The Most Populated Countries In Africa-----On Fow24news.com

Africa is a large continent made up of 54 independent states. It is second on the list of largest continents in the world by land area.
The continent covers a vast area stretching from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere. Additionally, Africa has the second largest population size among all the continents of the world. The people of Africa vary in their culture, ethnicity, skin color, and religious beliefs. The most populated country in the continent is Nigeria. The other African countries with large populations are Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Nigeria: Africa's Most Populous Nation

Nigeria is a federal republic situated in West Africa along the Gulf of Guinea. The country has the highest population in Africa with an estimated 188 million residents living in Nigeria as of 2015. At the current population growth rate, the number is projected to reach 392 million people by 2050. Nigeria is known for its numerous ethnic groups with more than 500 ethnic divisions in the country. Out of the 500 ethnic groups, the three dominant groups are Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo. Minority groups include immigrants from Britain, America, China, Japan, and neighboring West African nations. English is the country’s official language although it is only spoken in the urban areas. Nigeria’s population is divided mainly between Muslims who mostly reside in the northern part of Nigeria and Christians in the southern region of the country.

Ethiopia: The Second Most Populated Nation In Africa

Ethiopia is a landlocked Eastern African nation. It has the second largest population size among African countries with approximately 102 million residents as of 2017. Ethiopia is the world’s highest populated landlocked country. At a population growth rate of 2.6 percent, Ethiopia is among the world’s fastest growing populations. The country has more than 80 ethnic groups who have their origin in Afro-Asiatic tribes. The major ethnic groups in the country are Oromo, Amara, Somali, and Tigrinya. Most Ethiopians speak Cushitic languages. Amharic is the official language in Ethiopia. Christianity is the predominant religion in Ethiopia with 62 percent of Ethiopians practicing Christianity. It is closely followed by Islam at 34 percent of the population.

Egypt: Africa's Third Most Populated Country

Egypt is a North African nation that slightly extends to the Southwest corner of Asia. The nation has Africa’s third largest population of more than 93 million residents. Most Egyptians live along the Nile and on the Mediterranean coast because other parts of the country are covered by Sahara and Libyan deserts. Arabic is the official language in Egypt. Although Egypt was one of the earliest Christian centers in the first century, Islam took over as the popular religion in the 7th century. Today, Islam is the predominant religion in Egypt taking up 90 percent of the population. Christians are a minority group forming 9 percent of the Egyptian population.

The Democratic Republic of Congo: The Fourth Most Populated African Nation

The Democratic Republic of Congo is a sovereign nation in Central Africa. As of 2017, the country had a population of slightly over 82 million residents. It ranked fourth on the list of most populous African nations. DR Congo experienced rapid population growth between 1992 and 2009 when the population shot up from 39 million to 66 million people. The country’s population is comprised of more than 200 ethnic groups. The major ethnic groups are the Kongo, Mongo, and Luba. The country also accommodates immigrants from African nations as well as international immigrants. French is the official language in DR Congo. Christianity is practiced by 90 percent of the population while Islam is a minority religion in the country.

Population Growth In Africa

Africa has the highest population growth rate among all the continents in the world. Although a growing population is necessary for the developing industries, large populations will put pressure on the limited resources in the continent. It is, therefore, necessary to manage the population growth experienced in most African countries.

The Most Populated Countries In Africa

Rank	Country (or dependency)	Population (2017)	Land Area (Km²)
1	Nigeria	191,835,936	910,902
2	Ethiopia	104,344,901	1,000,430
3	Egypt	95,215,102	994,933
4	DR Congo	82,242,685	2,265,639
5	Tanzania	56,877,529	885,943
6	South Africa	55,436,360	1,213,049
7	Kenya	48,466,928	568,861
8	Sudan	42,166,323	1,764,281
9	Uganda	41,652,938	199,774
10	Algeria	41,063,753	2,387,428
11	Morocco	35,241,418	446,094
12	Mozambique	29,537,914	785,583
13	Ghana	28,656,723	227,615
14	Angola	26,655,513	1,245,585
15	Madagascar	25,612,972	582,113
16	Cameroon	24,513,689	472,325
17	Côte d'Ivoire	23,815,886	317,969
18	Niger	21,563,607	1,268,447
19	Burkina Faso	19,173,322	273,514
20	Mali	18,689,966	1,221,566
21	Malawi	18,298,679	94,274
22	Zambia	17,237,931	743,014
23	Zimbabwe	16,337,760	387,151
24	Senegal	16,054,275	192,497
25	Chad	14,965,482	1,257,604
26	Guinea	13,290,659	245,668
27	South Sudan	13,096,190	611,971
28	Rwanda	12,159,586	24,669
29	Burundi	11,936,481	25,681
30	Tunisia	11,494,760	155,335
31	Benin	11,458,611	112,782
32	Somalia	11,391,962	625,932
33	Togo	7,691,915	54,398
34	Sierra Leone	6,732,899	72,164
35	Libya	6,408,742	1,780,206
36	Eritrea	5,481,906	100,956
37	Central African Republic	5,098,826	621,808
38	Congo	4,866,243	342,693
39	Liberia	4,730,437	96,343
40	Mauritania	4,266,448	1,040,597
41	Namibia	2,568,569	828,571
42	Botswana	2,343,981	571,703
43	Lesotho	2,185,159	30,349
44	Gambia	2,120,418	10,121
45	Guinea-Bissau	1,932,871	28,135
46	Gabon	1,801,232	257,319
47	Swaziland	1,320,356	17,192
48	Mauritius	1,281,353	2,030
49	Djibouti	911,382	23,190
50	Equatorial Guinea	894,464	28,040
51	Réunion	873,356	2,500
52	Comoros	825,920	1,861
53	Western Sahara	596,021	270,919
54	Cabo Verde	533,468	4,029
55	Mayotte	253,068	375
56	Sao Tome and Principe	198,481	960
57	Seychelles	97,539	460
58	Saint Helena	3,970	389

August 16, 2017