Africa is in the media and I am glad because it allows us bloggers to tell you about it. What are the 7 continents? website, here are about 10 facts you probably did not know:
- Africa is the second-largest continent in the world both in size and population. As of 2009, about 14.7 percent of the world’s population resides in Africa.
- Africa consists of 54 countries. Note: Africa is NOT a country but a continent.
- Africa is home to over 1 billion people who speak over 1,500 different languages. One in every four of the world’s languages is spoken only in Africa.
- Africa’s total size is roughly 11.7 square miles, representing about a fifth of the earth’s total landmass. This makes it larger than India, China, Mexico, and the USA’s and a huge chunk of Europe combined.
- World civilization began in Africa. The Pharaonic civilization of ancient Egypt is the oldest literate civilization. According to historical records, the Egyptian state dates back to about 3300 B.C.
- 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.
- South Africa has the highest GDP (($182 billion) in Africa. Guinea Bissau has the lowest at $230 million.
- The largest island in Africa, located in the Indian Ocean (off Africa’s East Coast) in Madagascar. It is also the fourth largest in the world.
- Victoria Falls, located along the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Zambezi River is the fall’s main water source.
Aren’t these some great facts? Some of them I had no idea until I did some research. I’ve been to Africa three times where it was educational, inspiring, and rewarding. The first time was to Egypt about 7 years ago to celebrate my birthday. Then 3 years later to Cape Town, South Africa to celebrate another birthday. Now almost a year later, I visited Morocco. From the North to South to the West to the East, Africa has its own beauty. So let take a digital journey of my visit to the motherland, Africa!
Egypt (Cairo)
The Great Pyramid of Giza (also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza pyramid complex. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact.
Ten Facts about Egypt
The Great Sphinx of Giza is the most instantly recognizable statue associated with ancient Egypt and among the most famous in the world. The sculpture, of a recumbent lion with the head of an Egyptian king, was carved out of limestone on the Giza plateau.
The Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha or Alabaster Mosque is a mosque situated in the Citadel of Cairo in Egypt. Situated on the summit of the citadel, this Ottoman mosque, the largest to be built in the first half of the 19th century,
View of Cairo from the Muhammad Ali Mosque
Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town is a coastal city in South Africa. It is the second-most populous urban area in South Africa after Johannesburg. It is also the capital and primate city of the Western Cape province. The city is famous for its harbor and for such well-known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. It is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants and expatriates to South Africa. Cited Wikipedia
https://www.internationalcaty.com/capetown5/
https://www.internationalcaty.com/capetown2/
https://www.internationalcaty.com/capetown4/
https://www.internationalcaty.com/capetown6/
Morocco
Morocco is a North African country that has a coastline on both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It has borders with Western Sahara to the south, Algeria to the east, and the Spanish North African territories of Ceuta and Melilla on the Mediterranean coast in the north. It is just across the Strait of Gibraltar from Gibraltar. cited by Wikitravel
Ten quick facts about Morocco:
I will leave with this story — when I was in high school, we had several students immigrated from Ethiopia. During that time, all we heard in the media was the starvation of the Ethiopians. When the sisters came, we were in disbelief because we were expecting them to look like what we saw on television. That was not the case! They were 5 beautiful young ladies with beautiful brown skin that spoke English perfectly and came from a loving family. After that day, I told myself that I will be the one to see the world through my eyes rather than continue with the misinformation and prejudice. The world is a beautiful place. See it for yourself
I love reading about Africa because I really haven’t explored it much yet (only been to Zanzibar) and have been planning a trip to Egypt and Capetown (separately of course) for the longest! Thanks for putting together these interesting facts and sharing your pictures. I didn’t know Madagascar is the largest island in Africa!
Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa, 3 amazing countries on my bucket list! It’s incredible to think about how big and diverse Africa is in its cultures, history, and language. 1500 languages is incredible! I’ve always been interested in Egyptian history and 2650 B.C. for the first pyramid is just fascinating. How did they manage to build such amazing structures with limited technology?! Thanks for sharing and stirring up my African wanderlust!
Wow, what a thorough article! I actually wrote a similar one about America, which is really two continents, and has never had an opinion. :p I actually have never been to Africa, despite my dad coming from South Africa, and now I’m even more excited to go. I certainly learned a lot from all the data you have here, including things I didn’t even know about South Africa! I hope I don’t need a yellow fever vaccination when I go. I hate needles!
This is a beautiful post. It always irritates me when people treat Africa like a country! I had no idea that Madagascar was the largest island! That’s a very interesting fact! Thanks for the more in-depth looks at South Africa, Morocco and Egypt!
I can’t believe there are 54 countries in Africa! It’s true that many people think it’s one giant country though. That’s amazing there are over 1 billion people who speak over 1,500 different languages. That’s a lot!
I have never been to Africa but would love to explore some of the huge continent! I had no idea there were so many languages spoken there, or so many countries – my knowledge of Africa is pretty poor so thank you for sharing more information – we should all make more effort to learn more about our world!
Africa is such a diverse and beautiful! I have a few places that are situated in this gorgeous continent right on top of my bucket list, such as Egypt, Morrocco, Cape Town and Victoria Falls etc. Love your photos and the big and interesting amount of information you have provided.
You’re right, most of us know very little about the African continent. This post has given me so much information about different aspects of Africa, and has actually filled in many gaps in my knowledge. As true travellers, it is important that we rid our minds of misconceptions based on preconceived notions and that’s how our learning can become real.
I’ve been dreaming of going to Egypt since I was a little girl. Morocco is also high on my list. I’ve been to Cape Town, but unfortunately that is the only part of Africa that I have explored. I’m glad that you’re reminding people that Africa is indeed made up of so many countries and how much there is to see and explore.
what a fantastic post because most people don’t know how huge a continent is and in a week they can’t travel from north to south at a slow speed. One thing that stood out in your post is the architecture style of Muhammad Ali Mosque. It is so Arabic in nature and mostly is found in Turkey.