37 Information About AFRICA (Attention-grabbing and Enjoyable!)

Trying to find some info about Africa? I do know it sounds cliche, however there’s simply nothing like Africa. There are such a lot of lovely international locations, animals to see, distinctive cultures, and quite a lot of distinctive actions to partake in that it makes selecting one place virtually not possible.

We spent an exquisite 12 months touring Africa and there’s merely nothing on this world prefer it. I do notice Africa is an entire continent and there are a lot of issues to find out about completely different components of Africa. It’s a different land with many Africa info, so we wished to select just some which will pique your curiosity.

Enjoyable and attention-grabbing Africa Information

1. Africa is HUGE

This is among the most necessary info about Africa to know. It is rather, very huge. Sure, Asia’s large takes the primary spot for the biggest and most populous continent on Earth, however Africa is available in second and takes up quite a lot of area. We spent an entire 12 months trying out a few of the greatest locations to go to in Africa and clearly didn’t even scratch the floor!

2. Earth’s floor space is 6% of Africa

One other important reality about Africa is that this one. To present you an concept of how huge Africa is, it covers 6% of all the world’s floor space. Not spectacular sufficient? Nicely then, how does 11.7 million sq. miles sound? And 16% of all people stay in Africa, with 1.2 billion folks dwelling on the continent as of 2016. Principally, it’s huge.

3. Africa isn’t simply continental Africa

Madagascar – an enormous island off the southeast coast – and varied different archipelagos comprise only a portion of the 54 international locations that comprise this huge continent. Except for these acknowledged international locations, there are 9 territories and two largely unrecognized impartial states.

4. Africa can be very younger

Africa truly boasts the youngest inhabitants, on common, on the earth. In 2012, for instance, the common age was 19 years outdated – that’s fairly younger. In the identical 12 months, the worldwide common was 30 years outdated. That is considered one of my favourite attention-grabbing info about Africa to inform folks!

5. Africa straddles the equator

With international locations within the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the one continent to embody temperate zones within the north and within the south – and with quite a lot of different local weather areas and biospheres in between.

6. Algeria is the largest participant when it comes to land, Nigeria for its inhabitants

Algeria positively hogs the land space right here, taking over virtually one million sq. miles (919,595, to be precise). In the meantime, Nigeria boasts 186 million inhabitants, making it simply the highest canine when it comes to inhabitants in Africa; it’s additionally the seventh most populous nation on the earth. The smallest nation in Africa is Seychelles, an island archipelago within the Indian Ocean.

7. Human Life started in Africa

The proof means that, sure, people originated in Africa. Particularly in East Africa. And that proof is…? 200,000-year-old human stays.

That’s proper; early Homo sapiens (that’s trendy people to you and me) have been unearthed in Ethiopia relationship again all these 1000’s of years.

8. Historic Egypt is among the world’s earliest civilizations

Starting in round 3300 BC, historic information of the pharaohs began. That may be a mad reality about Africa. What’s crazier nonetheless is simply how lengthy this civilization lasted. In all its pyramidal glory, the Egyptian state continued till 343 BC.

That’s virtually 3,000 years of Pharaonic affect, with proof of the civilization so far as Libya and even Crete.

8. There have been 1000’s of states and kingdoms in pre-Colonial Africa

There was the already-Christian Ethiopian Empire (1270-1974). The Wadai Empire was in Chad (earlier than the French took over in 1918, anyway). There was the Kingdom of Kongo, which went on for 500 years or so earlier than Portugal suppressed the monarchy and absorbed it into Angola.

The Empire of Benin was one of many longest-lasting, most developed of any African empire… earlier than the British got here alongside in 1897. The checklist goes on.

9. There was a colonial scramble for Africa 

It was truly known as the “Scramble for Africa.” European powers went loopy to manage the African continent. From 1881 to 1914, Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Germany wished a slice of the pie. Cue a long time of oppression, colonialism, and cruelty.

10. Decolonization hit the African continent onerous

Many African international locations have been “made” impartial from the early Nineteen Sixties to the Eighties. Many of those international locations had by no means existed earlier than, with borders drawn by European powers. This resulted in quite a lot of craziness.

Throughout this era, there have been greater than 70 coups and 13 presidential assassinations continent-wide. Border, territorial, ethnic, and political disputes have been – and nonetheless are – frequent.

11. The Second Congo Warfare was the deadliest worldwide battle since World Warfare II

This reality about Africa is unfortunately very true. Starting in 1998 and with treaties signed in 2002 (although not truly ending until 2003), this horrific battle claimed over 5.4 million lives. It has left a legacy of instability ever since.

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

It’s very, very dry in lots of components of Africa. A median of 1,000 millimeters of rain falls yearly throughout the continent. Although the (fairly substantial) deserts carry that common down, let’s put that into perspective. Naples, Italy, will get over 1,000 millimeters of rainfall yearly!

13. The African Union (AU) is a 55-member federation consisting of all of Africa’s states

Identical to the European Union for Europe, it’s a identified reality about Africa that it has its African Union, with its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In contrast to the EU, nonetheless, all international locations are included.

Apparently, Africa has “formally” 54 international locations, so the place does the final one come from? The unrecognized nation is Western Sahara (claimed by Morocco), a Spanish colony till 1975.

14. Africa is essentially the most multilingual continent on the earth

One of many craziest info about Africa is that properly over one thousand languages are spoken throughout the continent. UNESCO had a go at estimating and got here up with round 2,000 languages. Regardless of the precise quantity, it’s rather a lot.

15. Arabic is essentially the most broadly spoken language in Africa

Are you able to consider this attention-grabbing reality about Africa? 100 seventy million folks communicate Arabic. The second-most broadly spoken language is English, with 130 million audio system, adopted by 115 million French audio system. Swahili is subsequent; with 100 million audio system, it’s the continent’s most generally spoken African language.

16. The continent’s inhabitants will greater than double by 2050

For those who have been taking note of your info about Africa, you’d know that doubling the continent’s present inhabitants will equal round 2.3 billion folks. 

17. African artwork and structure mirror the range of African cultures

The oldest identified jewellery on the continent is considered… beads. These have been made from Nassarius shells, which is a fairly cool African tradition reality. Folks have been rockin’ these round 72,000 years in the past. Then there’s the Nice Pyramid at Giza: the tallest construction on Earth for 1000’s of years.

The ruins of Nice Zimbabwe showcase a tremendous Iron Age energy. The traditional church buildings of Ethiopia will depart you in awe. Morocco’s medieval mosques are beautiful. Africa is extremely numerous.

18. Africa is legendary for its animals

That is an apparent reality about Africa, however that doesn’t make it any much less correct. It’s some of the biodiverse locations and has massive populations of some implausible creatures. Lions, hyenas, cheetahs, in addition to giraffes, elephants, camels, are all safari animals to look out for. Then there are snakes. Mountain gorillas. Crocodiles.

An entire vary of bugs and amphibians. Don’t neglect the million-strong wildebeest migration. We forgot hippos. And rhinos. It’s a really wild continent.

Finest Safari in Africa – The place is Proper for You?

19. Africa has over 3,000 protected areas

And all that wildlife wants defending. There are literally thousands of protected areas scattered throughout Africa. We’re speaking 198 marine protected areas. We’re speaking 50 biosphere reserves. We’re speaking 80 wetlands reserves. That’s only for starters.

20. Among the world’s fastest-growing economies are in Africa

The area, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, is growing. Put up-colonial democratization and broader entry to cellphones and the web are ensuing within the speedy improvement of many economies. Ethiopia’s economic system is ready to develop by 8.5% in 2019, Ghana by 7.6%, Côte d’Ivoire by 7%. 

21. Most African migration occurs inside Africa

Sensationalist information tales would have you ever considering in any other case, however that is an attention-grabbing reality about Africa: it’s to not Europe or North America that almost all African migrants go, however to different African international locations.

Rising ease of motion between African nations is making it increasingly more of a viable possibility. It’s displaying no indicators of slowing down. Escaping poverty and searching for work are the commonest causes.

22. China is the African continent’s prime commerce accomplice

For actual. That commerce is pushing (virtually) $200 billion per 12 months. The direct funding in Africa by China, we’re speaking direct, already is way more than $50 billion.

The one nation that won’t have China knocking on its door anytime quickly is Eswatini (Swaziland). China has no diplomatic relations with Eswatini as a result of it acknowledges Taiwan as a rustic.

23. Angola alone has a inhabitants of over 350,000 Chinese language

There may be, nonetheless, a menace of neocolonialism. China truly has an extended historical past of funding in Africa, relationship again to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), however solely now could be it reaching a state that is perhaps referred to as exploitation.

Money owed might simply be racked up, which China is aware of can’t be paid. There are at the moment a million Chinese language residents on the African continent, too.

24. Rwanda was one of many first international locations on the earth to ban plastic baggage

This wild reality about Rwanda’s African nation comes after the current Rwandan Genocide (1994). In 2008, the nation banned plastic baggage. Bangladesh banned them in 2002, however Rwanda has banned all the pieces about them: their use, importation, manufacture, and sale. Even vacationers getting into the nation are searched – no joke – it’s so superb!

25. Africa is the most popular continent on Earth

That is a kind of info about Africa that most likely isn’t shocking. We’ve established that it’s the driest continent, however sure – Africa is the most popular continent, too.

That’s most likely one thing to do with the truth that 60% of all of Africa’s land space is made up of desert (or simply actually, actually dry land). There’s the Kalahari Desert, the Namib Desert, the Sahara Desert… Scorching.

26. Africa is dropping over 4 million hectares of forest per 12 months

One of many saddest info about Africa. That’s round twice the worldwide charge of deforestation, on common. For instance, 90% of Madagascar’s authentic forest has disappeared since people first arrived 2,000 years in the past.

27. However Africa is excessive in minerals

The continent boasts 30% (give or take) of the Earth’s mineral assets. The entire of the Earth’s remaining mineral assets. We’re speaking quite a lot of the remaining gold (40%), cobalt (60%), and platinum (90%) reserves.

28. Music and dance are tremendous necessary

There are influential genres of music like highlife and afrobeat, extra localized types just like the upbeat guitar-based sungura music of Zimbabwe and the soulful African blues of Mali; there’s an entire lot extra. North Africa exhibits Arab influences, and Southern Africa exhibits Western influences, however all of it exhibits a love of music that’s plain.

29. Nearly 40% of adults in Africa are illiterate

Not precisely a kind of heartwarming info about Africa, however a reality nonetheless. Literacy just isn’t widespread. Two-thirds of that 40% are girls. In some international locations – Benin, Guinea, Niger, to call a number of – literacy charges sink beneath 50%.

30. The Sahara is the biggest (scorching) desert on the earth

Positive, a lot of Africa is dominated by desert or desert-like landscapes, however none fairly as huge because the Sahara Desert. At 3,600,000 sq. miles in space, this huge expanse of sand, camels, and Bedouin tribes takes up 25% of Africa.

It’s larger than the Contiguous United States, which weighs at slightly below 3 million sq. miles. The Arctic and Antarctica depend as bigger deserts, however they’re most likely not the nice and cozy deserts you might be considering of.

31. And Lake Victoria is the biggest lake in Africa

And it’s the second-largest freshwater lake on the earth, with an space of 26,590 sq. miles. The precise largest freshwater lake on the earth is Lake Superior (31,700 sq. miles).

35. Africa boasts one of many oldest universities on the earth (considered one of my favourite Information About Africa)

No approach? Sure, approach. It’s in Timbuktu, Mali. In truth, within the twelfth century, there have been three universities in Mali. One in all these had over 25,000 college students in attendance. In contrast to trendy universities, you bought to decide on your lecturers. Although primarily Quran research, tutorial stuff was lined, too, fortunately.

36. Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest level

It soars up from virtually nowhere to tower 19,340 toes above sea stage. It’s additionally the 4th most distinguished peak on the earth, with nothing wherever close to as tall wherever within the neighborhood. Oh, and it’s additionally a volcano.

It has three craters; two are extinct, however one is energetic. It final erupted 360,000 years in the past – who is aware of when it should occur once more.

37. The Nile is the longest river on the earth

Our ultimate, and grandest reality about Africa, is clearly concerning the Nile. It has supported varied civilizations all through the ages; the Historic Egyptians worshipped the Nile flooding as a god (the androgynous Hapi).

It runs 6,670 kilometers from Tanzania, by Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and at last Egypt earlier than erupting into the unimaginable Nile Delta.

I hope you loved these enjoyable and attention-grabbing info about Africa! In case you have every other Africa info depart a remark!