Algeria leads Africa’s land mass rankings at 2.4 million km², more than 2× the size of Nigeria (924k km²)

Key Takeaways

  • Algeria is Africa’s largest country, covering 2.4 million km², slightly bigger than the Democratic Republic of Congo (2.3 million km²).
  • Sudan (1.9 million km²) and Libya (1.8 million km²) complete the top four, showing that North Africa dominates the list of largest territories.
  • Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has a landmass of 923,800 km², placing it 14th in size, much smaller than its population ranking.
  • The smallest among the top 20 listed is South Sudan, with 619,700 km², less than one-third the size of Algeria.

Africa is home to some of the world’s largest countries by land mass, with Algeria leading the continent at 2.4 million km², a size that rivals the combined territories of several European nations. Close behind is the Democratic Republic of Congo at 2.3 million km², giving Central Africa significant geographical weight. North Africa continues to dominate the rankings with Sudan (1.9 million km²) and Libya (1.8 million km²), reflecting the region’s vast desert expanses.

In contrast, Nigeria, despite being Africa’s demographic giant, covers only 923,800 km², underscoring a disparity between population size and land area. At the lower end of the top 20 list, South Sudan spans just 619,700 km², highlighting the scale gap between Africa’s largest and smallest major states. This wide variation in land mass has deep implications for resource distribution, governance, and infrastructure development across the continent.

Source:

World Population Review

Period:

2024
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