Africa is the second-largest continent and is made up of 54 independent countries.

Here are some of

them:

The ancient world. Typically, this term brings to mind places like Egypt, Israel, Turkey and Greece;
however, many findings show the birthplace of civilization is actually Africa.

During a visit to the Origins Centre (located on the University of Witwatrersand campus) in
Johannesburg, I had my mind completely blown as I perused exhibits showing how gold, diamonds,
artwork and even human genes all originated in Africa. In fact, the oldest known possible hominid
ancestor of modern human beings — which is 7 million years old — was found in Chad in 2001.

Africa is a continent rich in diversity, culture, and history. Here are some interesting facts about Africa:

1. Africa is considered by many scientists to be the origin of mankind, with fossil remains suggesting that
humans inhabited the continent around 7 million years ago.

2. It is the second largest continent in the world, with a total area of around 11 million square miles that
accounts for 5.7% of the earth's surface as well as 20% of the total surface of land on our planet.

3. The continent comprises 54 independent countries and a rich mix of native peoples, cultures,
economies, and history.

4. It is home to vast deserts, tropical rain forests, rugged mountains, and fertile grasslands, making it
abundant in flora and fauna unsurpassed by any other continent.

5. The continent's largest city is Cairo, Egypt, with 9.2 million people, and the largest country by
geographical area is Algeria.

6. The Nile, the world's longest river, runs for around 4,160 miles through several African countries,
making the land extremely fertile.

7. The Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world, is also situated in Africa and spans across at least a
dozen countries, covering around 3.5 million square miles.

8. Africa boasts of the best flora and fauna in the world, housing some of the fastest animals on land
such as the cheetah, wildebeest, gazelle, and lion.

9. Despite its natural wealth and beauty, Africa includes the fifteen least developed nations in the world,
with 70% of its population surviving on less than $2 a day.

10. It's estimated that about 2,000 different languages are spoken on the African continent, with many
Africans speaking several African languages and often another 'European' language.

11. Most of the African people are either Christians or Muslims, with traditional religious rituals still
followed by about 10% of the population.

12. The African continent is bigger than the USA, Canada, and India combined.

13. The most populous city in Africa is Lagos, Nigeria, with more than 22 million inhabitants.
14. The highest mountain in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, standing tall at 19,340 feet.

15. The largest lake in Africa is Lake Victoria, which is also the world's second-largest freshwater lake.

16. Africa houses more than 3,000 different groups of indigenous people, each with their own language
and culture.

17. The southernmost city on the African continent is Cape Town in South Africa.

18. Africa is home to many endangered animals such as the white and black rhinoceros.

19. The continent's main natural resources are minerals such as oil, copper, gold, diamonds, platinum,
and agricultural produce such as corn, coffee, wheat, and fruits.

20. More than half of the African continent is covered by grassland or savannah.

In addition to Egypt, the Nile runs through or along the border of 10 other African countries,
Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the
namely,
Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, an
Cairo (/ˈkaɪroʊ/ ⓘ KY-roh; Arabic: ‫القاهرة‬, romanized: al-Qāhirah)[6] is the capital of Egypt and the city-
state Cairo Governorate, and is the country's largest city, home to 10 million people.[7] It is also part
of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater
Cairo metropolitan area is the 12th-largest in the world by population with a population of over 22.1
million.[4]d South Sudan.

The Cairo Metro, opened in 1987, is the oldest metro system in Africa, and ranks amongst the fifteen
busiest in the world, with over 1 billion annual passenger

GDP, a key measure of national wealth, shows Nigeria as the richest African country in 2021, primarily
due to its large population and petroleum-focused economy.

Lagos or Lagos City is the most populous city in Nigeria, with an estimated population of 21 million
in 2015. Lagos is the most populous urban area in

Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano located in Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. It has three volcanic
cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest single free-standing
mountain above sea level in the world: 5,895 m above sea level and about 4,900 m above its plateau
base. Wikipedia
Elevation: 5,895 m
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately 59,947 km², Lake
Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest
fresh water lake by surface area after Lake Superior in North America. Wikipedia
Outflow location: White Nile
Area: 68,800 km²
Fish: Nile perch, Nile tilapia
Length: 337 km

With around 3,000 tribes and 2,000 languages and dialects, Africa is a continent with fascination around
every corner. Other continents of the world lack Africa's natural diversity. Some are well-developed,
largely industrialized and the tribe has never been a factor.

In Africa, southern white rhinos, once thought to be extinct, now thrive in protected sanctuaries and are
classified as near threatened. But the western black rhino and northern white rhinos have recently
become extinct in the wild.
Africa’s two most profitable mineral resources are gold and diamonds. In 2008, Africa produced about 483
tons of gold, or 22 percent of the world’s total production. South Africa accounts for almost half of Africa’s
gold production. Ghana, Guinea, Mali, and Tanzania are other major producers of gold.

Africa dominates the global diamond market. In 2008, the continent produced 55 percent of the world’s
diamonds. Botswana, Angola, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Namibia are
Africa’s largest producers of diamonds.

Savannas, or grasslands, cover almost half of Africa, more than 13 million square kilometers (five million
square miles). These grasslands make up most of central Africa, beginning south of the Sahara and the
Sahel and ending north of the continent's southern tip.