Largest country in Africa in 2024: ranked by population and land mass

Largest country in Africa in 2024: ranked by population and land mass

Africa is the second largest continent in the world after Asia. The continent covers around 30.3 million km², including adjacent islands. This is about 20% or one-fifth of Earth's land area. Africa has 54 countries and other dependencies/territories, and its population size of 1.4 billion people accounts for about 18% of the world's population. This article ranks all 54 countries and other dependencies by landmass and population to help you discover the largest country in Africa.

Africa has 54 fully recognized sovereign states of various government types, and most governments use the parliamentary systems. There are also eight cities and islands that are part of non-African states and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition.

Which is the largest country in Africa by land mass?

Largest country in Africa
A map showing Algeria and neighboring countries. Photo: omersukrugoksu
Source: Getty Images
  • Capital city: Algiers (El Djazaïr)
  • Government: Semi-presidential system
  • Currency: Algerian Dinar
  • Official languages: Arabic, Tamazight
  • Area: 2.382 million km²

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Algeria is the largest country in Africa by area, with 2,381,740 km² total land area size. Its land area also makes it the tenth-largest country in the world. This North African country has a Mediterranean coastline and a Saharan desert interior. By population, it is the 10th largest country in Africa, with a population size of around 45,606,480 people.

List of countries in Africa ranked by land mass

South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya are some of the most famous African countries. Nonetheless, this does not imply these countries occupy the biggest land surface. Some African countries have more land area size than these three. Below are the 54 African countries ranked by land mass from largest to smallest:

Country

Total area (km²)

Algeria

2,381,740

DR Congo

2,344,858

Sudan

1,861,484

Libya

1,759,540

Chad

1,284,000

Niger

1,267,000

Angola

1,246,700

Mali

1,240,192

South Africa

1,219,090

Ethiopia

1,104,300

Mauritania

1,030,700

Egypt

1,001,450

Tanzania

947,300

Nigeria

923,768

Namibia

824,292

Mozambique

799,380

Zambia

752,618

South Sudan

644,329

Somalia

637,657

Central African Republic

622,984

Madagascar

587,041

Botswana

581,730

Kenya

580,367

Cameroon

475,440

Morocco

446,550

Zimbabwe

390,757

Republic of the Congo

342,000

Ivory Coast

322,463

Burkina Faso

274,200

Country

Total area (km²)

Gabon

267,667

Western Sahara (disputed dependency)

266,000

Guinea

245,857

Uganda

241,038

Ghana

238,533

Senegal

196,722

Tunisia

163,610

Malawi

118,484

Eritrea

117,600

Benin

112,622

Liberia

111,369

Sierra Leone

71,740

Togo

56,785

Guinea-Bissau

36,125

Lesotho

30,355

Equatorial Guinea

28,051

Burundi

27,830

Rwanda

26,338

Djibouti

23,200

Eswatini

17,364

Gambia

11,300

Cape Verde

4,033

Réunion (France dependency)

2,512

Mauritius

2,235

Comoros

2,040

São Tomé and Príncipe

964

Seychelles

455

Saint Helena (The UK dependency)

394

Mayotte (France dependency)

374

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Which is the largest country in Africa by population?

Largest country in Africa
A map showing Nigeria and neighboring countries. Photo: PeterHermesFurian
Source: Getty Images
  • Capital city: Abuja
  • Government: Federal republic system
  • Currency: Nigerian Naira
  • Official language: English
  • Area: 923,768 km²

Nigeria is the largest country in Africa by population, with around 223,804,632 people. It is in the Western part of the continent and has a coastline facing the Atlantic Ocean. By landmass, it is the 6th largest country in Africa, with a 1,267,000 km² land area.

List of countries in Africa ranked by population

According to the United Nations Statistics, all 54 African countries ranked by population size from largest to smallest. The list also contains other dependencies (or dependent territories/areas) or Areas of Special Sovereignty (autonomous territories).

Country

Population size

Nigeria

223,804,632

Ethiopia

126,527,060

Egypt

112,716,598

DR Congo

102,262,808

Tanzania

67,438,106

South Africa

60,414,495

Kenya

55,100,586

Sudan

48,109,006

Uganda

48,582,334

Algeria

45,606,480

Morocco

37,840,044

Angola

36,684,202

Ghana

34,121,985

Mozambique

33,897,354

Madagascar

30,325,732

Côte d'Ivoire

28,873,034

Cameroon

28,647,293

Niger

27,202,843

Burkina Faso

23,251,485

Mali

23,293,698

Malawi

20,931,751

Zambia

20,569,737

Chad

18,278,568

Senegal

17,763,163

Somalia

18,143,378

Zimbabwe

16,665,409

Guinea

14,190,612

Rwanda

14,094,683

Benin

13,712,828

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Country

Population size

Burundi

13,238,559

Tunisia

12,458,223

South Sudan

11,088,796

Togo

9,053,799

Sierra Leone

8,791,092

Libya

6,888,388

Congo

6,106,869

Central African Republic

5,742,315

Liberia

5,418,377

Mauritania

4,862,989

Eritrea

3,748,901

Gambia

2,773,168

Botswana

2,675,352

Namibia

2,604,172

Gabon

2,436,566

Lesotho

2,330,318

Guinea-Bissau

2,150,842

Equatorial Guinea

1,714,671

Mauritius

1,300,557

Eswatini

1,210,822

Djibouti

1,136,455

Réunion (France dependency)

981,796

Comoros

852,075

Cape Verde

598,682

Western Sahara (disputed dependency)

587,259

Mayotte (France dependency)

335,995

Sao Tome & Principe

231,856

Seychelles

107,660

Saint Helena (The UK dependency)

5,314

Which country is the largest in Africa?

Algeria is the largest country in Africa by land mass. Its total land area is 2,381,740 km². Meanwhile, Nigeria is the largest country in Africa by population. It has a population size of around 223,804,632 people.

Which country is the most populated in Africa?

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. This West African country has a population size of around 223,804,632 people.

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What is the smallest country in Africa that is not an island?

The Gambia in West Africa is the smallest country in Africa, with an 11,300 km² total land area size, including a narrow Atlantic coastline.

Which country in Africa is the smallest?

Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa overall. By land mass, it only occupies a total land area of 455 km². The Seychelles is a favorite tour destination for many because it is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa.

Algeria is the largest country in Africa by landmass. It is also one of the main tourist attractions is the Sahara. Meanwhile, Nigeria is the largest country in Africa by population. It has the second-largest film industry worldwide, and many also know it as a fashion, technological, and creative hub in Africa.

Largest country in Africa
Photo: canva.com (modified by author)
Source: Original

Legit.ng also listed the highest currencies in Africa. A strong currency is good for people traveling abroad or buying imported products from countries whose money has a lower value. They pay for the goods and services at cheaper rates and save money.

So, if you are among these people, knowing the strongest currencies in Africa right now will help you budget your expenses and finances appropriately and efficiently.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Peris Walubengo avatar

Peris Walubengo (Lifestyle writer) Peris Walubengo has vast experience in search engine optimization through digital content generation, research, editing, and proofreading. She joined Legit.ng in April 2022 and completed the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can email her at perisrodah254@gmail.com.

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Adrianna Simwa (Lifestyle writer) Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years. She has worked for The Hoth, The Standard Group and Triple P Media. Adrianna graduated from Nairobi University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2020. In 2023, Simwa finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her through her email: adriannasimwa@gmail.com