Africa’s population was estimated at 1.111 billion in 2013, a statistic cited in just about every business news story you’ll read about the continent. The World Population Review puts the continent’s population today at 1,166,235,182. Its most populous country, Nigeria, is projected to have 182 million inhabitants this year. By contrast, Africa’s least populated countries are almost anomalies. Here are 10 of the least populated countries in Africa.
Source: CountryMeters.info, WorldPopulationReview
This article was originally published Nov. 25, 2014.
Swaziland is a sovereign nation that has grown significantly in population since 2007, when it had an estimated 1,106,000 people. Most of the residents are ethnic Swazis, and their language is Siswati. There is a small percentage of Zulus and white Africans living in Sawziland.
Source: Worldpopulationreview.com
Djibouti sits in the Horn of Africa and is a very small country in area, measuring around 8,880 square miles. Only one city in the country has a population of more than 50,000. The predominant religion is Islam, and the main ethnic groups are Somali and Afar. There is a small community of French and Italian Europeans. This population estimate is from 2014.
Source: Worldpopulationreview.com
Réunion is a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. As such, the residents have the same rights as those living on the French mainland. There are several ethnic groups including African, Indian, Malagasy, European and Chinese but there are no indigenous residents because it was originally a deserted island before being colonized by the Portuguese. This population estimate is from 2014.
Source: Bbc.com
Comoros is an archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean and is the third smallest African country in terms of land. That also makes it one of the most densely populated countries in the world with about 275 people per 710 square miles. The majority of the residents are of African-Arab descent.
Source: Worldpopulationreview.com
The Western Sahara is mostly under Moroccan control, but it is a disputed territory with the Saharawis (desert nomads living in the region) looking to claim it. The main language is Arabic, and the main religion is Islam. It’s a phosphate-rich area and believed to have oil deposits offshore. This population estimate is from 2014.
Source: Bbc.com
Cape Verde is an archipelago country made up of 10 volcanic islands. About 25 percent of the country’s residents live in the capital, and around 35 percent live in rural areas. Most Cape Verde residents are of mixed black and white descent, with West Africans making up about 56 percent of the residents’ genetic makeup and Europeans making up about 44 percent. This population estimate is from 2014.
Source: Worldpopulationreview.com
Mayotte is an overseas department of France that sits in the Mozambique Channel. The majority of Mayotte residents were born in Mayotte. Some were born in other parts of the French Republic and nearly 30 percent are from the nearby island nation of Comoros, which is why one of the native languages is a Comorian language similar to Swahili. This population estimate is from 2014.
Source: Countrymeters.info
Sāo Tomé and Príncipe in the Gulf of Guinea is the second-smallest African nation after Seychelles. The island nation is made of two archipelagos, both part of inactive volcanic mountains. The demographics of the country are very mixed. Citizens are descendants of slaves brought in by Portuguese settlers from various countries. This population estimate is from 2014.
Source: Worldpopulationreview.com
Seychelles is an archipelago made up of 155 islands, but nearly 90 percent of its citizens live on the island of Mahé. Part of the African Union, Seychelles has the smallest population of any African country. Seychelles culture is mostly French and African, with the local language being a creole language. This population estimate is from the end of 2014.
Source: Countrymeters.info
The U.N. classifies this tropical island as part of West Africa, however it is part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, and waves a British flag. The island measures 10 miles by five miles and most of its inhabitants are of European or Chinese descent. This population estimate is from 2014.
Source: Sthelenatourism.com