African country, African nation

countries occupying the African continent

• Namibia, Republic of Namibia — a republic in southwestern Africa on the south Atlantic coast (formerly called South West Africa); achieved independence from South Africa in 1990; the greater part of Namibia form part of the high Namibian plateau of South Africa
• Algeria, Algerie, Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria — a republic in northwestern Africa on the Mediterranean Sea; colonized by France in the 19th century but gained autonomy in the early 1960s
• Angola, Republic of Angola — a republic in southwestern Africa on the Atlantic Ocean; achieved independence from Portugal in 1975 and was the scene of civil war until 1990
• Burundi, Republic of Burundi — a landlocked republic in east central Africa on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika
• Cameroon, Republic of Cameroon, Cameroun — a republic on the western coast of central Africa; was under French and British control until 1960
• Central African Republic, Central Africa — a landlocked country in central Africa; formerly under French control; became independent in 1960
• Chad, Republic of Chad, Tchad — a landlocked desert republic in north-central Africa; was under French control until 1960
• Republic of the Congo, French Congo — a republic in west-central Africa; achieved independence from France in 1960
• Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zaire, Belgian Congo — a republic in central Africa; achieved independence from Belgium in 1960
• Ivory Coast, Cote d'Ivoire, Republic of Cote d'Ivoire — a republic in western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; one of the most prosperous and politically stable countries in Africa
• Benin, Republic of Benin, Dahomey — a country on western coast of Africa; formerly part of French West Africa
• Togo, Togolese Republic — a republic on the western coast of Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; formerly part of French West Africa
• Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti, Afars and Issas — a country in northeastern Africa on the Somali peninsula; formerly under French control but became independent in 1997
• Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Equitorial Guinea, Spanish Guinea — a country of west central Africa (including islands in the Gulf of Guinea); became independent from Spain in 1968
• Eritrea, State of Eritrea — a country north of Ethiopia on the Red Sea; achieved independence from Ethiopia in 1993
• Ethiopia, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Yaltopya, Abyssinia — Ethiopia is a republic in northeastern Africa on the Red Sea; formerly called Abyssinia
• Rwanda, Rwandese Republic, Ruanda — a landlocked republic in central Africa; formerly a German colony
• Botswana, Republic of Botswana — a landlocked republic in south-central Africa that became independent from British control in the 1960s
• Egypt, Arab Republic of Egypt, United Arab Republic — a republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BC
• Kenya, Republic of Kenya — a republic in eastern Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1963; major archeological discoveries have been made in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya
• Gabon, Gabonese Republic, Gabun — a republic on the west coast of Africa
• Gambia, The Gambia, Republic of The Gambia — a narrow republic surrounded by Senegal in West Africa
• Ghana, Republic of Ghana, Gold Coast — a republic in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea
• Guinea, Republic of Guinea, French Guinea — a republic in eastern Africa on the Atlantic; formerly a French colony; achieved independence from France in 1958
• Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Guine-Bissau, Portuguese Guinea — a republic on the northwestern coast of Africa; recognized as independent by Portugal in 1974
• Lesotho, Kingdom of Lesotho, Basutoland — a landlocked constitutional monarchy in southern Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1966
• Liberia, Republic of Liberia — a republic in West Africa; established in 1822 by Americans as a way to free negro slaves
• Libya, Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya — a military dictatorship in North Africa on the Mediterranean; consists almost entirely of desert; a major exporter of petroleum
• Madagascar, Republic of Madagascar, Malagasy Republic — a republic on the Island of Madagascar; achieved independence from France in 1960
• Malawi, Republic of Malawi, Nyasaland — a landlocked republic in southern central Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1964
• Mali, Republic of Mali, French Sudan — a landlocked republic in northwestern Africa; achieved independence from France in 1960; Mali was a center of West African civilization for more than 4,000 years
• Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mauritanie, Muritaniya — a country in northwestern Africa with a provisional military government; achieved independence from France in 1960; largely western Sahara Desert
• Morocco, Kingdom of Morocco, Maroc, Marruecos, Al-Magrib — a kingdom (constitutional monarchy) in northwestern Africa; achieved independence from France in 1956
• Mozambique, Republic of Mozambique, Mocambique — a republic on the eastern coast of Africa on the Indian Ocean; became independent from Portugal in 1975
• Niger, Republic of Niger — a landlocked republic in West Africa; gained independence from France in 1960; most of the country is dominated by the Sahara Desert
• Nigeria, Federal Republic of Nigeria — a republic in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; gained independence from Britain in 1960; most populous African country
• Senegal, Republic of Senegal — a republic in northwestern Africa on the coast of the Atlantic; formerly a French colony but achieved independence in 1960
• Sierra Leone, Republic of Sierra Leone — a republic in West Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1961
• Somalia — a republic in extreme eastern Africa on the Somali Peninsula; subject to tribal warfare
• South Africa, Republic of South Africa — a republic at the southernmost part of Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1910; first European settlers were Dutch (known as Boers)
• Sudan, Republic of the Sudan, Soudan — a republic in northeastern Africa on the Red Sea; achieved independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom in 1956
• Swaziland, Kingdom of Swaziland — a landlocked monarchy in southeastern Africa; member of the Commonwealth that achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1968
• Tanzania, United Republic of Tanzania — a republic in eastern Africa
• Tunisia, Republic of Tunisia — a republic in northwestern Africa on the Mediterranean coast; achieved independence from France in 1956
• Uganda, Republic of Uganda — a landlocked republic in eastern Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1962
• Zambia, Republic of Zambia — a republic in central Africa; formerly controlled (as part of Northern Rhodesia) by Great Britain until it gained independence within the Commonwealth in 1964
• Zimbabwe, Republic of Zimbabwe, Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia — a landlocked republic in south central Africa formerly called Rhodesia; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1980

• country, state, land — the territory occupied by a nation

• Africa — the second largest continent; located south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the India Ocean