Africa

Getting to Africa

Africa is the second-biggest continent and has the most people after Asia. It makes up about 6% of the Earth's surface, and it's the only continent that reaches into all four hemispheres. Many think it's where the first humans lived, and it's also where you find the world's biggest desert, the Sahara.

When it comes to geography, Africa is split into five main parts:

North Africa
East Africa
Central Africa
South Africa
West Africa

Obtaining a Visa for a Trip to Africa

Each African country has its own visa rules. To travel to the continent, you must obtain a visa to one of the countries below to be able to enter Africa:

Algeria	Angola	Benin
Botswana	Burkina Faso	Burundi
Cabo Verde	Cameroon	Central African Republic
Chad	Comoros	Cote d’Ivoire
Djibouti	DR Congo	Egypt
Equatorial Guinea	Eritrea	Eswatini
Ethiopia	Gabon	Gambia
Ghana	Guinea Bissau	Guinea
Kenya	Lesotho	Liberia
Libya	Madagascar	Malawi
Mali	Mauritania	Mauritius
Morocco	Mozambique	Namibia
Niger	Nigeria	Republic of the Congo
Rwanda	Sao Tome and Principe	Senegal
Seychelles	Sierra Leone	South Africa
South Sudan	Sudan	Tanzania
Togo	Tunisia	Uganda
Zambia	Zimbabwe

Brief Information About Africa

Here are some cool things to know about Africa:

  
      Area
      30.3 million km²
    
      Number of countries
      54 (plus two de facto independencies)
    
      Biggest country (by area)
      Algeria
    
      Population (2021)
      1.37 billion
    
      Most populated country
      Nigeria
    
      Number of languages spoken
      Over 2,000 languages across the continent
    
      Largest peninsula
      Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti)
    
      Highest mountain
      Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
    
      Longest river
      Nile River

How many countries exist in Africa?

Africa consists of 54 separate countries, and these encompass the following:

  
      Country
      Capital
      Area km²
      Population
    

  
      Algeria
      Algiers
      2,381,740
      44.6 million
    

      Angola
      Luanda
      1,246,700
      33.9 million
    

      Benin
      Porto-Novo
      112,620
      12.4 million
    

      Uganda
      Kampala
      236,040
      47.1 million
    

      Zambia
      Lusaka
      752,614
      18.9 million
    

      Zimbabwe
      Harare
      390,580
      15 million
    

Country	Capital	Area km²	Population
Algeria	Algiers	2,381,740	44.6 million
Angola	Luanda	1,246,700	33.9 million
Benin	Porto-Novo	112,620	12.4 million
Uganda	Kampala	236,040	47.1 million
Zambia	Lusaka	752,614	18.9 million
Zimbabwe	Harare	390,580	15 million

African Languages

UNESCO says there are over 2,000 languages in Africa, but the most commonly spoken ones are:

  
      Language
      Details
    
      Swahili
      Tanzania, Uganda, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda
Number of speakers: 100-150 million
    
      Arabic
      Egypt, Algeria, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Libya, Morocco, Somalia, Mauritania, Tunisia
Number of speakers: 100-120 million
    
      French
      Gabon, Mauritius, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco
Number of speakers: 100-120 million
    
      Hausa
      Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Eritrea, Ghana
Number of speakers: 50 million
    
      Yoruba
      Nigeria, Bening, Togo
Number of speakers: 40 million
    
      Oromo
      Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Egypt
Number of speakers: 30 million
    
      Igbo
      Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Benin
Number of speakers: 30 million
    
      Portuguese
      Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, Equatorial Guinea
Number of speakers: 14 million
    
      Zulu
      South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini
Number of speakers: 10 million
    
      Shona
      Zimbabwe, Mozambique
Number of speakers: 10 million

Language	Details
Swahili	Tanzania, Uganda, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda Number of speakers: 100-150 million
Arabic	Egypt, Algeria, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Libya, Morocco, Somalia, Mauritania, Tunisia Number of speakers: 100-120 million
French	Gabon, Mauritius, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco Number of speakers: 100-120 million
Hausa	Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Eritrea, Ghana Number of speakers: 50 million
Yoruba	Nigeria, Bening, Togo Number of speakers: 40 million
Oromo	Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Egypt Number of speakers: 30 million
Igbo	Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Benin Number of speakers: 30 million
Portuguese	Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, Equatorial Guinea Number of speakers: 14 million
Zulu	South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini Number of speakers: 10 million
Shona	Zimbabwe, Mozambique Number of speakers: 10 million

Top African Destinations to Explore

Here are a few countries in Africa that many people like to visit:

Egypt: Home to the famous Pyramids, Egypt welcomed around 13 million visitors in 2019. It offers a lot to tourists, including the Nile, Valley of the Kings, and the Saqqara complex. You can explore the birthplace of one of the oldest civilizations in the world.
Morocco: Similar to Egypt, Morocco had over 12 million visitors in 2019. The foreign visitors were mainly from Europe and the US, and popular destinations included Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech, and Rabat.
Namibia: Located in South Africa, Namibia attracts over a million visitors annually, primarily known for its ecotourism, allowing visitors to experience the country's wildlife.
Algeria: With 2.4 million visitors in 2019, Algeria is another well-known country in Africa. It has plenty to offer, and one of the most attractive structures is the Sahara Desert. Additionally, Constantine, known for its stunning bridges, is worth exploring.
Tanzania: This African country welcomes over a million visitors each year, with the number reaching 1.5 million in 2019. Tanzania boasts many national parks and several UNESCO heritage sites attractive to tourists. In Zanzibar, an archipelago in Tanzania, you can explore some of the best beaches in Africa.

Top Tourist Spots in Africa

Africa has many things for tourists to enjoy, and some of the favorite attractions are:

Serengeti National Park: Located in Tanzania, this park is a World Heritage Site and home to over 2 million animals in Africa. It's open to the public for daily tours or weekly stays and is where the Great Migration occurs annually, with wildebeest migrating from Serengeti to Masai Mara reserve in Kenya.
Lake Nakuru: Found in the Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya, this lake is a sanctuary for many endangered species. The pink flamingos covering the entire area give it a pink appearance when viewed from above.
Table Mountain: Situated in Cape Town, South Africa, Table Mountain is the most visited site in the region, with 4.2 million visitors each year. It's called a "table mountain" due to its flat top and offers diverse flora and fauna. Visitors can explore the territory via cableway or by hiking up the mountain.
Okavango Delta: Known as the "Jewel of the Kalahari," this water sanctuary in Botswana grows to double its size during the rainy season, becoming the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem. It's home to various wildlife species and undiscovered species, making it one of nature’s greatest wonders.
Pyramids of Egypt: Egypt has over 100 identified pyramids, with the Giza Pyramids being the most famous. These structures are among the oldest man-made buildings, and the Pyramid of Khufu is one of the world’s seven wonders.
Lake Retba: Located in Senegal, Retba is named after its unique pink color. The high salt content supports the thriving algae "Dunaliella salina," giving the lake a pink or sometimes blood-red hue.

Area	30.3 million km²
Number of countries	54 (plus two de facto independencies)
Biggest country (by area)	Algeria
Population (2021)	1.37 billion
Most populated country	Nigeria
Number of languages spoken	Over 2,000 languages across the continent
Largest peninsula	Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti)
Highest mountain	Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
Longest river	Nile River