Continental Map of Africa

Africa is a diverse continent in terms of its physical geography. It features vast deserts, such as the Sahara in the north and the Kalahari in the south. The continent also has expansive savannas, tropical rainforests, highlands, mountains, and plateaus. Some prominent mountains include Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, and the Atlas Mountains in the northwest.

Additionally, Africa is home to the Great Rift Valley, a major geographical and geological feature that stretches from the Red Sea to Mozambique. The continent’s river systems, including the Nile, Congo, and Niger, support a variety of ecosystems and human communities.

Africa’s diverse climates and landscapes not only foster rich biodiversity but also support numerous cultures and ways of life, making it a continent of profound contrasts and remarkable beauty.

Furthermore, Africa holds significant geopolitical importance due to its abundant natural resources, including oil, minerals, and precious metals, which are crucial to the global economy. Its strategic location, with proximity to major shipping routes and access to both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, enhances its global economic and political relevance.

Borders and Land Areas of Africa

Africa is located in the eastern hemisphere and is bordered by several bodies of water, including the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Indian Ocean to the east, and the Red Sea to the northeast. It covers an area of about 30.2 million square kilometers (11.7 million square miles) which is about 20.4% of the total land on the planet Earth, making it the second-largest continent after Asia. With this large land area, Africa has the following four time zones: West Africa Time (WAT) UTC+1, Central Africa Time (CAT) UTC+2, East Africa Time (EAT) UTC+3, and Further Eastern Africa Time (EAT-3) UTC+3.

Africa’s Maritime Boundaries

Africa is bordered by several significant bodies of water, each contributing to its diverse maritime boundaries –

The Mediterranean Sea lies to the north of Africa, separating the continent from Europe. Key African countries with coastlines along the Mediterranean include Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.
The Atlantic Ocean forms Africa’s western boundary, stretching from the Strait of Gibraltar in the north to the southern tip of the continent. Countries along the Atlantic coast include Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Namibia, and South Africa.
The Indian Ocean borders Africa to the east, from the northeastern region near Somalia down to South Africa. Countries with coastlines along the Indian Ocean include Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Africa.
The Red Sea lies to the northeast of Africa, separating the continent from the Arabian Peninsula. Key countries along the Red Sea coast include Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, and Djibouti.

Africa can be divided into the following five parts –

North Africa: North Africa is the northernmost part of the African continent, bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the north. Countries in North Africa include Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. It is characterized by the vast Sahara Desert in the south, the Atlas Mountains running along the northern coast, and fertile plains along the Nile River.
West Africa: West Africa is a subregion of the African continent located on the western coast, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Sahel region in the east. It comprises countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Mali. West Africa features diverse landscapes including savannas, rainforests, and coastal plains, with the Sahel region serving as a transitional zone between the Sahara Desert and the savannas.
Central Africa: Central Africa includes countries such as Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and the Central African Republic. It is characterized by dense tropical rainforests, river basins (notably the Congo River Basin), and an equatorial climate.
East Africa: East Africa consists of countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Somalia. It features the Great Rift Valley, highlands (including Mount Kilimanjaro and the Ethiopian Highlands), savannas, and coastal areas along the Indian Ocean.
Southern Africa: Southern Africa comprises countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and Mozambique. It features diverse landscapes including the Kalahari Desert, savannas, the Drakensberg Mountains, and the southern tip of the continent.

No.	Countries Name	Official Name	Capital	Area (sq. km)	Currency
1.	Algeria	People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria	Algiers	2,381,741	Algerian Dinar
2.	Angola	Republic of Angola	Luanda	1,246,700	Angolan Kwanza
3.	Benin	Republic of Benin	Porto-Novo	112,622	West African CFA Franc
4.	Botswana	Republic of Botswana	Gaborone	581,730	Botswana Pula
5.	Burkina Faso	Burkina Faso	Ouagadougou	274,200	West African CFA Franc
6.	Burundi	Republic of Burundi	Republic of Burundi	27,834	Burundian Franc
7.	Cabo Verde	Republic of Cabo Verde	Praia	4,033	Cape Verdean Escudo
8.	Cameroon	Republic of Cameroon	Yaoundé	475,442	Central African CFA Franc
9.	Central African Republic	Central African Republic	Bangui	622,984	Central African CFA Franc
10.	Chad	Republic of Chad	N’Djamena	1,284,000	Central African CFA Franc
11.	Comoros	Union of the Comoros	Moroni	2,235	Comorian Franc
12.	Congo	Republic of the Congo	Brazzaville	342,000	Central African CFA Franc
13.	DR Congo	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Kinshasa	2,344,858	Congolese Franc
14.	Djibouti	Republic of Djibouti	Djibouti	23,200	Djiboutian Franc
15.	Egypt	Arab Republic of Egypt	Cairo	1,001,450	Egyptian Pound (EGP)
16.	Equatorial Guinea	Republic of Equatorial Guinea	Malabo	28,051	Central African CFA Franc
17.	Eritrea	State of Eritrea	Asmara	117,600	Eritrean Nakfa
18.	Eswatini	Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)	Mbabane (administrative) and Lobamba (legislative)	17,364	Lilangeni (SZL), South African Rand (ZAR)
19.	Ethiopia	Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia	Addis Ababa	1,104,300	Ethiopian Birr
20.	Gabon	Gabonese Republic	Libreville	267,667	Central African CFA Franc
21.	Gambia	Republic of The Gambia	Banjul	Banjul	Gambian Dalasi
22.	Ghana	Republic of Ghana	Accra	238,533	Ghanaian Cedi
23.	Guinea	Republic of Guinea	Conakry	245,857	Guinean Franc
24.	Guinea-Bissau	Republic of Guinea-Bissau	Bissau	36,125	West African CFA Franc
25.	Côte d’Ivoire	Republic of Côte d’Ivoire	Yamoussoukro (political capital), Abidjan (economic capital)	322,463	West African CFA Franc
26.	Kenya	Republic of Kenya	Nairobi	580,367	Kenyan Shilling
27.	Lesotho	Kingdom of Lesotho	Maseru	30,355	Lesotho Loti
28.	Liberia	Republic of Liberia	Monrovia	111,369	Liberian Dollar
29.	Libya	State of Libya	Tripoli	1,759,540	Libyan Dinar
30.	Madagascar	Republic of Madagascar	Antananarivo	587,041	Malagasy Ariary (MGA)
31.	Malawi	Republic of Malawi	Lilongwe	118,484	Malawian Kwacha (MWK)
32.	Mali	Republic of Mali	Bamako	1,240,192	West African CFA Franc
33.	Mauritania	Islamic Republic of Mauritania	Nouakchott	1,030,700	Mauritanian Ouguiya (MRO)
34.	Mauritius	Republic of Mauritius	Port Louis	2,040	Mauritian Rupee (MUR)
35.	Morocco	Kingdom of Morocco	Rabat	446,550	Moroccan Dirham (MAD)
36.	Mozambique	Republic of Mozambique	Maputo	799,380	Mozambican Metical (MZN)
37.	Namibia	Republic of Namibia	Windhoek	825,118	Namibian Dollar (NAD)
38.	Niger	Republic of Niger	Niamey	1,267,000	West African CFA Franc
39.	Nigeria	Federal Republic of Nigeria	Abuja	923,768	Nigerian Naira
40.	Rwanda	Republic of Rwanda	Kigali	26,338	Rwandan Franc
41.	Sao Tome and Principe	Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe	São Tomé	1,001	São Tomé and Príncipe Dobra (STD)
42.	Senegal	Republic of Senegal	Dakar	196,712	West African CFA Franc
43.	Seychellois Rupee	Republic of Seychelles	Victoria	459	Seychellois Rupee
44.	Sierra Leone	Republic of Sierra Leone	Freetown	71,740	Sierra Leonean Leone
45.	Somalia	Federal Republic of Somalia	Mogadishu	637,657	Somali Shilling
46.	South Africa	Republic of South Africa	Pretoria (administrative), Bloemfontein (judicial), Cape Town (legislative)	1,221,037	South African Rand
47.	South Sudan	Republic of South Sudan	Juba	644,329	South Sudanese Pound
48.	Sudan	Republic of the Sudan	Khartoum	1,861,484	Sudanese Pound
49.	Tanzania	United Republic of Tanzania	Dodoma (official), Dar es Salaam (administrative)	947,303	Tanzanian Shilling
50.	Togo	Togolese Republic	Lomé	56,785	West African CFA Franc
51.	West African CFA Franc	Republic of Tunisia	Tunis	163,610	Tunisian Dinar
52.	Uganda	Republic of Uganda	Kampala	241,551	Ugandan Shilling
53.	Zambia	Republic of Zambia	Lusaka	752,618	Zambian Kwacha
54.	Zimbabwe	Republic of Zimbabwe	Harare	390,757	Zimbabwean Dollar