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Interesting facts about Africa: population and culture of the mainland

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Africa is one of the most interesting continents today due to its diverse landscapes and stunning nature. This continent is also called the "cradle of mankind". If you are planning to visit the black mainland or are just interested in it, we offer you to get acquainted with the most interesting facts about Africa.

Where did the name "Africa" come from?

There are several theories regarding the origin of the name. The most likely is that the word comes from the Afri people, who lived in the north of the mainland in 300 BC. As for the suffix "ka", it is believed that it was added by the Romans, and it means "land" or "country".

Another theory is that in Latin the word means "sunny" and in Greek it means "without cold."

Dimensions of the African continent

It is the second largest continent on our planet. It occupies approximately 22% of the area of our Earth. It is washed by two oceans (Indian and Atlantic) and two seas (Red and Mediterranean).

Diversity of cultures and peoples

This is the place where mankind originated, the birthplace of the first great civilization on Earth (Egyptian). The cultures and peoples inhabiting Africa are numerous and unique, from Islamic to North Africa to the fascinating tribal cultures of the South. All of them form a dynamic amalgam that catches the eye of millions of tourists every year.

Another interesting fact about Africa is that it currently has about one billion people, which is 16% of the world's population. More than a quarter of the total number of languages spoken on our planet are African.

This is another proof of the huge cultural diversity of this continent. The most populated country– Nigeria. The second most populous country is Egypt, a country with big amount tourists and tourist attractions, mainly thanks to the pyramids and the Sphinx.

world records

The Nile River in Egypt is the longest river in the world, with a length of 4132 kilometers. In addition, the African continent is famous for its big desert in the world, the Sahara, which covers an area larger than the area of the United States.

Africa is home to the fastest animals on the planet - the cheetah and the wildebeest. In addition, Lake Malawi has the largest number of fish species in the entire world, and the African elephant is the largest land animal on Earth.

Religions and beliefs

The most widespread local religion is Islam, followed by Christianity. These religions have fully adapted to the characteristics of local cultures and earlier beliefs.

A few archaic forms of beliefs have also been preserved, mainly in the small authentic tribes of the African continent.

The highest mountain

The highest mountain is Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic peaks Shira, Kibo and Mawenzi. This is a potentially dangerous dormant volcano located in Tanzania.

Country with the most pyramids

You might think that the answer is obvious and it is Egypt, but this is far from the truth. Although Egypt does contain the most famous pyramids, Sudan has doubled more pyramids. But because these pyramids are small and not as tall, they are not as popular as their Egyptian counterparts.

Of course, this is only a small part of the interesting facts about Africa, the most interesting you can find out by visiting this continent on your own. We would love it if you share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Africa is the second most populous continent with over 1.1 billion people. This is a huge number of nationalities, languages and cultures. Among the conflict and poor countries, there are also quite peaceful, safe and interesting for tourists. Many travelers are familiar with countries such as South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. And about where you can have a good time south of the Sahara edition of Onetwotrip.com.

Sierra Leone

Perhaps the most unexpected state on this list is Sierra Leone, which not so long ago was torn apart for ten years by Civil War. However, since 2002, Sierra Leone has undergone major changes and today it is already among the peace-loving countries according to the Global Security Index (GPI). Sierra Leone is considered one of the most religiously tolerant countries in the world, and life expectancy local population is 57 years old, which is not bad by African standards.

There are many beautiful nature reserves such as the Gala rainforest or the Outamba-Kilimi National Park, clean beaches on the coast of the Atlantic, and its capital Freetown - oldest city in West Africa.

Botswana

Leader in security on the African continent. Whether this is due to the fact that peace and tranquility is one of the main features of both the Tswana people and the Bushmen, or the fact that the Botswana people understand the economic contribution of tourists, but anyway there is a very low crime rate.

True, no one promises that baboons will not attack you, so during the safari it is recommended not to feed these warlike monkeys and not even smile at them. In general, there are a lot of animals in Botswana; for example, the largest population of elephants in the world lives here.

One of the popular tourist attractions, along with a safari to the Kalahari Desert and a visit to national parks, since the 30s of the last century, it has been considered the search for ancient treasures hidden from the colonialists in the caves of Gchvikhaba. No one has found the treasure yet, but the caves themselves with amazing stalactites up to 10 meters long are worth going to the north of the country for them.

Ghana

In 2008, Ghana was ranked by the Global Security Index as the most safe country Africa and has since held the top lines in this ranking. The country rarely has internal conflicts and has peaceful relations with its neighbors. Tourists are treated very friendly here and speak English with them. official language Ghana.

Here you can visit numerous reserves with elephants, antelopes, monkeys and other exotic animals, visit the ruins of castles and fortresses of Cape Post and Elmina, listed world heritage UNESCO, and spend time on clean, uncrowded beaches.

Namibia

This country in Southwest Africa is an oasis of stability and security on a troubled black continent. It was discovered quite late (in 1878) by Europeans, quickly got out of all internal and external conflicts and is now one of the richest African countries.

Here is the oldest desert on earth - the Namib, the legendary Skeleton Coast, many national parks, the site of the fall of the largest Hob meteorite, the second largest after the Colorado Canyon and much more.

Good in Namibia highways, and tourist The train Desert Express runs between the capital Windhoek and resort town Swakopmund, making stops along the way at particularly noteworthy places.

Uganda

Uganda is considered safe for foreigners by both the GPI and public tourism opinion. Perhaps this is due to the fact that it is not customary here for merchants and barkers to pester people, perhaps due to the fact that the proportion of the urban population in the country is only 13%, and the main attractions are not in the villages.

Tourists in Uganda need to have time to see a lot: one of the oldest in Africa national park queen Elizabeth, Botanical Garden Entebbe, where the first film about Tarzan was filmed, the Rwenzori mountain range - most likely, it was them that the ancient Egyptians called Moon mountains. Here are engaged sailing on Lake Victoria and rafting on the Nile, which originates in Uganda.

If locals here they do not cause much concern to tourists, then you need to be careful with animals, especially if you see an elephant with a baby elephant. By the way, Uganda is located on the main migration route of northern birds: eagles, cuckoos, swallows, kites and many birds familiar to us winter here.

Cape Verde

Cape Verde or the Cape Verde Islands is an archipelago off the west coast of Africa. Tranquility, tranquility, relative cleanliness and an acceptable level of service (European companies invest in local tourism) await tourists here, in the homeland of the famous singer Cesaria Evora.

There are enough picturesque landscapes on the islands: extinct volcanoes, mountain ranges, where you can go trekking, flowering meadows, where you just need to take a walk. But main feature Cape Verde, of course, is the ocean - it is used to its full potential: starting from beaches with black volcanic sand, continuing with dives to shipwrecks and ending with windsurfing, the schools of which are on every island, but the island of Sal is especially famous for them.

Kenya

Kenya, country of the Maasai tribe and business card real African nature, very beautiful, friendly and tourist developed. Mount Kenya is the second highest on the continent after Kilimanjaro. Schools of migratory birds can be observed throughout the country, and views of highest mountain Africa (Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania) from Kenya's Ambosseli Park, perhaps even better than the view from the mountain itself.

Tanzania

The inhabitants of Tanzania are friendly and smiling, but, as elsewhere, travelers should not lose their vigilance - there are enough robbers here. But there are still many tourists in Tanzania who come here without fear. Here, in the homeland of Freddie Mercury, there is something to see.

Firstly, the Kilimanjaro volcano, to the top of which numerous hiking trails. Secondly, the island of Zanzibar - resort place, where the most beautiful city, founded by the Arabs in the 9th century, is located stone city. From here they go on tours for spices, during which you can chop cinnamon and try unfamiliar spices. Thirdly, the famous Serengeti National Park, which occupies huge area and where more than three million large wild animals live.

Fourth, biosphere reserve Ngorongoro, located in a colossal (21 km in diameter) crater extinct volcano. It is home to about 25,000 different animals and has the highest concentration of predators in all of Africa.

Madagascar

Madagascar is a separate continent in miniature: it is so unlike Africa or any other place on earth. Here are amazing landscapes, and 80% of the living animals and plants are found nowhere else.

There are many on the island natural parks and protected areas. Most big nature reserve Tsingy de Bemaraha, which, like many others, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The country is rich beautiful beaches; Traditionally it is believed that swimming on west coast safer - there are fewer sharks.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa: it is here, on the border with Zambia, that famous waterfall Victoria. In Zambia, by the way, there are fewer tourists, so those who prefer a more secluded environment are advised to admire the miracle of nature there.

In Zimbabwe, the conservation structure works very well and there are unusually many animals here even for Africa, so hunting is allowed in some places (it is already prohibited almost everywhere on the continent).

In addition to countless national parks, there is also a unique historical object- stone ruins Greater Zimbabwe: pagan temple complex built over a thousand years ago.

Tourists who are going on a trip to Africa must definitely do all the vaccinations, their list is usually on the website of the embassies. Even in those countries for which vaccination is not required, it is necessary to take antimalarial pills, and start taking them even before the trip. It is strictly forbidden to use raw water even for brushing your teeth.

Listed below are a variety of facts about Africa - geographical, economic, political, and many others. Of course, these are not all the facts about Africa, it would be impossible to list all the facts about this continent, but, nevertheless, these are interesting and curious facts.

Africa is the second continent of the world, both in terms of size and population. As of 2013, almost 15 percent of the world's population lived in Africa.
More than a billion people (1.1 billion) live in Africa, and the number of languages spoken in Africa exceeds 1,500. One in four of the world's languages are spoken in Africa.
Overall size Africa - a little more than 30 million square kilometers, which is approximately one fifth of the entire land area of the Earth. Based on this, the African continent is larger than India, China, Mexico, and the United States, as well as a large part of Europe combined.
During the early Mesozoic era, Africa was connected to all the other continents, and together they formed a supercontinent called Pangea. Subsequently, Pangea broke up into continents, which took on the form familiar to us today.
Even though Africa is the second largest continent in the world, Africa's coastline is the shortest of all the other continents.
World civilization began in Africa. pharaonic civilization ancient egypt- the most old civilization with advanced literacy. According to historical records, the Egyptian state began its existence around 3300 BC.
Islam is the dominant religion in Africa. Christianity follows. In addition, the most widely spoken language in Africa is Arabic.
It is predicted that by 2050, about 38% of all Christians in the world will live in sub-Saharan Africa (Black Africa region).
Africa is the most central continent in the world geographic point vision. How Prime Meridian(longitude - 0 degrees) and the equator (latitude - 0 degrees) are located on the territory of the African continent.
The most large country Africa - Algeria. Its area is almost 2.4 million sq. km. The smallest country in Africa - Seychelles ( Island state, with an area of only 453 sq. km.).
Africa's most populous country is Nigeria (2015 population estimate 184 million).
Nigeria has the highest GDP ($568 billion in 2015) of all African countries. The lowest GDP in Africa is in Sao Tome and Principe ($335 million in 2015).
At its closest point to Europe, Africa is separated from Europe by only 14.3 kilometers of water.
The Nile River in Africa is the longest river in the world. Its total length is 6,650 km, it flows through 11 countries and flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
The biggest African island located in Indian Ocean(along east coast Africa) - Madagascar. It is also the fourth largest island in the world.
Victoria Falls, located along the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, is one of the seven natural wonders Sveta. The main source of water for the falls is the Zambezi River.
Most large lake Africa - Lake Victoria. It is also the second largest fresh lake world (with an area of 68,000 sq. km.).
The Sahara Desert, located in Africa, is the world's largest hot desert (with an area of 9.4 million square kilometers), and the third largest desert in the world, after the Arctic (second largest) and Antarctic (first largest).
Africa's highest point is Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Its height is 5,895 meters above sea level.
As the tallest animal in the world, and the largest, it comes from Africa. This is a giraffe, and an African elephant, respectively.
The giraffe is listed as an endangered species in at least 7 African countries.
The hippopotamus is the deadliest animal in Africa. Hippos in Africa are killing more people than crocodiles and lions combined.
Today, Bushmen living in southern Africa use the same tools found in a cave inhabited 44,000 years ago.
About 41 per cent of children in Africa between the ages of 1 and 5 are actively involved in child labour.
In Africa, as in Asia, people have to walk an average of 6 km. a day to get water for various purposes.
39 percent of children under 5 living in Burundi are underweight.
Over 90 per cent of all malaria cases in the world occur in Africa. Every year, 3,000 children die from this disease.
IN African state Swaziland one in four adults is HIV positive.
Estimated, total number infected with HIV in Africa - 25 million.
The Second Congolese War, which lasted from 1998 to 2006, claimed the most lives (5.4 million) than any other war since the Second World War. Eight African states were involved in this conflict.
According to the World Bank, on Seychelles in 2010, the female literacy rate was 92 percent. The same rate at the same time was 13 percent in Chad and 15 percent in Niger.
As of 2010, it took 216 days in Guinea-Bissau to complete all the procedures required to open a business. In Rwanda, the same thing could be done in only 3 days.
Only 24 percent of the inhabitants of the villages and villages of Black Africa have standard sanitary conditions. In cities, this figure is 42 percent.
The African country of Tanzania has the highest number of people in the world with albinism (lack of the melanin pigment that gives color to the skin, hair, and membranes of the eye, as a result of which a dark-skinned person can look like a light-skinned person). Various medicine men and healers in Africa capture people with albinism and use their organs in their rituals, which they believe will cure the disease.
In the Witwatersrand mountains South Africa contains almost half of all the gold mined in Africa.
More people speak French in Africa than in France itself.
Most of the world's fastest distance runners come from the Kalenjin tribe in Kenya.
Egypt is the most popular tourist destination Africa. More than 10 million people visit the country every year as tourists. In addition, Cairo - the capital of Egypt - is the most major city Africa.
In northern Africa, there are two Spanish exclaves - Melilla and Ceuta.
The national flag of Mozambique depicts a Kalashnikov assault rifle. It's the only one state flag in the world with the image of the machine gun.
All African states were colonized by Europeans, with the exception of two: Ethiopia and Liberia. Ethiopia was an Orthodox Christian country, while Liberia was a country of African-American settlers who were slaves.
To date, African countries are united by one organization - the African Union (AU). AS was established in 2001. Only one African country - Morocco - is not a member of the AU.
The two most popular sports in Africa are football and cricket. They both appeared in Africa during the colonial era.
Africa has over 100 million Facebook accounts.

The African continent is able to surprise and charm any traveler. Africa attracts with its mystery and naturalness. Today it is one of the most interesting places on Earth, thanks to its nature and landscapes, color and, of course, inhabitants. This article contains the most Interesting Facts about Africa:

According to archaeological sites It was on the African continent that human civilization was born.
Africa is considered the only one of the 6 continents on which there are still places untouched by man.
It is home to unique species of wild animals that are not found anywhere else in the world.
The area of the Sahara (the world's largest desert) is larger than the area of the entire United States.
Nile is the most long river Africa and the second longest in the world (after the Amazon).
Lake Victoria is a freshwater reservoir, which is considered the second largest in the world and second only to Lake Baikal.
The sound of the Victoria Falls can be heard for 40 km.
African men and women have the lowest life expectancy. The average is 49 years.
This is the most "seven" continent, because it is crossed by the zero meridian and the equator.

The Pyramids of Cheops, which are located in Egypt, are one of the wonders of the world. It is the only one of the surviving miracles.
Black Lake - natural phenomenon, where ink is contained instead of water. No fish live in it and no algae grow. Reasons for the origin of this unique phenomenon- are still unknown.
Few people know that Venice is not the only city on the water in the world. So in Africa there is the city of Ganvie, where houses are built on the water.
Richat, also known as the Eye of the Sahara, is a geological structure in the desert. Due to its considerable diameter (50 km), the Eye of the Sahara was clearly visible from space and served as a guide for astronauts for a long time.
Heraklion - ancient, sunken, Egyptian city. Discovered, relatively recently, during the operation of the search for sunken ships.
Ol Doinio Lengai is an African volcano whose lava temperature does not exceed 600C. It is considered the only "cold volcano" in the world.
Sidi Bou Said is the third largest surviving Colosseum in the world. Included in the UN heritage list. This is a city in the north of Tunisia, it is also called the "blue pearl of Africa", the city received this name due to the fact that it is painted in white and blue.
Kolmanskop is a city in Namibia, one of the most famous ghost towns in the world. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was the center of diamond mining in Africa. Now, its territory can only be visited for a fee, as part of a tourist group.

Natron is red-pink lake in Tanzania. Due to excess salt on the surface of the lake, it changes its color from pink to bright scarlet. It is one of the few places on earth where flamingos breed.
The Stone Forest or Tsingy de Bemaraha, a geological plateau located in Madagascar, has an amazing landscape of caste origin. Included in the list of objects under the protection of UNESCO.
Tatawin - the city-prototype of the planet Tatooine from the saga " star Wars". Some parts of the film were filmed right here.
The level of gold and diamond mining in Africa is the highest among all continents.
On the African continent, I simultaneously live tribes whose population is considered the most tall people in the world. The average height of an adult male here is about 1m 85cm. There are also tribes where people live whose height does not exceed 1m 35cm.
Equatorial Guinea is the wealthiest country on the continent. It ranks 24th in the ranking of the richest countries in the world.
Kilimanjaro is a volcano that has never erupted (according to other sources, the eruption was more than 2 thousand years ago), but is considered active.

The naked mole rat is a small rodent, unique in its kind, because it is insensitive to certain types of pain. Lives in Kenya and Ethiopia.
Egypt is not the only country African continent where there are pyramids. There are more than 200 pyramids in Sudan. Only they are no less famous than the Egyptian ones. Sudan is the largest country on the African continent. The smallest country is considered to be the Seychelles.
Nigeria is the country with the largest population.
Africa also has penguins. These are spectacled penguins - an endangered species that lives on the coasts of Namibia and South Africa.
Cannibalism is still common in some African tribes.
Graça Machel is an African woman who has been honored to be first lady twice. The first - as the wife of Samor Mashela, the second - as the wife of Nelson Mandela.
Baobab can live up to 10 thousand years. The tree can change in volume, because during the rainy season the baobab accumulates moisture, and then consumes it.
8 Nobel laureates were from South Africa - this is the highest figure among all countries in Africa.

The world's first heart transplant (1967) was performed in Africa.
An underground lake in the Sahara is the source of water for all the oases of the desert.
The oldest operating university in the world is located in the city of Fes. This is Al-Qarween. Outstanding Eastern philosophers and mathematicians studied there.
Cartographers have created a unique map of the Sahara. It indicates the places where people most often see mirages.
Over 35% of Africans are uneducated.
Egypt is the most popular country Africa among travelers. Every year, it is visited by more than 10 million tourists.
Islam is the most widespread religion on the continent. It is practiced by more than 75% of the total population.

The African elephant is the largest land animal in the world. Its weight is from 6 to 7 tons.
Morocco is the only country in Africa that is not part of the African Union.
Africa has the lowest number of Internet users of any continent.
Nigeria is the largest oil importing country in Africa.
Translated from Latin, "Africa" means "sunny".
The distance between Morocco and Spain is only 13 km.
On French more people speak in Africa than in France.

Of course that's not all interesting facts about Africa, to list all the unusual and mysterious about this continent is impossible in one article. Africa still keeps a lot of things unknown to man!

An amazing continent with over one billion people. There are jungles here, and even glaciers. The continent is located in all four hemispheres of the Earth. Learn more about the continent from the following ten amazing and important geographical facts about Africa.

Maybe Africa is the cradle of mankind

East African rift valley separating Somali and Nubian tectonic plates, is the site of several important discoveries remains of human ancestors by anthropologists. The active expanding valley is considered the cradle of mankind, where our journey probably began, millions of years ago. The discovery of Lucy's skeletal fragments in 1974 in Ethiopia was the impetus for serious research in the region.

Africa is the second largest continent in the world

Less than half of Africa's population lives in cities

Africa is a poorly urbanized region of the world. Only 39% of the continent's population lives in cities. The continent is home to only two metropolitan areas with over ten million inhabitants: Cairo (Egypt) and Lagos (Nigeria). Cairo has between 11 and 15 million people, while Lagos has between 10 and 12 million people. The third largest city in Africa is probably Kinshasa, the capital Democratic Republic Congo, home to 8 to 10 million people.

Kilimanjaro is the highest point on the continent

The summit of Mount Kilimanjaro is above level. Located in Tanzania near the Kenyan border, this dormant volcano rises to a height of 5,895 meters. Kilimanjaro has Africa's only glacier, although scientists predict that all ice on the mountain's summit will disappear by the 2030s due to global warming.

Africa has the largest arid desert in the world

While the Sahara is not Earth's hottest desert, it is the most visible. The desert covers more than 9 million km² or about 31% of total area mainland sushi.

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