The 54 countries of Africa

Africa’s largest country, with some of the finest Roman ruins anywhere and huge, empty Saharan landscapes.

Huge waterfalls, desert coast and highland escarpments, newly easier to visit.

The birthplace of Vodun, with royal palaces, stilt villages and a powerful slave-trade history.

Africa’s great wilderness safari, built on low numbers and high quality.

Known for film, music and painted villages, but most governments advise against travel.

Lake Tanganyika beaches and famous drumming in a small, hilly country.

Volcanoes, beaches, rainforest and savanna: a whole continent in one country.

Atlantic islands with beaches, volcanoes, mountain hikes and soulful music.

Remote rainforest with forest elephants and gorillas, but most governments advise against travel.

Remote desert arches and one of Africa’s great conservation success stories at Zakouma.

Volcanic, perfumed islands that see very few visitors.

A buzzing Abidjan, colonial Grand-Bassam and rainforest full of chimpanzees.

Africa’s second-largest country, home to the Congo River, rumba and mountain gorillas.

Otherworldly salt lakes and seasonal whale sharks.

Pyramids, pharaohs and the Nile, plus some of the best coral reefs in the world on the Red Sea.

Volcanic Bioko island and mainland rainforest, rarely visited.

A time capsule of 1930s architecture in a highland capital.

A small mountain kingdom with easy, walkable wildlife reserves and strong traditions.

Ancient churches, high mountains and the birthplace of coffee.

Rainforest meets the beach, with elephants on the sand and whales offshore.

Welcoming, English-speaking and full of history, from the coastal castles to Ashanti culture.

Green highlands, waterfalls and very few tourists.

A quiet coastal country whose Bijagós islands are one of Africa’s hidden wonders.

The classic safari country, with the Great Migration, Maasai culture and Indian Ocean beaches.

The “Kingdom in the Sky”, with pony treks, mountain passes and even skiing.

Surf beaches, rainforest and a unique history.

Home to some of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world, but most governments advise against travel.

A world of its own: lemurs, baobabs, rainforest and limestone forests.

The “Warm Heart of Africa”, with a vast lake for swimming, kayaking and snorkelling.

Djenné, Timbuktu and Dogon Country, but most governments advise against all travel.

Where the Sahara meets the Atlantic, with ancient caravan towns and one of the world’s longest trains.

Turquoise lagoons, mountain hikes and a delicious mix of cultures.

Medinas, mountains and the Sahara, a few hours’ flight from Europe.

Long Indian Ocean beaches, islands, diving and Portuguese-African food.

Red dunes, starry skies and wide-open roads: Africa’s greatest self-drive.

Sahara landscapes and the old caravan city of Agadez, currently off-limits.

Africa’s most populous country and cultural powerhouse, from Afrobeats to Nollywood.

Deep rainforest and gorilla trekking in Odzala, one of Africa’s great wild places.

Mountain gorillas, rainforest and a spotless, safe-feeling capital.

Teranga hospitality, music, surf and history, with an easy-going capital.

Granite boulders, white sand and giant tortoises: one of the most beautiful island groups anywhere.

Palm-lined beaches, chimpanzees and rainforest islands, still largely undiscovered.

The longest mainland coastline in Africa, currently off-limits.

Cities, wine, wildlife, whales and road trips, with excellent infrastructure.

The world’s newest country, with huge wildlife migrations, currently off-limits.

Ancient Nubian pyramids and Nile landscapes, currently off-limits because of war.

Two tiny volcanic islands of rainforest, beaches and old cocoa estates.

Serengeti, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar: maybe the best safari-and-beach combination in the world.

A sliver of a country along the River Gambia, loved by birdwatchers and winter-sun seekers.

A narrow country with mud-tower villages, green hills and a relaxed capital.

Mediterranean beaches, Roman ruins and Saharan oases in a compact country.

Gorillas, chimps and the source of the Nile in the “Pearl of Africa”.

Wild, uncrowded safaris and the home of the walking safari.

Victoria Falls, superb guiding and some of Africa’s best-value safaris.