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54 countries, 54 photos, 1 continent

ONE

Africa is a beautiful and varied continent, but going by what you see from the majority of photographs in the media, you’d be forgiven for thinking all that existed in each of its 54 countries was never ending savannahs and endless safaris.

This year a brilliant hashtag erupted on social media – #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou – which aimed to break the perception that all African countries were the same – affected by poverty, war and hunger – and boy were the images powerful. Not only in their beauty and charm, but in their ability to say so much more about a subject than people were previously aware of.

It may be a cliché but sometimes an image really can speak a thousand words, and what was being said is this: Africa is a continent, like Europe or South America, and should be treated as such. In the same way that Iceland and Italy are seen as two entirely different European identities, Cameroon and Mozambique have their own customs, styles and ways of life too, which are often not shown!

That’s why this World Photography Day, we decided to trawl Instagram and gather the best citizen snaps we could from each country across the continent:

South Africa

A photo posted by Andrew Harvard (@awharvard) on Aug 17, 2015 at 6:24am PDT

 

 Swaziland

 Lesotho

 

A photo posted by Chris Rogers (@chrisrogersza) on Aug 15, 2015 at 12:38pm PDT

 

 Botswana

 

A photo posted by Anke (@ankevandiessen) on Aug 17, 2015 at 12:03am PDT

 

 Namibia

 

 

Zimbabwe

 

 

Mozambique

 

A photo posted by Helder (@helderkc) on Aug 9, 2015 at 8:51am PDT

 

Madagascar

 

A photo posted by Taha (@tahaghouchkanlu) on Aug 16, 2015 at 6:46am PDT

 

Angola

 

A photo posted by MAPP Africa (@mappafrica) on May 11, 2015 at 4:32pm PDT

 

Zambia

 

A photo posted by Shannon Wild (@shannon__wild) on Aug 13, 2015 at 3:29am PDT

 

Tanzania

 

 

Malawi

 

A photo posted by Justin Valley (@justinvalley) on Jul 20, 2015 at 3:48am PDT

 

Burundi

 

A photo posted by Yadé (@beautifulsideofafrica) on Aug 12, 2015 at 11:43am PDT

 

Rwanda

 

 

Democratic Republic of Congo

 

 

Congo

 

 

Gabon

 

A video posted by Magnus Boge (@magnus.boge) on Aug 18, 2015 at 12:16am PDT

 

Equatorial Guinea

 

 

Uganda

 

 

Kenya

 

 

Cameroon

 

A photo posted by The answer. (@tatiamdo) on Aug 18, 2015 at 4:58pm PDT

 

Somalia

 

A photo posted by Yussuf Farrah (@y_ssuf) on Aug 19, 2015 at 2:51am PDT

 

Ethiopia

 

A video posted by ETHIOPIA SKATE (@ethiopiaskate) on Oct 20, 2014 at 10:13am PDT

 

Burkina Faso

 

A photo posted by @onlyjenny on Aug 13, 2015 at 3:36pm PDT

 

Eritrea

 

A photo posted by Galactus (@solomonisaak) on Aug 16, 2015 at 9:33am PDT

 

Sudan

 

A photo posted by Ahmed Saeed (@kratshyphotos) on Aug 18, 2015 at 5:29am PDT

 

South Sudan

 

A photo posted by Bruno Feder (@brunobfeder) on Aug 12, 2015 at 10:04pm PDT

 

Egypt

 

A photo posted by @tariffa on Aug 18, 2015 at 1:16pm PDT

 

Libya

 

 

Chad

 

 

Niger

 

 

Nigeria

 

A photo posted by Fati Abubakar (@fatiti____) on Aug 18, 2015 at 9:20am PDT

 

Benin

 

A photo posted by Floflo (@elliotawam) on Aug 18, 2015 at 3:59am PDT

 

Togo

 

 

Ghana

 

A photo posted by T h e A x e g i r l (@a.a.k.s) on Aug 10, 2015 at 8:26am PDT

 

Cote d’Ivoire

 

A photo posted by Greg Pepper (@gregpepper) on Aug 14, 2015 at 12:03pm PDT

 

Liberia

 

 

Sierra Leone

 

 

Guinea

 

A photo posted by TiFanmKreyòl (@iamperpetua) on Aug 16, 2015 at 7:39am PDT

 

Guinea-Bissau

 

A photo posted by Isabelle robinson (@izzyrob1) on Aug 11, 2015 at 10:08am PDT

 

Gambia

 

 

Senegal

 

A photo posted by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Aug 17, 2015 at 5:17pm PDT

 

Maurititana

 

 

Morocco

 

On the road to Huceima #trip #travel #morocco #hoceima #goodtimes A photo posted by Ramulus (@ramlaabi) on Aug 18, 2015 at 12:35pm PDT

 

Algeria

 

O dağlar hep Cezayir #elkef #lakasbah #tunisia #algeria #sansfrontieres #tunus #cezayir #magrib A photo posted by Görkem Duru (@kafamdakikurbaga) on Aug 18, 2015 at 12:27pm PDT

 

Tunisia

A photo posted by @mkaabi on Aug 20, 2015 at 3:16am PDT

 

Mali

She’s gorgeous, yes? {Find out what I’m REALLY doing in #Mali, today on the blog. Link in the profile.♥️} #Africa A photo posted by Maryam Montague (@mmontagueliving) on Aug 18, 2015 at 7:04am PDT

 

Djibouti

#djibouti A photo posted by @sailor_ck on Aug 17, 2015 at 10:43am PDT

 

Cabo Verde

Bien arrivée… 🚤💦🐟 #tarrafal #caboverde #mbemdifora #mbemdiforatravel A photo posted by Mélocy Semedo (@mbem_di_fora) on Aug 18, 2015 at 1:59pm PDT

 

Central African Republic

 

Comoros

#Moroni, #Comoros. Photo @kanayakine. #dailyafrica #dynamicafrica #everydayafrica

A photo posted by Dynamic Africa (@dynamicafricaphoto) on Aug 6, 2015 at 12:03am PDT

 

Mauritius

 

São Tomé and Príncipe

 

Seychelles

As the #sunsets the #moon pokes his head out to say hello. #seychelles #islandlife

A photo posted by Kim Jenkins (@kjenkins1025) on Aug 18, 2015 at 9:38pm PDT

SO awesome, right?!

Have a favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

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