Why You Should Visit – 100 positive facts about Africa

DESTINATIONS, GET TO KNOW AFRICA, TRAVEL FACTS, , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
  1. Africa is the world’s second largest continent (after Asia) in the world both in terms of size and population
  2. The “Kalenjin” tribe in Kenya produces the fastest marathon runners in the world today.
  3. The oldest human remains were discovered in Jebel Irhoud, Morocco
  4. South Africa’s Witwatersrand produces roughly 50% of all the gold mined in Africa
  5. There are more French-speaking people in Africa than in France
  6. River Nile is the longest river in the world, stretching over 4,000 miles and runs across 11 African countries.
  7. The Sahara is the third largest desert in the world
  8. Africa is home to Victoria Falls, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world and the largest sheet of waterfalls on the planet
  9. The continent is home to a population of over 1.2 billion people speaking more than 1,500 different dialects and language
  10. Morocco is the most popular tourist destination in Africa
  11. The total size of the African continent is about 11.7 million square miles, which is about a fifth of the total land mass on the planet
  12. Mainland Africa is Home to two of Spain’s Exclaves, Melilla and Ceuta
  13. The continent is home to more than 3,000 protected areas
  14. The Victoria Lake is Africa’s biggest lake and the second largest in the world
  15. The Rovos Rail in South Africa has the most spacious suites in the world
  16. Women from Africa’s Mursi tribe in Africa pierce their lips and wear plates about 5 inches in diameter, inside them (lips).
  17. Africa is the poorest and most underdeveloped continent in the world.
  18. Mozambique’s national flag has the image of an AK-47 assault rifle embedded into it.
  19. Africa was once part of Pangea, the coming together of all the continents in the world to form one gigantic continental landmass.
  20. Africa has the shortest coastline
  21. The continent gave birth to world civilization
  22. Islam is the most widely practiced religion in Africa
  23. The most widely spoken language in Africa is Arabic
  24. It is the world’s most centrally located continent
  25. It is the hottest continent
  26. Africa produces a beer brewed from banana
  27. There are no wild tigers in Africa
  28. The largest wildlife migration in the world can be seen at the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania
  29. About 85% of the world’s total elephant population is in Africa
  30. Africa has about 99% of the total lion population
  31. The Seychelles is the smallest country on the continent
  32. The most populous nation in Africa is Nigeria
  33. South Sudan has the lowest GDP in Africa
  34. Seychelles has the highest GDP in Africa
  35. Equatorial Guinea is the richest SSA country in terms of Gross National Income (GNI) per capita
  36. Central African Republic is the poorest SSA country in terms of GNI per capita
  37. Tanzania has the highest albinism rates in the world
  38. All African nations have colonial masters expect two: Ethiopia and Liberia
  39. The African Union, a political organization is responsible for uniting all African nations.
  40. The most popular sports in Africa are soccer and crickets
  41. There are 54 countries in Africa
  42. Timbuktu, Mali is home to one of the world’s oldest University
  43. Algeria is the largest country by area
  44. Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa
  45. The northernmost point in Africa is Ras ben Sakka in Tunisia
  46. The southernmost point on the continent  is Cape Agulhas in South Africa
  47. Chad has the world’s second fastest growing economy
  48. Africa is home to the world’s top 10 poorest countries
  49. Luanda, Angola is the most expensive city in the world
  50. Africa is home to the driest places in the world. Pier lighted by sunrise glowing
  51. Al’Aziziyah in Libya is the second hottest place in the world
  52. The world’s most dangerous road is in Africa
  53. Angola has the highest birth rates in the world.
  54. Africa produces roughly half of the world’s diamond
  55. Shipwreck Point in Liberia is one of the popular spots for surfing and attracts surfers from different parts of the world.
  56. There are over 160 million Facebook users in Africa
  57. The tallest and largest land animals (giraffe and African elephant) both come from Africa
  58. The most populous city in Africa is Lagos, Nigeria
  59. The Republic of Sudan has twice the number of pyramids in Egypt
  60. About 40% of Africans are illiterate, with two-thirds being women
  61. Africa has the youngest population in the world.
  62. Malaria is predominant in Africa
  63. Deforestation rates in Africa are double the average for other parts of the world
  64. The continent of Africa accounts for over 25% of bird species in the world
  65. Africa takes pride in harboring four of the five fastest land animals in the world – the wildebeest, the lion, the cheetah and the Thomson’s gazelle
  66. Ethiopia features in many ancient Greek dramas and poems
  67. The hippopotamus is the deadliest animal in all of Africa
  68. Goliath Frog, the world’s largest frog, can be found in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea
  69. The United States, India, China, Argentina, New Zealand and Europe can all fit within the continent
  70. Ethiopia is the only African country with its own alphabet
  71. The country with the most twin births is Benin in West Africa
  72. Giraffe, the tallest animal in the world, is already extinct in 7 African countries
  73. The city of Kahun is the first ancient Egyptian town that was ever excavated
  74. The lebombo bone in Swaziland is the oldest known mathematical object
  75. About 80% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa live without electricity
  76. The Nile croc, the world’s largest reptile, resides in Africa
  77. 16 countries in Africa record higher rates of vaccination that the US alone
  78. Seychelles has the highest women literacy rate in Africa
  79. South Africa consumes the most electricity per person
  80. Madagascar is the largest island in Africa
  81. The Second Congo War killed over 5.4 million people
  82. The world’s biggest themed resort is the Palace of the Lost City located in South Africa
  83. The Bloukrans Bridge Bungy in South Africa is the highest commercial bungy jump in the world
  84. The University of Al-Karaouine in Morocco is the world’s oldest educational institution
  85. Madagascar is home to about 100 species of lemur
  86. 25 people from Africa have been awarded a Nobel Prize
  87. The world’s largest gold producers have their primary operations in Africa
  88. African Elephants drink over 160 liters of water a day
  89. The Sahara Desert keeps expanding in the south at the rate of about half a mile a month
  90. Namibia is home to the world’s second largest canyon – the Fish River Canyon
  91. The world’s largest fish species can be found in Lake Malawi
  92. Cape Town is the most popular tourist attraction in Africa
  93. The main natural resources in Africa are minerals such as gold, diamonds, oil, copper, platinum and agricultural produce
  94. About 50% of all Africans work in the agricultural sector
  95. Tugela Falls in South Africa is the highest waterfalls in Africa
  96. The world’s largest green canyon is the Blyde River Canyon
  97. More than 50% of the African continent is covered by grassland
  98. There are 15 landlocked countries in Africa
  99. Lagos is the largest city in Africa
  100. In South Africa, people can attach flamethrowers to their cars to prevent carjacking.

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I am Marie-Noëlle Anaëlla, a Globetrotter and Travel Writer from the Netherlands, currently residing in Paris. I describe myself as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) and see the world as my home, having been born in the African country of Gabon and spending my early years in several diverse countries around the world. Living in places like Cameroon, Japan, China, India, Ireland, the United States and much more, has meant that it has become difficult for me to adequately describe where I am from to the people I meet. As a result, I am now simply calling myself a citizen of the world, coming from here, coming from there and coming from everywhere. Having caught the travel bug at a very young age, I have since made it my life and have now either lived in or visited more than 140 countries across 7 continents. Not traveling, for me, would be like staring at empty pages in a book, too afraid to open myself up to the world and see its beauty. This traveling life has now seen me take up a career in travel writing about my experiences and why it is so important. I spend much of my time encouraging others to travel, inspiring them to seek greatness and turn negative experiences into something positive. When I am not busy traveling around the world or writing about it, I practice Tai-Chi and meditation, treat my body with the utmost respect and loves a cup of English tea. What else do you want to know? :) Happy Traveling! www.marieblogging.com

2 thoughts on “Why You Should Visit – 100 positive facts about Africa”

  1. Thanks a lot, so many things I did not know. Thanks for this extensive research. I love the continent but did not know it had so much amazing facts

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    Reply

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