See how many countries are in West Africa, which includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea. And there are many more; continue reading for more information.
As a result, the West Africa UN subregion includes nations such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Post-colonial civil wars in the region have a long history of stifling economic expansion. In recent years, the signing of treaties has aided in the establishment of widespread peace.
The African Development Bank Group and the African Union’s country divisions are two more important sources.
Check Out How Many Countries There Are in West Africa.
Africa is continually changing, both economically and socially. West Africa is the portion of the continent that is changing the fastest.
They have a significant impact on the continent's expansion. The capitals of West African countries are listed below.
1. The Republic of Guinea
Several nations in West Africa speak French, including Guinea. They restored the GNF as Guinea’s currency in 1985 after being discontinued in 1959 to replace the CFA franc. The 100-franc note is the smallest denomination in use because of its decreased purchasing power.
2. The Republic of the Niger
On the list of nations in West Africa is featured the Republic of Niger. It is one of the eight West African nations that utilise the CFA franc. On the east bank of the Niger River is the city of Niamey. This city is home to the largest dinosaur graveyard in Africa.
3. The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
Because of French colonial control, Côte d’Ivoire is one of the many West African States that speak French. Cote d’Ivoire, formerly known as Ivory Coast, adopted the CFA franc as its official currency in 1986.
The French administration designated as the capital Abidjan in 1933, and this status remained unchanged after independence. The first president of Côte d’Ivoire is linked to the nation’s second capital.
4. The Federal Republic of Nigeria
Lagos and Ibadan, both in Nigeria, are two of the three biggest cities in West Africa, although Abuja serves as the nation’s capital because of its central location.
The Naira debuted in 1973 January. Each kobo in Nigerian currency is worth one naira. Higher-value Kobo coins are composed of cupro-nickel, whereas lower-value coins are made of bronze.
5. The Islamic Republic of Mauritania
The old ouguiya replaced the CFA franc at a conversion rate of 1 old ouguiya to 5 francs. 100, 200, and 1,000-ouguiya bills were first issued by the Central Bank of Mauritania in 1973.
However, in December 2017, the currency underwent a re-denomination at a rate of 1:10. In 2018, it released the new ouguiya, replacing the old one at a ratio of 1 new to 10 old. They contain five khoums in each ouguiya.
Mali also makes use of the CFA franc of West Africa. The nation’s capital is situated close to the rapids that separate the upper and middle Niger basins on the Niger River. The Old Age Period saw settlements in Bamako, one of the top ten largest towns in West Africa.
The north is more developed than the south because the city originated on the northern bank of the river. As a result, we created bridges to link the two portions.
7. The Republic of Burkina Faso
Africa’s landlocked nations include Burkina Faso. Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Niger, Mali, and Togo are its neighbours. The short form of Ouagadougou is Ouaga, but its residents prefer Ouagalais.
The Mogho Naaba palace served as the focal point of the city, which is on the central plateau. Ouagadougou served as the capital of the Mossi Kingdoms, the Upper Volta Kingdom, and the Kingdoms of Burkina Faso during the pre-colonial era.
Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, replaced the shillings, pounds, and pence with Cedi notes and Pesewa coins in July 1965.
Following the military takeover in February 1966, the new authorities planned to establish the “new cedi” and remove Nkrumah’s portrait from the banknotes. In 2007, they launched the third one because of extreme inflation.
9. The Republic of Senegal
The Atlantic port of Dakar, Senegal, is on the Cap-Vert peninsula. When the Portuguese established a base for the Atlantic slave traffic on Gorée island, one of Dakar’s islands, they found the city in the 15th century.
The island was seized by France in 1677, and by the 19th century, it had become an important regional port and city for its colonial empire.
Dakar replaced the capital of French West Africa Saint-Louis in 1902, and from 1959 to 1960, Mali Federation’s capital was Dakar.
10. The Republic of Benin
Porto-Novo is home too many magnificent colonial structures. Before being converted, the Great Mosque, built in the Brazilian style, was an old church. It features costumes and musical instruments that honour Afro-Brazilian culture and preserve Benin’s history.
Petroleum extracted from the city’s coast is a meaningful export for Benin. Although it was found in 1968, mining didn’t start until the 1990s. They used the West African CFA franc in the Republic of Benin.
11. The Republic of Sierra Leone
They divide the Leone currency of Sierra Leone into 100 cents. Le 10,000, Le 5,000, Le 2,000, and Le 1,000 are among the smaller currencies still in circulation. However, the money’s poor value has rendered the pennies useless.
12. The Republic of Liberia
In 1943, the Liberian Dollar (L$) was first issued. In order to produce money and preserve its value, it established the Central Bank of Liberia in October 1999.
Because of the long-standing historical links between Liberia and the US, the LRD is in circulation alongside the USD. The nation’s capital was established on the Atlantic coast at Cape Mesurado in 1822. The capital city of Liberia is Monrovia.
13. The Republic of The Gambia
They introduced the Dalasi currency of The Gambia in 1971. It was used to replace the Gambian pound and is divided into 100 bututs at a rate of 1 pound = 5 Dalasis.
According to the original Dalasi, Bradbury Wilkinson and Company issued notes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100.
Later, the country increased the denominations of its money to D20 and D200. The city of Banjul is on an island where the Atlantic Ocean and the Gambia River meet.
The city’s grand, columned Arch 22 doorway welcomes visitors, while the Albert Market sells vibrant textiles and fresh local produce.
After gaining independence, Togo never stopped using the West African CFA franc. The country’s capital is a lovely place to visit and even live. The colonial capital of German Togoland was Lomé city, which is on the Atlantic coast and borders the Gulf of Guinea.
Vendors at Lomé’s Akodésséwa Fetish Market sell animal skins and skulls as voodoo goods. A National Museum housing West African masks, jewellery, pottery, and musical instruments is located close by at the Congressional Palace.
15. The Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Except for Guinea-Bissau and a few others, many West African nations speak French as their native tongue. France, Portugal, and then Britain were the primary colonisers of most West African nations.
The capital of Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese territory, is close to where the Geba River empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
16. The Republic of Cape Verde
The cifro is used as the decimal separator when writing the Escudo. 50 dollars, for instance, or 3.000 dollars, for three thousand.
In 1914, the Escudo superseded the Rei, with 1 Escudo equalling 1,000 Reis. Currently, 1 Portuguese Escudo is worth 0.55. In 1998, Cape Verde Escudo debuted.
The Portuguese Escudo was then replaced by the Euro, and the Cape Verdean Escudo (CVE) replaced the Euro at a rate of 110$265 Escudos for every Euro. In 1992, it released the third CVE banknote.
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