If someone were to ask you to teach them about Africa, what would you say? Would you bestow any facts upon them or would you only be able to repeat inaccurate stereotypes? Don’t feel bad if it’s the latter, though. We all make assumptions and judgments based on the things we have heard over the years.
It’s about time, though, that you learned a thing or two about this large continent. Africa is way more amazing than you probably think.
1.) Spread across the vast area of Africa, are 54 independent countries.
2.) The Sahara Desert is Northern Africa is the largest desert in the world. It’s even bigger than the United States.
3.) Nigeria’s film industry is the second largest in the world. Producers there create more films annually than Hollywood.
4.) There are more French speakers in Africa than there are in France.
5.) The population of Africa is expected to reach 2.3 billion by 2050.
6.) Islam is the most popular religion in Africa, followed closely by Christianity. Only 15 percent of Africans consider themselves nonreligious or adhere to more traditional African religions.
7.) Africa is big enough to be fit the continental United States, China, Japan, India, Eastern Europe, Germany, and France within its borders at the same time.
8.) In total the nearly one billion people living in Africa makes up 16 percent of the world’s population. However Africa accounts for nearly 25 percent of the languages spoken on Earth.
9.) Only two nations in Africa have never been under European colonial rule: Liberia, and Ethiopia.
10.) More Guinness beer is drunk in Nigeria than in Ireland itself.
11.) Africa’s Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh water lake in the world.
12.) Algeria is the largest country in Africa with a territory spanning 2.5 million square miles.
13.) It’s estimated that there are at least 3,000 distinct ethnic groups (tribes) in Africa.
14.) The Nile River in Egypt is the longest river in the world.
And to think, I’ve never even heard of “Nollywood” before. It’s time to have a movie marathon!
