West Africa is a region on the African continent in Sub-Saharan Africa, made up of 16 distinct countries; Benin,Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. These countries have varied political and socio-economic histories, ranging from the impact of years of colonial rule and then from military to democratic government.