Africa – Did you know???

Tidbits and curiosities!!!!!

Most condensed information about this amazing continent.  The cradle of civilization. The home of first people. True Motherland for all of us. Easy read, interesting, and easy to remember. Always good to know

• Africa is the oldest inhabited mass of land in the world. Archaeologists have found evidence that the human species has lived in these lands for seven million years!

• Africa is also the second most populated continent in the world.

• It is one of the most diverse places on the planet, with diverse terrain, wildlife, and climate.

• The continent of Africa consists of fifty-four countries and one territory.

• Africa has eight major geographic regions, each with its unique landscape: Sahara Desert, Savannah, Sahel, Great African Lakes, Swahili Coast, South Africa, and rainforest.

• African savannah are tropical grasslands of fairly large dimensions, covering half of the continent.

• The Sahara Desert is the desert in the world. It is bigger than the United States!

• Before it was colonized, Africa was made up of about 10,000 different countries and groups. Each of them had its language and customs.

• The Sahel is a strip of dry land that extends across North Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea.

• Timbuktu University (located in the Republic of Mali) is one of the oldest Universities in the world. In the 12th century, the school attracted thousands of students from all over the continent.

• Lake Victoria – one of the Great Lakes of Africa – has an area of ​​68,800 square km, making it the second-largest freshwater lake in the world.

• While Africa’s rainforests are home to half of the continent’s animal species, they are under severe threat. Unfortunately, 90% of West African rainforests have already been destroyed.

• While Europe and Africa may seem distant, they are less than a dozen kilometers away in the Strait of Gibraltar that separates Spain from Morocco.

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• Africa is home to the largest remaining populations of lions, elephants, rhinoceros, cheetahs, hyenas, and leopards.

• The Nile River is the second-longest river in the world with a length of 6,650 km.

• Lagos, Nigeria is the largest city on the African continent with over thirteen million inhabitants.

• Ethiopia is the only African country with its alphabet. It has been in use since the fifth century, making it one of the oldest alphabets in the world still in use today.

• It is estimated that between 1500 and 2000 languages ​​are spoken on the African continent. Over five hundred languages ​​are spoken in Nigeria alone, and South Africa has eleven official languages.

• Even though Africa is the second largest continent in the world, it has the shortest coastline! This is because many bays extend beyond the coastline.

• Although South Africa covers only 1% of the Earth’s surface, it is home to 6% of the world’s mammals and reptiles.

• The highest point of Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with an altitude of 5895 meters.

• The lowest point is Asal Lake in Djibouti, 153 meters below sea level.

• The largest country in Africa is Algeria, the smallest is Seychelles.

• Nigeria is the most populous country.

• The largest lake in Africa is Lake Victoria

• The longest river is the Nile, which is also the longest river in the world. Nile – 6,650 kilometers long. (According to some sources, the Amazon is the longest)

• Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They have a characteristic long trunk and wide, thick legs. There are two species of elephants. Asian elephants and African elephants live on different continents and have many unique characteristics. Several subspecies fall into one or the other of these two main species, though there is disagreement over the number of subspecies.

• The southern Mediterranean borders the African continent. The Atlantic Ocean is to the west and the Indian Ocean is to the southeast. Africa extends south of the equator.

• Africa is the second largest continent on Earth.
• The area of ​​Africa is 30.37 million km²

• Africa has the highest birth rate in the world, it is twenty-four ‰ per year.

• It is the hottest continent in the world and the second most dry.

• Africa is inhabited by 1.07 billion people. Over 44% of the population are children aged 0-14 years.

• Over 25% of all bird species live in Africa.

• Over a thousand languages ​​are spoken in Africa. Some researchers suggest that this number may be as high as 2,000.

• Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second-largest in the world.

• Africa is home to the largest land mammal, the African Elephant, with a weight of up to seven tons.

• Between the 7th and 20th centuries, Arab slave traders captured and deported eighteen million people from Africa.

• The most dangerous and deadly animal in Africa is the hippopotamus.

• The second largest religion is Christianity. These two religions together constitute 85% of the followers on the continent.

• Although Africa is the second-largest continent, its coastline is the shortest.

• It is caused by a slight variation of the coastline, a small number of bays, and peninsulas.

• In developing African countries, women work more than men. Statistically, an African woman’s working week is 12 to 13 hours longer than men.

• The largest hot desert in the world is the Sahara Desert. Its size is comparable to that of the USA.

• Africa is home to the largest reptile on Earth – the Nile Crocodile.

• Nile crocodiles can reach a length of 5.5 meters and a weight of one ton
• There are fifty-four countries in Africa – and nine territories -with a total of more than 1.1 billion people living on the continent, which is 15% of the world’s total population. Find a clickable Africa map here.

• Largest Country: Algeria. This country is among the ten largest countries in the world. The most populous country in Africa, however, is Nigeria, with more than 185 million people, but the country is only a third of the size of Algeria.

• Largest City: Lagos in Nigeria. With more than twenty-one million inhabitants, Lagos is also one of the biggest metropolitan cities in the world and is estimated to become the world’s largest city by 2100.

• Smallest Country: Seychelles, which is an archipelago (nation of islands) in the Indian Ocean. On the African mainland, the smallest country in The Gambia. Read our Seychelles Facts here.

• Biggest Island: Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world (after Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo).

• Longest River: Nile (6852 km/ 4258 miles). The Nile is the longest river in the world and passes through eleven countries. The Nile has two sources: The White Nile coming from Lake Victoria in Tanzania and the Blue Nile coming from Lake Tana in Ethiopia. The river mouth is in Egypt. The confluence in Khartoum/Sudan.

• Highest Mountain: Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The highest peak of the mountain “Kibo,” is called “Uhuru Peak,” (5895 m/ 19340 ft) is located in the Tanzanian highlands.

• Biggest Lake: Lake Victoria (bordering Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya) is also the world’s second-largest freshwater lake. Only Lake Superior in North America is bigger!

• Driest Place: The Sahara in northern Africa is the largest hot desert in the world. The climate is extremely dry (arid) in this region.

• There are sixteen landlocked countries in Africa. Two tiny countries, Swaziland, and Lesotho are located within South Africa. These countries are all located in the interior of the continent and have neither access to the Atlantic Ocean nor the Indian Ocean. Two of these countries, the tiny countries, Swaziland, and Lesotho, are located within South Africa.

• History: Africa is the ‘cradle of humankind, the place where the first hominids, human beings, and their closest relatives the gorilla and chimpanzees, evolved 5 to 10 million years ago. Fossils found in Africa, show that modern human beings spread from this continent. One of the earliest pieces of evidence of human life was found in South Africa. ‘Ms. Ples and the Taung Child are among the most important fossils found. Many powerful kingdoms existed on the African continent in the early history and the Middle Ages. Between the 5th and 15th centuries, African slaves were traded by Arab traders. In the late 19th century Europeans started conquering Africa which was then colonized in the 19th and 20th century from Britain and France, but also the Dutch, Italian, and Germans.

• People of Africa: There are more than 3,000 diverse groups of indigenous people living in Africa.

• It is estimated that about 2,000 different languages are spoken on the African continent! Many Africans speak several African languages and often another “European” language. In many countries, people speak English, French, or Portuguese as an additional language, as these languages are often used in communication and business. English is widely spoken in Africa as many countries were formerly British colonies. Arabic, the language spoken in northern Africa, is also used as an official language.

• Most of the African people are Christians and Muslims. In North Africa and many West African countries, most people follow Islam. There are also 10% of Africans that follow traditional religious rituals which means they have traditional healing rituals such as bone-throwing, ‘magic’ and herbal medicine, and celebrating the spirit of the ancestors.

• Tourist attractions in Africa: The most popular African tourist attractions are:
• Cape Town in South Africa
• Masai Mara National Park in Kenya
• Kruger National Park in South Africa
• Victoria Falls in Zambia/Zimbabwe
• Namibia: the Namib Desert and Etosha National Park
• Mauritius and the Indian Ocean Islands
• Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
• Morocco – Markets, Deserts, and Mountains
• Morocco Atlas Mountains
• The Atlas Mountains in Morocco

• The southernmost city in Africa is Cape Town in South Africa! However, the southernmost point of the African continent is Cape Agulhas, which is 170km/100 miles southeast of Cape Town.

• In Africa, you will find some of the largest mammals on this planet. Among them are the largest land mammal, the African elephant, the tallest mammal, the giraffe, and the fastest mammal, the cheetah, which can run at speeds up to 113km/hour or seventy miles/hour!

• Africa is also home to many endangered animals such as the White and Black Rhinoceros. Kruger National Park where one can admire the beautiful African wildlife is one of the biggest national parks and wildlife conservation areas in the world.

• Main natural resources in Africa are minerals such as oil, copper, gold, diamonds, platinum, and agricultural produce such as corn, coffee, wheat, and fruits. Sixty-five percent of all Africans work in the agricultural sector.

• The Sahara Desert is the driest hot desert on earth

• The Nile is the world’s longest river

• Tugela Falls in South Africa is Africa’s highest waterfalls

• Blyde River Canyon in South Africa is the world’s largest green canyon

• More than half of the African continent is covered by grassland or savannah. Northern Africa is dominated by the vast Sahara Desert and the semi-arid Sahel zone which also includes fertile land in the Nile delta. Central Africa has rainforests, coastal plains, and the continent’s highest mountains and lakes. Southern Africa lies on a high plateau and only has a small coastal band.

• Islam is the dominant religion in Africa. Christianity is the second. Arabic is also the most widely-spoken language in Africa.

• Africa has the shortest coastline despite being the second largest continent in the world.

• Africa is the most centrally located continent in the world. Both the prime meridian (0 degrees longitude), and the equator (0 degrees latitude) cut across it.

• Nigeria has the highest population (154.7 million people) in Africa. This represents 18% of Africa’s total population.

• Both the world’s tallest and largest land animals both come from Africa. They are the giraffe and African elephant, respectively.

• Around 2,000 different languages are spoken in Africa and each of them has different dialects while Arabic is the language that is most widely spoken in the African continent.

• The world’s longest river — the Nile — and the world’s largest desert — the Sahara — both are home in Africa.

• Algeria is the biggest country in Africa by land area.

• The world’s hottest place — Ethiopia — is in Africa.

• The major animals in Africa include — cheetah, African elephant, lion, zebra, Egyptian mongoose, giraffe, addax.

• The largest waterfall in Africa is the Victoria Falls and it is located on the Zimbabwe and Zambia border. It has a height of 355 feet and the width of the waterfall runs into a mile.

• More than 50% of the world’s French-speaking population lives here on the continent.

• Angola has more Portuguese speakers than Portugal.

• Africa has a pink lake in Senegal.

• Africa is the hottest continent on earth.

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• There are fifty-four countries and one “non-self-governing territory,” Western Sahara, in Africa. All of Africa was colonized by foreign powers during the “scramble for Africa,” except Ethiopia and Liberia. Before colonial rule, Africa comprised up to 10,000 different states and autonomous groups with distinct languages and customs. The Pharaonic civilization of ancient Egypt is one of…

• There are fifty-four countries and one “non-self-governing territory,” Western Sahara, in Africa.

• All of Africa was colonized by foreign powers during the “scramble for Africa,” except Ethiopia and Liberia.

• Before colonial rule Africa comprised up to 10,000 different states and autonomous groups with distinct languages and customs.

• The Pharaonic civilization of ancient Egypt is one of the world’s oldest and longest-lasting civilizations.

• African continent is the world’s oldest populated area.

• Arabic is spoken by 170 million people on the continent, followed in popularity by English (130 million), Swahili (one hundred), French (115), Berber (50), Hausa (50), Portuguese (20), and Spanish (10).

• Over 25% of all languages are spoken only in Africa with over 2,000 recognized languages spoken on the continent.

• Africa is the second most populous continent with about 1.1 billion people or 16% of the world’s population. Over 50% of Africans are under the age of twenty-five.

• The continent’s population will more than double to 2.3 billion people by 2050.

• Africa is the world’s poorest and most underdeveloped continent with a continental GDP that accounts for just 2.4% of global GDP.

• Almost 40% of adults in Africa are illiterate – two-thirds are women. Adult literacy rates are below 50% in Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia.

• The Second Congo War claimed over 5.4 million lives and is the deadliest worldwide conflict since World War II.

• Africa is the world’s second-largest continent covering about over 30 million square kilometers

• The Sahara is the largest desert in the world and is bigger than the continental USA.

• Africa is the world’s hottest continent with deserts and drylands covering 60% of land surface area (e.g., Kalahari, Sahara, and Namib).

• Africa is the world’s second driest continent (after Australia).

• Africa has approximately 30% of the earth’s remaining mineral resources.

• Nigeria is the fourth-largest oil exporter in the world, and Africa’s biggest oil producer with about 2.2 million barrels produced every day. Top ten oil producers in order of total exports: Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, Gabon, South Africa.

• The continent has the largest reserves of precious metals with over 40% of the gold reserves, over 60% of the cobalt, and 90% of the platinum reserves.

• Rainfall variability is extremely high – from 0 mm/year in the Sahara to 9,500 mm/year near Mount Cameroon.

• Deforestation rates in Africa are twice the average for the rest of the world with more than four million hectares of primary forest disappearing every year. Countries like Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia have 1-5% of the primary forests remaining. Forests used to cover over 20% of Africa’s 30 million square kilometers with all currently being destroyed and degraded by commercial and subsistence logging, as well as land conversion to plantations, agriculture, mines, roads, and settlements.

• Some 60% of the tropical forests in the Congo Basin are considered commercially exploitable.

• Six of the top ten countries with the largest annual net loss of forested area are in Africa.

• Primary forests shrink by on average 40,000 square kilometers (or 0.6% of total remaining forest cover) each year with the most significant losses in heavily-forested countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon.

• Over 1,270 large dams have been built along the continent’s many rivers.

• Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second-largest freshwater lake in the world.

• Africa has the most extensive biomass burning in the world, yet only emits about 4% of the world’s total carbon dioxide emissions.

• Africa has eight of the eleven major biomes and the largest-remaining populations of lion, elephant, rhinoceros, cheetah, hyena, leopard, and hundreds of other species.

• Megafauna like giraffe, zebra, gorilla, hippopotamus, chimpanzee, and wildebeest are unique to the continent and only found here.

• Lake Malawi has more fish species than any other freshwater system on earth.

• The Nile River is the longest in the world with a total length of 6,650 kilometers.

• Africa has over 85% of the world’s elephants and over 99% of the remaining lions are on the African continent.

• Eight of Conservation International’s 34 biodiversity hotspots are in Africa.

• The Serengeti (Tanzania) hosts the world’s largest wildlife migration on Earth with over 750,000 zebra marching ahead of 1.2 million wildebeest as they cross this amazing landscape.

• There are over 3,000 protected areas in Africa, including 198 Marine Protected Areas, 50 Biosphere Reserves, 129 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and 80 RAMSAR “Wetlands of International Importance”.
• Africa is home to the world’s largest living land animal, the African elephant, which can weigh up to seven tons.

• Africa has over 25% of the world’s bird species

• has rich geography as well as an interesting history thus making it a continent with such biodiversity that is awe-inspiring. Africa has much more to it than poverty and apartheid, for which it is well known the world over.

• There are fifty-four countries as well as quite a few disputed territories. Sudan used to be the largest country in Africa until it was split into Sudan and South Sudan. Algeria is now the largest African country by geographical area. Cairo is the capital city of Egypt and is also the largest city.

• As far as the size is concerned along with the population Africa is the second-largest continent. Africa is filled with some of nature’s greatest wonders, there are a few facts about Africa given below that will help you to understand more about this beautiful continent.

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• One of the most interesting facts about Africa is that the length and breadth of this continent are about the same. It measures around 4,660 from north to south and from east to west.

• Africa is not only the second-largest but the second most populated continent as well and houses about 12% of the world population.

• Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa and has an estimated population of 120-140 million. The population in Seychelles is around 80,000 people and is the least populated country.

• The African continent has approximately 3,000 distinct ethnic groups while Nigeria alone has about 370 of these tribes that have been officially recognized. You will find more information on African culture here.

• Around 2,000 different languages are spoken in Africa and each of them has different dialects while Arabic is the language that is most widely spoken in the African continent.

• The Equator goes around 2,500 miles from the west to the east of the African continent thus dividing this continent into two separate halves – north and south. It passes through many of the African nations such as Congo, Somalia, Uganda as well as Kenya.

• If we go by the records of the fossil remains Africa seems to be the first continent where humans were found. The fossil remains have suggested that humans had inhabited the African continent around seven million years ago.

• Africa also boasts of having the longest river in the world which is the Nile that runs for around 4,150 miles before it meets the ocean. It flows through several African countries such as Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda as well as Egypt thus making the land extremely fertile.

• The largest waterfall in Africa is the Victoria Falls and it is located on the Zimbabwe and Zambia border. It has a height of 355 feet and the width of the waterfall runs into almost a mile.

• The largest desert in the world the Sahara Desert is also situated in Africa, and it spans across at least a dozen countries – around 3.5 million square miles.

• Mount Kilimanjaro is the largest mountain in Africa and stands tall at 19,340 feet. Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa measuring 26,560 square miles.

• Madagascar is the largest island in the African continent, and it lies just off the east coast of Africa. It has a length of around 1,000 miles with a width of around 350 miles. This island is also the fourth largest island in the world.

• Africa also boasts of the best flora and fauna in the world. It has the most flourishing wildlife in the entire world. It also houses some of the fastest animals on lands such as the cheetah, wildebeest, gazelle, and lion. Find out more information on the African animals here.

• Africa’s mining is well known, and the continent produces at least 50% of the diamonds and gold in the entire world. The rest of the countries around the world contribute to the remaining 50% of the production of these precious stones and metals.

• South Africa is also home to the ‘largest green canyon in the world’ and it is known as the Blyde River Canyon, and this is also the third-largest Canyon in the world.

• One of the oldest universities in the world is in Timbuktu, Mali. By the 12th century, Timbuktu was home to three universities. Over 25,000 students attended one of the Timbuktu universities in the 12th century.

• Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa with over 195 million people as of 2020. It is the seventh most populated country in the world. The majority of the population is either Muslim or Christian. Within the country are an astounding 520spoken languages.

• Algeria is the largest country by area with 2,381,741 square kilometers. It is the 10th largest country in the world.

• Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the world’s second-largest freshwater lake. It borders Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. There are over 1,000 islands in the lake – some tiny and some that are inhabited. The average depth of the lake is just twenty-five meters and at its deepest, it is just eighty-two meters!

• The northernmost point in Africa is Ras’s ben Sakka in Tunisia. The most southerly point is Cape Agulhas in South Africa.

• Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the highest point in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. It tops out at 19,340 feet (5,895 meters) above sea level. The snow caps are melting, with more than 80 percent of their mass gone since 1912. Sometime in the next 20 years, the mountain mat is completely ice-free.

• Equatorial Guinea is the richest country in Africa. The GDP per capita is $30,200. Botswana is second with a GDP of $15,800. Coming in last in Zimbabwe at $200 per year.

• Chad has the second-fastest growing economy in the world.

• Mogadishu, Somalia is the fourth most dangerous city in the world. Johannesburg, South Africa is 10th. (For comparison’s sake Washington, DC is the fifth most dangerous city in the world!!!)

• Libreville, Gabon is the fifth most expensive city in the world to live in. Tokyo is the most expensive city.

• The Nile is the longest river in the world – the 6,670 km takes you through Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt.

• Six of the driest places in the world are in Africa – Al’Kufrah, Libya, Aswan and Luxor in Egypt, Wadi Halfa in Sudan, Pelican Point in Namibia, and Aoelef in Algeria.

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• The hottest place in the world is recorded at Al’Aziziyah in Libya.

• Eritrea, Egypt, and Libya are in the number 1,2, and 3 spots respectively for the world’s most dangerous roads. And I thought Kenya was bad.

• South Africa has the highest number (5.3 million) of people living with HIV/Aids in the world. Compare that to Canada with 56,000 and Croatia with only two hundred.

• Angola has the world’s highest infant mortality rate at 192.5 deaths per one thousand live births.

• Niger, Mali, and Uganda take the #1,2, and 3 spots for the highest birth rates in the world.

• In the Gulf of Tadjourah in Djibouti, you can swim from November to January with massive whale sharks who come to feed on plankton during their annual migration.

• Shipwreck Point in Liberia is a mecca for globetrotting surfers. They come for the 10-meter waves between March and October

• About half of the world’s diamonds come from southern and central Africa. The largest gem-quality diamond ever found (the 3106.75 carats Cullinan Diamond) came from the Premier Mine near Pretoria. It was founded in 1905.

• Three of the world’s largest gold producers have their primary operations in Africa – Harmony Gold, Gold Fields, and Anglogold Ashanti.

• Eighteen people from Africa have been awarded a Nobel prize. They come from Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.

• One hundred species of lemurs are found in Madagascar.

• African elephants are the largest living land animals. They can weigh up to 6-7 tons and drink over 160 liters of water a day.

• The world’s biggest frog comes from Cameroon. It is over one foot long.

• Four of the five fastest land animals live in Africa. The cheetah is the fastest and can run at 60 mph.

• The Sahara Desert is expanding in the south at a rate of about half a mile a month.

• The Fish River Canyon in Namibia is the second largest canyon in the world.

• Lake Malawi has the largest number of fish species in the world – over five hundred.

• There are about 2300 bird species in Africa.