African countries do not all use the same names for their main administrative divisions. For example, Ghana uses regions, while Nigeria uses states. Other countries use provinces, departments, governorates, counties, districts, or other terms.
The table below lists the 54 widely recognized sovereign countries in Africa and the name generally used for their first-level administrative divisions. The African Union has 55 member states because its membership includes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara), whose status is disputed.
A. All African countries and their administrative divisions
| No. | Country | Main administrative division |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algeria | Provinces (Wilayas) |
| 2 | Angola | Provinces |
| 3 | Benin | Departments |
| 4 | Botswana | Districts |
| 5 | Burkina Faso | Regions |
| 6 | Burundi | Provinces |
| 7 | Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) | Municipalities |
| 8 | Cameroon | Regions |
| 9 | Central African Republic | Prefectures |
| 10 | Chad | Provinces |
| 11 | Comoros | Autonomous islands |
| 12 | Republic of the Congo | Departments |
| 13 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Provinces |
| 14 | Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | Districts |
| 15 | Djibouti | Regions |
| 16 | Egypt | Governorates |
| 17 | Equatorial Guinea | Provinces |
| 18 | Eritrea | Regions (Zobas) |
| 19 | Eswatini (Swaziland) | Regions |
| 20 | Ethiopia | Regional states (regions) |
| 21 | Gabon | Provinces |
| 22 | The Gambia | Divisions |
| 23 | Ghana | Regions |
| 24 | Guinea | Regions |
| 25 | Guinea-Bissau | Regions and autonomous sector |
| 26 | Kenya | Counties |
| 27 | Lesotho | Districts |
| 28 | Liberia | Counties |
| 29 | Libya | Districts |
| 30 | Madagascar | Regions |
| 31 | Malawi | Regions |
| 32 | Mali | Regions |
| 33 | Mauritania | Regions (Wilayas) |
| 34 | Mauritius | Districts |
| 35 | Morocco | Regions |
| 36 | Mozambique | Provinces |
| 37 | Namibia | Regions |
| 38 | Niger | Regions |
| 39 | Nigeria | States |
| 40 | Rwanda | Provinces |
| 41 | São Tomé and Príncipe | Provinces and an autonomous region |
| 42 | Senegal | Regions |
| 43 | Seychelles | Districts |
| 44 | Sierra Leone | Provinces and Western Area |
| 45 | Somalia | Federal member states and Benadir region |
| 46 | South Africa | Provinces |
| 47 | South Sudan | States and administrative areas |
| 48 | Sudan | States |
| 49 | Tanzania | Regions |
| 50 | Togo | Regions |
| 51 | Tunisia | Governorates |
| 52 | Uganda | Districts |
| 53 | Zambia | Provinces |
| 54 | Zimbabwe | Provinces |
Sources for the administrative terminology include the administrative-division atlas, the FAO’s global administrative-unit dataset, and country-specific government information. Some countries have changed their structures over time, so the exact number of units may differ by source or year.
B. Countries that use states
If you are specifically looking for countries that use the word “state”, rather than regions or provinces, these are the main examples:
- Nigeria — 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
- South Sudan — states, alongside special administrative areas.
- Sudan — states.
- Ethiopia — regional states, commonly referred to as regions.
- Somalia — federal member states, with a distinct federal structure.
The terminology matters: a country can use the word state in its constitutional structure without having administrative units identical to Nigeria’s states.
C. Quick reference by division type
| Division type | Examples of African countries |
|---|---|
| States | Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan |
| Regions | Ghana, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Namibia, Tanzania, Togo |
| Provinces | Angola, Burundi, DR Congo, Mozambique, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Departments | Benin, Republic of the Congo |
| Governorates | Egypt, Tunisia |
| Counties | Kenya, Liberia |
| Districts | Botswana, Lesotho, Seychelles, Uganda |
| Other systems | Algeria (Wilayas), Ethiopia (regional states), Comoros (autonomous islands), Guinea-Bissau (regions and autonomous sector) |
Important: The terms in this list refer to the main administrative level, not necessarily every level of government. For example, Ghana has regions divided into districts, while Nigeria has states divided into local government areas.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. We welcome feedback and corrections. Please contact us if you notice any errors or have suggestions for improvement.
