African Countries Quiz

Name all 54 African countries before time runs out.

Name all 54 African countries — the largest single block in world geography and the one where most people start from about fifteen.

The highest-value block there is

Africa has 54 sovereign states, more than any other continent. Most people can name perhaps fifteen without study. That combination makes it the single most valuable region to learn: clearing Africa adds more to a world total than clearing Europe and South America together.

The five regional blocks

North Africa (7) — Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Sudan, plus Western Sahara's disputed status. The most familiar block.

West Africa (16) — Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin, The Gambia, Cabo Verde, Mauritania. The largest and least familiar block, and where most of the gap lives.

East Africa (14) — Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius.

Central Africa (9) — Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Republic of the Congo, DR Congo, Angola.

Southern Africa (8) — South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Eswatini, Lesotho.

The pairs that confuse

The two Congos — the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are separate countries sharing a name and a river. Their capitals, Brazzaville and Kinshasa, face each other and are the two closest capitals of different countries in the world.

Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea — three separate countries with different colonial histories, in two different regions.

Niger and Nigeria — neighbours with similar names and very different sizes.

Eswatini was renamed from Swaziland in 2018, which many sources have not updated.

The small ones people skip

Cabo Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius, Djibouti, The Gambia, Eswatini and Lesotho. Nine countries, all easy to forget, and all worth a deliberate pass.

The Gambia is a sliver following the Gambia River, almost entirely surrounded by Senegal.

Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa.

How long it takes

Three to four weeks of short sessions, working one regional block at a time and finishing each before starting the next. Trying to shuffle all 54 at once is why most people give up on Africa.

Where to go next

African Flags and African Capitals cover the same 54 countries, and learning all three together is far more efficient than each in isolation.

Frequently asked questions

How many countries are in Africa?

54 sovereign states recognised by the United Nations — more than any other continent. Western Sahara's status is disputed, which is why some sources give 55.

What is the difference between the two Congos?

They are separate countries. The Republic of the Congo has its capital at Brazzaville; the Democratic Republic of the Congo, much larger, has its capital at Kinshasa. The two capitals face each other across the Congo River and are the closest capitals of different countries in the world.

Which African country changed its name recently?

Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, which changed its name in 2018. Many sources and quizzes have not updated, so both names still appear.

Which African countries do people forget most?

The small ones: Cabo Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius, Djibouti, The Gambia, Eswatini and Lesotho. West Africa as a whole is also the largest single gap in most people's knowledge.

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