North African Countries

There are 7 North African countries that are separated from the rest of the African continent by the Sahara desert. Read on to learn more about these countries...

When we speak of North African countries, we are referring to the seven countries (or regions) that fall in the African continent but are separated from the rest of the African continent by the Sahara Desert. The rest of the continent is known as the Sub-Sahara region, and that area is politically, religiously and culturally very different from the countries in North Africa.

Due to this barrier between the African continent, North African countries have been influenced more intensely by southwestern Asian countries. Their culture and their religion possesses visible influences from this part of Asia, and North Africa also forms a major part of the Arab population of the world.

North African Countries List

Here are the countries and the regions that constitute northern Africa.

• Algeria
• Egypt
• Libya
• Morocco
• Sudan
• Tunisia
• Western Sahara

You must also remember that Egypt can also be considered a part of Asia due to the Sinai Peninsula, which makes it a transcontinental country. Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia are also known as the Maghreb. Additionally, when we say Western Sahara we mean the small disputed area that has Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast and Mauritania to the east and the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The population in this area is said to only be around 500,000. Some researchers also include the following areas in North Africa studies.

• Portugal's Madeira Islands
• Spanish Canary Islands
• Spanish Plazas de Soberania, which are tiny military islands with no civilian population.

North African Countries and Capitals

Now that you know the answer to What are the North African countries, here is some additional information about them that will also be useful to you.

Country	Capital	Languages	Government	Population	Currency
Algeria	Algiers	Arabic and Berber French	Semi-Presidential Republic	35 million	Algerian Dinar
Egypt	Cairo	Arabic	Semi-Presidential Republic (under Emergency at the moment)	80 million	Egyptian Pound
Libya	Tripoli	Arabic	Republic	6.5 million	Dinar
Morocco	Rabat	Arabic	Constitutional Monarchy	33 million	Moroccan Dirham
Sudan	Khartoum	Arabic, English	Federal Presidential Democratic Republic	44 million	Sudanese Pound
Tunisia	Tunis	Arabic, French	Presidential Republic	10.5 million	Tunisian Dinar
Western Sahara	Laayoune	Arabic, Spanish, French, Berber French	Disputed	500,000	Moroccan Dirham, Sahrawi Peseta

If you are wondering about North African countries that speak French, then you should know that the French speaking North African countries are Algeria and Western Sahara (Berber French) and Tunisia (proper French). Since Africa as a continent has long been invaded by many different colonizers, there is no single dominant language in the area. But if you consider the entire African continent on a whole, then you will find that French is the major language spoken. See this list of African countries and capitals for more information on these other countries as well. Read more on Africa travel.

When we speak of North Africa strictly, the primary language is Arabic and the primary religion is Islam. The region is predominantly divided between Saharans and Berbers, due to African history. Here are some more interesting facts about the various North African countries.

• Algeria, which gained independence in 1962, happens to be the second largest country in Africa with an area of more than 2 million km².
• More than 90% of Libya, which gained independence in 1951, is just desert or semi-desert area.
• Morocco is present at the confluence of the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean.
• A majority of the area in Western Sahara is occupied by Morocco, which gained independence in 1956.

There is much more to learn about the various North African countries, and the information provided here is merely the tip of the iceberg. The history and the culture of the region can only be understood by studying it in intense detail, but this is truly one of the most interesting and awe-inspiring regions of the African continent.

By Rahul Thadani Published: 2/1/2011