About Africa Continent
Africa is the world’s second-largest continent with an area of about 30.3 million km2 and also the second most populous continent with around 1.4 billion people calling it home. It is the world’s youngest continent in terms of the median age of its population. The per capita GDP of the African population is least among all continents.
Africa is the only continent through which all three: the Equator, the Tropic of Cancer, and the Tropic of Capricorn pass. The intersection point of 0o latitude (equator) and 0o longitude (prime meridian) passes from the middle of Atlantic ocean in Gulf of Guinea off the coast of western Africa . The intersection point is located in the Gulf of Guinea, 600km off the coast of West Africa. The African continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean sea and the strait of Gibraltar to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest, Red sea and Gulf of Aden to the northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the southeast. The continent of Africa has five major geographical regions namely – North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa.
Africa contains 54 fully recognized sovereign countries out of which 6 are island nations and 48 others form the mainland African continent. It also consists of two self-declared sovereign states with little or no recognition- Somaliland (part of Somalia) and Western Sahara (part of Morocco). All African nations work in cooperation through the African Union, established in 1999 for better coordination and cooperation for the development of Africa.
Africa is also highly biodiverse. It houses the largest number of large animal species such as lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, etc. It has over 3000 protected areas with 90 biosphere reserves and more than 400 wetland reserves.
15 Interesting Facts About Africa
Africa, being a vast land of mass, has a lot of interesting geographical and cultural features. Various interesting facts about Africa are listed below.
| S.No. | Title | Descrption |
| 1. | Largest Country | Algeria, with an area of about 2.4 million km2, is the largest country in Africa in terms of area and 90 % of the country is desert. It is also the world’s 10th largest country by area. |
| 2. | Smallest Country | Seychelles, an archipelago of just 451 km2 area, is the smallest country of Africa. |
| 3. | Longest River | Nile is the longest river of Africa which traverses more than 6650 km length before draining into the Mediterranean sea. It is, in fact, the world’s longest river too. |
| 4. | Highest Mountain | Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is Africa’s highest mountain with a height of 5895 m. |
| 5. | Biggest Lake | Lake Victoria or Victoria Nyanza is the biggest lake in Africa. It is also the world’s second-largest freshwater lake. |
| 6. | Driest Place | Sahara desert in northern Africa is the driest place in the continent. It is also the world’s largest hot desert and third largest desert after Antarctica and the Arctic. |
| 7. | People of Africa | Africa is home to more than 3000 indigenous tribes having their own language and culture. It is home to the world’s poorest people, with the GDP per capita lowest among all continents. |
| 8. | Languages in Africa | More than 2000 languages are spoken in Africa, as per the UNESCO estimates. It is the most multilingual continent on Earth. Though, owing to its colonial past, most African countries have adopted languages of European origin as their official languages. English is the most commonly recognized language in Africa. Apart from this French, Portuguese, and Spanish are also used for official purposes in many African countries. Arabic is the official language of many Northern African countries. |
| 9. | Religion | The majority of Africans believe in their traditional religious beliefs, though most of them identify themselves with the religions that came from outside the continent through colonization. Christianity is followed by almost 49% of Africa’s population, whereas 36% of Africans are Muslims, mainly concentrated in Northern Africa. African folk religions are also followed by a large population in Arica. Apart from this, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jewish religions are also found in traces in some African countries. |
| 10. | Tourist attractions | Major tourist attractions in Africa are Victoria Falls (Zambia, Zimbabwe), Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Maasai Mara National Reserve (Kenya), Giza Necropolis (Egypt), Cape Town (South Africa). |
| 11. | Animals | Africa houses the largest number of large animal species such as lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, etc. It has a lot of endangered and critically endangered species such as African Savanna elephant, black rhinoceros, etc. |
| 12. | Natural Resources | Africa is rich in natural resources. It has huge mineral reserves of diamonds, gold, chromium etc. More than 60% of the African population is engaged in agriculture while growing corn, coffee, wheat, etc as its main produce. |
| 13. | Africa Is Home To The World’s Oldest University | University of Al Quaraouiyine in Morocco is the world’s oldest existing, continuously operating university. It was established in 859 AD. |
| 14. | Major Desert | Some of the major deserts in Africa are the Sahara desert, Kalahari desert, Danakil desert, Namib desert, and Karoo desert. |
| 15. | Africa Is A Home To The Largest Wildlife Immigration On Earth | “The Great Wildebeest Migration” in Africa is the largest wildlife immigration on Earth. |
Conclusion
Africa has many interesting facts which are unique to the continent. The best-known features of the African continent are its biodiversity and abundance of natural resources both of which are continuously challenged by the changing climate, corruption, political instability, and social unrest.
The huge inequality gap in Africa has led to the exploitation of the majority of Africans by a few powerful people. This has aptly been described by various people as the “resource curse on Africa”.
Global effort and a coordinated approach by African nations is the need of time to address the ever-rising threats to biodiversity and peace in Africa. The African Union, United Nations, and various other multilateral platforms must be exploited to make a more sustainable and peaceful Africa.
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