Black History Month Spotlight: Every Country in Africa

By Yasmin Chaudhary — The Inkwell Times

Hello, and welcome to Black History Month!

I know it’s a little early to be writing this, but that’s the thing—I started thinking about this idea back at the end of September, and I wanted to make sure I captured it before it slipped from my mind. I’ve been reflecting a lot on how we teach Black history, and how much of it is squeezed into one month—one very short month, in fact, February. Every year, I feel a bit frustrated knowing that so many important stories, achievements, and nations often only get a fleeting moment of attention. And yes, I know leap years stretch it a tiny bit every four years, but that hardly feels like enough. Black history is not something that can—or should—be condensed.

For me, Black History Month isn’t just a calendar event—it’s a lens, a reminder, a call to notice, celebrate, and learn. I wanted to create something that not only acknowledges the giants everyone knows—Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia—but also lifts up the countries that rarely make the headlines. There’s so much richness, so many stories, and so many cultures across Africa that remain underappreciated. And it feels important to remind ourselves—and others—that Black history isn’t limited to a single month. It deserves attention all year long, in every lesson, in every conversation, and in every celebration of culture and heritage.

So, here’s my little contribution: a full list of African countries. Some of these may be familiar to you, others less so—but each has its own story, its own people, and its own incredible contributions to history, art, music, politics, and culture. I hope this list inspires curiosity, research, and maybe even a sense of connection to the vast, diverse continent that has shaped the world in countless ways.

Countries of Africa:

Algeria

Angola

Benin

Botswana

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cabo Verde (Cape Verde)

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

Congo, Republic of the

Djibouti

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)

Ethiopia

Gabon

Gambia

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire)

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Libya

Madagascar

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Mauritius

Morocco

Mozambique

Namibia

Niger

Nigeria

Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Somalia

South Africa

South Sudan

Sudan

Tanzania

Togo

Tunisia

Uganda

Zambia

Zimbabwe