What are the most populated countries in West Africa? West Africa is located near the north-south axis, which lies close to 10 degrees east longitude. The Atlantic Ocean is bounded on the west and south by the west African coast.
The eastern border is less certain because some research places it at the Benue River, while others place it on a line that runs from Cameroun to Lake Chad. Beginning in fifteen thousand (15,000) BC, the West African monsoon transformed the African landscape and ushered in the green Sahara era. The heaviest rainfall during the summer season resulted in increased wet conditions, for example, lakes and wetlands. It also brought about savannahs, which include meadows and shrubs, particularly in north Africa.
Between 5000BCE and 400BCE, the green Sahara era came to an end. The area in northern West Africa is mostly desert, containing the western Sahara. Ancient West Africa included the Sahara, which became a desert around 3000 bc (Three Thousand). During the last glacial period, the Sahara extended south much beyond the borders that exist now.
The Sudanese savannah is a broad belt of tropical savannah that stretches east and west along the African continent, from the Atlantic Ocean which is to the west and the Ethiopian highlands which is on the east. The region of guinea is the traditional name that stretches along the Gulf of Guinea.
The west African guinea forests are a belt of broad-leaved tropical rain forests along the coast, running west from Sierra Leone and Guinea through Liberia, the ivory coast (Cote d Ivoire), Ghana, Togo, ending in Cameroun’s Sanaga river in the east.
The forests of upper Guinea and the forests of lower Guinea are separated by the Dahomey Gap, a region of savannah and arid forests in Togo and Benin, forests are several hundred kilometers inland from the Atlantic coast to the southern part of west Africa.
In the United Nations plot of African regions, the West African region is made up of sixteen (16) states and the territory of the United Kingdom across the territory of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Nigeria are mainly in the Sahel, a zone between the Sahara Desert and the Sudanese savannah; Benin, Ivory Coast (Cote D Ivoire), Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo and Nigeria make up most of Guinea, the traditional name of areas that make up most of the Gulf of Guinea.
Mauritania lies in the Maghreb which is a northwestern region of Africa that used to be inhabited by some west African groups such as the Wolof, Fulani, Soninke, Serer and Toucouleur inhabitants, along with the Arab Berber like the Tuareg; Cape Verde is a small island country in the Atlantic and Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha all consists of different islands located in the different parts of the Atlantic.
Due to Mauritania’s increasingly close relationship with the Arabs and its cutting of ties in 1999 by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), In more recent times, it is regarded as part of North-West Africa, especially in Africa.
Top 10 Most Populated Countries In West Africa
10. TOGO, Population – 8, 278,724
Togo is a West African country. Lomé, the capital is located in the southwest of the country and it houses the country’s largest city and port, up until 1884, what is now known as Togo was an area that connected the two states of Asante and Dahomey.
The different ethnic groups live different from one another, however, in the year 1884, it became a part of the German protectorate of Togoland which was being occupied by both British and French armed forces in 1914. In 1922 Togo land was assigned to France by the league of nations, also the league of nations assigned the western area to Britain.
In 1946, the governments of Britain and France entrusted both territories to the united nations. Ten years ahead British Togo land was incorporated into the gold coast while the French Togo land became an independent republic within the French union.
Togo gained independence in the year 1960. Togo’s population is approximately eight million two hundred and seventy-eight thousand, seven hundred and twenty-four (8,278,724)
9. BENIN REPUBLIC, Population – 12,123,200
The present-day Benin Republic was the site of the former Dahomey. It was a region that came into existence around the 15th century, it became a French colony in 1872 and became an independent nation on August 1st, 1960.
The population of Benin Republic is Twelve Million One Hundred and Twenty-Three Thousand and Two Hundred (12,123,200).
8. GUINEA, Population – 13,132,795
Guinea is a country named after the Guinea region, it lies along the Gulf of Guinea and as far as the forested tropics and stops at the Sahel, the population of Guinea is Thirteen Million One Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand and seven hundred and ninety-five (13,132,795).
7. SENEGAL, Population – 16,743,827
Senegal is one of the most populated countries in West Africa. Senegal, a country in West Africa is located at the westernmost point of Africa and served by a number of air and sea travel routes, Senegal is also known as the ‘Gateway to Africa’.
The country lies in the ecological border where semi-arid grasslands, oceanfront and tropical rain forests converge. The population of Senegal is sixteen million, seven hundred and forty-three thousand and nine hundred and twenty-seven (16,743,827).
6. MALI, Population – 20,250,883
Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa mainly in the Sahara and Sahel, Mali is flat mostly and arid. The River Niger that flows inland acts as the main trade and transportation in the country. The population of Mali is Twenty million two hundred and fifty thousand eight hundred and eighty-three (20,250,883).
5. BURKINA FASO, Population – 20,903,273
Burkina Faso is also a landlocked country in West Africa, it occupies the wide plateau its geography is made of herbaceous savanna in the north and gives way gradually to sparse forests in the south, the population of Burkina Faso is twenty million, nine hundred and three thousand, two hundred and seventy-three (20,903,273).
4. NIGER, Population: 24,206,644
Niger is one of the most populated countries in West Africa. The Republic of Niger is without a coast, it is bounded on the northwest by Algeria, northeast by Libya, on the east by Chad, on the south by Nigeria and the Benin Republic, on the west by Burkina Faso and Mali.
The population of Niger is twenty-four million, two hundred and six thousand, six hundred and forty-four (24,206,644). Niger is also one of Africa’s largest countries by landmass.
3. COTE D IVOIRE, Population – 26,378,274
Cote d Ivoire or ivory coast is a country located on the coast of West Africa, the capital is Abidjan which is the de facto capital, while the administrative capital is Yamoussoukro since 1983. The population of Cote d Ivoire is twenty-six million, three hundred and seventy-eight thousand, two hundred and seventy-four (26,378,274).
2. GHANA, Population – 31,072,940
Ghana is located on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, it is relatively small in area and population, it is the first west African country to gain independence from colonial rule. The population of Ghana is thirty-one million and seventy-two thousand, nine hundred and forty (31,072,940).
1. NIGERIA, Population – 206,139,589
Nigeria is the most populated country in West Africa. Nigeria is on the west coast of West Africa, it has a different geography and a climate that ranges from arid to humid equator. Hundreds of languages are spoken in the country like Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Paula, Ibibio, Edo, Tiv and English.
The country has a population of two hundred and six million, one hundred and thirty-nine thousand, five hundred and eighty-nine (206,139,589). Nigeria is also the most populated country in Africa.
West Africa is famous for its diversity and rich history, unique architecture and landscape.