Largest Countries In Africa

Global
29,915,158 km²Land AreaAfrica Total
PopulationGlobal Total
Land Area 2025Question Mark
1
AlgeriaAlgeria
2,381,741km²
2
DR CongoDR Congo
2,344,858km²
3
SudanSudan
1,861,484km²
4
LibyaLibya
1,759,540km²
5
ChadChad
1,284,000km²
6
NigerNiger
1,267,000km²
7
AngolaAngola
1,246,700km²
8
MaliMali
1,240,192km²
9
South AfricaSouth Africa
1,221,037km²
10
EthiopiaEthiopia
1,104,300km²
11
MauritaniaMauritania
1,030,700km²
12
TanzaniaTanzania
945,203km²
13
EgyptEgypt
941,450km²
14
NigeriaNigeria
923,768km²
15
NamibiaNamibia
825,615km²
16
MozambiqueMozambique
801,590km²
17
ZambiaZambia
752,612km²
18
South SudanSouth Sudan
644,329km²
19
SomaliaSomalia
637,657km²
20
Central African RepublicCentral African Republic
622,984km²
21
MadagascarMadagascar
587,041km²
22
BotswanaBotswana
581,730km²
23
KenyaKenya
580,367km²
24
CameroonCameroon
475,442km²
25
MoroccoMorocco
446,550km²
26
ZimbabweZimbabwe
390,757km²
27
Ivory CoastIvory Coast
322,460km²
28
Burkina FasoBurkina Faso
274,222km²
29
GabonGabon
267,668km²
30
Western SaharaWestern Sahara
266,000km²
31
GuineaGuinea
245,857km²
32
UgandaUganda
241,550km²
33
GhanaGhana
238,533km²
34
SenegalSenegal
196,722km²
35
TunisiaTunisia
163,610km²
36
MalawiMalawi
118,484km²
37
EritreaEritrea
117,600km²
38
BeninBenin
114,763km²
39
LiberiaLiberia
111,369km²
40
Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
71,740km²
41
TogoTogo
56,785km²
42
Guinea BissauGuinea Bissau
36,125km²
43
LesothoLesotho
30,355km²
44
Equatorial GuineaEquatorial Guinea
28,051km²
45
BurundiBurundi
27,834km²
46
RwandaRwanda
26,338km²
47
DjiboutiDjibouti
23,200km²
48
EswatiniEswatini
17,364km²
49
GambiaGambia
11,295km²
50
Cape VerdeCape Verde
4,033km²
51
MauritiusMauritius
2,239km²
52
ComorosComoros
1,862km²
53
SeychellesSeychelles
452km²
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Last updated February 28, 2026

Introduction

Africa, the world's second-largest continent, is a landmass of great diversity and grandeur. It is a vast tapestry of sweeping deserts, dense rainforests, towering mountains, and expansive savannas, crisscrossed by some of the world's most iconic rivers. Africa’s size is reflected in its vast nations, and this article aims to delve into the topography of the continent's decades-long political borders, determining which are the largest countries on the African continent by land area. The African continent is home to some of the world's largest countries. African nations are mammoth territorial expanses, a testament to their significant spatial presence on the world map. Key findings from the data include:

  • Algeria, with a whopping 2.4 million square kilometers, is the largest country in Africa and the 10th largest globally. Its vast landscapes span the Mediterranean coastline, the Sahara Desert, and the Atlas Mountains.
  • The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second-largest with 2.3 million square kilometers, containing some of the largest and least exploited deposits of natural resources in the world.
  • Sudan, Libya, Chad, and Niger follow, each with land areas exceeding a million square kilometers. Their size encompasses a range of landscapes from deserts to mountains to savannas.
  • Within the top 10 largest African countries, South Africa and Ethiopia are the only two which harbor populations exceeding 100 million individuals.

All Metrics

Region ↕Land Area 2025↕Population 2025↕
Algeria2.4M
DR Congo2.3M
Sudan1.9M
Libya1.8M
Chad1.3M
Niger1.3M
Angola1.2M
Mali1.2M
South Africa1.2M
Ethiopia1.1M
Mauritania1.0M
Tanzania945.2K
Egypt941.5K
Nigeria923.8K
Namibia825.6K
Mozambique801.6K
Zambia752.6K
South Sudan644.3K
Somalia637.7K
Central African Republic623.0K
Madagascar587.0K
Botswana581.7K
Kenya580.4K
Cameroon475.4K
Morocco446.6K
Zimbabwe390.8K
Ivory Coast322.5K
Burkina Faso274.2K
Gabon267.7K
Western Sahara266.0K
Guinea245.9K
Uganda241.6K
Ghana238.5K
Senegal196.7K
Tunisia163.6K
Malawi118.5K
Eritrea117.6K
Benin114.8K
Liberia111.4K
Sierra Leone71.7K
Togo56.8K
Guinea Bissau36.1K
Lesotho30.4K
Equatorial Guinea28.1K
Burundi27.8K
Rwanda26.3K
Djibouti23.2K
Eswatini17.4K
Gambia11.3K
Cape Verde4.0K
Mauritius2.2K
Comoros1.9K
Seychelles

10 Largest Countries in Africa

Algeria is the largest of all African nations with an impressive 2.4 million square kilometers. Algeria stands not only as the largest in Africa but also holds the title of the tenth largest on a global scale. The Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo makes its mark as the second largest African country, comprising a land area of 2.3 million square kilometers. Coming in third is Sudan, covering an impressive 1.9 million square kilometers of the African terrain. Libya is next with 1.8 million square kilometers, followed closely by both Chad and Niger with 1.3 million square kilometers each. Angola, Mali, South Africa all command substantial presences as well with 1.2 million square kilometers each. Ethiopia, the last on this list, still wields a respectable size with 1.1 million square kilometers to its name. 10 Largest Countries in Africa by Land Area:

  1. Algeria - 2.4M sq km
  2. DR Congo - 2.3M sq km
  3. Sudan - 1.9M sq km
  4. Libya - 1.8M sq km
  5. Chad - 1.3M sq km
  6. Niger - 1.3M sq km
  7. Angola - 1.2M sq km
  8. Mali - 1.2M sq km
  9. South Africa - 1.2M sq km
  10. Ethiopia - 1.1M sq km

Sources & Notes

Land Area

Specifies the land area of a country or region, in square kilometers, excluding bodies of water.

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