Africa Facts: It’s Not a Country
One of the most interesting Africa facts, in my opinion, is that despite the fact that it is a continent made up of over 50 distinct countries, people refer to it by its continental name of Africa, as if it was one gigantic country. I chalk this up to the fact that Africa facts are not common knowledge to many people.
So first on the list of Africa facts is this: Africa is not a country. It’s a continent. In fact, it is the second biggest continent, after Asia, with more than 11 million square miles of land. The Continent of Africa takes up approximately 22 percent of the land area on the planet.
The African Continent is sliced almost equally in half by the equator, with the Atlantic Ocean on its west coast and the Indian Ocean to the east. Northern African countries border the southern end of the Mediterranean Sea and the neighboring continents of Europe and Asia. Africa extends far south, and its nearest southern neighbor is Antarctica.
There are 53 countries in Africa, and each has its own unique history and identity. The first African civilization dates back over 6,000 years and is said to have originated along the lower banks of the Nile River. Ancient peoples thrived across the African continent until Europeans came onto the seen during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Centuries of colonialism, slavery, extreme poverty, disease and civil war devastated many African nations, but some are now becoming shining examples of what a strong people can accomplish together. The Continent of Africa and its countries offer the world a wealth of fun facts:
> The largest African country is Sudan, located in the northeast portion of the continent.
> The most populous African country is Nigeria, with an estimated 113 million residents.
> Seychelles is the smallest African country, and it is also an island. The smallest continental country in Africa is Gambia.
> The Egyptian Capital City of Cairo is the biggest city on the African continent, with a population of over 9 million people.
> Africa’s Nile River is the longest river in the world, measuring more than 4,000 miles. Other major African rivers are the Congo, Niger, Zambezi and Orange.
> The highest point on the African continent is Mount Kilimanjaro in the east African country of Tanzania.
> Lake Victoria is the largest lake on the African continent. It is also the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Its waters touch the African countries of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
> Africa is home to the Sahara Desert, which at 3.5 million miles of land is the largest contiguous desert on the planet. And it’s growing.
> The world’s fastest land mammal, the cheetah, is native to Africa. It has been clocked at up to 70 miles per hour.
> Africa also gave the world the largest living land mammal. The African elephant weighs in at 6 or 7 tons. Despite their gigantic size, an elephant can use its trunk to turn the pages of a book.