World Facts

Countries in Africa With the Longest Coastlines

A list of African countries by length of coastline.


Coastlines are areas that lie between land and sea. Africa’s coastline has few huge gulfs and fewer inlets, hence, it is shorter compared to Europe’s coastline and is assumed to be 30,500 kilometers lengthwise. Madagascar has the longest coastline in Africa. Here is a list of countries in Africa with coastlines in order of length.

The Longest Coastlines In Africa

1. Madagascar

Madagascar, which is the fourth biggest island globally, is also the country with the longest coastline in Africa. It is located on the eastern side of Mozambique, and it covers an area of 587,040 square kilometers with a coastline of 4,828 kilometers long.

2. Somalia

Somalia’s coastline comes after Madagascar’s with a length of 3,333 kilometers. Geographically, it is situated on the horn of Africa, and it is covered with plateaus, highlands, and plains.

3. South Africa

The third longest coastline is that of South Africa that is 2,798 kilometers long. The country also occupies the southern tip of the continent, and most of it is semi-arid.

4. Mozambique

Mozambique comes fourth on the list having the longest coastline that stretches across the Indian Ocean for a length of 2,470 kilometers long. It is said to have exciting and luxurious resorts that attract tourist who are interested in finding something unique due to the unexplored and nameless beaches.

5. Egypt

Egypt is 1,001,449 square kilometers in area, and its uniqueness comes from its coastlines on the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and on River Nile. Its coastline is fifth in longest in Africa in Africa with a length of 2,234 kilometers.

6. Eritrea

Eritrea has the sixth longest coastline in Africa measuring 2,234 kilometers long. It is situated to the northeast of the continent, and its land covers an area of approximately 125,000 square kilometers.

7. Morocco

Morocco has the seventh longest coastline that is 1,835 kilometers long. The sandy beaches located on the coastline play an essential role in Morocco’s economy.

8. Libya

On the other hand, Libya with plateaus and depressions has a coastline that is 1,770 kilometers in length. The coastline is also the longest Mediterranean coastline.

Strategic Economic Importance of African Coastlines

In regards to African countries, 70% of them have coastlines that have not been well exploited. The coastlines can be an essential tool for enhancing social and economic stability. Poverty and malnutrition would be eradicated if there were great food supply from fish. Therefore, overfishing and pollution should be discouraged as this may cause disaster. Besides, income-generating activities like tourism should be encouraged by developing a clean marine bio-diversity. For these to be achieved, policy should be made with an objective to generate benefits rather than aiming at extraction only.

Countries in Africa With the Longest Coastlines

Rank﻿CountryCoastline (Km)
3South Africa2,798
14Cape Verde965


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