How Many Countries Are There In Africa?

There are 46 countries including Madagascar, and 53 including all the island groups.

The African continent is vast in area and diversity. There are forty seven countries on the African continent. This includes the vast expanse of the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Many a times, the official listings also include the islands off the coast and this brings the number to a total of fifty three. The island nations recognized as part of the African continent include:
- Cape Verde.
- São Tomé and Príncipe.
- Madagascar.
- Comoros.
- Seychelles.
- Mauritius.

Each of the island nations off the coast are independent nations. There are some sources that do not consider all of the island countries off the coast of Africa as African and so, the total number fluctuates. The observation is that although each of these island nations may have diverse populations and cultural traditions, all of them have substantial African population and very strong historical connections to the continent of Africa. Hence, they are usually considered African.

The continent of Africa is as unique as its people and cultures that inhabit the land. The distinctly different flora and fauna and the rich wild life have made the mainland and the island nations off the coast of Africa popular tourist and business destinations.

47

54