diff --git a/endpoints/countries.get.py b/endpoints/countries.get.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69478cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/endpoints/countries.get.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+from fastapi import APIRouter, Request
+
+router = APIRouter()
+
+west_african_countries = [
+    "Benin",
+    "Burkina Faso", 
+    "Cape Verde",
+    "Gambia",
+    "Ghana",
+    "Guinea",
+    "Guinea-Bissau",
+    "Ivory Coast",
+    "Liberia",
+    "Mali",
+    "Mauritania",
+    "Niger",
+    "Nigeria",
+    "Senegal",
+    "Sierra Leone",
+    "Togo"
+]
+
+@router.get("/countries")
+async def get_west_african_countries(request: Request):
+    """endpoint that returns list of countries in west africa"""
+    if request.method != "GET":
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=405, detail="Method Not Allowed")
+    
+    return {
+        "method": "GET",
+        "_verb": "get",
+        "countries": west_african_countries
+    }
\ No newline at end of file