Facts about Africa

With its rich geography and interesting history, Africa boasts of a lot more than infamous issues like poverty and Apartheid. Of the 54 African countries, and some disputed territories, the largest country happens to be Algeria. Similarly, Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is the largest city of the African continent. Africa is the second largest continent as far as the size and population is concerned. It is facts like these which make you realize that, there is much more to see and do in Africa - a continent which is endowed with some of the best wonders of the nature, than what you know.

Interesting Facts about Africa
Africa is the second largest continent in the world. Its total area of approximately, 11 million square miles accounts for 5.7 percent of the total surface of the Earth, and 20 percent of the total land surface of the planet. Given below are some more interesting facts about the continent of Africa, which are bound to leave you amazed.

1. Interestingly the length and breadth of the African continent is almost the same. It measures approximately, 4,660 from north to south, as well as east to west.
2. Other than being the second largest, Africa is also the second most populous continent in the world, housing 12 percent of the total world population.
3. The most populated country in Africa is Nigeria, with an estimated population of 120 - 140 millions, while the least populated country is the Seychelles, with an estimated population of 80,000 people.
4. There are approximately, 3,000 distinct ethnic groups in Africa. Nigeria, alone, has around 370 officially recognized tribes.
5. There are around 2,000 different languages spoken in Africa, each of which has several dialects. Arabic is the most widely spoken language in the continent.
6. The Equator runs for around 2,500 miles from west to east of Africa, dividing the continent into two halves - north and south. It passes through as many as half a dozen African nations, which include Uganda, Congo, Somalia and Kenya.
7. If fossils are to be believed, Africa is the first continent which hosted humans. Fossil remains suggest that humans existed on this continent as along as 7 million years ago.
8. Africa is also the home to the longest river in the World, the Nile which runs for more or less 4,150 miles, before emptying itself in the vast ocean. It flows through several African nations, including Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.
9. Victoria Falls, located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, is the largest waterfall in Africa. It is approximately, a mile in width and 355 feet in height.
10. Africa is also a home to the largest desert in the world, the Sahara desert which spans across a dozen countries and over an area of 3.5 million square miles.
11. The largest mountain in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro (19,340 feet), while the largest lake in Africa is Lake Victoria (26,560 square miles).
12. Off the east coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean, lies Madagascar, the largest island in Africa. With a length of around a 1,000 miles and width of 350 miles, it is also the 4th largest island in the world.
13. Africa has one of the most flourishing wildlife in the world. It is home to four of the world's fastest land animals, i.e. cheetah, gazelle wildebeest and lion.
14. Approximately, 50 percent of the gold and diamonds produced in the world come from Africa alone, while the rest of the world accounts for the remaining 50 percent of the production of these valuables.
15. South Africa is home to the largest green canyon in the world - the Blyde River Canyon. The canyon also boasts about being the third largest canyon in the world, after the Grand Canyon (United States) and Fish River Canyon (Namibia).
16. Vilakazi Street in Soweto, South Africa, is the only street in the world, which boasts of housing two Nobel Prize winners - Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

With all these things to its credit, it is no surprise that this continent is a popular destination for people from various walks of life - right from vacationists to wildlife enthusiasts. It would be surprising, if you don't enlist a trip to Africa in your things-to-do-before-you-die list now