The 53 countries on the African continent can be divided roughly into three main zones based on their official languages. These three groups are the Arab-speaking countries in North Africa (the Maghreb zone), the French-speaking countries of central and western Africa (the Franc or Francophone zone), and the English-speaking countries of southern, eastern, and western Africa (the commonwealth states or Anglophone zone). Economic activity on the continent is dominated by three countries with Algeria, Egypt, and South Africa contributing
Long before the Portuguese began sailing along the West African coast in the 15th century, the kingdoms of western Sudan were sources of gold that formed the basis for extensive trade routes across the Sahara, throughout north Africa, and even linking Africa