{"id":189,"date":"2024-10-11T11:46:39","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T09:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/darkgoldenrod-caterpillar-877422.hostingersite.com\/?page_id=189"},"modified":"2024-10-11T11:46:39","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T09:46:39","slug":"africa-in-figures-and-by-country","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cipina.org\/?page_id=189","title":{"rendered":"Africa in figures and by country"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n Number of Individuals\n <\/td>\n\n 1.2 billion\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Number of Countries\n <\/td>\n\n 54 countries\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Number of Time Zones\n <\/td>\n\n 6\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Density: Population per km\u00b2\n <\/td>\n\n 21.09\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Internet Access\n <\/td>\n\n 70 million\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Number of Illiterate People\n <\/td>\n\n 200 million\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Number of FM Radio Stations\n <\/td>\n\n Over 8,000\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Africans Under 18 Years Old\n <\/td>\n\n 50%\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Africans of Working Age by 2040\n <\/td>\n\n 1.1 billion\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n African Cities with Populations Over 1 Million\n <\/td>\n\n 52 cities\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Average Life Expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa\n <\/td>\n\n 51.5 years\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Africans Living Outside the Continent\n <\/td>\n\n 40 million\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Annual Remittances by the African Diaspora\n <\/td>\n\n 60 billion USD in Africa\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n Average Life Expectancy\n <\/td>\n\n 52 years\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Birth Rate\n <\/td>\n\n 38\u2030\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Death Rate\n <\/td>\n\n 15\u2030\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Africans Who Will Be Urbanized by 2030\n <\/td>\n\n 50%\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Percentage of Global Arable Land in Africa\n <\/td>\n\n 60%\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Continent’s Growth Rate in the Last Decade\n <\/td>\n\n 5% annually\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Number of Languages\n <\/td>\n\n 3,000\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Cable Operators by Country\n <\/td>\n\n Up to 800\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Overall Growth Rate\n <\/td>\n\n 5%\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Average Life Expectancy in the Maghreb Region\n <\/td>\n\n 71-74 years\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Total Area of Africa\n <\/td>\n\n 30,268,016 km\u00b2\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Mobile Phone Usage Rate in 2011\n <\/td>\n\n Over 60%\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n Number of Mobile Internet Users in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022\n <\/td>\n\n 287 million\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Number of Mobile Internet Users in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2030\n <\/td>\n\n 438 million\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Number of Mobile Users in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022\n <\/td>\n\n 489 million\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Number of Mobile Users in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2030\n <\/td>\n\n 692 million\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Jobs Directly Created by the Mobile Ecosystem in 2022\n <\/td>\n\n 1.4 million\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Indirect Jobs Created\n <\/td>\n\n 2.2 million\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Smartphones: Number of Connections in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030\n <\/td>\n\n Over 1.2 billion\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Value Added by the Mobile Sector to Sub-Saharan Africa’s Economy in 2022 (USD)\n <\/td>\n\n 170 billion USD\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n
\n

According to a\u00a0\u00a0World Economic Forum<\/strong>\u00a0survey \u00a0in 2014,\u00a0Sub-Saharan Africa is the most positive region in the world<\/strong><\/u>\u00a0, making Africa the continent of hope. Africa is the\u00a0\u00a02nd largest continent in the world.
The surface area of \u200b\u200bAfrica is the size of the United States, China, India and much of Europe combined.<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n<\/section>\n

Presentation by country<\/h4>\n

North Africa
\n<\/h4>\n

Algeria<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: in Arabic\u00a0\u00a0Al Jaza’ir<\/strong>\u00a0, country of the\u00a0\u00a0Maghreb<\/strong>\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Algiers<\/strong>\u00a0. Algeria is bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea, to the east by Tunisia and Libya, to the southeast by Niger, to the southwest by Mali and Mauritania, to the west by Morocco
Independence: July 5, 1962<\/p>\n

Egypt<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Arabic\u00a0\u00a0Misr<\/strong>\u00a0, country located at the hinge of Africa\u00a0and<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Asia\u00a0,<\/strong>\u00a0the most populated in the Arab world. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Cairo<\/strong>\u00a0. Egypt is open to the Mediterranean Sea to the north and to the Red Sea to the east. Bordered to the west by Libya and to the south by Sudan, Egypt extends to the eastern end of North Africa and extends into the Asian continent by the\u00a0\u00a0Sinai<\/strong>\u00a0. This geographical location determines its belonging to the\u00a0\u00a0Near East<\/strong>\u00a0.
Independence: February 28, 1922<\/p>\n

Libya<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Arabic\u00a0\u00a0Libyah<\/strong>\u00a0, a country in\u00a0\u00a0North\u00a0\u00a0Africa , open to the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Tripoli<\/strong>\u00a0. Libya, one of the largest countries on the African continent, shares its borders with six countries. Some are part of the Arab countries: Egypt to the east, Algeria to the west and Tunisia to the northwest. The others belong to black Africa: Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south.
Independence: December 24, 1951<\/p>\n

Morocco<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Arabic\u00a0\u00a0Al Maghrib<\/strong>\u00a0, a country in the\u00a0\u00a0Maghreb<\/strong>\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Rabat<\/strong>\u00a0. Morocco is bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by\u00a0\u00a0Mauritania<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0and to the east by\u00a0\u00a0Algeria<\/strong>\u00a0. The EU supports the UN’s efforts to resolve the conflict with Morocco. Inherited from the Spanish colonization of part of the country, the enclaves of\u00a0\u00a0Ceuta<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0Melilla<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0are cut out on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco.
Independence: November 18, 1956<\/p>\n

Tunisia<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Arabic\u00a0\u00a0Tunus<\/strong>\u00a0, country of\u00a0North Africa<\/strong>\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Tunis . Tunisia overlooks the\u00a0<\/strong>Mediterranean Sea<\/strong>\u00a0to the north and east\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0; the country is bordered to the south by Libya and to the west by Algeria. Tunisia is the oldest political entity in the\u00a0\u00a0Maghreb<\/strong>. Open to the Mediterranean world, the country has welcomed great civilizations on its soil: Phoenician, Roman and Arab-Muslim. The first country in the Maghreb to have been Arabized, Tunisia, which became independent in 1956, appears today as a pole of stability in the region.
Independence: March 20, 1956<\/p>\n

Sub-Saharan Africa
\n<\/h4>\n

Benin<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: Country in West\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0, located on the Gulf of Guinea. Its official capital is\u00a0\u00a0Porto-Novo<\/strong>\u00a0, but its de facto capital, political and economic, is\u00a0\u00a0Cotonou<\/strong>\u00a0. Benin is bordered to the north by Burkina and Niger, to the east by Nigeria and to the west by Togo. Protectorate in 1894, then French colony of Dahomey, Benin gained full independence in 1960, under the name of Republic of Dahomey, before taking its current name in 1975.
Independence: August 1, 1960<\/p>\n

Burkina Faso<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: Country in West\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Ouagadougou<\/strong>\u00a0. Burkina is bordered by Mali to the north and west, Niger to the east, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast to the south. The former Upper Volta took the name Burkina Faso in 1984, meaning \u00ab\u00a0the country of upright men\u00a0\u00bb, when a socialist military regime was established. Today called Burkina, the country acceded to democracy in 1991.
Independence: August 5, 1960<\/p>\n

Burundi<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Kirundi\u00a0\u00a0Burundi<\/strong>\u00a0, landlocked country in Central\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0, located in the Great Lakes region. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Bujumbura<\/strong>\u00a0. Burundi shares its borders with Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, Lake Tanganyika and the Ruzizi serving as a natural border with this country. The democratization of the regime, since 1992, has been accompanied by a violent resumption of the conflict between Tutsi and Hutu. The massacres between these communities have marked the history of the country since its independence.
Independence: July 1, 1962<\/p>\n

Cameroon<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In English (official language, with French)\u00a0\u00a0Cameroon<\/strong>\u00a0, country of Central\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0open to the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Yaound\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0. Cameroon is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0. Cameroon is bordered to the west by Nigeria, to the northeast by Chad, to the east by the Central African Republic, to the south by Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Independence: January 1, 1960<\/p>\n

Cape Verde<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Portuguese\u00a0\u00a0Cabo Verde<\/strong>\u00a0, island country of\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa , located in the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Praia<\/strong>. The Cape Verde archipelago is located more than 500 km off the coast of Cape Verde, the westernmost tip of Africa. It consists of ten islands and five islets. To the north, the Windward Islands (Barlavento) include Santo Ant\u00e3o, S\u00e3o Vicente, S\u00e3o Nicolao, Sal and Boa Vista. To the south, S\u00e3o Tiago (or Santiago), Brava, Fogo and Maio form the Leeward Islands (Sotavento). The Republic of Cape Verde was the first African state to experience a real political alternation following democratic elections in January 1991.
Independence: January 5, 1975<\/p>\n

Central African Republic<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: Country in Central\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Bangui<\/strong>\u00a0. The Central African Republic is bordered to the north by Chad, to the east by Sudan, to the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, and to the west by Cameroon. It is 1,815 km from the Atlantic Ocean, which is reached by river from Bangui to\u00a0\u00a0Brazzaville<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0(Congo) and then\u00a0\u00a0Pointe-Noire<\/strong>\u00a0, by the Congo-Ocean railway. Although constituting a handicap from an economic point of view, its central position on the African continent gives the country a strategic interest. This is the reason for the long military presence of France in this former colony of Oubangui-Chari, which became independent in 1960.
Independence: August 13, 1960<\/p>\n

Congo<\/u>\u00a0, republic of, country of Central\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Brazzaville<\/strong>\u00a0. The Republic of Congo is bordered by the Central African Republic to the north, the Democratic Republic of Congo to the east and south, Angola to the southwest (enclave of Cabinda), Gabon to the west and Cameroon to the northwest. It has a maritime facade, 169 km long, open to the Atlantic Ocean.
Independence: August 15, 1960<\/p>\n

Democratic Republic of Congo<\/u>\u00a0, country of Central\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Kinshasa<\/strong>\u00a0. The Democratic Republic of Congo is bordered by the Republic of Congo to the west, the Central African Republic and Sudan to the north, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania to the east, Zambia and Angola to the south.
Independence: June 30, 1960<\/p>\n

Ivory Coast<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: Country of\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa , open to the Gulf of Guinea. Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Yamoussoukro<\/strong>\u00a0. Ivory Coast is bordered to the north by Mali and Burkina Faso, to the east by Ghana, to the west by Liberia and Guinea and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Guinea).
Independence: August 7, 1960<\/p>\n

Gabon<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: Country in equatorial\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0, open to the\u00a0Atlantic Ocean<\/strong>, of which more than three-quarters of the territory is covered by dense forest. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Libreville<\/strong>\u00a0. Gabon is bordered to the northwest by Equatorial Guinea, to the north by Cameroon, to the east and south by the Republic of Congo.
Independence: August 17, 1960<\/p>\n

Gambia<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In English (official language)\u00a0\u00a0The Gambia<\/strong>\u00a0, country of\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa . Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Banjul<\/strong>\u00a0. The Gambia is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0. The Gambia is open to the west on the Atlantic Ocean. It is a narrow country whose northern, southern and eastern borders are cut into the interior of Senegal. Merging with the valley of the\u00a0\u00a0Gambia River<\/strong>\u00a0, to which it owes its name, this country constitutes one of the smallest states on the African continent. A colonial creation, the Gambia, a former British colony, has had to constantly resist the desire for unification of its Senegalese neighbor, on which it depends closely, since its independence in 1965.
Independence: February 18, 1965<\/p>\n

Ghana<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In English (official language)\u00a0\u00a0Ghana<\/strong>\u00a0, country of\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa , located on the Gulf of Guinea. Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Accra<\/strong>\u00a0. Ghana is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0. Ghana is bordered to the west by Ivory Coast, to the north by Burkina and to the east by Togo. Former British colony of the Gold Coast, this country, which bears the name of the first medieval African empire, is the first in black Africa to have gained independence in 1957, under the leadership of the Pan-Africanist leader\u00a0\u00a0Kwame Nkrumah<\/strong>\u00a0.
Independence: March 6, 1957<\/p>\n

Guinea\u00a0<\/u>\u00a0: Country of\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa open to the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Conakry<\/strong>\u00a0. Guinea is bordered to the northwest by Guinea-Bissau, to the north by Senegal, to the east by Mali, to the southeast by Ivory Coast and to the south by Liberia and Sierra Leone. The country includes the Los Islands, off the coast of Conakry. The first country in French-speaking Africa to gain independence in 1958 after refusing to join the French Community, Guinea, which then became a Revolutionary People’s Republic, suffered for more than twenty-five years under the dictatorship of Ahmed\u00a0\u00a0S\u00e9kou Tour\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0. After his death in 1984, the military led the liberalization of the economy and then, with difficulty, the democratization of the country.
Independence: October 2, 1958<\/p>\n

Guinea Bissau<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Portuguese\u00a0\u00a0Guin\u00e9-Bissau<\/strong>\u00a0, country in\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa , open to the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Bissau<\/strong>, to which the country owes its name. Guinea-Bissau is bordered to the north by Senegal, to the east and south by Guinea. A very poor country, Guinea-Bissau is undermined by the burden of a very heavy debt and by unemployment affecting nearly 40% of the active population.
Independence: September 24, 1973<\/p>\n

Equatorial Guinea<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Spanish\u00a0\u00a0Guinea Ecuatorial<\/strong>\u00a0, country of\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa , located in the\u00a0<\/strong>Gulf of Guinea<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0(Atlantic Ocean). Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Malabo<\/strong>\u00a0, on the island of Bioko. Equatorial Guinea consists of a continental part, Mbini, and an island part, Bioko .\u00a0\u00a0Mbini<\/strong>\u00a0is bordered to the north by Cameroon, to the east and south by Gabon. Equatorial Guinea is a former Spanish colony which has been subjected, since its independence in 1968, to a dictatorial regime. The democratization that began in 1992 has made little progress.
Independence: October 12, 1968<\/p>\n

Liberia\u00a0<\/u>\u00a0: In English (official language)\u00a0\u00a0Liberia<\/strong>\u00a0, country in\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa open to the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Monrovia<\/strong>\u00a0. Liberia is bordered to the northwest by Sierra Leone, to the north by Guinea and to the east by Ivory Coast. The country was, in 1847, the first independent state in Africa, then colonized by European powers. Made up of freed slaves repatriated from the American continent, it was ruled until 1980 by the Americo-Liberians. The end of the political domination of these descendants of slaves marked the beginning of a conflict between different warlords, in open struggle for power since 1989.
Independence: July 26, 1847<\/p>\n

Mali\u00a0<\/u>\u00a0: Country in\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa . Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Bamako<\/strong>\u00a0. Mali, crossed by the Tropic of Cancer, is a landlocked country, without access to the sea. It is bordered by Algeria to the northeast, Niger to the southeast, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Guinea to the south, Senegal and Mauritania to the west.
Independence: June 20, 1960<\/p>\n

Mauritania<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Arabic\u00a0\u00a0Muritaniya<\/strong>\u00a0, Saharan and Sahelian country of\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa . Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Nouakchott<\/strong>\u00a0. Mauritania is bathed on its western coast by the Atlantic Ocean, bordered to the north by Morocco and Algeria to the east and to the southeast by Mali and to the southwest by Senegal. Country of the\u00a0\u00a0Moors<\/strong>\u00a0, from which it takes its name, Mauritania, created as such by the French colonizer in 1902, is a land of contact, a \u201cbridge\u201d between\u00a0black Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0and the\u00a0\u00a0Maghreb<\/strong>\u00a0. More recently, rivalries between Arab-Berbers, traditionally dominant, and Blacks, who no longer accept the domination of the former, have been expressed violently, particularly between 1989 and 1991.
Independence: November 28, 1960<\/p>\n

Niger<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: Landlocked country in\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa . Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Niamey<\/strong>\u00a0. The borders of Niger, inherited from colonization, are rectilinear and artificial. It is bordered to the north by Algeria and Libya, to the east by Chad, to the south by Nigeria and Benin, and to the west by Burkina and Mali.
Independence: August 3, 1960<\/p>\n

Nigeria<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In English (official language)\u00a0\u00a0Nigeria<\/strong>\u00a0, country in West\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Abuja<\/strong>\u00a0, but its main commercial center is\u00a0\u00a0Lagos<\/strong>\u00a0. Nigeria is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>. Nigeria is open to the Gulf of Guinea. It is bordered to the north by Niger, to the east by Chad and Cameroon, and to the west by Benin.
Independence: October 1, 1960<\/p>\n

Rwanda<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Kinyarwanda\u00a0\u00a0Rwanda<\/strong>\u00a0, a country in Central\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0located in the heart of the African Great Lakes region. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Kigali<\/strong>\u00a0. Rwanda is bordered to the north by Uganda, to the east by Tanzania, to the south by Burundi and to the west by the Democratic Republic of Congo and Lake Kivu. Its population density is one of the highest on the African continent. This is one of the causes of the human tragedy that the \u201ccountry of a thousand hills\u201d has experienced since 1994, marked by the massacres of several hundred thousand\u00a0\u00a0Tutsi<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0Hutu<\/strong>\u00a0.
Independence: July 1, 1962<\/p>\n

S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 & Principe<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Portuguese\u00a0\u00a0S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 e Pr\u00edncipe<\/strong>\u00a0, island country in West\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0, located in the Gulf of Guinea. Its capital is the city of\u00a0\u00a0S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0.
Independence: July 12, 1975<\/p>\n

Senegal\u00a0<\/u>\u00a0: Country in\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa , open to the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Dakar<\/strong>\u00a0. Senegal is bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north by Mauritania, to the east by Mali, to the south by Guinea-Bissau and Guinea. In the south of the country, Gambia\u00a0\u00a0constitutes<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0a long enclave. Former French colony, became independent on June 20, 1960, the country has played an important role in the region and more generally on the African continent since that date. Bordered to the north by Mauritania, to the east by Mali, to the south by Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
Independence: April 4, 1960<\/p>\n

Sierra Leone<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In English (official language)\u00a0\u00a0Sierra Leone<\/strong>\u00a0, country of\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa . Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Freetown<\/strong>\u00a0. Sierra Leone is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0. Sierra Leone is open to the west and south on the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered to the north and east by Guinea and to the southeast by Liberia. Former British colony founded in 1787 to accommodate former slaves from the United States and the Antilles, the country gained independence in 1961. Destabilized by several coups d’\u00e9tat from 1967, Sierra Leone was devastated by civil war in the 1990s.
Independence: April 27, 1961<\/p>\n

Chad\u00a0<\/u>\u00a0: In Arabic\u00a0\u00a0Tshad<\/strong>\u00a0, country of Central\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Ndjamena<\/strong>. Chad is bordered to the north by Libya, to the east by Sudan, to the south by the Central African Republic and to the west by Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger – three states with which it shares the waters of\u00a0\u00a0Lake Chad<\/strong>\u00a0. A legacy of rivalries between European colonizers in Africa, the demarcation of Chad’s borders has fueled a long dispute with Libya over the\u00a0\u00a0Aozou strip<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0(114,000 km2), which the International Criminal Tribunal definitively awarded to Chad in February 1994. A link between Arabized white Africa and black Africa, attached until 1960 to\u00a0French Equatorial Africa (FEA)<\/strong>\u00a0, Chad has experienced, since its independence in 1960, a succession of internal conflicts provoking French military interventions. The opposition between the Muslim North and the animist and Christian South still threatens national unity.
Independence: August 11, 1960<\/p>\n

Togo<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: Country in\u00a0\u00a0West\u00a0\u00a0Africa . Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Lom\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0. Togo overlooks the\u00a0\u00a0Gulf of Guinea<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0; the country is bordered to the north by Burkina, to the east by Benin and to the west by Ghana. Colonized successively by the Germans, then by the French and the British, Togo, independent since 1960, has begun, since 1990, a slow and difficult process of democratization, which was marked, in 1993, by exactions of the armed forces against the population and the mass exodus of the inhabitants of Lom\u00e9.
Independence: April 27, 1960<\/p>\n

East Africa
\n<\/h4>\n

Comoros<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Arabic\u00a0\u00a0Juzur al Qamar<\/strong>\u00a0, country located in the\u00a0Indian Ocean<\/strong>\u00a0, at the northern entrance to the\u00a0\u00a0Mozambique Channel<\/strong>\u00a0, and comprising the islands of Grande Comore (or Ngazidja), Moh\u00e9li (Mwali) and Anjouan (Nzwani). Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Moroni<\/strong>\u00a0, a city on Grande Comore. The Comoros archipelago, a bridge between Africa, Madagascar and the Near East, has a fourth island,\u00a0\u00a0Mayotte<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0(or Maor\u00e9). This island, following a referendum in which the other islands chose independence, preferred to remain under French sovereignty.
Independence: July 6, 1975<\/p>\n

Djibouti\u00a0<\/u>\u00a0: In Arabic\u00a0\u00a0Jibuti<\/strong>\u00a0, country in East\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0located at the entrance to the Red Sea and belonging to the\u00a0\u00a0Horn of Africa<\/strong>\u00a0. Its capital is the city of Djibouti. Djibouti is bordered to the east by the Gulf of Aden, to the southeast by Somalia, to the south and west by Ethiopia and to the north by Eritrea. The country is separated from the Arabian Peninsula by the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is 30 km wide.
Independence: June 27, 1977<\/p>\n

Eritrea<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Arabic\u00a0\u00a0Iritriya<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0and in Tigrinya\u00a0\u00a0\u00c9rtra<\/strong>\u00a0, country in northeastern Africa\u00a0.<\/strong>\u00a0Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Asmara<\/strong>\u00a0. Located at the edge of the geopolitical region of the\u00a0\u00a0Horn of Africa<\/strong>\u00a0, Eritrea’s neighbors are Djibouti to the south, Ethiopia to the west, and Sudan to the north. Conquered many times during the 20th century, first by the Italians, then by the British, and finally by the Ethiopians (then Ethiopia’s gateway to the Red Sea), Eritrea gained independence in 1993, after a liberation war that lasted thirty-five years.
Independence: May 28, 1993<\/p>\n

Ethiopia<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Amharic\u00a0\u00a0Ityop’iya<\/strong>\u00a0, a country in East\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0, located in the\u00a0\u00a0Horn of Africa<\/strong>\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Addis Ababa<\/strong>\u00a0. Ethiopia is bordered to the northeast by Eritrea and Djibouti, to the southeast by Somalia, to the southwest by Kenya, and to the west by Sudan. Heir to ancient Abyssinia (see History section), Ethiopia, ravaged over the last twenty-five years by wars and famines, is today one of the poorest countries in the world. The 20th century was marked by the reign of\u00a0Haile Selassie I<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0(from 1930 to 1974), interrupted by the\u00a0Italian occupation<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0between 1936 and 1941. His reign and the monarchy ended during the\u00a0\u00a0revolution of 1974.<\/a>\u00a0It was quickly recovered by the\u00a0\u00a0military junta<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0\u00a0Derg<\/a>\u00a0, quickly led by\u00a0\u00a0Mengistu<\/a>\u00a0. It was the\u00a0\u00a0Eritrean independence struggle<\/a>\u00a0, which began in 1962, which led to the fall of the regime in 1991. The preservation, at least relative, of its independence characterized Ethiopia during the colonial period of Africa.
National holiday: May 28<\/p>\n

Mauritius<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In English (official language)\u00a0\u00a0Mauritius<\/strong>\u00a0, island in the\u00a0Indian Ocean<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0belonging to the Mascarene archipelago. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Port-Louis<\/strong>\u00a0. Mauritius is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0. Mauritius is located east of Madagascar and northeast of the island of R\u00e9union. The country includes Mauritius proper, Rodrigues Island to the east, Agalega Island to the north, and the Saint-Brandon archipelago (or Cargados Carajos reefs) to the northeast. It also claims the Chagos archipelago\u00a0\u00a0to<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0the northeast, including the island of Diego Garcia which has become an American military base.
Independence: May 12, 1968<\/p>\n

Kenya<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Swahili and English (official languages)\u00a0\u00a0Kenya<\/strong>\u00a0, country of\u00a0\u00a0East\u00a0\u00a0Africa . Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Nairobi<\/strong>\u00a0. Kenya is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0. Kenya is bathed by the Indian Ocean, bordered to the north by Sudan and Ethiopia, to the east by Somalia and to the south by Tanzania.
Independence: December 12, 1963<\/p>\n

Madagascar<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Malagasy\u00a0\u00a0Madagasikara<\/strong>\u00a0, island country located in the\u00a0Indian Ocean<\/strong>\u00a0, separated from the southeastern coast of Africa by the\u00a0\u00a0Mozambique Channel<\/strong>\u00a0, consisting of the island of Madagascar and several small islands, including that of\u00a0\u00a0Nosy Be<\/strong>\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Antananarivo<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0(also known as Tananarive).
Independence: June 26, 1960<\/p>\n

Mayotte<\/u>\u00a0, overseas collectivity belonging to\u00a0\u00a0Overseas France<\/strong>\u00a0, archipelago in the Indian Ocean located halfway between Madagascar and the African continent, north of the Mozambique Channel and at the southeastern end of the\u00a0\u00a0Comoros<\/strong>\u00a0archipelago .<\/p>\n

Uganda<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In English (official language)\u00a0\u00a0Uganda<\/strong>\u00a0, country in East\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Kampala<\/strong>\u00a0. Uganda is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>. Uganda is landlocked between Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, Tanzania and Rwanda to the south, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. A prosperous country when it gained independence in 1962, initially spared from ethnic and political tensions, Uganda experienced deadly conflicts and a long dictatorship from 1967. The return to political stability and economic recovery, which began in the second half of the 1980s, remain fragile.
Independence: October 9, 1962<\/p>\n

R\u00e9union<\/u>\u00a0, overseas department and region (DOM-ROM, or DROM) of\u00a0\u00a0France<\/strong>\u00a0, located in the Mascarene archipelago, approximately 700 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Saint-Denis<\/strong>\u00a0. Before the Overseas Program Law of July 21, 2003, R\u00e9union was an overseas department (DOM).
Independence:<\/p>\n

Seychelles<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Seychellois\u00a0\u00a0Sesel<\/strong>\u00a0, country and archipelago located in the western\u00a0Indian Ocean<\/strong>\u00a0, northwest of Madagascar. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Victoria<\/strong>\u00a0, which is on the island of Mah\u00e9. Seychelles is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0.
Independence: June 29, 1976<\/p>\n

Somalia<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Somali\u00a0\u00a0Soomaaliya<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0and in Arabic\u00a0\u00a0As Sumal<\/strong>\u00a0, country in eastern Africa\u00a0,<\/strong>\u00a0located in the\u00a0\u00a0Horn of Africa<\/strong>\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Mogadishu<\/strong>\u00a0. Somalia is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Aden, to the east and south by the Indian Ocean, to the southwest by Kenya, to the west by Ethiopia and to the northwest by the Republic of Djibouti.
Independence: July 1, 1960<\/p>\n

Sudan\u00a0<\/u>\u00a0: In Arabic\u00a0\u00a0As Sudan<\/strong>\u00a0, country of East\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Khartoum<\/strong>\u00a0. Sudan overlooks the\u00a0\u00a0Red Sea<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0; the country is bordered to the north by Egypt, to the east by Eritrea and Ethiopia, to the south by Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and to the west by the Central African Republic, Chad and Libya. It is crossed from north to south by the\u00a0\u00a0Nile<\/strong>\u00a0Valley . Sudan takes its name from the Arabic expression \u00ab\u00a0Bilad al-Sudan\u00a0\u00bb, formerly used to designate all the countries of\u00a0black Africa<\/strong>\u00a0sub-Saharan. However, while its northern part belongs, by language and religion, to the Arab-Muslim world, its southern part, animist and Christian, is anchored in the sub-Saharan domain. This geographical divide, associated with a political domination exercised to the detriment of the populations of the South, largely contributed to the outbreak of the civil war which has torn Sudan apart almost uninterruptedly since independence acquired in 1956. The arrival of the Islamists in power (in 1989) rekindled the continuation of the fighting.
Independence: January 1, 1956<\/p>\n

Tanzania<\/u><\/em>\u00a0\u00a0: In English and Swahili\u00a0\u00a0Tanzania<\/strong>\u00a0, country of East\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Dodoma<\/strong>\u00a0. Tanzania is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0. Tanzania overlooks the Indian Ocean; The country is bordered to the north by Kenya and Uganda, to the northwest by Rwanda and Burundi, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the southwest by Zambia and Malawi, and to the south by Mozambique. Three lakes also constitute natural borders: Lake\u00a0\u00a0Victoria<\/strong>\u00a0, separating Tanzania from Uganda; Lake\u00a0\u00a0Tanganyika<\/strong>\u00a0, shared between Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Lake\u00a0\u00a0Malawi<\/strong>\u00a0. The Republic of Tanzania was born in 1964 from the union of Tanganyika, independent since 1962, and the island of Zanzibar.
Independence: April 26, 1964<\/p>\n

Southern Africa
\n<\/h4>\n

South Africa\u00a0<\/u>\u00a0: Country in southern\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0, the southernmost on the continent. Its administrative capital is\u00a0\u00a0Pretoria<\/strong>\u00a0, its legislative capital\u00a0\u00a0Cape Town<\/strong>\u00a0. South Africa is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0. South Africa is bordered to the north by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland. Its eastern and southern coasts are bathed by the Indian Ocean, while its western coast overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. Lesotho\u00a0\u00a0forms<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0an enclave in the east of the country. An economic power on the African continent, with a multi-ethnic population, South Africa has entered a new phase in its history since 1990, breaking with apartheid\u00a0,<\/strong>\u00a0a system of racial segregation that prevailed throughout the 20th century.<\/p>\n

Angola<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Portuguese\u00a0\u00a0Angola<\/strong>\u00a0, country in\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0, located at the crossroads of Central Africa and Southern Africa. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Luanda<\/strong>\u00a0. Angola is open to the west on the\u00a0Atlantic Ocean<\/strong>\u00a0. It is bordered to the north and east by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the east by Zambia, and to the south by Namibia.
Independence: November 11, 1965<\/p>\n

Botswana\u00a0<\/u>\u00a0: In English (official language)\u00a0\u00a0Botswana<\/strong>\u00a0, country in southern\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Gaborone<\/strong>\u00a0. Botswana is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0. Botswana is bordered to the north and west by Namibia, to the north by Zambia, to the east by Zimbabwe, and to the southeast and south by South Africa.
Independence: May 30, 1966<\/p>\n

Lesotho<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Sesotho and English (official languages)\u00a0\u00a0Sesotho<\/strong>\u00a0, country in southern\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0, entirely landlocked in South Africa. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Maseru<\/strong>\u00a0. Lesotho is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0. Formerly Basutoland, which became independent in 1966, Lesotho was built against South African expansionism.
Independence: October 4, 1966<\/p>\n

Malawi<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Chichewa and English (official languages)\u00a0\u00a0Malawi<\/strong>\u00a0, country of\u00a0\u00a0East\u00a0\u00a0Africa . Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Lilongwe<\/strong>\u00a0. Malawi is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>. Malawi is bordered by Tanzania to the northeast, Mozambique to the east and south, and Zambia to the west. It stretches along Lake Malawi, a natural border with Tanzania and Mozambique. A quarter of its territory is made up of lakes. Former British protectorate of Nyasaland, Malawi, independent since 1964, is a hinge country between East Africa and Southern Africa.
Independence: July 6, 1964<\/p>\n

Mozambique<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In Portuguese\u00a0\u00a0Mo\u00e7ambique<\/strong>\u00a0, country of southern\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Maputo<\/strong>\u00a0. Mozambique is open to the Indian Ocean (Mozambique Channel), bordered to the north by Tanzania, to the west by Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia and to the south by South Africa and Swaziland. Former Portuguese colony, independent since 1975, Mozambique has been scarred by fifteen years of civil war.
Independence: June 25, 1975<\/p>\n

Saint Helena<\/u>\u00a0, island of the United Kingdom located in the South\u00a0Atlantic Ocean<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0, approximately 1,900 km west of Africa. Saint Helena is of volcanic origin and its terrain is rugged and mountainous, reaching a height of 820 m in the High Hills in the southwest; its area is 122 km2, for a population estimated in 1988 at 5,564 inhabitants.<\/p>\n

Swaziland<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In English\u00a0\u00a0Swaziland<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0and in siSwati\u00a0\u00a0eSwatini<\/strong>\u00a0, country of southern\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Mbabane<\/strong>\u00a0. Swaziland is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0. Swaziland is an enclave within South Africa, bordered to the east by Mozambique. Swaziland has been independent since 1968; the country was formed around the Swazi nation.
Independence: September 6, 1968<\/p>\n

Zambia\u00a0<\/u>\u00a0: In English (official language)\u00a0\u00a0Zambia<\/strong>\u00a0, country of\u00a0\u00a0South-East\u00a0\u00a0Africa . Its capital is\u00a0<\/strong>Lusaka<\/strong>\u00a0. Zambia is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>. Zambia is landlocked between the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, Malawi to the east, Mozambique to the southwest, Zimbabwe, Botswana and the Caprivi Strip of Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west. A former British colony of Northern Rhodesia, Zambia took its current name upon gaining independence on 24 October 1964.
Independence: 24 October 1964<\/p>\n

Zimbabwe<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In English (official language)\u00a0\u00a0Zimbabwe<\/strong>\u00a0, country in southern\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Harare<\/strong>\u00a0. Zimbabwe is bordered by Zambia to the north, Mozambique to the east, South Africa to the south and Botswana to the southwest. A former British colony of Southern Rhodesia, Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, after a long conflict that began in 1965 following the break between white settlers and the\u00a0\u00a0United Kingdom,<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0and at the end of which the black majority came to power. The country was then symbolically renamed Zimbabwe in reference to the medieval kingdom and the archaeological site of the same name (Zimbabwe).
Independence: April 18, 1980<\/p>\n

South Sudan<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0:\u00a0\u00a0South Sudan<\/strong>\u00a0, in long form\u00a0\u00a0the Republic of South Sudan<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0is a country in\u00a0East Africa<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0whose capital is\u00a0\u00a0Juba<\/a>\u00a0. It is often called, by anglicism,\u00a0\u00a0South Sudan<\/strong>\u00a0. Following the\u00a0\u00a0self-determination referendum<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0held from\u00a0\u00a0January\u00a0<\/a>9<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0to\u00a0\u00a015 ,\u00a0<\/a>\u00a02011<\/a>\u00a0, South Sudan seceded from the\u00a0\u00a0Republic of Sudan<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0on\u00a0\u00a0July\u00a0<\/a>9\u00a0<\/a>, 2011.\u00a0<\/a>7<\/a>\u00a0Despite the\u00a0 immediate\u00a0recognition<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0of the State, disputes remain over the definitive demarcation of the border.\u00a0Independence: July 9, 2011\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Number of Individuals 1.2 billion Number of Countries 54 countries Number of Time Zones 6 Density: Population per km\u00b2 21.09 Internet Access 70 million Number of Illiterate People 200 million Number of FM Radio Stations Over 8,000 Africans Under 18 Years Old 50% Africans of Working Age by 2040 1.1 billion African Cities with Populations […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_cip_image":"","_cip_collection":"","_cip_hide_title":"","footnotes":""},"cm_language":[15],"class_list":["post-189","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cipina.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cipina.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cipina.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cipina.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cipina.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cipina.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/189\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cipina.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cm_language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cipina.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcm_language&post=189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

Namibia<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0: In English (official language)\u00a0\u00a0Namibia<\/strong>\u00a0, country of southern\u00a0Africa<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0. Its capital is\u00a0\u00a0Windhoek<\/strong>\u00a0. Namibia is a member of the\u00a0\u00a0Commonwealth<\/strong>\u00a0. Namibia is bordered to the north by Angola and Zambia, to the east by Botswana, to the southeast by South Africa and to the west by some 1,500 km of desert coastline bordering the Atlantic Ocean. Formerly South West Africa, which became Namibia in 1968, the country, colonized by Germany\u00a0,<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0then by South Africa, gained independence in 1990.
Independence: March 21, 1960<\/p>\n