There are 16 countries in West Africa with a total population of over 360 million. For a complete overview, we compiled a list of West African countries and capitals. The list also shows the currencies and presidents of the sixteen West African nations.
List of West African Countries and Capitals
| Country Name | Capital | Population (in M) | Currency | President (as of October 2019) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benin | Porto-Novo | 10.9 | West African CFA Franc | Patrice Talon |
| Burkina Faso | Ouagadougou | 18.7 | West African CFA Franc | Roch Marc Christian Kaboré |
| Cape Verde | Praia | 0.5 | Cape Verdean Escudo | Jorge Carlos Fonseca |
| Gambia | Banjul | 2,0 | Dalasi | Adama Barrow |
| Ghana | Accra | 28.2 | Ghanaian Cedi | Nana Akufo-Addo |
| Guinea | Conakry | 12.4 | Guinean Franc | Alpha Condé |
| Guinea-Bissau | Bissau | 1.8 | West African CFA Franc | José Mário Vaz |
| Ivory Coast | Yamoussoukro | 23.7 | West African CFA Franc | Alassane Ouattara |
| Liberia | Monrovia | 4.6 | Liberian Dollar / US Dollar | George Weah |
| Mali | Bamako | 18,0 | West African CFA Franc | Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta |
| Mauretania | Nouakchott | 4.3 | Mauritanian Ouguiya | Mohamed Ould Ghazouani |
| Niger | Niamey | 20.7 | West African CFA Franc | Mahamadou Issoufou |
| Nigeria | Abuja | 186,0 | Nigerian Naira | Muhammadu Buhari |
| Senegal | Dakar | 15,0 | West African CFA Franc | Macky Sall |
| Sierra Leone | Freetown | 7.4 | Sierra Leonean Leone | Julius Maada Bio |
| Togo | Lomé | 7.6 | West African CFA Franc | Faure Gnassingbé |
The list of West African countries and their currencies shows that eight of 16 countries in West Africa use the West African CFA Franc as their official currency. In fact, the CFA was introduced as a common currency to the former French colonies in 1945. And even after gaining independence, the CFA remained in use by in most countries.
Furthermore, the list shows that Nigeria is the most populous West African nation with nearly 190 million inhabitants. Click here for a full population ranking of all African countries.
West African Countries Map
Check out this fun Africa map quiz and identify African countries on a blank map. Or test your knowledge in our African capitals quiz.
So far, I’ve visited six of the sixteen countries in West Africa:
- Cape Verde
- Senegal
- The Gambia
- Ghana
- Togo
- Benin
I can’t wait to go back and visit the remaining ten nations. Apart from Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Nigeria, most West African countries and their capitals are relatively safe to travel to. Click here for a full safety ranking of all African countries.
Pin the list of West African countries and their currencies:
i like this page
Thanks for the list but which region Cameroon falls in?
Hi, Cameroon is considered part of Central Africa – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroon
What a nice page
This page is really educative. I like it
Very educative page. I enjoyed it.
Wow!
My country 🇳🇬 is far way the most populated country in Africa and the 7th most populated country in the world 🌎