East African Countries 2026

East Africa refers to the region of Africa that extends to the easternmost region of the continent. There is a total of twenty-one countries in East Africa. Eastern Africa is a region of the continent that contains different subregions and political entities which include…

• East African Community
• African Great Lakes Region
• Horn of Africa
• Central African Federation
• British East Africa Confederate

East African countries lie along the Indian Ocean. The East African countries that lie directly along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean include Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Seychelles.

Here is a brief overview of the different countries in East Africa. The many different land masses and nations throughout Eastern Africa can become confusing very easily. To start, several countries make up a community known as the East African Community, which is quite easy to remember. The East African countries of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda are the six countries that are members of the EAC.

Together, the East African countries of Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Ethiopia make up the Horn of Africa. Some people attribute this region of Africa as distinct and separate from the easternmost part of Africa, but officially, the four countries aforementioned are those that comprise East Africa.

East African countries are not solely those that make up the easternmost part of the continent of Africa. It is easy to forget that some countries reside offshore of the main land mass and to gloss over East African island countries. A few of the island nations that East Africa encompasses include Mauritius, Seychelles, and Comoros.

Other parts of East Africa are the notable French territories that are considered to be part of East Africa even though they are technically ruled by foreign countries. The East African overseas territories of Mayotte and Reunion are under French rule, but geographically speaking, these two places are East African countries located directly in the Indian Ocean.

The Nile Valley is another area that East Africa encompasses which includes Sudan and South Sudan. This is another example of two countries in Eastern Africa being categorized as part of an entirely separate region of the continent altogether. Both South Sudan and Sudan are sometimes mistaken as being part of Northern Africa; however, these two countries are definitely part of East Africa. Interestingly, South Sudan and Sudan are also two of 21 countries comprising an area called COMESA, or the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

People occasionally include bits and pieces of Kenya when speaking about East Africa but often forget this country because it does not lie fully along the easternmost border of the continent. Similarly, Uganda and Tanzania are not always considered to be part of East Africa, but these three countries are indeed East African.

Many East African countries overlap and are simultaneously considered parts of other regions within Africa, as well. For example, both the island of Madagascar and the country of Mozambique are classified as being parts of southern Africa while also being considered two countries in East Africa. The African island of Madagascar is often mistaken as being part of Asia, too; but officially, the island country is part of East Africa.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia has a population size of 109,710,484 people. There are about 386,102 square miles of land within the borders of Ethiopia, making the country the twelfth largest place on Earth. The country is situated to the west of Somalia, to the south of Eritrea, and to the north of Kenya, as well as to the east of Sudan and South Sudan. The capital city of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa.

Kenya

Kenya is an East African country with a population of 52,007,855 people. The population density of Kenya is two hundred thirty-eight people for every square mile, which amounts to a total of 219,746 square miles of land within Kenya’s borders. Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya, and the country lies along the coastline of the Indian Ocean. Most of Kenyan land lies offshore.

Rwanda

Rwanda is an East African country that is sometimes unnoticed on a map of the African continent. With a population size of 12,746,560 people, the Rwandan land is a total of 9,525 square miles. The population density of Rwanda is around 1,343 people per square mile. South of Rwanda is the African country of Burundi, which is also part of the continent’s easternmost region. Tanzania is east of Rwanda, Uganda is north of the country, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is along the westernmost border of Rwanda.

Uganda

Uganda is an East African country that 45,471,352 people call home. There are an estimated number of 77,147 square miles within the country’s borders, making Uganda a country with a population density of five hundred ninety-three people per square mile.

Uganda is one of the westernmost countries in East Africa, with its western border lining up with the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uganda is slightly north of Rwanda and Tanzania, also lying to the northwest of Kenya. Similarly to Kenya and Ethiopia, the East African country of Uganda is also south of Sudan. Kampala is the capital city of Uganda.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has a total area that includes 149,364 square miles of land. With a population size of about 17,234,914 people, the population density of Zimbabwe amounts to about one hundred sixteen people per square mile of land. Zimbabwe is situated in the southernmost part of East Africa. Mozambique shares the eastern border with Zimbabwe, while the East African country of Zambia is to its north.