Largest country in Africa in 2024: ranked by population and land mass
Africa is the second largest continent in the world after Asia. The continent covers around 30.3 million km², including adjacent islands. This is about 20% or one-fifth of Earth's land area. Africa has 54 countries and other dependencies/territories, and its population size of 1.4 billion people accounts for about 18% of the world's population. This article ranks all 54 countries and other dependencies by landmass and population to help you discover the largest country in Africa.
Africa has 54 fully recognized sovereign states of various government types, and most governments use the parliamentary systems. There are also eight cities and islands that are part of non-African states and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition.
Which is the largest country in Africa by land mass?
- Capital city: Algiers (El Djazaïr)
- Government: Semi-presidential system
- Currency: Algerian Dinar
- Official languages: Arabic, Tamazight
- Area: 2.382 million km²
Kogi 1st, Lagos 3rd: 10 states with highest cost of food in Nigeria ahead of Christmas
Algeria is the largest country in Africa by area, with 2,381,740 km² total land area size. Its land area also makes it the tenth-largest country in the world. This North African country has a Mediterranean coastline and a Saharan desert interior. By population, it is the 10th largest country in Africa, with a population size of around 45,606,480 people.
List of countries in Africa ranked by land mass
South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya are some of the most famous African countries. Nonetheless, this does not imply these countries occupy the biggest land surface. Some African countries have more land area size than these three. Below are the 54African countries ranked by land mass from largest to smallest:
Country | Total area (km²) |
Algeria | 2,381,740 |
DR Congo | 2,344,858 |
Sudan | 1,861,484 |
Libya | 1,759,540 |
Chad | 1,284,000 |
Niger | 1,267,000 |
Angola | 1,246,700 |
Mali | 1,240,192 |
South Africa | 1,219,090 |
Ethiopia | 1,104,300 |
Mauritania | 1,030,700 |
Egypt | 1,001,450 |
Tanzania | 947,300 |
Nigeria | 923,768 |
Namibia | 824,292 |
Mozambique | 799,380 |
Zambia | 752,618 |
South Sudan | 644,329 |
Somalia | 637,657 |
Central African Republic | 622,984 |
Madagascar | 587,041 |
Botswana | 581,730 |
Kenya | 580,367 |
Cameroon | 475,440 |
Morocco | 446,550 |
Zimbabwe | 390,757 |
Republic of the Congo | 342,000 |
Ivory Coast | 322,463 |
Burkina Faso | 274,200 |
Nigeria takes position on list of African countries with highest debt to IMF
Country | Total area (km²) |
Gabon | 267,667 |
Western Sahara(disputed dependency) | 266,000 |
Guinea | 245,857 |
Uganda | 241,038 |
Ghana | 238,533 |
Senegal | 196,722 |
Tunisia | 163,610 |
Malawi | 118,484 |
Eritrea | 117,600 |
Benin | 112,622 |
Liberia | 111,369 |
Sierra Leone | 71,740 |
Togo | 56,785 |
Guinea-Bissau | 36,125 |
Lesotho | 30,355 |
Equatorial Guinea | 28,051 |
Burundi | 27,830 |
Rwanda | 26,338 |
Djibouti | 23,200 |
Eswatini | 17,364 |
Gambia | 11,300 |
Cape Verde | 4,033 |
Réunion (France dependency) | 2,512 |
Mauritius | 2,235 |
Comoros | 2,040 |
São Tomé and Príncipe | 964 |
Seychelles | 455 |
Saint Helena (The UK dependency) | 394 |
Mayotte (France dependency) | 374 |
Which is the largest country in Africa by population?
- Capital city: Abuja
- Government: Federal republic system
- Currency: Nigerian Naira
- Official language: English
- Area: 923,768 km²
Nigeria is the largest country in Africa by population, with around 223,804,632 people. It is in the Western part of the continent and has a coastline facing the Atlantic Ocean. By landmass, it is the 6th largest country in Africa, with a 1,267,000 km² land area.
No more N10k: Multichoice confirms new DStv, GOtv monthly subscription prices for all packages
List of countries in Africa ranked by population
According to the United Nations Statistics, all 54 African countries ranked by population size from largest to smallest. The list also contains other dependencies (or dependent territories/areas) or Areas of Special Sovereignty (autonomous territories).
Country | Population size |
Nigeria | 223,804,632 |
Ethiopia | 126,527,060 |
Egypt | 112,716,598 |
DR Congo | 102,262,808 |
Tanzania | 67,438,106 |
South Africa | 60,414,495 |
Kenya | 55,100,586 |
Sudan | 48,109,006 |
Uganda | 48,582,334 |
Algeria | 45,606,480 |
Morocco | 37,840,044 |
Angola | 36,684,202 |
Ghana | 34,121,985 |
Mozambique | 33,897,354 |
Madagascar | 30,325,732 |
Côte d'Ivoire | 28,873,034 |
Cameroon | 28,647,293 |
Niger | 27,202,843 |
Burkina Faso | 23,251,485 |
Mali | 23,293,698 |
Malawi | 20,931,751 |
Zambia | 20,569,737 |
Chad | 18,278,568 |
Senegal | 17,763,163 |
Somalia | 18,143,378 |
Zimbabwe | 16,665,409 |
Guinea | 14,190,612 |
Rwanda | 14,094,683 |
Benin | 13,712,828 |
Country | Population size |
Burundi | 13,238,559 |
Tunisia | 12,458,223 |
South Sudan | 11,088,796 |
Togo | 9,053,799 |
Sierra Leone | 8,791,092 |
Libya | 6,888,388 |
Congo | 6,106,869 |
Central African Republic | 5,742,315 |
Liberia | 5,418,377 |
Mauritania | 4,862,989 |
Eritrea | 3,748,901 |
Gambia | 2,773,168 |
Botswana | 2,675,352 |
Namibia | 2,604,172 |
Gabon | 2,436,566 |
Lesotho | 2,330,318 |
Guinea-Bissau | 2,150,842 |
Equatorial Guinea | 1,714,671 |
Mauritius | 1,300,557 |
Eswatini | 1,210,822 |
Djibouti | 1,136,455 |
Réunion (France dependency) | 981,796 |
Comoros | 852,075 |
Cape Verde | 598,682 |
Western Sahara (disputed dependency) | 587,259 |
Mayotte (France dependency) | 335,995 |
Sao Tome & Principe | 231,856 |
Seychelles | 107,660 |
Saint Helena (The UK dependency) | 5,314 |
Customs announce new naira exchange rate to clear goods from US, Europe, China, others
Which country is the largest in Africa?
Algeria is the largest country in Africa by land mass. Its total land area is 2,381,740 km². Meanwhile, Nigeria is the largest country in Africa by population. It has a population size of around 223,804,632 people.
Which country is the most populated in Africa?
Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. This West African country has a population size of around 223,804,632 people.
What is the smallest country in Africa that is not an island?
The Gambia in West Africa is the smallest country in Africa, with an 11,300 km² total land area size, including a narrow Atlantic coastline.
Which country in Africa is the smallest?
Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa overall. By land mass, it only occupies a total land area of 455 km². The Seychelles is a favorite tour destination for many because it is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa.
Top 10 Nigerian states with highest external debts from China, others in 2023, Lagos Leads
Algeria is the largest country in Africa by landmass. It is also one of the main tourist attractions is the Sahara. Meanwhile, Nigeria is the largest country in Africa by population. It has the second-largest film industry worldwide, and many also know it as a fashion, technological, and creative hub in Africa.
Legit.ng also listed the highest currencies in Africa. A strong currency is good for people traveling abroad or buying imported products from countries whose money has a lower value. They pay for the goods and services at cheaper rates and save money.
So, if you are among these people, knowing the strongest currencies in Africa right now will help you budget your expenses and finances appropriately and efficiently.
Source: Legit.ng
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rbHGoqtnppdkfnKAlm1pbWWclr%2BosdKtZJynpaPBs8WMmp2roZOWeqPFjKygs51dpbyxwcuaq6KnnmO1tbnL