What is the area of Africa? The largest countries in Africa

Deserts, wild animals, savannahs and many tribes with authentic customs are the first images that come to mind the person who thought about Africa. In fact, it is a very developed continent with a huge variety of cultures, languages and attractions.

Africa

The area of the entire continent, which lies east of the Atlantic Ocean and in the western part of the Indian Ocean, is a little over 30 million km ² , that is, it occupies 22.2% of the total land area. The population of the continent varies in both nationality and religion. Now the number of its inhabitants reaches 1.33 billion people. Among the most populous countries - Nigeria and Ethiopia, and the third place is occupied by Egypt. Annual population growth in Africa is higher than in any other continent and is 2.3%.

Colonial Africa

Most states of this continent for a long time remained colonies of Europe, and became independent only in the second half of the twentieth century. All of these countries are members of the African Union, which deals with the resolution of problems on the continent, especially in states with the least stable political background. Somalia, Chad and Sudan are among the leaders.

African countries by area

Among the largest on the territory of the states, the first places are occupied by Algeria, Congo and Sudan. These countries differ in many respects, such as the population, language, area, etc. In addition to the largest states, you can name others such as Libya, Chad, Niger and Angola. These countries occupy a significant area of Africa.

Algeria

It is the largest state in this part of the world and, besides, one of the richest in various minerals, such as oil and natural gas. Algeria is located in the northern part of the continent, and its area is 2.38 million km ² . A fertile subtropical climate and diverse Mediterranean vegetation make the north of the country a fertile and densely populated region. Algeria has a large share of the world's largest desert, the Sahara.

The population of the country is very diverse. Its total number is 32.36 million inhabitants. The capital of the country - Algeria - has become an important tourist center, which is visited annually by about 1 million travelers. On the territory of the state there are many world heritage sites that could attract more tourists, but the unstable position frightens potential visitors. Among the most important attractions can be called Tassilin-Adzher (cave complex), the Valley of Mzab (settlements of the tenth century), Tipazu (a group of ancient monuments of various cultures), etc.

Congo

This democratic republic, like Algeria, occupies a significant area of the continent Africa, which reaches 2.34 million km ² . Despite the fact that the state is located in the central part of the mainland, it has a small outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. The same river flows through the country. The Far East occupies a chain of lakes located in tectonic depressions. As for climate and vegetation, they are very diverse here, as the state is located in several belts, from the equatorial one, in which tropical rainforests are located, and ending with the subequatorial, where one can find a number of tall grass savannas.

The population of the state is about 55.85 million people. The capital of the country is the city of Kinshasa, and the official language is French. Congo is less rich in tourist attractions than the tourist Algeria, but here you can visit several national parks and reserves.

Sudan

The third largest state of Sudan, too, occupies a considerable area of Africa. Its total area is 2.5 million km ² . The country is in the eastern part of the continent and has a direct access to the Red Sea. Through the Sudan, White and Blue Nile flow, which form a river near Khartoum. The climate here also varies, the country has belts from tropical up to subequatorial.

The population of the country is 35.5 million inhabitants. The capital of the state is the city of Khartoum, and the official language here is Arabic. An important historical landmark is considered to be Napatan, where you can visit various archaeological sites located in the Nile Valley.

Libya

This state is in the northern region of the continent, and almost entirely occupied by the Sahara. The total area of the country is 1.76 million km ² . Here the tropical climate, and on the territory of Libya was even marked the highest temperature on the planet, which was +58 degrees. There are no surface water, but there are underground springs, which support the life of fruitful oases.

Despite the fact that Libya occupies a considerable area of Africa, because of the arid climate, the population is only 5.74 million inhabitants.

Chad

This is the fourth largest state in the continent, 1.28 million km ² - its total area. Chad is in central Africa. The water system here is rather poorly developed, and all its often drying up rivers are found in Lake Chad. The capital of the country is the city of N'Djamena, and the official language is French.

Niger

This country is in the central part of the Sahara, which, naturally, speaks of a tropical climate. The territory of the country is sparsely populated, except for the south, where the same river Niger flows. The area of the state is 1.27 million km ² , and its capital is Niamey.

Angola

The country is in the southwestern region of the continent and has a wide outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. The total area of the state is 1.25 million km ² , the capital of the country is the city of Luanda.

The result

Total area of Africa in square meters. Km is 30.249 million, which makes the continent the second largest in the world. A considerable part of the territory is occupied by the Sahara desert, parts of which belong to different states. The largest state of the continent is Algeria, which occupies a significant area of Africa. In addition, the first positions in the list of African countries in the territory are occupied by all the above-mentioned states.