NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Islam in Africa

Approximately 40% of all Africans are Muslims, in contrast to another 40% being Christians and 20% being non-religious or adherents to African religions. Despite all of the above religions having a long and rich history in the continent, they have provided sources of numerous conflicts, especially in countries where there is no clear majority, for example Sudan and Nigeria. Islam can be seen as spreading to Africa via passages through the Sinai Peninsula and Egypt and well as through Arab and Persian traders and sailors. Despite its large contribution to the make up of the continent, Islam is predominantly concentrated in North Africa and, to a lesser extent East Africa. This has provided an increasing difference between the culture and laws of different parts of Africa. Irreligion or irreligiousness is the absence of religious belief. ... It has been suggested that African Traditional Religion be merged into this article or section. ... Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez (west), Gulf of Aqaba (east) from Space Shuttle STS-40 For other uses of the word Sinai, please see: Sinai (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... The Persians are an Iranian people who speak the Persian language and share a common culture and history. ... Northern Africa (UN subregion) geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ... Eastern Africa (UN subregion) East African Community Central African Federation (defunct) geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ...

Islamic population in Africa

Islam in Africa

Region

Total Population

Muslims

% Muslim

% of Muslim total

Central Africa

83,121,055

12,582,592

15.138%

0.852%

East Africa

193,741,900

66,381,242

34.263%

4.497%

North Africa

202,151,323

180,082,076

89.083%

12.199%

Southern Africa

137,092,019

8,935,043

6.518%

0.605%

West Africa

268,997,245

133,994,675

49.813%

9.077%

Total

885,103,542

410,000,000

40.23%

27.23%

Eastern Africa (UN subregion) East African Community Central African Federation (defunct) geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... Northern Africa (UN subregion) geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Southern Africa ... Western Africa (UN subregion) Maghreb West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ...

Islamic population in Africa by country

See also

v • d • e

Islam in Africa

Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) · Djibouti · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gabon · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe Distribution of Islam per country. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Since Biblical times, the Jewish people have had close ties with Africa, going back to Abrahams sojourns in Egypt, and later the Israelite captivity under the Pharoahs. ... Grand Mosque in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso Islam in Burkina Faso (Upper Volta) has a long and varied history. ... Islam accounts for approximately 15% of the population of the Central African Republic, making it the 2nd most followed organized religion in the country after Christianity (50%). The vast majority of Central African Muslims live in the north, near the border with predominantly Muslim Chad. ... Islam in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is not a recent phenomenon, as it has been present within the area since the 18th century, when Arab traders from East Africa pushed into the interior for slave-trading purposes. ... Islam came to West Africa in three waves. ... Adherents. ... The islands of SÃ£o TomÃ© and PrÃncipe, with a total population of about 181,000, has about 5,500 Muslims or 3% of the total population, compared to the estimated 80% of the population professing Roman Catholicism, as per the islands long history as colony of overwhelmingly Catholic... Statistics for Islam in Sierra Leone estimate a Muslim population of 3,610,585, representing around 60 percent of the countrys total population. ... Islam in South Africa probably predates the colonial period, and consisted of isolated contact with Arab and East African traders. ...

Dependencies and other territories
British Indian Ocean Territory · Mayotte · Réunion · St. Helena · Somaliland · Western Sahara (SADR) A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State. ... Types of political territories include: A legally administered territory, which is a non-sovereign geographic area that has come under the authority of another government. ... ...

Islamic population in Africa GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Islamic population in Africa by country

See also

Islamic population in Africa