Map of Africa with Countries and Capitals

Africa has 54 countries. The map below labels every country and capital, from Morocco and Egypt in the north to South Africa in the south, including the island nations of Cabo Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. Below the map you will find all 54 countries and capitals listed by region, an interactive map you can zoom, and free printable maps.

Africa is the world's second-largest continent, covering about 30.3 million km² (about 20% of the world's land area), and has over 1.4 billion people. The largest country is Algeria, the most populous is Nigeria and the smallest is Seychelles.

Labeled Map of Africa with Country Names

Political map of Africa showing all 54 countries, their capitals and major cities, with borders and surrounding oceans — Political map of Africa with country names, capitals (marked with a star) and major cities. Base map: US government (public domain), 2021 edition – note that it still marks Bujumbura, although Burundi's political capital has been Gitega since 2019. Free printable versions: PDF, JPG and more on the downloads page.

Last updated: September 2026

Interactive Africa Map

How to use this map: Click and drag to pan across Africa. Use the zoom controls or scroll wheel to zoom in and out. Click a country to open its page with a detailed map, key facts and capital.

Understanding Africa's Geography

Africa stretches about 8,000 km from north to south and about 7,400 km from east to west. The Equator crosses the middle of the continent and the Prime Meridian runs through its western part, so Africa lies in all four hemispheres. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Red Sea and Indian Ocean to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Main physical features:

The Sahara: the world's largest hot desert, about 9 million km² across North Africa
The Nile: about 6,650 km long, usually listed as the world's longest river; its basin is shared by 11 countries
The Great Rift Valley: a chain of rift basins running from the Red Sea through Ethiopia and East Africa to Mozambique
Mount Kilimanjaro: Africa's highest peak, 5,895 m, in northern Tanzania
The Congo Basin: the world's second-largest tropical rainforest, after the Amazon
Lake Victoria: Africa's largest lake, shared by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, and the main source of the White Nile

African Regions

This site uses the five regions of the UN geoscheme: North Africa (6 countries), West Africa (16), East Africa (18), Central or Middle Africa (9) and Southern Africa (5). Other definitions exist – for example, many sources include Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Angola in Southern Africa.

North Africa

Comprising Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Sudan, North Africa is characterized by the Sahara Desert, Mediterranean coastline, and strong Arab-Islamic cultural influences. This region serves as a bridge between Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

West Africa

Home to 16 countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Mali, West Africa features diverse ecosystems from Sahel grasslands to tropical rainforests. The region is known for its rich cultural heritage, including ancient empires like Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.

East Africa

East Africa's 18 countries include Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and the Indian Ocean islands. The region contains the Great Rift Valley, Africa's highest mountains and largest lakes, and many of the oldest human fossil sites.

Central Africa

Centred on the Congo Basin, this region's 9 countries include DR Congo, Angola, Cameroon, Chad and Gabon. It contains most of Africa's rainforest and large mineral and oil resources.

Southern Africa

In the UN definition, Southern Africa has 5 countries: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini. It includes the Kalahari and Namib deserts and the Drakensberg mountains, and is known for its mineral wealth and wildlife reserves.

Explore Africa in Depth

Dive deeper into Africa's countries, cities, economies and history with our curated guides and reference pages:

Download Free Africa Maps

Download high-quality maps of Africa in various formats for educational, academic, or personal use. More formats, including a French-language outline map, are on the downloads page.

Download Africa Political Map (PDF) - printable map with all countries and capitals
Download Blank Africa Map (PNG) - outline of the continent for labeling exercises
Download Africa Map (JPG) - labeled map with countries and capitals, in English

All maps are free to use for non-commercial purposes. For commercial use, please contact us for licensing information.

List of All 54 African Countries and Capitals by Region

All 54 countries of Africa with their capital cities, grouped by UN region. Select a country or capital for its map and key facts. See also the full list of African capitals and the population and GDP rankings.

North Africa (6 countries)

Country	Capital	Note
Algeria	Algiers
Egypt	Cairo
Libya	Tripoli
Morocco	Rabat	Casablanca is the largest city
Sudan	Khartoum	Government returned from Port Sudan in January 2026
Tunisia	Tunis

West Africa (16 countries)

Country	Capital	Note
Benin	Porto-Novo	Cotonou is the seat of government
Burkina Faso	Ouagadougou
Cabo Verde (Cape Verde)	Praia
Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)	Yamoussoukro	Abidjan is the economic capital
The Gambia	Banjul
Ghana	Accra
Guinea	Conakry
Guinea-Bissau	Bissau
Liberia	Monrovia
Mali	Bamako
Mauritania	Nouakchott
Niger	Niamey
Nigeria	Abuja	Lagos is the largest city
Senegal	Dakar
Sierra Leone	Freetown
Togo	Lomé

East Africa (18 countries)

Country	Capital	Note
Burundi	Gitega	Political capital since 2019; Bujumbura is the economic centre
Comoros	Moroni
Djibouti	Djibouti
Eritrea	Asmara
Ethiopia	Addis Ababa
Kenya	Nairobi
Madagascar	Antananarivo
Malawi	Lilongwe
Mauritius	Port Louis
Mozambique	Maputo
Rwanda	Kigali
Seychelles	Victoria
Somalia	Mogadishu
South Sudan	Juba	Independent since 2011
Tanzania	Dodoma	Dar es Salaam is the largest city
Uganda	Kampala
Zambia	Lusaka
Zimbabwe	Harare

Central (Middle) Africa (9 countries)

Country	Capital	Note
Angola	Luanda
Cameroon	Yaoundé	Douala is the largest city
Central African Republic	Bangui
Chad	N'Djamena
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)	Kinshasa
Republic of the Congo	Brazzaville
Equatorial Guinea	Malabo	Ciudad de la Paz is being built as a future capital
Gabon	Libreville
São Tomé and Príncipe	São Tomé

Southern Africa (5 countries)

Country	Capital	Note
Botswana	Gaborone
Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)	Mbabane	Administrative capital; Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital
Lesotho	Maseru
Namibia	Windhoek
South Africa	Pretoria	Executive capital; Cape Town (legislative) and Bloemfontein (judicial)

Not counted among the 54: Western Sahara (disputed territory; largest city Laayoune) and overseas territories such as the Canary Islands (Spain), Madeira (Portugal), Réunion and Mayotte (France), and Saint Helena (UK).

Facts About Africa

Africa is the second-largest continent by both area and population
The continent has 54 UN-recognised sovereign states, 16 of them landlocked
Over 2,000 languages are spoken across Africa
Africa has the world's largest hot desert (Sahara) and longest river (Nile)
The continent is believed to be the birthplace of humanity
Africa is the only continent that spans all four hemispheres
About two-thirds of the world's cocoa comes from West Africa, mainly Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana
South Sudan, independent since 2011, is Africa's newest country
Africa's population is projected to reach about 2.5 billion by 2050 (UN estimate)

Africa Map FAQ

How many countries are in Africa?

Africa has 54 sovereign countries recognised by the United Nations. Western Sahara is a disputed territory, mostly administered by Morocco and claimed by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and is not counted among the 54. Somaliland has declared independence from Somalia but is not recognised by the UN.

What is the largest country in Africa?

Algeria is the largest country in Africa by area, at about 2.38 million km². It is followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (about 2.34 million km²) and Sudan (about 1.88 million km²).

What is the smallest country in Africa?

Seychelles is the smallest African country, at about 457 km². On the mainland, the smallest country is The Gambia, at about 11,300 km².

Which African country has the most people?

Nigeria is the most populous African country, with roughly 230 million people (UN World Population Prospects 2024). Ethiopia, Egypt and DR Congo each have over 100 million inhabitants.

Which African countries have more than one capital?

South Africa has three: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative) and Bloemfontein (judicial). Several countries split roles between an official capital and a larger economic centre, such as Côte d'Ivoire (Yamoussoukro and Abidjan), Tanzania (Dodoma and Dar es Salaam), Benin (Porto-Novo and Cotonou), Burundi (Gitega and Bujumbura) and Eswatini (Mbabane and Lobamba).

What is the largest city in Africa?

Greater Cairo and Lagos are the two largest urban areas in Africa, each with over 15 million people depending on how the metropolitan area is defined. Kinshasa is the largest city in the French-speaking world.