Africa is the second-largest continent on this planet, protecting an space of roughly 30.3 million sq. kilometers (11.7 million sq. miles). It’s house to a various vary of cultures, languages, and environments, and is sometimes called the “Cradle of Civilization” because of its lengthy and wealthy historical past.
On the subject of the variety of nations in Africa, there’s 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 are going to discover the totally different views on the variety of nations in Africa, and supply an in depth checklist of the nations which might be typically acknowledged by the worldwide group.
what number of nations in africa
Africa is an enormous 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 will depend on the factors used for recognition.
54 acknowledged nations
On the subject of the variety of nations in Africa, essentially the most generally acknowledged determine is 54. This quantity is predicated 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, and so they take part in worldwide organizations and boards as unbiased 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 signify a various vary of cultures, languages, and histories, and so they play an essential position in world affairs.
It is very important observe that the popularity of sure nations could be a complicated difficulty, and there are some circumstances the place there’s disagreement amongst worldwide organizations and nations in regards to the standing of a selected territory. Nevertheless, the 54 nations listed above are typically acknowledged as sovereign states by the worldwide group.
Some sources say 55 or 56
Whereas essentially the most generally acknowledged variety of nations in Africa is 54, some sources might declare that there are 55 and even 56 nations. This variation is because of the complicated political and territorial scenario 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 think about 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’s not acknowledged by some other 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 kind Tanzania. Some sources might checklist Zanzibar as a separate nation, however it’s typically 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 might 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 essentially the most widely known and accepted as sovereign states in Africa.
Political and territorial disputes
Africa is a continent with a fancy 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, and so they also can make it troublesome 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 think about Western Sahara to be part of Morocco. This dispute has been ongoing for many years, and there’s no straightforward answer 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’s not acknowledged by some other nation. The worldwide group 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 unbiased from Sudan in 2011, after an extended and bloody civil warfare. Nevertheless, the 2 nations proceed to have disputes over their border, in addition to over oil and different sources. 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 warfare from 1998 to 2000, which resulted within the deaths of tens of hundreds of individuals. The 2 nations finally signed a peace settlement, however the border dispute stays unresolved. There have been occasional outbreaks of violence alongside the border lately.
These are just some examples of the political and territorial disputes that exist in Africa. These disputes could make it troublesome to find out the precise variety of nations in Africa, and so they also can result in instability and battle.
Self-declared states
Along with the political and territorial disputes talked about above, there are additionally numerous self-declared states in Africa. These are entities which have declared independence from their mum or dad nations, however they aren’t acknowledged by the worldwide group.
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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’s not acknowledged by some other nation. The worldwide group 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 isn’t acknowledged by the worldwide group, 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 isn’t acknowledged by the worldwide group, 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 isn’t acknowledged by the worldwide group, and it’s thought-about to be part of Mali.
These are just some examples of the self-declared states that exist in Africa. These states are usually not acknowledged by the worldwide group, and so they typically face challenges when it comes to safety, governance, and financial improvement.
Complicated colonial historical past
Africa has a fancy colonial historical past, which has had a profound affect 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 underneath European management. The colonial powers imposed their very own borders and administrative methods, which frequently divided ethnic teams and created synthetic political models.
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Arbitrary borders
The borders of many African nations have been drawn by European colonial powers, typically with little regard for ethnic or linguistic boundaries. This has led to numerous conflicts and disputes over territory.
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Divided ethnic teams
The colonial powers typically divided ethnic teams into totally different nations, which has led to tensions and conflicts between these teams. For instance, the Ewe individuals are divided between Ghana and Togo, and the Yoruba individuals are divided between Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.
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Synthetic political models
The colonial powers additionally created synthetic political models, such because the Belgian Congo and French West Africa. These models have been typically primarily based on administrative comfort relatively 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 right this moment. Many African nations are nonetheless combating 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 complicated colonial historical past of Africa is without doubt one of the elements that has contributed to the problem 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, and so they have additionally made it troublesome to construct nationwide unity and identification in some African nations.
Altering political boundaries
The political boundaries of Africa have been continuously altering because the colonial period. New nations have been created, previous nations have been divided, and a few nations have even disappeared altogether. This has made it troublesome 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 typically primarily based on the arbitrary borders that had been drawn by the colonial powers. This led to numerous 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 mum or dad nation and kind their very own unbiased 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 kind bigger political entities. For instance, Tanganyika and Zanzibar united to kind Tanzania in 1964. Equally, North and South Sudan united to kind 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 suffering from civil warfare 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 troublesome 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, previous nations are divided, and a few nations stop to exist.
Worldwide recognition
Worldwide recognition is a key consider figuring out the legitimacy of a state. When a state is acknowledged by different states, it good points entry to a number of advantages, together with diplomatic relations, commerce agreements, and membership in worldwide organizations. Nevertheless, the method of worldwide recognition will be complicated 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 group. This consists of self-declared states, similar to Somaliland and Puntland, in addition to nations which have been concerned in territorial disputes, similar to Western Sahara and South Sudan.
The shortage of worldwide recognition can have numerous adverse penalties for a rustic. It will possibly make it troublesome to draw overseas funding and commerce, and it may additionally restrict a rustic’s capability to take part in worldwide organizations and boards. Moreover, the dearth of worldwide recognition could make it troublesome 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 group.
One other manner {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 may also be used to resolve disputes and to advertise cooperation between nations.
Worldwide recognition is a vital consider figuring out the legitimacy of a state. The shortage of worldwide recognition can have numerous adverse penalties for a rustic. Nevertheless, there are a variety of ways in which a rustic can acquire worldwide recognition, together with via 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 Struggle, with the intention 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 professional 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 couple 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 troublesome for them to take part in worldwide organizations and boards, and it may additionally restrict their entry to overseas support and funding.
Nevertheless, although Somaliland and Western Sahara are usually not members of the UN, they’re nonetheless acknowledged by some nations and worldwide organizations. For instance, Somaliland has diplomatic relations with numerous 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 vital consider figuring out the legitimacy of a state. It permits nations to take part in a variety of worldwide actions and to entry overseas support and funding. Nevertheless, there are a couple of African nations that aren’t members of the UN, and this will make it troublesome 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: Essentially 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 might embrace self-declared states or disputed territories of their depend of African nations. This may result in a better 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 are usually not acknowledged by the worldwide group, 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 complicated colonial historical past of Africa have an effect on the variety of nations in Africa?
Reply: The complicated colonial historical past of Africa has led to the creation of synthetic borders and divided ethnic teams. This has made it troublesome to find out the precise variety of nations in Africa, as there are disputes over territory and sovereignty.
Query 6: What position does worldwide recognition play in figuring out the variety of nations in Africa?
Reply: Worldwide recognition is a key consider figuring out the legitimacy of a state. When a rustic is acknowledged by different nations, it good points 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 troublesome 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 just some of the questions that folks have about what number of nations are in Africa. The variety of nations in Africa could be a complicated difficulty, however you will need to perceive the various factors that contribute to the various numbers which might be reported.
Along with the FAQ, listed below are a couple of ideas for understanding the variety of nations in Africa:
Ideas
Listed below are a couple of ideas 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 differ relying on the factors used for recognition. It is very important concentrate on the totally different views on this difficulty to be able to perceive the various numbers which might be reported.
Tip 2: Contemplate the position of worldwide recognition.
Worldwide recognition is a key consider figuring out the legitimacy of a state. When a rustic is acknowledged by different nations, it good points 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 troublesome for a rustic to resolve disputes with its neighbors and to take part in worldwide affairs.
Tip 3: Take a look at the membership of the African Union and the United Nations.
The African Union and the United Nations are two of a very powerful worldwide organizations in Africa. All 54 nations which might be acknowledged by the African Union are additionally members of the United Nations. This can be a good strategy to get a way of the variety of nations which might be typically acknowledged by the worldwide group.
Tip 4: Concentrate on the complicated colonial historical past of Africa.
The complicated colonial historical past of Africa has led to the creation of synthetic borders and divided ethnic teams. This has made it troublesome 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 to be able to perceive the present political panorama of Africa.
Closing Paragraph for Ideas
By following the following tips, you’ll be able to 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 fancy difficulty with no straightforward reply. Nevertheless, by understanding the totally different views on this difficulty and by contemplating the position of worldwide recognition, the membership of the African Union and the United Nations, and the complicated colonial historical past of Africa, you’ll be able to acquire a greater understanding of this subject.
Conclusion
The variety of nations in Africa is a fancy difficulty with no straightforward reply. There are 54 nations which might be acknowledged by the African Union and the United Nations, however some sources might embrace self-declared states or disputed territories of their depend, which might result in a better quantity. The complicated colonial historical past of Africa has additionally contributed to the problem in figuring out the precise variety of nations in Africa.
Worldwide recognition is a key consider figuring out the legitimacy of a state. When a rustic is acknowledged by different nations, it good points 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 troublesome 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 will depend on the factors used for recognition. Nevertheless, by understanding the totally different views on this difficulty and by contemplating the position of worldwide recognition, the membership of the African Union and the United Nations, and the complicated colonial historical past of Africa, you’ll be able to acquire a greater understanding of this subject.
Finally, the query of what number of nations are in Africa isn’t just a matter of numbers. It is usually 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 will acquire a deeper appreciation for the complexity and variety of the African continent.
