Africa is the second-largest continent on this planet, overlaying 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 also known as the “Cradle of Civilization” because of its lengthy and wealthy historical past.
In relation to the variety of international locations in Africa, there’s 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 are going to discover the totally different views on the variety of international locations in Africa, and supply an in depth listing of the international locations which might be usually acknowledged by the worldwide group.
what number of international locations in africa
Africa is an enormous and numerous 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 depends upon the standards used for recognition.
54 acknowledged international locations
In relation to the variety of international locations in Africa, probably 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 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 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 necessary position in world affairs.
It is very important notice that the popularity of sure international locations could be a complicated situation, and there are some instances the place there’s disagreement amongst worldwide organizations and international locations in regards to the standing of a specific territory. Nevertheless, the 54 international locations listed above are usually acknowledged as sovereign states by the worldwide group.
Some sources say 55 or 56
Whereas probably the most generally acknowledged variety of international locations in Africa is 54, some sources could declare that there are 55 and even 56 international locations. This variation is because of the complicated 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 contemplate 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, forex, and army, 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 could 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 could 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 depend of African international locations can result in totally different numbers being reported. Nevertheless, the 54 international locations 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 can even make it tough 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 contemplate 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, forex, and army, 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. Nevertheless, the 2 international locations 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 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 hundreds 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 in recent times.
These are just some examples of the political and territorial disputes that exist in Africa. These disputes could make it tough to find out the precise variety of international locations in Africa, they usually can even 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 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, forex, and army, 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 army. Nevertheless, 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 army. Nevertheless, 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. Nevertheless, Azawad is just not 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 aren’t acknowledged by the worldwide group, they usually typically 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 affect 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 techniques, which frequently 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, typically 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 typically 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 typically primarily based on administrative comfort somewhat than on ethnic or linguistic elements. 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 at present. Many African international locations 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 among the elements that has contributed to the problem 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 tough to construct nationwide unity and identification in some African international locations.
Altering political boundaries
The political boundaries of Africa have been consistently altering because the colonial period. New international locations have been created, previous international locations have been divided, and a few international locations have even disappeared altogether. This has made it tough to maintain observe 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 typically 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 wish 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 tormented 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 tough 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, previous 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 positive factors 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 complicated and contentious, particularly in instances 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 contains self-declared states, comparable to Somaliland and Puntland, in addition to international locations which were concerned in territorial disputes, comparable to Western Sahara and South Sudan.
The shortage of worldwide recognition can have various unfavourable penalties for a rustic. It might make it tough to draw international funding and commerce, and it will possibly additionally restrict a rustic’s means to take part in worldwide organizations and boards. Moreover, the shortage 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 achieve worldwide recognition. A method 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 method {that a} nation can achieve 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 may also be used to resolve disputes and to advertise cooperation between international locations.
Worldwide recognition is a crucial consider figuring out the legitimacy of a state. The shortage of worldwide recognition can have various unfavourable penalties for a rustic. Nevertheless, there are a variety of ways in which a rustic can achieve worldwide recognition, together with via 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 Struggle, 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 international locations which might be acknowledged by the African Union are additionally members of the United Nations. Because of this the UN acknowledges the sovereignty of those international locations and considers them to be respectable 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 a couple of African international locations that aren’t members of the United Nations. These embody 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 international locations could make it tough for them to take part in worldwide organizations and boards, and it will possibly additionally restrict their entry to international assist and funding.
Nevertheless, despite the fact that Somaliland and Western Sahara aren’t 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 crucial consider figuring out the legitimacy of a state. It permits international locations to take part in a variety of worldwide actions and to entry international assist and funding. Nevertheless, there are a couple of African international locations that aren’t members of the UN, and this will make it tough for them to take part in worldwide affairs.
FAQ
Listed here are some continuously 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: Probably 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 could embody self-declared states or disputed territories of their depend of African international locations. This could result in the next quantity than the 54 international locations 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 embody Somaliland, Puntland, and Jubaland in Somalia, and Azawad in Mali. These states aren’t acknowledged by the worldwide group, however they’ve their very own governments and army forces.
Query 4: What are some examples of disputed territories in Africa?
Reply: Some examples of disputed territories in Africa embody 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 international locations 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 tough 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 positive factors 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 international locations in Africa are members of the United Nations?
Reply: All 54 international locations 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 individuals have about what number of international locations are in Africa. The variety of international locations in Africa could be a complicated situation, however it is very important perceive the various factors that contribute to the various numbers which might be reported.
Along with the FAQ, listed here are a couple of suggestions for understanding the variety of international locations in Africa:
Ideas
Listed here are a couple of suggestions for understanding the variety of international locations in Africa:
Tip 1: Concentrate on the totally different views on the variety of international locations in Africa.
There isn’t any single reply to the query of what number of international locations are in Africa. The quantity can range relying on the standards used for recognition. It is very important concentrate on the totally different views on this situation with the intention to perceive the various numbers which might be 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 positive factors 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: Take 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 international locations which might be acknowledged by the African Union are additionally members of the United Nations. This can be a good technique to get a way of the variety of international locations which might be usually 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 tough to find out the precise variety of international locations in Africa, as there are disputes over territory and sovereignty. It is very important perceive this historical past with the intention to perceive the present political panorama of Africa.
Closing Paragraph for Ideas
By following the following tips, you may achieve a greater understanding of the variety of international locations in Africa and the elements that contribute to the various numbers which might be reported.
In conclusion, the variety of international locations in Africa is a posh situation with no simple reply. Nevertheless, by understanding the totally different views on this situation 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 may achieve a greater understanding of this subject.
Conclusion
The variety of international locations in Africa is a posh situation with no simple reply. There are 54 international locations which might be acknowledged by the African Union and the United Nations, however some sources could embody self-declared states or disputed territories of their depend, which may result in the next quantity. The complicated colonial historical past of Africa has additionally contributed to the problem 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 positive factors 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 international locations in Africa is a subject that may be approached from totally different views, and the precise quantity depends upon the standards used for recognition. Nevertheless, by understanding the totally different views on this situation 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 may achieve a greater understanding of this subject.
Finally, the query of what number of international locations are in Africa isn’t just a matter of numbers. Additionally it is 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 achieve a deeper appreciation for the complexity and variety of the African continent.
