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Geographicaly Status

Saharan

Sub-Saharan

Saharan Countries 2024

  • The list of Saharan and sub-Saharan countries can vary by source and context.
  • Geographically, ""Saharan"" refers to any country touched by the Sahara desert, which runs horizontally along the northern 20-25% of the African continent, and sub-Saharan countries occupy the middle of Africa.
  • Geopolitically, the term Saharan is rarely used. Most North African countries are typically grouped with the Middle East to form the MENA (Middle-Eastern and North-African) group. However, the term sub-Saharan is still used to refer to countries just south of the Sahara and typically includes 46-48 countries, depending upon the source.
  • These dual meanings can result in confusion for countries arranged along the Sahara's southern edge. For example, the Sahara covers more than 90% of Mauritania's land area, making the country clearly Saharan geographically. However, geopolitically, Mauritania is considered a sub-Saharan country.

56 countries

Country
Geographicaly Status
Geopolitical Status
NigeriaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
EthiopiaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
DR CongoSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
TanzaniaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
South AfricaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
KenyaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
UgandaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
AngolaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
MozambiqueSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
GhanaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
MadagascarSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
Ivory CoastSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
CameroonSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
Burkina FasoSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
MalawiSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
ZambiaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
SomaliaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
SenegalSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
ZimbabweSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
GuineaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
BeninSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
RwandaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
BurundiSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
South SudanSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
TogoSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
Sierra LeoneSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
Republic of the CongoSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
LiberiaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
Central African RepublicSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
EritreaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
NamibiaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
GambiaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
GabonSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
BotswanaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
LesothoSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
Guinea BissauSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
Equatorial GuineaSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
MauritiusSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
EswatiniSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
DjiboutiSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
ReunionSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
ComorosSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
Cape VerdeSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
Sao Tome and PrincipeSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
SeychellesSub-SaharanSub-Saharan
EgyptSaharanMENA
SudanSaharanSub-Saharan
AlgeriaSaharanMENA
MoroccoSaharanMENA
NigerSaharanSub-Saharan
MaliSaharanSub-Saharan
ChadSaharanSub-Saharan
TunisiaSaharanMENA
LibyaSaharanMENA
MauritaniaSaharanSub-Saharan
Western SaharaSaharanMENA

How many countries are in Saharan?

There are 11 countries that are in the Saharan region: Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources