How Many Countries in Africa? Full 2026 List & Regions Guide

One of the most frequent questions is: Is Africa a country? The answer is no. Africa is a continent—the second-largest and second-most populous continent on Earth. It is not a single state or nation but a massive landmass home to diverse cultures, languages, and independent political entities.

How Many Countries are in Africa?

As of 2026, there are 54 countries in Africa that are fully recognized by the United Nations (UN).

However, if you follow the African Union (AU), the number of nations in Africa is often cited as 55, as the AU recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara), whose statehood is currently disputed.

The 5 Regions of Africa

To better manage the vast geography of the continent, the African Union divides the number of nations in Africa into five distinct Africa regions. These parts of Africa help categorize the countries based on their geographical location:

1. Northern Africa: Home to countries like Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco.

2. Western Africa: Includes nations such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal.

3. Central Africa: Features the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cameroon.

4. Eastern Africa: Includes Kenya, Ethiopia, and the island of Madagascar.

5. Southern Africa: Home to South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana.

Complete List of African Countries in Alphabetical Order

If you are looking for a list of African nations or need to know what are the 54 countries of Africa, here is the definitive alphabetical list of African countries.

#	Country Name	Region
1	Algeria	Northern Africa
2	Angola	Central Africa
3	Benin	Western Africa
4	Botswana	Southern Africa
5	Burkina Faso	Western Africa
6	Burundi	Eastern Africa
7	Cabo Verde	Western Africa
8	Cameroon	Central Africa
9	Central African Republic	Central Africa
10	Chad	Central Africa
11	Comoros	Eastern Africa
12	Congo (Brazzaville)	Central Africa
13	Côte d'Ivoire	Western Africa
14	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Central Africa
15	Djibouti	Eastern Africa
16	Egypt	Northern Africa
17	Equatorial Guinea	Central Africa
18	Eritrea	Eastern Africa
19	Eswatini	Southern Africa
20	Ethiopia	Eastern Africa
21	Gabon	Central Africa
22	Gambia	Western Africa
23	Ghana	Western Africa
24	Guinea	Western Africa
25	Guinea-Bissau	Western Africa
26	Kenya	Eastern Africa
27	Lesotho	Southern Africa
28	Liberia	Western Africa
29	Libya	Northern Africa
30	Madagascar	Eastern Africa
31	Malawi	Eastern Africa
32	Mali	Western Africa
33	Mauritania	Western Africa
34	Mauritius	Eastern Africa
35	Morocco	Northern Africa
36	Mozambique	Eastern Africa
37	Namibia	Southern Africa
38	Niger	Western Africa
39	Nigeria	Western Africa
40	Rwanda	Eastern Africa
41	Sao Tome and Principe	Central Africa
42	Senegal	Western Africa
43	Seychelles	Eastern Africa
44	Sierra Leone	Western Africa
45	Somalia	Eastern Africa
46	South Africa	Southern Africa
47	South Sudan	Eastern Africa
48	Sudan	Northern Africa
49	Tanzania	Eastern Africa
50	Togo	Western Africa
51	Tunisia	Northern Africa
52	Uganda	Eastern Africa
53	Zambia	Eastern Africa
54	Zimbabwe	Eastern Africa

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many states in Africa?

In an international context, "states" usually refers to sovereign nations. Therefore, there are 54 recognized sovereign states in Africa.

Which countries in Africa start with "M"?

There are 7 African nations that start with the letter M:

1. Madagascar

2. Malawi

3. Mali

4. Mauritania

5. Mauritius

6. Morocco

7. Mozambique

How many countries make up Africa continent-wide?

Exactly 54 countries make up the African continent according to the UN. These include 48 mainland countries and 6 island nations (Cape Verde, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Seychelles).