Myths and misconceptions about Africa are commonplace in the West.

On a recent
episode of the American tv reality series, "Amazing Race", one of the contestants
exclaims, "There's no snow in Africa!". Well, in fact there is. This is just one example of
the kinds of things many people think they know about Africa, but in fact have quite
wrong. Below are ten of the most common myths I've heard over the years, and now you
can help shed some light on what too many people still think of as the "dark continent".

Adam Jones/Iconica/Getty Images

1. Africa is A Country
People often refer to "Africa" as if it is a country rather than a continent. Well, it is a continent
and home to 54 independent, unique countries with South Sudan being the latest addition in July
2011. Each country has its own currency, flag, anthem, history, cuisine, music, identity and blend
of cultures. In fact more than2000 languages are spoken in Africa, and its 1 billion inhabitants
are made up of over 3000 distinct ethnic groups. Africa is also bigger than most people think it
is, even if they know it covers 30,221,000 sq km (11,679,000 sq miles). If you combine the USA,
China, India, Europe and Japan they all fit into Africa. In fact the USA fits into the African
continent three times!

2. Africa is Dangerous and Violent

With wars, revolutions, pirates and child soldiers making the news, it's really no wonder that the
myth about Africa being a dangerous place is a common one. If New York City was judged by
reading the New York Post, few tourists would dream of visiting. Of course bad news is news, so
you don't get to hear enough about the good things that happen on the continent. How often do
you hear about Botswana orGhana in the news? How often is the middle class in Africa given
any air time? Never really. As a visitor to Africa it's likely you'll avoid certain countries -- no one
would suggest you spend a week at the beach in Somalia. There are countries, some cities and
borders that are very dangerous, but given the size of the continent, it is not hard to see that there
are many perfectly peaceful and safe places to visit. Violent crime against tourists in all African
countries is quite rare, and personally I feel a lot safer walking around Accra than Amsterdam.
As a visitor you are much more likely to be killed with kindness than anything else.

3. Africa is Poor and Disease Ridden

Poverty is obviously something that will strike you as a visitor to many African countries. But
African countries are not all poor. It's the distribution of wealth that's the biggest problem. South
Africa is an incredibly wealthy country. In fact its GDP outranks that of Belgium and Sweden. It
has many natural resources, a good education system, excellent universities, sparkling business
districts and very advanced hospitals. Unfortunately much of its population does not get to share
the wealth. Did you know that Egypt, Nigeria and Algeria are all richer on paper (as per GDP
and PPP) than Denmark and Norway? There are middle class people in every African country
commuting to work every day, complaining about taxes and watching their kids play soccer
every
weekend.
Diseases take millions of lives every year in Africa because the poor lack access to childhood

immunization programs and basic health care, not because the continent is infested with scary
illnesses. Successful immunization programs have made huge strides in reducing polio and
measles in the last decade. AIDS is prevalent in countries like South Africa, but we all know
what to do to avoid it. As long as you are up to date on your vaccines as a visitor, you are
unlikely to catch anything more tropical than a sunburn.Avoiding malaria is easy when you take
prophylactics and have the money to sleep under a mosquito net.

4. African Politicians Are All Corrupt

Corrupt politicians aren't exactly unique to Africa, but the continent does seem to have more than
its fair share. At least Nelson Mandela showed the world that Africa is capable of producing an
honest leader. Some of the political crises in Africa can be blamed on colonial legacy but most of
it reflects greed and corruption on the part of incumbent presidents and political parties. 2011
elections in Uganda and Cameroon, left the incumbents securely in place after questionable
tactics and ballot counts. But the North Africans have certainly shown the way forward, starting
with the Tunisian revolution and (so far) ending with the toppling of Libya's Gaddafi. President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia along with 2 other women received the Nobel Peace Prize. And
Zambia had a successful and fair election with a change of ruling party.

5. Africa Has No History

It's a common misconception that Africa has no history beyond its people scrabbling about trying
to survive in a harsh environment. But consider the ancient Egyptian monuments, the rock-hewn
churches of Ethiopia, the Fes medina, and you obviously have proof of Africa's rich history. In
the 11th Century a flourishing kingdom we know now asGreat Zimbabwe was built in southern
Africa. Its walls are still standing today. In the 12th Century, while Oxford and Cambridge were
just getting founded,Timbuktu in Mali already had three thriving universities and more than 180
Quranic schools. The San Bushmen living in the Kalahari desert may appear to be "living in the
stone age" but they've been trading and inter-marrying with their neighbors for millennia. There
are hundreds of caves all over southern Africa decorated by San ancestors that date back 20,000
years. No culture lives in a vacuum, every culture is dynamic. There's plenty of history in Africa,
we just don't learn enough about it. If you'd like to see some of Africa's ancient
civilizations, check out these great sights.

6. Africa is Filled With Dangerous Animals Roaming Freely

It's true that rhinos graze just a few miles from the center of Nairobi, East Africa's biggest city.
And there are golf courses in South Africa where the water hazards are home to crocodiles.
Hyenas still appear in Malawi's capital city, Lilongwe, so it's best not to walk around at night.
But, for the most part, Africa's wildlife is basically confined to national parks and reserves,
including Nairobi's rhinos. You are likely to see the odd ostrich and baboon by the side of the
road in southern Africa, but elephant,giraffe, lion and buffalo do not roam around towns or in
suburbs. There is just too much competition for resources with a rapidly growing population.
Keeping what remains of Africa's wildlife safely in reserves and national parks also helps protect
farmers from wildlife destroying crops and eating their cattle. That's not to say you'll feel like
you are driving around a large zoo when on safari, national parks and protected areas are often
larger than many European countries.

7. Africa is Technologically Backward

The idea that technical innovation is lacking in Africa is laughable to anyone who has spent a
little time there. In GhanaI've watched entire cars being re-built from scrap by "fitters", all
without an engineering degree. Walk through any school playground in Zambia and you're bound
to see a child play with a home made toy car complete with steering capabilities. What some
African nations lack is access to education and resources, innovation is in plentiful supply. Many
people responded to the Malawian boy who Harnessed the Wind, but this is actually the type of
story that could be told many times over, just check out the Afrigadget blog, or the long list of
African inventions gathered by Kumatoo.com. If you visit any country in Africa, you can't help
but notice that everyone is chatting away on their cell phones. Cell phones are in fact being used
in hugely innovative ways throughout Africa. Kenya has established a highly effective mobile
banking system, opening up rural areas to credit in ways that has revolutionized small
businesses. You see traditional Maasai in their bright red shukas texting one another current
cattle prices and health care workers sharing valuable immunization data with one another.

8. It's Always Hot in Africa

If you've only visited West Africa, I'd say it would be entirely appropriate to say "it's always hot
in Africa". But that's where this myth stops. It snows in Africa, yes it does. Both northern and
southern Africa experience cold winters with frequent frost, as well as hot summers. Mountains,
plateaus, cold oceans, warm oceans, rainy and dry seasons -- all affect weather patterns in
individual countries as well. It is fair to say that conversations about the weather in much of
Africa tends to focus more on whether its dry or wet, than about the temperature being hot or
cold.

9. Africa Needs Aid (and Celebrities) to Help it "Develop"

It's questionable how much good aid money has done for African countries, and it's not just
because it has ended up in the wrong hands. Mainly it's because projects are often ill-defined, illconceived and ignore any input from the people they aim to "help". A lot of aid, while given in
the right spirit, has actually been somewhat detrimental to African development. For a start, aid
money has subsidized some very corrupt governments and crippled efforts to increase
government transparency. Real "fair trade" agreements would help a lot more than aid. Steady
employment, a stable economy and access to credit would also benefit most people looking to
better their lives. Certainly celebrity visits are not the answer. We'd find it a bit odd if a Nigerian
superstar came over to Chicago and started handing out money to those on welfare. We all know
that it would not make the problem simply go away -- life is a bit too complicated for easy
solutions. There are many unsung local heroes making a difference in communities all over
Africa. So it's also unfair to think that the poor in Africa are simply sitting around waiting for
handouts. Having said all this, there are some charities that truly make a difference, but it would
be nice to see them based in Africa and not in New York or Silicon Valley.

10. Africans All Have Rhythm

Ok, this one might have some merit. The amount of times I have been out-danced by toddlers
and seventy year old grandmas in various African locations makes it hard for me to dispel this
myth. In the past four decades I have been to dive bars, clubs and festivals throughout the
continent and have observed foreigners trying their best to keep up with the locals, to no avail.
Just recently I was at an outdoor nightclub in Kumasi. It was a sweltering hot night, people were
dancing, my mouth was agape at their style and moves. Up pops a British backpacker and begins
to gyrate rather awkwardly. I turned around and found a sea of smiles in the darkness. Our
Ghanaian friends were laughing so much they actually fell to the ground. "What is the problem
with you white people? Why can't you dance?". I mumbled something incoherent about
Westerners not being civilized enough to have music, song and dance surround us from the
cradle to the grave...