villages. 90% of the population are representatives of 120 peoples, their number is more than 1 million people, 2/3 of them are peoples with more than 5 million people, 1/3 - peoples with more than 10 million people (this is 50% of the total population of Africa) - Arabs , Hausa, Fulbe, Yoruba, Igbo, Amhara, Oromo, Rwanda, Malagasy, Zulu...

There are two historical and ethnographic provinces: North African (the predominance of the Indo-European race) and Tropical-African (the majority of the population is the Negroid race), it is divided into such areas as:

West Africa. The peoples who speak Mande (Susu, Maninka, Mende, Wai), Chadian (Hausa), Nilo-Saharan (Songhai, Kanuri, Tubu, Zagawa, Mawa, etc.), Niger-Congo languages (Yoruba, Igbo, Bini, nupe, gbari, igala and idoma, ibibio, efik, kambari, birom and jukun, etc.);
Equatorial Africa. Inhabited by Buanto-speaking peoples: Duala, Fang, Bubi (Fernandese), Mpongwe, Teke, Mboshi, Ngala, Komo, Mongo, Tetela, Cuba, Kongo, Ambundu, Ovimbundu, Chokwe, Luena, Tonga, Pygmies, etc.;
South Africa. Rebellious-speaking peoples, and speaking Khoisan languages: Bushmen and Hottentots;
East Africa. Bantu, Nilotic and Sudanese groups of peoples;
North East Africa. The peoples speaking Ethio-Semitic (Amhara, Tigre, Tigra.), Cushitic (Oromo, Somalis, Sidamo, Agau, Afar, Konso, etc.) and Omotian languages (Ometo, Gimirra, etc.);
Madagascar. Malagasy and Creoles.

In the North African province, the main peoples are considered to be Arabs and Berbers, belonging to the South European minor race, mainly practicing Sunni Islam. There is also an ethno-religious group of Copts, who are direct descendants of the Ancient Egyptians, they are Monophysite Christians.

Africa is the largest region in terms of area (30 million sq. km.), which includes 54 independent states. Some of them are rich and developing, others are poor, some have access to the sea, while others do not. So how many countries are there in Africa, and which states 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 square kilometers) lies on the territory of the Sahara desert. This natural area is characterized by high temperatures; it is here that the highest temperature in the world in the shade is recorded - +58 degrees. The largest African states are located in this region. These are Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Sudan. All these countries are territories with access to the sea.

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

State of Algiers with the capital of the same name, 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 rest of the rivers are much smaller and are lost among the deserts of the Sahara. In Algeria, oil and gas production is carried out in large volumes.

West African countries

West Africa is washed by the Atlantic Ocean from the south and from the west. Here are the Guinean forests of the tropical region. These areas are characterized by alternating rainy and dry seasons. West Africa includes many states, 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 in terms of population in Africa, and Cape Verde - a very small island state with a population of about 430 thousand people.

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

Central African countries

Central Africa is located in the western part of the mainland 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, Kvilu. The climate is humid and hot. This area includes 9 countries, including Congo, Chad, Cameroon, Gabon, Angola.

In terms of natural resources, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the richest countries on the continent. There are unique rainforests here - the Selva of Africa, which make up 6% of the rainforests of the whole world.

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

East African countries

The shores of East Africa are washed by the Red Sea, as well as the course of the Nile. The climate in the area in each country is different. 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 area includes Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Uganda, 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 of the countries has its own capital, but the capital of Ethiopia, the city of Addis Ababa, is considered the heart of Africa. It has no access to the sea, but it is here that representative offices of all countries of the mainland are located.

Rice. 3. Addis Ababa.

South African countries

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

The Republic of South Africa is the most developed in its region, and Swaziland is the smallest. Swaziland borders South Africa and Mozambique. The population of the country 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 (table - 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)

Portal for the student. Self-training