How Many Countries Are There in Africa? Full List With Capital Cities You Should Know

Africa is made up of 54 recognised countries, according to international records. These nations are spread across five major regions: North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa.
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The continent covers approximately 30 million square kilometres, making it the second-largest continent after Asia. It is also the second-most populous continent, with more than 1.3 billion people calling Africa home.

Interestingly, not every African country has just one capital city. Some nations operate with multiple capitals. For example, South Africa has three capitals, each serving a different governmental function.


Complete List of African Countries and Their Capital Cities


CountryCapital City
AlgeriaAlgiers
AngolaLuanda
BeninPorto-Novo
BotswanaGaborone
Burkina FasoOuagadougou
BurundiGitega
Cabo VerdePraia
CameroonYaoundé
Central African RepublicBangui
ChadN'Djamena
ComorosMoroni
Côte d'IvoireYamoussoukro
Republic of the CongoBrazzaville
Democratic Republic of the CongoKinshasa
DjiboutiDjibouti City
EgyptCairo
Equatorial GuineaCiudad de la Paz
EritreaAsmara
EswatiniMbabane
EthiopiaAddis Ababa
GabonLibreville
GambiaBanjul
GhanaAccra
GuineaConakry
Guinea-BissauBissau
KenyaNairobi
LesothoMaseru
LiberiaMonrovia
LibyaTripoli
MadagascarAntananarivo
MalawiLilongwe
MaliBamako
MauritaniaNouakchott
MauritiusPort Louis
MoroccoRabat
MozambiqueMaputo
NamibiaWindhoek
NigerNiamey
NigeriaAbuja
RwandaKigali
São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé
SenegalDakar
SeychellesVictoria
Sierra LeoneFreetown
SomaliaMogadishu
South AfricaPretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein
South SudanJuba
SudanKhartoum
TanzaniaDodoma
TogoLomé
TunisiaTunis
UgandaKampala
ZambiaLusaka
ZimbabweHarare

Why Does South Africa Have Three Capitals?

Unlike most countries, South Africa has three official capitals:

  • Pretoria – Administrative Capital
  • Cape Town – Legislative Capital
  • Bloemfontein – Judicial Capital
This unique arrangement was designed to distribute governmental functions across different regions of the country.


Also Read: Top 10 Countries with Best Road Networks in the World for Easy Travel

Fascinating Facts About Africa

Africa Is the World's Second-Largest Continent

Africa covers around 30 million square kilometres, accounting for roughly 20% of Earth's land area.

Home to More Than 1.3 Billion People

Africa's population continues to grow rapidly, making it one of the most dynamic regions in the world.

Egypt's Cairo Is One of Africa's Largest Cities

Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is among the largest and most populated cities on the continent.


Africa Hosts Some of the World's Oldest Civilisations

Countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, and Morocco boast histories stretching back thousands of years, making Africa a cradle of human civilisation.

Algeria Is Africa's Largest Country

By land area, Algeria is the largest country in Africa, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan.

Why Learning African Countries and Capitals Matters

Knowing the African countries and capitals is useful not only for students preparing for competitive exams and quizzes but also for anyone interested in world geography and global affairs. As Africa continues to play a growing role in international trade, technology, and development, understanding the continent becomes increasingly important.

From the bustling streets of Nairobi and Accra to the historic cities of Cairo and Rabat, every African nation has a unique story to tell.