Political Map Of Africa

The political map of Africa shows just how complex and diverse the continent, home to 54 countries and over a billion people really is. To put that into perspective, the entire population of the Earth is estimated to be around 7.6 billion people, so Africa does hold a pretty sizable amount of the world’s population.

Africa is often referred to as the birthplace of humanity, and rightly so; some of the earliest hominid fossils ever found have been discovered in Africa. To learn about Africa, the countries in Africa and the population in those countries check out this guide.

With each new day in Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing he must outrun the fastest lion or perish. At the same time, a lion stirs and stretches, knowing he must outrun the fastest gazelle or starve. It’s no different for the human race. Whether you consider yourself a gazelle or a lion, you have to run faster than others to survive. – Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Africa Map And Facts

Africa holds (roughly) 15% of the world’s population and is the second-largest continent on the Earth. It is bigger than the United States, Mexico, China, and even India (even if you were to combine them Africa would still be bigger!). Not only are the earliest humanoids traced back to Africa, but the first ancient civilization can be found in Africa as well. Egypt is the oldest civilization to be literate, therefore making it the first true civilization.

Here are some more fascinating facts about Africa that you or may not know:

• Islam is the predominant religion in Africa
• Sudan is the largest country
• Nigeria is the most populated country
• The distance between Africa and Europe at the shortest point is 9 miles
• The Sahara desert is the largest HOT desert in the world, but not the largest desert in the world
  • The award for the largest desert actually goes to the Antarctic
• Egypt is the most popular tourist destination in Africa with over 10 million tourists visiting a year
• China is Africa’s biggest trade partner
• Lake Victoria is the continent’s largest lake and is the second-largest freshwater lake in the entire world
• The world’s longest river. the Nile is located in Egypt
  • it is 4,160 miles long (roughly, it is very hard to get an exact length)
• The tallest point in Africa is Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
  • It is 19,340 feet high
• Africa measures the same north to south as it does east to west
  • It is 4,660 miles from north to south and measures 4,660 miles long east to west
• The world’s largest waterfall also resides in Africa on the Zimbabwe and Zambia border
  • It is the Victoria Falls waterfall
  • It is 355 feet tall and is almost a mile wide
• Madagascar is an island off the eastern coast of Africa and is the 4th largest island in the world
  • It is 1,000 miles long and 350 miles wide
• Early hominid skeletons have been dated back to at least 4.4 million years ago
• Africans are the first known humans to fish, harpoons have been found in what is now modern-day Congo
  • In the same area, daggers were found believed to be for skinning and gutting the fish that were caught
  • It is possible this was one of the first cultures that revolved around fishing
• Africans were the first to develop crops and agriculture
  • They planted barley, lentils, wheat, capers, dates, and even chick-peas
  • Milling stones, grindstones, cutting blades, gardening tools, and pestles have been discovered as well
• Africans began mummifying their dead 9,000 years ago in Libya
  • This actually predates Egyptian mummification by 1,000 years!
• The great pyramids of Giza are 481 feet tall, or 40 stories tall
  • They weigh about 100 tons and are comprised of limestone and granite
  • They were constructed as tombs for dead pharaohs and wealthy Egyptians

Political Map of Africa and Countries in Africa

The political map of the continent of Africa. Image source: US Department of State

The drums of Africa still beat in my heart. They will not let me rest while there is a single Negro boy or girl without a chance to prove his worth. – Mary McLeod Bethune

Africa is made up of 54 different countries, each with their own form of government and rule. In the chart below we listed (in alphabetical order) the countries, their capitals, and the population of the countries. Hopefully, this chart will help give you a sense of the sheer amount of people that live in these countries. Obviously, there are a few countries with a smaller population size, but other countries are plain daunting. For instance, Nigeria has a population of 173 million people. I live in the state of Texas, which has a population of 28 million and I think it can be crowded in the big cities down here! Now Nigeria is about 300,000 sq km larger than Texas, but that really isn’t a whole lot bigger in the grand scheme of things.

Clockwise from top left: Pyramids of Egypt, Marrakech marketplace in Morocco, an elephant herd in South Africa, and a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo

“I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.” — Nelson Mandela