Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and
Tunisia 

Language: Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects 

Currency: 1 Algerian dinar (DA) = 100 centimes 

Population: 31,133,486

Natural Hazards: mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mud slides 

Import: capital goods, food and beverages, consumer goods 

Export: petroleum and natural gas 97% 

Industries: petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food
processing 

Transportation:
Railways: 
total: 4,772 km 
standard gauge: 3,616 km 1.435-m gauge (301 km electrified; 215 km double track) 
narrow gauge: 1,156 km 1.055-m gauge 

Highways:
total: 102,424 km 
paved: 70,570 km (including 608 km of expressways) 
unpaved: 31,854 km (1995 est.) 
 

Ports & Harbors: Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Beni Saf, Dellys, Djendjene,
Ghazaouet, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda, Tenes 

Location: Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and
Democratic Republic of the Congo 

Language: Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages 

Currency:1 kwanza (NKz) = 100 lwei 

Population: 11,177,537

Natural Hazards: locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau 

Import: machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts;
medicines, food, textiles and clothing; substantial military goods 

Export: crude oil 90%, diamonds, refined petroleum products, gas,
coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton (1998) 

Industries: petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite, uranium, and
gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing; food processing; brewing; tobacco
products; sugar; textiles 

Transportation:
Railways: 
total: 2,952 km (limited trackage in use because of land mines still in place from the civil
war) (1997 est.) 
narrow gauge: 2,798 km 1.067-m gauge; 154 km 0.600-m gauge 

Highways:
total: 76,626 km 
paved: 19,156 km 
unpaved: 57,470 km (1997 est.) 

Waterways: 1,295 km navigable 

Ports & Harbors: Ambriz, Cabinda, Lobito, Luanda, Malongo, Namibe, Porto
Amboim, Soyo 

Airports:

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo 

Language: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) 

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Population: 6,305,567

Natural Hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter 

Import: foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products,
intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods 

Export: cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa 

Industries: textiles, cigarettes; beverages, food; construction materials, petroleum 

Transportation:
Railways:
total: 578 km (single track) 
narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.) 

Highways: 
total: 6,787 km 
paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) 
unpaved: 5,430 km (1996 est.) 

Waterways: navigable along small sections, important only locally 

Ports & Harbors: Cotonou, Porto-Novo 

Location: Western Africa, north of Ghana

Language: French (official), tribal languages belonging to Sudanic family, spoken by 90% of the population

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Population: 11,575,898

Natural Hazards: recurring droughts

Import: machinery, food products, petroleum

Export: cotton, animal products, gold

Industries: cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold

Transportation:
Railways:
total: 622 km (517 km from Ouagadougou to the Cote d'Ivoire border and
105 km from Ouagadougou to Kaya)
narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.)

Highways:
total: 12,506 km
paved: 2,001 km
unpaved: 10,505 km (1995 est.)

Ports & Harbors: none

Location: Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Language: Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake
Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)

Currency: 1 Burundi franc (FBu) = 100 centimes

Population: 5,735,937

Natural Hazards: flooding, landslides

Import: capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs,
consumer goods

Export: coffee, tea, cotton, hides

Industries: light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing

Transportation:
Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 14,480 km
paved: 1,028 km
unpaved: 13,452 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: Lake Tanganyika

Ports & Harbors: Bujumbura

Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Language: 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Population: 15,456,092

Natural Hazards: recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases

Import: machines and electrical equipment, transport
equipment, fuel, food

Export: crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa
beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton

Industries: petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber

Transportation:
Railways:
total: 1,104 km
narrow gauge: 1,104 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.)

Highways:
total: 34,300 km
paved: 4,288 km
unpaved: 30,012 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 2,090 km; of decreasing importance

Ports & Harbors: Bonaberi, Douala, Garoua, Kribi, Tiko

Location: Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Language: French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Population: 3,444,951

Natural Hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common

Import: food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery,
electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products

Export: diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco

Industries: diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles

Transportation:
Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 23,810 km
paved: 429 km
unpaved: 23,381 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft
dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river

Ports & Harbors: Bangui, Nola

Location: Central Africa, south of Libya

Language: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara and Sango (in south), more than 100 different languages and dialects

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Population: 7,557,436

Natural Hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues

Import: machinery and transportation equipment, industrial
goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles

Export: cotton, cattle, textiles

Industries: cotton textiles, meat packing, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials

Transportation:
Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 33,400 km
paved: 267 km
unpaved: 33,133 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 2,000 km navigable

Ports & Harbors: none

Location: Southern Africa, group of islands in the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Language: Arabic (official), French (official), Comoran (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)

Currency: 1 Comoran franc (CF) = 100 centimes

Population: 562,723

Natural Hazards: cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano

Import: rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum
products, cement, transport equipment

Export: vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra

Industries: tourism, perfume distillation, textiles, furniture, jewelry, construction materials, soft drinks

Transportation:
Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 880 km
paved: 673 km
unpaved: 207 km (1996 est.)

Ports & Harbors: Fomboni, Moroni, Moutsamoudou

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia

Language: French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely
spoken

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Population: 15,818,068

Natural Hazards: coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible

Import: food, consumer goods; capital goods, fuel, transport
equipment

Export: cocoa 36%, coffee, tropical woods, petroleum, cotton,
bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton, fish

Industries: foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, automobile assembly, textiles, fertilizer, construction materials, electricity

Transportation: Railways:
total: 660 km
narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-meter gauge; 25 km double track (1995 est.)

Highways:
total: 50,400 km
paved: 4,889 km
unpaved: 45,511 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 980 km navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons

Ports & Harbors: Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro

Location:Central Africa, northeast of Angola

Language: French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba

Currency: Congolese franc (CF)

Population: 50,481,305

Natural Hazards: periodic droughts in south; volcanic activity

Import: consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels

Export: diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil

Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, diamonds

Transportation:
Railways:
total: 5,138 km (1995); note—severely reduced route-distance in use because of
damage to facilities by civil strife
narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m
gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge

Highways:
total: 145,000 km
paved: 2,500 km
unpaved: 142,500 km

Waterways: 15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes

Ports & Harbors: Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka

Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia

Language: French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar

Currency: 1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes

Population: 447,439

Natural Hazards: earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods

Import: foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals,
petroleum products (1995)

Export: hides and skins, coffee (in transit) (1995)

Industries: limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and mineral-water bottling

Transportation:
Railways:
total: 97 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
narrow gauge: 97 km 1.000-m gauge
note: in April 1998, Djibouti and Ethiopia announced plans to revitalize the
century-old railroad that links their capitals

Highways:
total: 2,890 km
paved: 364 km
unpaved: 2,526 km (1996 est.)

Ports & Harbors: Djibouti