From winding borders to straight lines and landlocked nations, Al Jazeera explores the stories behind Africa’s map.
By Marium Ali
Published On 23 Feb 2025
Africa has the most countries of any continent with a total of 54.
Rather than following natural terrains or historical boundaries, many of its borders are strikingly straight in some areas and jagged in others, cutting through mountains, rivers and even communities.
Most of these artificial borders trace back to the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference, a meeting that concluded 140 years ago this week in which European powers carved up the continent among themselves with no African nations invited or represented.
In this visual explainer, Al Jazeera delves into the stories behind some of the continent’s most unusual borders.
Ever wonder why Africa’s borders appear so strange?
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