No, West Africa is not a country but it is the westernmost region of Africa. West Africa simply is not a country because it has no military or political system in its own right or similar to that of other countries.

Since Africa is such a large landmass, it helps to name countries a part of a region instead of using the general phrase of Africa.

There are five regions in total in Africa: Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Equatorial Africa, and the African Transition Zone.

West Africa has a total of 16 countries with a total population of about 381 million people.

• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Cabo Verde (Cape Verde)
• Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
• The Gambia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Liberia
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Togo

Learn About East Africa

Here are some facts about West African Countries:

• The last ship of slaves departed from Benin(then known as Dahomey) for Brazil in 1885.
• The capital city of Burkina Faso is known as Ouagadougou which means “You are welcome here at home with us”.
• More than 85% of the population is Roman Catholic and 95% of the population is Christian.
• “Les Eléphants” (the elephants) is the nickname given to the Ivory                                    Coast National Football team.
• 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.
• The discovery of gold in Ghana led to the nickname, the Gold Coast.
• French is the official language in Guinea.
• Soccer is Guinea-Bissau’s most popular sport.
• Guinea has Africa’s cleanest cities.
• Liberia is the first independent country in Africa. Liberia. The freed American slaves discovered it when they arrived in 1820.
• The Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali is the largest mud-brick building in the world.
• Niger is considered one of the hottest countries in the world and is often nicknamed the “Frying Pan of the World.”
• Nigeria is one of the oldest locations of Human Existence.
• Senegal has an island made of seashells
• Diamonds put Sierra Leone in this country on the map being the most mined mineral there.
• Kids in Togo are made to remain at home until they get to the age of five. After they cross the age limit, they can go acquire formal education.
• The cultural diversity of West Africa is greater than that of whole Asia in that Nigeria alone has more than 500+ Languages
• The total land area is 6,064,060 Km2 (2,341,346 sq. miles)
• The population of West Africa amounts to 5.16% of the total population of the world.

Here is a map of West Africa that clearly shows the countries in West Africa

Here are some pictures of countries in West Africa:

• 

  Praia, Cape Verde

• 

  Dakar, Senegal

• 

  Lomé, Togo

• 

  Porto-Novo, Benin

• 

  Niamey, Niger

• 

  Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

• 

  Freetown, Sierra Leone

• 

  Banjul, Gambia

• 

  Conakry, Guinea

• 

  Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

• 

  Monrovia, Liberia

• 

  Bamako, Mali

  What is West Africa Known for? West Africa is known for its best destinations for tourist attractions, wildlife, sandy beaches, untouched landscapes, slavery stories, West African Music and Unesco World Heritage Sites

   

Hope you liked our article on Is West Africa a Country?!

On This Page you will find Interesting Facts That Will Make You Want To Travel To Egypt:

• The Great Pyramid of Giza weighs about 6.5 million tons
• The Ancient Egyptians were the first to have a 365 day year divided into 12 months. They invented clocks, too.
• Whale bones are fossilized in the Wadi Al Hitan Valley. The valley is also known as “Whale Valley”.
• Egypt is the world’s largest producer of artichoke and dates all thanks to the river Nile.
• You can find man-made sites in the Sahara desert such as the various monuments of the Samir Lama, abandoned WW2 trucks and landing strips
• Every single Egyptian president was either arrested by the army or died in office
• The Ancient Egyptians are thought to have been among the first to discover the first methods of contraception in this case women would use crocodile feces and honey as an efficient spermicide
• It is believed that the shape of ancient Egyptian pyramids was influenced by the sun’s spreading rays.
• An Egyptian father named his newborn daughter “Facebook” in commemoration of Facebook’s role in the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. Her name is Jamal Ibrahim, Facebook Jamal Ibrahim.
• About 90% of Egyptians are Muslims (mainly Sunnis), 9% are Coptics and 1% are Christians.

Top 10 Exciting Places to Visit in Egypt in 2020

• Between the fourth and sixth centuries, Christianity was Egypt’s main religion.
• The longest reign in history was Pharaoh Pepi II (2246-2152 B.C.)-94 years. When he was just six years old, he became the king of Egypt.
• Pharaoh Pepi II was allegedly sprinkled honey on the naked slaves, drawing flies from him.
• Egypt is said to be one of the oldest countries in the World.
• Only an inch per year of rain in Egypt falls on average.

Interesting Facts That Will Make You Want To Travel To Egypt:

• Giraffe tail swatters have been a popular fashion item in ancient Egypt.
• Bread was the most important food for ancient Egyptians and beer was their favorite drink. Brewer models were even kept in graves to ensure that the deceased had a lot of beer in the world to come.
• 12% of the labor force in Egypt is contributed by tourism.
• To stay cool and stop lice, both men and women shaved their heads in ancient Egypt, sometimes wearing wigs. In addition, since wigs had a social status, they became one of the most popular fashion accessories in ancient Egypt. Rich people wore wigs of human hair and poor people wore wigs of wool or fur.
• 2200 years ago Eratosthenes, without ever leaving Egypt, measured the Earth’s diameter by math. He was extremely precise. He was later studied by Christopher Columbus.
• Hillary Clinton was covered in tomatoes and shoes (thrown by protesters) during a visit to Egypt in 2012 while the demonstrators chanted Monica, Monica.
• In ancient Egypt, men were able to take time off to take care of daughters and wives.
• For 43 years, a woman in Egypt disguised herself as a man to give a better life to her daughter by working as a man.
• The Ancient Egyptians treated cats as a sacred animal. Several families wished that they kept a cat as a pet, and hoped they would bring good luck to the household!
• The murder of a cat, even by mistake, in Ancient Egypt, was punished for death.
• Contrary to popular belief, there are countries out there with more pyramids than Egypt, for Example, Sudan. Which are also neighboring countries
• There is 795 sq km of unclaimed land at the border between Egypt and Sudan.
• Other than beers being kept in Tombs in Ancient Egypt, toilets were also found.

Top 10 Exciting Places to Visit in Egypt in 2020

• Egypt has a population of about 98 million people and covers an area of about 1.01 million km²
• For the Egyptians, the afterlife was extremely important. Egyptians claimed their souls would live forever in the afterlife by preserving the body of one dead person, which they did in the process of mummification.
• The ancient Egyptian Mummy bandages could stretch for 1,6 km, unwrapped.
• Ancient Egyptians invented so much, like paper, pens, locks and keys and toothpaste, that still remains useful to us today.

Interesting Facts That Will Make You Want To Travel To Egypt:

• The capital city of Egypt is Cairo.
• Cairo is the largest city in African with an estimated population of about 22 Million.
• Other than Cairo, Giza and Alexandria are also major cities in Egypt.
• Here is the Flag of Egypt
• The Pyramids were not built by slaves as many people believe, but they were built by paid laborers.
• Old Egyptians had so many gods that each city had its own favorite deity literally.
• Aswan high dam is the largest dam in the world, which is designed to contain the rushing waters of the Nile.
• Egypt’s official language is Arabic, however, many citizens also understand English or French.
• Hippos had been known as bad omens and had to do with the evil god Seth. They were more dangerous than the crocodiles and boats traveling the Nile were often capsized by them.
• The River Nile, which is the longest river in the world flows through Egypt.
• Makeup in Ancient Egypt was thought to have healing powers and it also helped to protect the skin from the sun. Egyptian men and ladies wore make-up. Weird right?
• The Sahara and the Libyan Desert are two major desert regions in Egypt, covering most parts of the county.

Hope you liked our Interesting facts about Egypt!

Question: How many countries are in East Africa?

Answer: 21

1. Tanzania

Officially known as the Republic of Tanzania and has a total population of 57.31 million led by John Magufulli as the president. Tanzania is famous for having the highest mountain known as Mount Kilimanjaro and also for its wildlife-rich national parks such as the Serengeti Nation Park.

Tanzania is generally a safe country to visit with very friendly locals. Tanzania’s capital city is Dodoma.

2. Kenya

Kenya is an East African nation with the Indian Ocean coastline. With a population of about 47 million people, Kenya has Uhuru Kenyatta as their leader. Kenya has many tourist attractions and also know to be the only country with a national park in the city. Kenyans are known for being great long-distance runners.

Kenya’s capital city is Nairobi which has a total population of 4 million people.

Top 10 Really Cool Places to Visit in Kenya

3. Uganda

Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa whose diverse ecosystems include the snowcapped Rwenzori Mountains and the massive Victoria Lake. Farming accounts for almost one-quarter of Uganda’s GDP. The country is renowned for its production of tea, tobacco, and cotton. Uganda is widely seen as a peaceful country with low rates of crime.

The capital city of Uganda is Kampala and its official language English and Swahili.

4. Rwanda

In eastern Central Africa, Rwanda is a landscaped republic located south of Equator. Rwanda has one of the highest population densities in sub-Saharan Africa and is geographically a small country. Rwanda has a population of about 12 million people.

Rwanda’s capital city is Kigali and it is one of the cleanest capitals in Africa.

5. Burundi

Gitega is the capital city to the landlocked country Burundi with a total population of 10.86 million people. On 1 July 1962, the nation declared independence, changing its name legally from Rwanda-Urundi to Burundi. Their official languages include French, English, and Kirundi. Burundi is generally considered not safe for tourists by other Governments and is considered to be one of the poorest countries in the world.

6. South Sudan

In 2011, it achieved independence from the Republic of Sudan and is now widely recognized as the newest sovereign state. South Sudan’s capital city is Juba and the country has a population of about 12.58 million people. Juba is also the largest city in South Sudan.

South Sudan is one of the world’s poorest. Most of the country’s villages have no electricity or running water and there is not enough infrastructure for the country with just 10,000 kilometers of asphalt roads.

7. Djibouti

It is located in the Horn of Africa. Djibouti, partly due to a large western military presence, is one of the safest destinations in Africa. Serious crime or animosity specifically aimed at travelers is very rare and there is nothing else to think about than in most other nations.

Djibouti has a population of about 1 million people. Their official language is Arabic and French.

8. Eritrea

With a population of about 5 million people, Eritrea is known to be founded on 27 April 1993. The existence of hundreds of thousands of land mines has left Eritrea facing environmental issues such as continuous deforesting, desertification, soil erosion, overgrazing, and major land losses.

Eritrea’s capital city is Asmara and its official language is Tigrinya.

9. Ethiopia

Also located on the horn of Africa, Ethiopia is the largest country in East Africa and has a population of 106 million people. Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries in the world and its territorial scope has varied throughout its thousands of years. Ethiopia is bounded north by Eritrea, northwest by Djibouti, east by Somalia, south by Kenya, and west by South Sudan.

Ethiopia’s official Language is Amharic

10. Somalia

Mogadishu being its capital city the country has a population of about 15 million people.  It is bordered on the west by Ethiopia, the north by the Aden Gulf, the east by the Guardafui Channel and the southwest by the Somali Sea.

11. Comoros

Comoros, in the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel Indian Ocean off the East coast of Africa, is a volcanic archipelago. The capital and also the largest city in Comoros is Moroni.  The Official languages include French, Comorian, and  Arabic. Comoros is among the world’s least developed countries with 45 percent of the population living below the poverty line and ranked third from the last in the 2013 Global Hunger index.

12. Mauritius

Mauritius is known for its beaches, lagoons, and reefs as an Indian Ocean Island nation. The mountain interior is made up of National Park Black River Gorges, with rainforests, cascades and animals like the flying fox.

Its capital city is Port Louis and the country has a population of 1.3 million people. It is located 2.000 km off the African continent’s south-east coast.

13. Seychelles

Seychelles is also considered as one of the countries in East Africa. Seychelles are an archipelago of 115 islands off East Africa in the Indian Ocean. It is home to numerous beaches, coral reefs, natural parks, and rare animals, including the giant tortoises of Aldabra. It is also home to the Morne Seychellois mountain rainforests, as well as beaches such as Beau Vallon and Anse Takamaka.

Seychelles has a population of about 100,000 people.

14. Reunion

Réunion island is known for its tropical, rainforest interior, coral reefs and beaches, as a French department of the Indian Ocean. It has a population of fewer than 1 million people and uses Euro as their national countries. Saint-Denis is the capital city of Reunion.

15. Mayotte

Mayotte is an Indian Ocean archipelago between Madagascar and Mozambique’s coast. Mayotte is the smallest country in East Africa and has a population of 270,372 people. They speak french as their official language.

16. Mozambique

Mozambique is a nation in East Africa whose long coastline has popular beaches, including Tofo and offshore marine parks. Mozambique is the largest of its kind.

Mozambique, although a beautiful country and lots of tourist attractions, has ever been listed as the poorest country. It has a population of about 29.67 million and its capital city is Maputo (which was once known as  “Lourenço Marques” from 1876 to 1976).

17. Madagascar

Madagascar is an island country in the Indian Ocean that lies about 400 kilometers off the East African coast, and the Republic of Madagascar, formerly known as the Malagasy Republic.

Madagascar has a population of about 25.57 million and the island is famously known for wildlife and culture

18. Malawi

The topography of the highlands of Malawi, a landlocked country in the Southeast, is distinguished by the Great Rift Valley with its massive Lake Malawi. The South end of the Lake Malawi National Park-which houses a range of wildlife from baboons to colorful fish-is also popular for boating and diving in clear waters.

Malawi’s capital city is Lilongwe with the country having a total population of 18.9 million people.

19. Zambia

Zambia is a landscaped country in East Africa with rough terrain and wildlife, and numerous parks and safari areas.

Zambia has a population of 17 million people with its capital city being Lusaka

Best West African Countries to Visit

20. Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is an East African landlocked country known for its stunning scenery and abundant wildlife, many in parks, reserves and safari regions.

Zimbabwe means “great houses of stone,” which come from the language of Shona. Zimbabwe has a total population of 16.6 million people.

21. Sudan

With a population of 40 million people, It borders on the north by Egypt, northwest by Libya, west by Chad, southwest by the Central African Republic and to the south by South Sudan, South-east Ethiopia, east by Eritrea and northeast by the Red Sea.

Sudan’s capital city is Khartoum.

Question: How many countries are in East Africa?

Answer: 21

Hope you Liked our List of Countries in East Africa!