Africa is the second-largest continent on the planet, masking an space of roughly 30.3 million sq. kilometers (11.7 million sq. miles). It’s dwelling to a various vary of cultures, languages, and environments, and is sometimes called the “Cradle of Civilization” as a result of its lengthy and wealthy historical past.
With regards to the variety of nations in Africa, there may be some variation within the solutions relying on the supply. Some sources acknowledge 54 nations, whereas others acknowledge 55 and even 56 nations. The rationale for this variation is because of political and territorial disputes, in addition to the popularity of sure self-declared states.
On this article, we’ll discover the totally different views on the variety of nations in Africa, and supply an in depth checklist of the nations which might be usually acknowledged by the worldwide neighborhood.
what number of nations in africa
Africa is an unlimited and various continent with a wealthy historical past and tradition.
- 54 acknowledged nations
- Some sources say 55 or 56
- Political and territorial disputes
- Self-declared states
- Complicated colonial historical past
- Altering political boundaries
- Worldwide recognition
- United Nations membership
The variety of nations in Africa is a subject that may be approached from totally different views, and the precise quantity relies on the factors used for recognition.
54 acknowledged nations
With regards to the variety of nations in Africa, probably the most generally acknowledged determine is 54. This quantity relies on the membership of the African Union (AU), which is the continental physique that represents the political and financial pursuits of African states. All 54 nations which might be members of the AU are acknowledged by the United Nations (UN) as sovereign states, they usually take part in worldwide organizations and boards as impartial nations.
The 54 acknowledged nations in Africa are:
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
These 54 nations symbolize a various vary of cultures, languages, and histories, they usually play an essential function in world affairs.
It is very important notice that the popularity of sure nations is usually a advanced subject, and there are some circumstances the place there may be disagreement amongst worldwide organizations and nations concerning the standing of a specific territory. Nevertheless, the 54 nations listed above are usually acknowledged as sovereign states by the worldwide neighborhood.
Some sources say 55 or 56
Whereas probably the most generally acknowledged variety of nations in Africa is 54, some sources could declare that there are 55 and even 56 nations. This variation is because of the advanced political and territorial state of affairs in Africa, which incorporates disputed territories, self-declared states, and unrecognized nations.
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Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, claimed by each Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The SADR is acknowledged by a handful of nations, however most nations take into account Western Sahara to be part of Morocco.
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Somaliland
Somaliland is a self-declared state within the Horn of Africa, which broke away from Somalia in 1991. Somaliland has its personal authorities, foreign money, and navy, however it isn’t acknowledged by another nation.
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Zanzibar
Zanzibar is an archipelago off the coast of Tanzania, which was a semi-autonomous area till 1964, when it united with Tanganyika to type Tanzania. Some sources could checklist Zanzibar as a separate nation, however it’s usually thought-about to be part of Tanzania.
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Mayotte
Mayotte is an island within the Indian Ocean, which is a division and area of France. Some sources could checklist Mayotte as a separate nation, however it’s thought-about to be part of France.
The inclusion or exclusion of those territories and self-declared states within the depend of African nations can result in totally different numbers being reported. Nevertheless, the 54 nations which might be members of the African Union are probably the most well known and accepted as sovereign states in Africa.
Political and territorial disputes
Africa is a continent with a posh political and territorial historical past, and there are a variety of ongoing disputes over borders and territories. These disputes can result in instability and battle, they usually may make it tough to find out the precise variety of nations in Africa.
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Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, claimed by each Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The SADR is acknowledged by a handful of nations, however most nations take into account Western Sahara to be part of Morocco. This dispute has been ongoing for many years, and there’s no straightforward resolution in sight.
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Somalia/Somaliland
Somaliland is a self-declared state within the Horn of Africa, which broke away from Somalia in 1991. Somaliland has its personal authorities, foreign money, and navy, however it isn’t acknowledged by another nation. The worldwide neighborhood considers Somaliland to be part of Somalia, however Somaliland has maintained its independence for over 30 years.
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Sudan/South Sudan
South Sudan turned impartial from Sudan in 2011, after a protracted and bloody civil conflict. Nevertheless, the 2 nations proceed to have disputes over their border, in addition to over oil and different assets. These disputes have led to tensions and occasional clashes between the 2 nations.
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Ethiopia/Eritrea
Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a border conflict from 1998 to 2000, which resulted within the deaths of tens of hundreds of individuals. The 2 nations ultimately signed a peace settlement, however the border dispute stays unresolved. There have been occasional outbreaks of violence alongside the border in recent times.
These are only a few examples of the political and territorial disputes that exist in Africa. These disputes could make it tough to find out the precise variety of nations in Africa, they usually may result in instability and battle.
Self-declared states
Along with the political and territorial disputes talked about above, there are additionally various self-declared states in Africa. These are entities which have declared independence from their guardian nations, however they don’t seem to be acknowledged by the worldwide neighborhood.
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Somaliland
As talked about earlier, Somaliland is a self-declared state within the Horn of Africa, which broke away from Somalia in 1991. Somaliland has its personal authorities, foreign money, and navy, however it isn’t acknowledged by another nation. The worldwide neighborhood considers Somaliland to be part of Somalia, however Somaliland has maintained its independence for over 30 years.
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Puntland
Puntland is a self-declared autonomous state in northeastern Somalia. It was established in 1998, and it has its personal authorities and navy. Nevertheless, Puntland shouldn’t be acknowledged by the worldwide neighborhood, and it’s thought-about to be part of Somalia.
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Jubaland
Jubaland is one other self-declared autonomous state in southern Somalia. It was established in 2013, and it has its personal authorities and navy. Nevertheless, Jubaland shouldn’t be acknowledged by the worldwide neighborhood, and it’s thought-about to be part of Somalia.
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Azawad
Azawad is a self-declared state in northern Mali. It was established in 2012 by Tuareg separatists. Nevertheless, Azawad shouldn’t be acknowledged by the worldwide neighborhood, and it’s thought-about to be part of Mali.
These are only a few examples of the self-declared states that exist in Africa. These states aren’t acknowledged by the worldwide neighborhood, they usually usually face challenges by way of safety, governance, and financial improvement.
Complicated colonial historical past
Africa has a posh colonial historical past, which has had a profound influence on the continent’s political and territorial panorama. European powers started colonizing Africa within the fifteenth century, and by the late nineteenth century, many of the continent was below European management. The colonial powers imposed their very own borders and administrative techniques, which frequently divided ethnic teams and created synthetic political items.
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Arbitrary borders
The borders of many African nations have been drawn by European colonial powers, usually with little regard for ethnic or linguistic boundaries. This has led to various conflicts and disputes over territory.
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Divided ethnic teams
The colonial powers usually divided ethnic teams into totally different nations, which has led to tensions and conflicts between these teams. For instance, the Ewe persons are divided between Ghana and Togo, and the Yoruba persons are divided between Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.
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Synthetic political items
The colonial powers additionally created synthetic political items, such because the Belgian Congo and French West Africa. These items have been usually based mostly on administrative comfort fairly than on ethnic or linguistic elements. This has led to challenges in constructing nationwide unity and identification in some African nations.
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Legacy of colonialism
The legacy of colonialism continues to form Africa as we speak. Many African nations are nonetheless fighting the financial and political issues that have been brought on by colonial rule. Moreover, the arbitrary borders and divided ethnic teams that have been created by the colonial powers proceed to be a supply of battle and instability.
The advanced colonial historical past of Africa is among the elements that has contributed to the issue in figuring out the precise variety of nations in Africa. The arbitrary borders and divided ethnic teams that have been created by the colonial powers have led to disputes and conflicts, they usually have additionally made it tough to construct nationwide unity and identification in some African nations.
Altering political boundaries
The political boundaries of Africa have been always altering because the colonial period. New nations have been created, outdated nations have been divided, and a few nations have even disappeared altogether. This has made it tough to maintain observe of the precise variety of nations in Africa.
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Decolonization
The decolonization of Africa within the mid-Twentieth century led to the creation of many new nations. These nations have been usually based mostly on the arbitrary borders that had been drawn by the colonial powers. This led to various conflicts and disputes over territory.
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Secessionist actions
Secessionist actions have additionally performed a task in altering the political boundaries of Africa. These actions are teams that need to break free from their guardian nation and type their very own impartial state. Some secessionist actions have been profitable, whereas others have failed.
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Unification actions
In some circumstances, nations have merged collectively to type bigger political entities. For instance, Tanganyika and Zanzibar united to type Tanzania in 1964. Equally, North and South Sudan united to type Sudan in 1956, though they later separated once more in 2011.
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Failed states
Some nations in Africa have failed to take care of their territorial integrity and have successfully ceased to exist. For instance, Somalia has been stricken by civil conflict and lawlessness for many years, and it’s now thought-about to be a failed state.
The altering political boundaries of Africa have made it tough to find out the precise variety of nations in Africa. It is because the variety of nations can change over time, as new nations are created, outdated nations are divided, and a few nations stop to exist.
Worldwide recognition
Worldwide recognition is a key think about figuring out the legitimacy of a state. When a state is acknowledged by different states, it positive aspects entry to a number of advantages, together with diplomatic relations, commerce agreements, and membership in worldwide organizations. Nevertheless, the method of worldwide recognition may be advanced and contentious, particularly in circumstances the place there are disputes over territory or sovereignty.
Within the case of Africa, there are a variety of nations that aren’t universally acknowledged by the worldwide neighborhood. This contains self-declared states, corresponding to Somaliland and Puntland, in addition to nations which have been concerned in territorial disputes, corresponding to Western Sahara and South Sudan.
The shortage of worldwide recognition can have various adverse penalties for a rustic. It may make it tough to draw overseas funding and commerce, and it could possibly additionally restrict a rustic’s capability to take part in worldwide organizations and boards. Moreover, the dearth of worldwide recognition could make it tough for a rustic to resolve disputes with its neighbors.
Regardless of the challenges, there are a variety of ways in which a rustic can acquire worldwide recognition. A technique is thru the United Nations (UN). The UN is the world’s largest worldwide group, and it has a membership of over 190 nations. When a rustic is admitted to the UN, it’s a signal that it has been acknowledged by the worldwide neighborhood.
One other method {that a} nation can acquire worldwide recognition is thru bilateral agreements with different nations. When two nations set up diplomatic relations, it’s a signal that they acknowledge one another’s sovereignty. Bilateral agreements will also be used to resolve disputes and to advertise cooperation between nations.
Worldwide recognition is a crucial think about figuring out the legitimacy of a state. The shortage of worldwide recognition can have various adverse penalties for a rustic. Nevertheless, there are a variety of ways in which a rustic can acquire worldwide recognition, together with by the UN and thru bilateral agreements with different nations.
United Nations membership
The United Nations (UN) is the world’s largest worldwide group, and it has a membership of over 190 nations. The UN was established in 1945 after the Second World Warfare, with the goal of stopping future wars and selling peace and safety world wide. The UN additionally works to advertise human rights, social and financial improvement, and environmental safety.
All 54 nations which might be acknowledged by the African Union are additionally members of the United Nations. Which means that the UN acknowledges the sovereignty of those nations and considers them to be respectable states. UN membership permits African nations to take part in a variety of worldwide actions, together with peacekeeping missions, commerce negotiations, and local weather change conferences.
There are a number of African nations that aren’t members of the United Nations. These embrace Somaliland, a self-declared state within the Horn of Africa, and Western Sahara, a disputed territory claimed by Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The shortage of UN membership for these nations could make it tough for them to take part in worldwide organizations and boards, and it could possibly additionally restrict their entry to overseas help and funding.
Nevertheless, though Somaliland and Western Sahara aren’t members of the UN, they’re nonetheless acknowledged by some nations and worldwide organizations. For instance, Somaliland has diplomatic relations with various nations, and it’s a member of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Western Sahara is acknowledged by the African Union and by a handful of nations, and it’s a member of the Arab League.
United Nations membership is a crucial think about figuring out the legitimacy of a state. It permits nations to take part in a variety of worldwide actions and to entry overseas help and funding. Nevertheless, there are a number of African nations that aren’t members of the UN, and this could make it tough for them to take part in worldwide affairs.
FAQ
Listed below are some often requested questions on what number of nations are in Africa:
Query 1: What’s the mostly acknowledged variety of nations in Africa?
Reply: Probably the most generally acknowledged variety of nations in Africa is 54.
Query 2: Why do some sources say there are 55 or 56 nations in Africa?
Reply: Some sources could embrace self-declared states or disputed territories of their depend of African nations. This will result in the next quantity than the 54 nations which might be acknowledged by the African Union and the United Nations.
Query 3: What are some examples of self-declared states in Africa?
Reply: Some examples of self-declared states in Africa embrace Somaliland, Puntland, and Jubaland in Somalia, and Azawad in Mali. These states aren’t acknowledged by the worldwide neighborhood, however they’ve their very own governments and navy forces.
Query 4: What are some examples of disputed territories in Africa?
Reply: Some examples of disputed territories in Africa embrace Western Sahara, which is claimed by Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and the Abyei area, which is claimed by Sudan and South Sudan.
Query 5: How does the advanced colonial historical past of Africa have an effect on the variety of nations in Africa?
Reply: The advanced colonial historical past of Africa has led to the creation of synthetic borders and divided ethnic teams. This has made it tough to find out the precise variety of nations in Africa, as there are disputes over territory and sovereignty.
Query 6: What function does worldwide recognition play in figuring out the variety of nations in Africa?
Reply: Worldwide recognition is a key think about figuring out the legitimacy of a state. When a rustic is acknowledged by different nations, it positive aspects entry to a number of advantages, together with diplomatic relations, commerce agreements, and membership in worldwide organizations. The shortage of worldwide recognition could make it tough for a rustic to resolve disputes with its neighbors and to take part in worldwide affairs.
Query 7: What number of nations in Africa are members of the United Nations?
Reply: All 54 nations which might be acknowledged by the African Union are additionally members of the United Nations.
Closing Paragraph for FAQ
These are only a few of the questions that folks have about what number of nations are in Africa. The variety of nations in Africa is usually a advanced subject, however it is very important perceive the various factors that contribute to the various numbers which might be reported.
Along with the FAQ, listed below are a number of suggestions for understanding the variety of nations in Africa:
Ideas
Listed below are a number of suggestions for understanding the variety of nations in Africa:
Tip 1: Concentrate on the totally different views on the variety of nations in Africa.
There isn’t any single reply to the query of what number of nations are in Africa. The quantity can fluctuate relying on the factors used for recognition. It is very important pay attention to the totally different views on this subject with a purpose to perceive the various numbers which might be reported.
Tip 2: Take into account the function of worldwide recognition.
Worldwide recognition is a key think about figuring out the legitimacy of a state. When a rustic is acknowledged by different nations, it positive aspects entry to a number of advantages, together with diplomatic relations, commerce agreements, and membership in worldwide organizations. The shortage of worldwide recognition could make it tough for a rustic to resolve disputes with its neighbors and to take part in worldwide affairs.
Tip 3: Have a look at the membership of the African Union and the United Nations.
The African Union and the United Nations are two of an important worldwide organizations in Africa. All 54 nations which might be acknowledged by the African Union are additionally members of the United Nations. It is a good strategy to get a way of the variety of nations which might be usually acknowledged by the worldwide neighborhood.
Tip 4: Concentrate on the advanced colonial historical past of Africa.
The advanced colonial historical past of Africa has led to the creation of synthetic borders and divided ethnic teams. This has made it tough to find out the precise variety of nations in Africa, as there are disputes over territory and sovereignty. It is very important perceive this historical past with a purpose to perceive the present political panorama of Africa.
Closing Paragraph for Ideas
By following the following pointers, you possibly can acquire a greater understanding of the variety of nations in Africa and the elements that contribute to the various numbers which might be reported.
In conclusion, the variety of nations in Africa is a posh subject with no straightforward reply. Nevertheless, by understanding the totally different views on this subject and by contemplating the function of worldwide recognition, the membership of the African Union and the United Nations, and the advanced colonial historical past of Africa, you possibly can acquire a greater understanding of this matter.
Conclusion
The variety of nations in Africa is a posh subject with no straightforward reply. There are 54 nations which might be acknowledged by the African Union and the United Nations, however some sources could embrace self-declared states or disputed territories of their depend, which might result in the next quantity. The advanced colonial historical past of Africa has additionally contributed to the issue in figuring out the precise variety of nations in Africa.
Worldwide recognition is a key think about figuring out the legitimacy of a state. When a rustic is acknowledged by different nations, it positive aspects entry to a number of advantages, together with diplomatic relations, commerce agreements, and membership in worldwide organizations. The shortage of worldwide recognition could make it tough for a rustic to resolve disputes with its neighbors and to take part in worldwide affairs.
In conclusion, the variety of nations in Africa is a subject that may be approached from totally different views, and the precise quantity relies on the factors used for recognition. Nevertheless, by understanding the totally different views on this subject and by contemplating the function of worldwide recognition, the membership of the African Union and the United Nations, and the advanced colonial historical past of Africa, you possibly can acquire a greater understanding of this matter.
In the end, the query of what number of nations are in Africa is not only a matter of numbers. It’s also a query of politics, historical past, and worldwide relations. By understanding the various factors that contribute to the various numbers which might be reported, we are able to acquire a deeper appreciation for the complexity and variety of the African continent.
