Africa is the second-largest continent on the earth, overlaying 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 also known as the “Cradle of Civilization” because of its lengthy and wealthy historical past.
On the subject of the variety of international locations in Africa, there may be some variation within the solutions relying on the supply. Some sources acknowledge 54 international locations, whereas others acknowledge 55 and even 56 international locations. The explanation 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 international locations in Africa, and supply an in depth listing of the international locations which are usually acknowledged by the worldwide group.
what number of international locations in africa
Africa is an unlimited and various continent with a wealthy historical past and tradition.
- 54 acknowledged international locations
- Some sources say 55 or 56
- Political and territorial disputes
- Self-declared states
- Advanced colonial historical past
- Altering political boundaries
- Worldwide recognition
- United Nations membership
The variety of international locations in Africa is a subject that may be approached from totally different views, and the precise quantity is determined by the standards used for recognition.
54 acknowledged international locations
On the subject of the variety of international locations 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 international locations which are members of the AU are acknowledged by the United Nations (UN) as sovereign states, they usually take part in worldwide organizations and boards as unbiased international locations.
The 54 acknowledged international locations 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 international locations signify a various vary of cultures, languages, and histories, they usually play an essential position in world affairs.
You will need to be aware that the popularity of sure international locations generally is a advanced concern, and there are some instances the place there may be disagreement amongst worldwide organizations and international locations concerning the standing of a specific territory. Nonetheless, the 54 international locations listed above are usually acknowledged as sovereign states by the worldwide group.
Some sources say 55 or 56
Whereas essentially the most generally acknowledged variety of international locations in Africa is 54, some sources might declare that there are 55 and even 56 international locations. This variation is as a result of advanced political and territorial state of affairs in Africa, which incorporates disputed territories, self-declared states, and unrecognized international locations.
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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 international locations 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 every 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 type Tanzania. Some sources might listing 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 might listing 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 rely of African international locations can result in totally different numbers being reported. Nonetheless, the 54 international locations which are 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 posh political and territorial historical past, and there are a selection of ongoing disputes over borders and territories. These disputes can result in instability and battle, they usually also can make it troublesome to find out the precise variety of international locations 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 international locations take into account Western Sahara to be part of Morocco. This dispute has been ongoing for many years, and there’s no simple 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 isn’t acknowledged by every 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 grew to become unbiased from Sudan in 2011, after a protracted and bloody civil battle. Nonetheless, the 2 international locations 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 international locations.
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Ethiopia/Eritrea
Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a border battle from 1998 to 2000, which resulted within the deaths of tens of 1000’s of individuals. The 2 international locations finally signed a peace settlement, however the border dispute stays unresolved. There have been occasional outbreaks of violence alongside the border lately.
These are only a few examples of the political and territorial disputes that exist in Africa. These disputes could make it troublesome to find out the precise variety of international locations in Africa, they usually also can 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 international locations, however they don’t seem to be 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 isn’t acknowledged by every 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. Nonetheless, Puntland is just not 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. Nonetheless, Jubaland is just not 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. Nonetheless, Azawad is just not acknowledged by the worldwide group, 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 usually are not acknowledged by the worldwide group, they usually usually face challenges by way of safety, governance, and financial improvement.
Advanced colonial historical past
Africa has a posh colonial historical past, which has had a profound impression on the continent’s political and territorial panorama. European powers started colonizing Africa within the fifteenth century, and by the late nineteenth century, a lot of the continent was beneath European management. The colonial powers imposed their very own borders and administrative methods, which regularly divided ethnic teams and created synthetic political models.
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Arbitrary borders
The borders of many African international locations 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 international locations, 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 usually primarily based on administrative comfort quite than on ethnic or linguistic components. This has led to challenges in constructing nationwide unity and identification in some African international locations.
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Legacy of colonialism
The legacy of colonialism continues to form Africa right this moment. Many African international locations are nonetheless scuffling with the financial and political issues that have been attributable to 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 components that has contributed to the issue in figuring out the precise variety of international locations 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 troublesome to construct nationwide unity and identification in some African international locations.
Altering political boundaries
The political boundaries of Africa have been continuously altering because the colonial period. New international locations have been created, outdated international locations have been divided, and a few international locations have even disappeared altogether. This has made it troublesome to maintain monitor of the precise variety of international locations in Africa.
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Decolonization
The decolonization of Africa within the mid-Twentieth century led to the creation of many new international locations. These international locations have been usually primarily based 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 unbiased state. Some secessionist actions have been profitable, whereas others have failed.
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Unification actions
In some instances, international locations 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 international locations in Africa have failed to keep up their territorial integrity and have successfully ceased to exist. For instance, Somalia has been affected by civil battle 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 international locations in Africa. It is because the variety of international locations can change over time, as new international locations are created, outdated international locations are divided, and a few international locations 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 beneficial properties entry to an a variety of benefits, together with diplomatic relations, commerce agreements, and membership in worldwide organizations. Nonetheless, the method of worldwide recognition will be advanced and contentious, particularly in instances the place there are disputes over territory or sovereignty.
Within the case of Africa, there are a selection 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 international locations which were concerned in territorial disputes, similar to Western Sahara and South Sudan.
The dearth of worldwide recognition can have various unfavourable penalties for a rustic. It might make it troublesome 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 shortage of worldwide recognition could make it troublesome for a rustic to resolve disputes with its neighbors.
Regardless of the challenges, there are a selection 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 international locations. When a rustic is admitted to the UN, it’s a signal that it has been acknowledged by the worldwide group.
One other approach {that a} nation can acquire worldwide recognition is thru bilateral agreements with different international locations. When two international locations 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 international locations.
Worldwide recognition is a vital consider figuring out the legitimacy of a state. The dearth of worldwide recognition can have various unfavourable penalties for a rustic. Nonetheless, there are a selection of ways in which a rustic can acquire worldwide recognition, together with by way of the UN and thru bilateral agreements with different international locations.
United Nations membership
The United Nations (UN) is the world’s largest worldwide group, and it has a membership of over 190 international locations. The UN was established in 1945 after the Second World Conflict, with the intention of stopping future wars and selling peace and safety around the globe. The UN additionally works to advertise human rights, social and financial improvement, and environmental safety.
All 54 international locations which are acknowledged by the African Union are additionally members of the United Nations. Which means the UN acknowledges the sovereignty of those international locations and considers them to be reliable states. UN membership permits African international locations to take part in a variety of worldwide actions, together with peacekeeping missions, commerce negotiations, and local weather change conferences.
There are just a few African international locations 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 dearth of UN membership for these international locations could make it troublesome for them to take part in worldwide organizations and boards, and it could possibly additionally restrict their entry to overseas support and funding.
Nonetheless, although Somaliland and Western Sahara usually are not members of the UN, they’re nonetheless acknowledged by some international locations and worldwide organizations. For instance, Somaliland has diplomatic relations with various international locations, 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 international locations to take part in a variety of worldwide actions and to entry overseas support and funding. Nonetheless, there are just a few African international locations that aren’t members of the UN, and this could make it troublesome for them to take part in worldwide affairs.
FAQ
Listed below are some often requested questions on what number of international locations are in Africa:
Query 1: What’s the mostly acknowledged variety of international locations in Africa?
Reply: Essentially the most generally acknowledged variety of international locations in Africa is 54.
Query 2: Why do some sources say there are 55 or 56 international locations in Africa?
Reply: Some sources might embrace self-declared states or disputed territories of their rely of African international locations. This could result in a better quantity than the 54 international locations which are 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 usually are 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 advanced colonial historical past of Africa have an effect on the variety of international locations 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 troublesome to find out the precise variety of international locations in Africa, as there are disputes over territory and sovereignty.
Query 6: What position does worldwide recognition play in figuring out the variety of international locations in Africa?
Reply: Worldwide recognition is a key consider figuring out the legitimacy of a state. When a rustic is acknowledged by different international locations, it beneficial properties entry to an a variety of benefits, together with diplomatic relations, commerce agreements, and membership in worldwide organizations. The dearth 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 international locations in Africa are members of the United Nations?
Reply: All 54 international locations which are 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 international locations are in Africa. The variety of international locations in Africa generally is a advanced concern, however you will need to perceive the various factors that contribute to the various numbers which are reported.
Along with the FAQ, listed here are just a few ideas for understanding the variety of international locations in Africa:
Ideas
Listed below are just a few ideas for understanding the variety of international locations in Africa:
Tip 1: Pay attention to the totally different views on the variety of international locations in Africa.
There is no such thing as a single reply to the query of what number of international locations are in Africa. The quantity can differ relying on the standards used for recognition. You will need to pay attention to the totally different views on this concern with a view to perceive the various numbers which are reported.
Tip 2: Think about 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 international locations, it beneficial properties entry to an a variety of benefits, together with diplomatic relations, commerce agreements, and membership in worldwide organizations. The dearth 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: Have 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 international locations which are acknowledged by the African Union are additionally members of the United Nations. It is a good method to get a way of the variety of international locations which are usually acknowledged by the worldwide group.
Tip 4: Pay attention to 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 troublesome to find out the precise variety of international locations in Africa, as there are disputes over territory and sovereignty. You will need to perceive this historical past with a view 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 international locations in Africa and the components that contribute to the various numbers which are reported.
In conclusion, the variety of international locations in Africa is a posh concern with no simple reply. Nonetheless, by understanding the totally different views on this concern and by contemplating the position 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 international locations in Africa is a posh concern with no simple reply. There are 54 international locations which are acknowledged by the African Union and the United Nations, however some sources might embrace self-declared states or disputed territories of their rely, which might result in a better quantity. The advanced colonial historical past of Africa has additionally contributed to the issue in figuring out the precise variety of international locations in Africa.
Worldwide recognition is a key consider figuring out the legitimacy of a state. When a rustic is acknowledged by different international locations, it beneficial properties entry to an a variety of benefits, together with diplomatic relations, commerce agreements, and membership in worldwide organizations. The dearth 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 international locations in Africa is a subject that may be approached from totally different views, and the precise quantity is determined by the standards used for recognition. Nonetheless, by understanding the totally different views on this concern and by contemplating the position 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.
Finally, the query of what number of international locations are in Africa isn’t just 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 are reported, we will acquire a deeper appreciation for the complexity and variety of the African continent.
