Africa is by far the continent least explored by travelers. Yet it has so much variety to offer too, being the one with the biggest number of countries, 54!!!! The African continent is also the 2nd-largest (3 times larger than Canada) and the 2nd-most populous in the world (30 times more than Canada). Warning: culture shock guaranteed!
Because many people don’t know the 5 different regions of Africa, I wanted to give you a brief overview of this captivating continent. Especially since Flytrippers’ other co-founder, Kevin, is currently spending a few months in one of these African regions.
I’ll also be sharing detailed posts about my experiences in 4 of the 5 different regions of Africa over the next few weeks. We’ll have more content about our own trips with our newly doubled team!
Here are the 5 different regions of Africa (we’ve already covered the 6 different regions of Asia, if you missed it).
Basics of the regions within continents
Generally speaking, the regions within a continent are more than just geographical: they’re also groupings of countries that share a similar history, culture, and even nature sometimes. At least up to a point.
Often, the regions are really very different from one another despite being on the same continent. Western Asia is as different from Eastern Asia as it is from Europe.
That’s why, ideally, we highly recommend you try to experience each region of each continent at least, in the absence of the desire to visit every country in the world (not everyone is as passionate about travel as we are, and that’s okay).
Because how are you supposed to know what you prefer if you don’t try a bit of variety? And no, Portugal and Spain… that’s not really variety. We love it when we get you to explore more!
Overview of the 5 different regions of Africa
Here is how African countries will be grouped together for all our many upcoming content pieces.
Flytrippers’ definition of the 5 different regions of Africa
Here are the 5 different regions of Africa, clockwise (and in order of total area too coincidentally, even if it’s very similar):
- North Africa (6 countries)
- East Africa (14 countries)
- Southern Africa (10 countries)
- Central Africa (9 countries)
- West Africa (15 countries)
I give you a great overview of each region below. You have probably already heard the names of the 5 regions of Africa, but perhaps not necessarily knowing the precise borders, which I’m going to show you with maps and by listing the countries in each region, along with several beautiful images.
These regional definitions are the ones used by the African Union.
However, there is no universal definition of the different regions of Africa. It’s a continent where the precise boundaries of the regions are less clearly defined. There is still much debate and disagreement on this subject (as there is in Europe, the next part of this series of posts).
Some islands in Macaronesia (Canary Islands and Madeira) and in the Mediterranean are geographically in Africa but politically in Europe, and Flytrippers includes them in Europe for simplicity.
Other definitions of the different regions of Africa
The African Union definitions are obviously a little subjective. The UN (United Nations), for example, has slightly different definitions.
Here are the main alternative definitions if you’re interested in better understanding the regions of Africa.
West Africa and North Africa are really the best-defined regions of Africa, with only a few alternatives.
For West Africa, Mauritania (listed in North Africa here) and the British territory of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (Southern Africa), sparsely populated islands far off the coast, are the only other ones sometimes included in the West.
For North Africa, Sudan (East Africa) is the only other one sometimes included.
The borders between East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa are a bit more blurred.
Mozambique and Malawi — and more rarely Zambia and Zimbabwe — (Southern Africa) are sometimes included in East Africa. On the other hand, Tanzania and the offshore islands (East Africa) are sometimes included in Southern Africa.
In East Africa and Central Africa, Burundi (Central Africa) and Rwanda (East Africa) are sometimes grouped together, on either side. Finally, Angola (Southern Africa) is often classified as Central Africa.
Here’s an overview of the 54 countries in each of these 5 different regions of Africa, with a few territories thrown in for good measure.
North Africa (6 countries)
This is the region that stands out most from the others, without a doubt. The term “Sub-Saharan Africa” is often used to specifically exclude North Africa, because it’s so different. North Africa is often grouped with the Middle East, for obvious reasons of common culture.
These 6 countries (and 1 disputed territory) have a very different culture and history from the rest of the continent — and it’s the most developed region too.
6 countries in North Africa:
- Egypt 🇪🇬
- Morocco 🇲🇦
- Algeria 🇩🇿
- Tunisia 🇹🇳
- Libya 🇱🇾
- Mauritania 🇲🇷
1 disputed territory in North Africa:
- Western Sahara (Sahrawi Republic) 🇪🇭
1 territory in North Africa:
- Ceuta and Melilla 🇪🇦
North Africa comparisons
Population of North Africa:
- 220 million (#3 out of 5)
- 5X more than Canada
Total area of North Africa:
- 6.9 million km2 (#1 out of 5)
- 69% of Canada’s size
The Human Development Index (HDI) is one of the least imperfect measures of a country’s development. The HDI top 4 in Africa includes 4 of the 6 North African countries (among the 47 continental countries in Africa; I’m excluding island countries).
Another country in North Africa is in 8th position — and the last of the region is Mauritania, which is often not included with the North. North Africa also has the best infrastructure on the continent.
Traveling in North Africa
These are very interesting places to visit. This part of the world can easily appeal to less experienced travelers who want a first taste of the African continent. The region has the famous Sahara Desert and so much fascinating history and culture to discover too!
Don’t miss our more detailed post about North Africa soon.
East Africa (14 countries)
We’re starting the “real” Africa, as many people say. East Africa is home to many of Africa’s most popular travel destinations.
These 14 countries form a few somewhat distinct sub-regions, such as the islands in the Indian Ocean, which are classified with East Africa for cultural reasons, the Great Lakes of Africa (which border 2 other regions of Africa), and the Horn of Africa.
14 countries in East Africa:
- Ethiopia 🇪🇹
- Kenya 🇰🇪
- Tanzania 🇹🇿
- Uganda 🇺🇬
- Rwanda 🇷🇼
- Eritrea 🇪🇷
- Somalia 🇸🇴
- Djibouti 🇩🇯
- Sudan 🇸🇩
- South Sudan 🇸🇸
- Madagascar 🇲🇬
- Mauritius 🇲🇺
- Seychelles 🇸🇨
- Comoros 🇰🇲
1 disputed territory in East Africa:
- Somaliland
2 territories in East Africa:
- Réunion 🇷🇪
- Mayotte 🇾🇹
East Africa comparisons
Population of East Africa:
- 427 million (#2 out of 5)
- 10X more than Canada
Total area of East Africa:
- 6.7 million km2 (#2 out of 5)
- 67% of Canada’s size
The 2 most developed countries in Africa are those among the islands off the coast of East Africa. And the islands that are French territories are also highly developed, as territories that are politically European.
Traveling in East Africa
The scientific consensus is that this region is the cradle of all humanity! East Africa is the region closest to South Asia by land and sea, and is, therefore, the most influenced by this influential part of the neighboring continent too.
The islands obviously attract a lot of travelers, thanks to their exoticism and their much higher standard of living.
But there’s so much more to discover, from wild animals and impressive mountains to large lakes, coastlines, and beaches! Numerous magnificent natural attractions dominate the landscape in many parts of East Africa.
Don’t miss our more detailed post on East Africa soon.
Southern Africa (10 countries)
The region is called Southern Africa, instead of South Africa. This is obviously to differentiate it from the country called South Africa, which is one of the best-known countries on the continent.
But there is a total of 10 countries in Southern Africa. It’s also the region I’ve explored the most on the continent. I loved my experience in the 7 countries I visited, and it really is a great part of Africa for travelers.
10 countries in Southern Africa:
- South Africa 🇿🇦
- Namibia 🇳🇦
- Botswana 🇧🇼
- Lesotho 🇱🇸
- Eswatini 🇸🇿
- Mozambique 🇲🇿
- Zimbabwe 🇿🇼
- Zambia 🇿🇲
- Malawi 🇲🇼
- Angola 🇦🇴
1 territory in Southern Africa:
- Saint Helena 🇸🇭, Ascension 🇦🇨 and Tristan da Cunha 🇹🇦
Southern Africa comparisons
Population of Southern Africa:
- 197 million (#4 out of 5)
- 5X more than Canada
Total area of Southern Africa:
- 5.9 million km2 (#3 out of 5)
- 59% of Canada’s size
South Africa, the country, is the most developed in sub-Saharan Africa (so excluding North Africa and the islands). It is one of the most popular destinations in the whole of Africa.
Traveling in Southern Africa
Southern Africa is particularly famous for its safaris, but there’s so much more to this region. Waterfalls, mountains, deserts, beaches… nature lovers are in for a treat.
The Southern African region also has a very unique and interesting history, with countries well worth discovering. There are several beautiful hotels where you can get many free nights that are located in Southern Africa. Another good reason to go!
Don’t miss our more detailed post on Southern Africa soon.
Central Africa (9 countries)
Sometimes called “Middle Africa”, Central Africa is the continent’s least-populated and least-known region… and therefore the least-visited, of course. The truth is, unfortunately, that most people just like to travel to the places they’ve heard of.
It’s also the only region that doesn’t really have any “popular” countries, so there are plenty of unexplored (or less explored, let’s say) gems.
9 countries in Central Africa:
- São Tomé and Príncipe 🇸🇹
- Equatorial Guinea 🇬🇶
- Cameroon 🇨🇲
- Democratic Republic of Congo 🇨🇩
- Republic of Congo 🇨🇬
- Gabon 🇬🇦
- Chad 🇹🇩
- Central African Republic 🇨🇫
- Burundi 🇧🇮
Central Africa comparisons
Population of Central Africa:
- 179 million (#5 out of 5)
- 4X more than Canada
Total of Central Africa:
- 5.3 million km2 (#4 out of 5)
- 53% of Canada’s size
Of the continent’s top 5 least developed countries, 3 are in Central Africa.
Traveling in Central Africa
This is the only region of Africa where we can truly say that all countries are definitely off the beaten track, by absolutely all definitions. Many of these countries have very little infrastructure for travelers.
Some of these countries can still be visited fairly easily, but it’s certainly less touristy: this is the least-visited region of the least-visited continent, after all.
Don’t miss our more detailed post on Central Africa soon.
West Africa (15 countries)
Finally, last but not least, West Africa. It has the most countries, but many of them are very small. Of the 15 countries, 11 are coastal and 1 is an archipelago (only 3 are landlocked).
It’s also the region of sub-Saharan Africa that’s geographically closest to Canada, and therefore the region where flight deals are most frequent. There are lots of different cultures to discover.
Countries in West Africa:
- Senegal 🇸🇳
- Gambia 🇬🇲
- Nigeria 🇳🇬
- Ghana 🇬🇭
- Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮
- Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼
- Guinea 🇬🇳
- Benin 🇧🇯
- Togo 🇹🇬
- Liberia 🇱🇷
- Sierra Leone 🇸🇱
- Mali 🇲🇱
- Niger 🇳🇪
- Burkina Faso 🇧🇫
- Cabo Verde 🇨🇻
West Africa comparisons
Population of West Africa:
- 435 million (#1 out of 5)
- 11X more than Canada
Total of West Africa:
- 5.1 million km2 (#5 out of 5)
- 51% of Canada’s size
Many West African countries are still underdeveloped, but that’s not a generalization that applies to the whole enormous region! And this is the region of Africa with the strongest demographic and economic growth.
Traveling in West Africa
Unsurprisingly, the growth makes it one of the regions where tourism is on the rise. Many of the countries in this beautiful region are increasingly trendy destinations.
Of course, that is all relative. It is still Sub-Saharan Africa. But tourism is certainly developing, and that makes many places a little easier to explore.
One valid generalization is that people are very warm and welcoming throughout almost all of West Africa, where many ethnicities and cultures cohabit.
Don’t miss our more detailed post on West Africa soon.
Learning how to travel for less
Join over 100,000 savvy Canadian travelers who already receive Flytrippers’ free newsletter so we can help you travel for less (and inspire you, too)!
Summary
Africa is still a little-known continent for many travelers, who are reluctant to visit. Yet it’s home to a panoply of extraordinary countries, diverse cultures, and breathtaking landscapes. We cared about helping you better understand the division of this continent, which contains 5 distinct regions, each with its own specificities.
What would you like to know about the different regions in Africa? Tell us in the comments below.
See the flight deals we spot: Cheap flights
Discover free travel with rewards: Travel rewards
Explore awesome destinations: Travel inspiration
Learn pro tricks: Travel tips
Featured image: Tsavo East, Kenya (photo credit: Damian Patkowski)
