Discover Africa

Countries in West Africa

Published

7 years ago

9:58 pm

Delvin

Question: How many countries are in West Africa?

Answer: 16 countries

1. Benin

The country was known as Dahomey and it was later named Benin on November 30, 1975. Benin was famous for casting beautiful brass and bronze statues and they were mostly used for ceremonial purposes. Beninese is what you call a person from Benin. Benin is also one of the most stable in politics and safe for traveling.

Did you know: The last ship of slaves departed from Benin(then known as Dahomey) for Brazil in 1885.

2. Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country and covers an area of about 274,200 square kilometers. It is surrounded by six countries, namely, Niger, Mali, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Ivory Coast.

Did you know: The capital city of Burkina Faso is known as Ouagadougou which means “You are welcome here at home with us”.

3. Cabo Verde (Cape Verde)

Cape Verde is the smallest country in West Africa and is also an island Country. It is a group island in the Atlantic Ocean and has eight islets. The country has one of the most democratic governments in the region and Africa at large.

Did you know: More than 85% of the population is Roman Catholic and 95% of the population is Christian.

4. Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Ivory Coast in French is Côte d’Ivoire so Ivory Coast is in English and Côte d’Ivoire in French. Confusing, right? With that said Côte d’Ivoire has the third-largest French-speaking population. It is the largest exporter of cocoa, in the world, which is used to make chocolate.

Did you know: “Les Eléphants” (the elephants) is the nickname given to the Ivory Coast National Football team.

5. The Gambia

As of 2017, The Gambia had a population estimate of 2,051,363 people and is a very small and narrow country which is less than 48 Kilometres wide at its greatest width.

Did you know: During elections, people cast their votes in The Gambia by dropping stones in holes.

• Sheikh Professor Doctor President is the official title of the Gambian president.

6. Ghana

Ghana means ”Warrior King” in Soninke Language. It was also formerly known as the Gold Coast. Ghana has a population of about 3 Million people and has a population growth rate of about 2.2%. Its capital city is filled with Anthills and that is what led to its name Accra meaning ‘Ants’.

Did you know: The discovery of gold in Ghana led to the nickname, the Gold Coast.

7. Guinea

Guinea is sometimes referred to as Guinea-Conakry in order to differentiate it with other countries with Guinea in their names. Conakry is the capital city. Guniea population is about 15 million people and the country is the 77th largest country in the world.

Did you know: French is the official language in Guinea.

8. Guinea-Bissau

Guinea Bissau has a population of about 2 million people and a cover an area of about 36,125 sq km (13,948 sq miles). Their main language is Portuguese and their currency is Currency CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) franc.

Did you know: Soccer is Guinea-Bissau’s most popular sport.

9. Liberia

Liberia was a place that was created for freed slaves back in 1821 and declared its independence in 1847. The first president in Liberia was a freed slave from Virginia. Liberia is one of the youngest countries in the world being 171 years old. The population in Liberia is about 5 million people.

Did you know: Liberia was created for freed slaves.

10. Mali

Mali is the largest country in West Africa and has a population of about 19.5 million people. The life expectancy of Men in Mali is 57 years and women is 84 years. The official Language in Mali is French and over 40 African languages are spoken by various Ethnic groups.

Did you know: The Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali is the largest mud brick building in the world.

11. Mauritania

Nouakchott is the capital of Mauritania which means ”place of winds” was made capital in 1960, therefore, making one of the newest capitals in the world. The desert covers two-thirds of Mauritania which expands southward every year.

Did you know: Mauritania has one of the longest trains in the world, measuring three kilometers.

12. Niger

Niger is a landlocked country that was named after the Niger River. The country is bordered by 7 countries, namely, Chad, Libya, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Algeria. Niger is among the worst developing countries in Africa and this is mostly caused by the fact that it is a landlocked country.

Did you know: Niger is considered one of the hottest countries in the world and is often nicknamed the “Frying Pan of the World.”

13. Nigeria

Nigeria has a population of about 200 Million people with a total area of 923,768 km sq. English is its official language but it has over 520 indigenous languages in Nigeria. It derived her names from the West Africas’ longest River, River Niger.

Did you know: Nigeria is one of the oldest locations of Human Existence.

14. Senegal

Senegal has a population of about 16 Million people and most of them speak French. It has five bordering countries, which are Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Mauritania. Taxis in Senegal have tails, artificial tails made of goat or sheep which supposedly brings good luck.

Did you know: Senegal has an island made of seashells

15. Sierra Leone

The official Language in Sierra Leone is English and the major religion is Christianity and Muslim. Radios in Sierra Leone are very popular because a large population does not know how to read and prefer to listen. They are about 8 Million in Number.

Did you know: Diamonds put this country on the map being the most mined mineral there.

Countries in East Africa

16. Togo

It is one of the smallest countries in Africa with a population of 7.6 million. Togo actually means ‘house of the sea’ in the Ewe language. French is its official language and they have a good climate that supports agriculture.

Did you know: Kids are made to remain at home till they get to the age of five. After they cross the age limit, they can go acquire formal education.