Top 20 Biggest Countries in Africa by Land Area

Africa is the second-largest continent in the world after Asia and it’s home to a diverse range of countries, both in terms of geography and population. The top three biggest countries in Africa in terms of land area include Algeria, Sudan, and Libya. These countries have vast deserts, savannas, and other natural landscapes that cover a significant portion of the continent. Additionally, these countries have also large population, with Algeria and Sudan being among the most populous countries in Africa.

Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa by Land Area

1. Algeria (2,381,741 square km)

Algeria, is a sovereign state in North Africa on the Mediterranean coast. Its capital and most populous city is Algiers, located in the country’s far north. With an area of 2,381,741 square kilometres, Algeria is the tenth-largest country in the world, and the biggest country in Africa in terms of land area.

To provide a sense of its vast size, Algeria is so expansive that it could contain Italy, Germany, Japan, Spain, Uruguay, North Korea, Portugal, and the United Kingdom all within its borders. This remarkable comparison highlights the immense territorial expanse of Algeria, making it one of the largest countries in the world.

2. Democratic Republic of the Congo (2,344,858 Square km)

Democratic Republic of the Congo also known as DR Congo is a country located in Central Africa. It is the second biggest country in Africa and eleventh largest country in the world. With a population of over 93.3 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populated Francophone country in the world, the fourth most-populated nation in Africa and the eighteenth most populated country in the world.

3. Sudan (1,886,068 square km)

Sudan is an Arab republic located in the Nile valley of North Africa. The Nile River divides the nation into eastern and western halves. Around 45.2 million people live in Sudan. The country is the third biggest country in Africa and the second biggest country in North Africa.

4. Libya (1,759,540 square km)

Libya is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa, With an area of almost 1.8 million square kilometres Libya is the fourth biggest country in Africa, and is the 16th largest country in the world. The country has a population of around 7 million people.

5. Chad (1,284,000 square km)

Chad is the fifth biggest country in Africa. The country is a landlocked nation and has a population of 17 million. Around 1.9 percent of Chad is water. Lake Chad is the largest wetland in Chad, and the second-largest in the African continent.

6. Niger (1,267,000 square km)

The Republic of the Niger is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. Niger covers a land area of almost 1,267,000 km 2, making it the largest country in West Africa and sixth largest in Africa. The population of Niger is approximately 25.4 million.

7. Angola (1,246,700 Square km)

Located in Southern Africa. Angola is the seventh-largest country in Africa and the twenty second largest in the world. The country is bigger than sweden, germany and uruguay combined.

8. Mali (1,240,192 Square km)

The Republic of Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali is the eighth-largest country in Africa with an area of just over 1,240,000 square kilometres. The population of Mali is 20.2 million and its capital is Bamako.

9. South Africa (1,221,037 square km)

South Africa has 2,798 km of coastline that stretches along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The population of South Africa is around 60.3 million people. At 1,221,037 square km, South Africa is the 9th biggest country in Africa by land area.

10. Ethiopia (1,104,300 square km)

Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world, as well as the second-most populous nation on the African continent after Nigeria. The nation is the largest country in East Africa and the tenth largest in Africa with a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometres and its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa.

11. Mauritania (1,030,700 square km)

Mauritania is a sovereign state in the western region of the continent of Africa, It borders the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara, Mali and Algeria.

At 1,030,700 square kilometres, it is the world’s 30th-largest country and the eleventh biggest country in Africa.

12. Egypt (1,001,449 square km)

Egypt is bordered by Libya to the west, the Sudan to the south, and the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east. At 1,001,449 square kilometres. it is the world’s 30th-largest country and the twelfth largest country in Africa.

13. Tanzania (945,203 square km)

At 945,203 square kilometres, Tanzania is the 13th largest country in Africa and the 31st largest in the world. The country borders Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south.

14. Nigeria (923,768 square km)

Nigeria is located in western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea and has a total area of 923,768 square km making it the 14th biggest country in Africa. The country shares borders with Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

15. Namibia (825,418 square km)

Namibia is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean, sharing land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. At 825,418 square km, Namibia is the 15th largest country in Africa.

16. Mozambique (801,590 square km)

Mozambique is a country located in Southeastern Africa. It is bound by Eswatini to the south, South Africa to the southwest, Zimbabwe to the west, Zambia and Malawi to the northwest, Tanzania to the north and the Indian Ocean to the east. The capital and largest city of Mozambique is Maputo

At 801,590 km2, Mozambique is the Africa’s 16th-largest country. It is comparable in size to Turkey.

17. Zambia (752,614 square km)

Zambia is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Southern and East Africa.

At 752,614 km2, it is the 39th-largest country in the world, slightly smaller than Chile.

18. Morocco (712,550 square km)

Morocco is the northwesternmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It spans an area of 712,550 square km, with a population of roughly 37.5 million. Its official and predominant religion is Islam, and the official languages are Arabic and Berber

At 712,550 square km, Morocco excluding Western Sahara is the 18th biggest countries in Africa in terms of land area.

19. South Sudan (644,329 square km)

South Sudan is a landlocked country in east/central Africa. It is bordered to the east by Ethiopia, to the north by Sudan, to the west by the Central African Republic, to the southwest by Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south by Uganda and to the southeast by Kenya. At 644,329 square km, the country is the 19th biggest country in Africa. It has a population of 11.06 million.

20. Somalia (637,657 square km)

Somalia, is a country in the Horn of Africa and has an estimated population of around 15 million, of which over 2 million live in the capital and largest city Mogadishu, and has been described as Africa’s most culturally homogeneous country.

Somalia is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Somali Sea and Guardafui Channel to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. With a land area of 637,657 square kilometers, Somalia’s terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains and highlands.

Revised in September 2024