Africa is home to 54 recognized countries, but some of them are considerably younger than others. While many African nations gained independence in the 1950s and 1960s, a handful became independent much later. The continent's newest country is South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011 after decades of conflict and a referendum on self-determination. Other recent additions include Eritrea, which became independent from Ethiopia in 1993, and several other nations that achieved sovereignty in the late 20th century.
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