30 Fascinating Facts about Africa (2023)

It may sound cliche, but nothing compares to Africa!

Many scientists believe that Africa is the origin of mankind. It is a continent with 54 independent countries and a diverse mix of native peoples, cultures, economies, and history.

It has stunning scenic beauty and variety, with vast deserts, tropical rain forests, rugged mountains, and fertile grasslands. It has a flora and fauna that no other continent can match.

Every year, an increasing number of tourists from all over the world flock to this incredible continent to experience its wonders.

Despite its natural wealth and beauty, Africa has fifteen of the world’s least developed countries; 70% of its population lives on less than $2 per day; disease and famine continue to kill millions of its people each year; and even the most basic education is denied to a large percentage of its children.

1. Africa is the world’s second-largest continent

Africa is the world’s second-largest continent, with a total area of approximately 11.73 million square miles (30.37 million square kilometers), accounting for 5.7% of the earth’s surface and 20% of the total land surface on our planet. North Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa are the five subsections.

One of the most fascinating facts about Africa is that the continent’s length and breadth are roughly equal: Horizontal Width: 4,355 miles (7,009 km) from Dakar, Senegal, east to Mogadishu, Somalia, and Vertical Length: 4,504 miles (7,248 km) from Cape Town, South Africa, north to Tripoli, Libya.

There are 54 countries and territories, as well as two de facto independent states with little or no recognition. Sudan was Africa’s largest country until it was divided into Sudan and South Sudan. Algeria is now Africa’s largest country in terms of land area. Cairo is Egypt’s largest city and the country’s capital.

With just over 1.4 billion people, the African continent has the world’s second-largest population, accounting for 16.87% of the global population (as of 2022). As the world’s second-largest continent, it’s no surprise that Africa has the most genetically diverse people.

2. The distance between Africa and Europe is less than 9 miles

There are many cultural differences between Africa and Europe, first and foremost because they both host a diverse range of countries and cultures. They are, however, less than nine miles apart at their closest point.

The distance across the Strait of Gibraltar between Morocco and Spain is less than nine miles, and the two countries are now discussing an undersea rail network to make Africa-Europe travel easier and more convenient, which would be fantastic for future safari holidays!

3. Arabic is the most widely spoke language

This may be an unexpected fun fact about Africa. Africa is made up of 54 countries, there are many different languages spoken. However, Arabic (spoken by 170 million people) is the most widely spoken language here, followed by English (spoken by 130 million people), Swahili, French, Berber, Hausa, and Portuguese.

4. More than 2,000 languages are recognized in Africa

Over a quarter of all languages spoken in the world are spoken in Africa in their respective regions.

There are over 2,000 different recognized languages spoken in Africa, with around 200 of these being Afro-Asian languages spoken in Northern Africa including Central Sahara, 140 being Nilo-Saharan languages spoken in Central and Eastern Africa, and over 1,000 being Niger-Saharan languages.

5. The world’s longest river runs in Africa

The River Nile is the world’s longest river, stretching 4,258 miles (6,853 kilometers) and passing through Egypt. Flowing northward through eleven countries: Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt are among the countries involved.

6. Africa is home to one of the world’s oldest universities

The University of Karueein (Athens of Africa) was founded in 859 AD by Fatima al-Fihri in Fez, Morocco as a madrassa and is the world’s oldest continuously operating educational institution. The University of Bologna, Italy, was founded in 1088 and is Europe’s oldest.

7. The richest man in history is African

Mansa Musa, or Musa I of Mali, is regarded as one of history’s wealthiest men. Musa was the tenth emperor of the Mali Empire, one of the prosperous Sahelian kingdoms that arose along the Saharan slave trade routes during the late medieval period.

Estimates for his net worth at the time of his death in 1937 range from US$300 billion to US$400 billion in adjusted dollars for the late 2000s.

8. Africa has the world’s largest hottest desert

The Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert and one of the world’s harshest environments. It is the third-largest desert in the world, after Antarctica and the Arctic, both of which are cold deserts.

At 3.6 million square miles (9.4 million square kilometers), it is larger than the entire United States of America! The desert spans 11 countries (large sections of Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan and Tunisia).

9. The highest bungee jumping in the world is in South Africa

Bloukrans Bridge Bungy, at 216 meters (709 feet) above the Bloukrans River, is one of the world’s highest commercial bridge bungies.

It is located on the N2 Highway at Bloukrans Bridge, on the border between the Eastern and Western Capes, in the Tsitsikamma area of South Africa’s Garden Route.

10. Illiteracy reaches up to 40% across the continent

Despite the fact that Africa is rich in natural resources, many of its countries have large populations that live in poverty. As a result, 40% of adults in Africa are illiterate.

Ethiopia, Chad, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Niger, Benin, and Burkina Faso are the worst affected countries, with shocking illiteracy rates of over 50%.

11. Zambia had a space program

Although it may seem unlikely, Zambia had a space program in the 1960s, though it was not very successful. It all began when a Zambian citizen set out to be the first to send a man to the moon, beating out the Americans and Russians.

Apart from the space program, a £7 million grant was applied for in order to send 12 astronauts and a cat to Mars, but it was denied, and the space program failed. This is probably our favorite African fun fact.

12. The number of twins born in Nigeria is the highest in the world

Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest countries, has been dubbed “The Land of Twins” by the BBC due to the world’s highest rate of twin births. Twin birth rates in West Africa are four times higher than anywhere else in the world.

According to statistics, and the epicentre of it all is a sleepy little town in Nigeria called Igbo-Ora, where the most recent figures revealed an average of 50 sets of twins in every 1,000 births.

13. The second Congo war killed over 5 million people

The Second Congo War, which began in August 1998, occurred only one year after the First Congo War and is the world’s second-deadliest conflict, trailing only World War II.

The Second Congo War began as a political and military conflict between Rwanda and Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) and grew to include seven other countries; more than 5 million people died during the conflict.

A peace agreement was signed in 2002 to keep the peace and keep the death toll from rising, but some of the violence continues today, making the DRC an unsafe place to visit. This is not to be confused with the Republic of Congo, which is a very safe safari destination.

14. Africa participated in the shortest war in history

Africa not only hosted the world’s second-deadliest war, but it also hosted the world’s shortest recorded war. The war began in August 1896 between Zanzibar and the United Kingdom.

It began when the British refused to accept Sultan Khalid bin Barghash’s succession after the previous pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini. War broke out as British forces attacked the palace grounds, but the battle lasted only 38 minutes before Sultan Khalid bin Barghash raised the white flag of surrender.

He later fled to German East Africa, while the British took control of the situation and appointed a new Sultan.

15. Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt

Although Egypt is well-known for its pyramids, many people are unaware that Sudan, in Africa, has a total of 223 pyramids. This is twice as many pyramids as Egypt has!

These forgotten pyramids are the Meroe Pyramids, which were once the capital of the Kingdom of Kush, which was ruled by Nubian kings.

16. Tunisian buildings are made of fish bones

In Tunisia, a North African country, many people believe that fish have supernatural powers and use them to ward off evil spirits.

Some families will simply place pictures of fish in their homes as protection, but there are many houses here that have fish bones embedded in the walls and floors to protect the residents from evil spirits.

17. Lake Malawi has the most number of fish species

Lake Malawi is one of Africa’s most beautiful safari and beach destinations, and it also has the most fish species, which may or may not surprise you! There are approximately 500 different types of fish, more species than in any other lake in the world, so keep an eye out for some interesting ones when you get the chance to visit.

18. Rwanda was one of the first countries in the world to prohibit the use of plastic bags

This bizarre fact about Rwanda’s African nation comes in the aftermath of the recent Rwandan Genocide (1994). Plastic bags were banned in the country in 2008. Bangladesh banned them in 2002, but Rwanda prohibits their use, importation, manufacture, and sale. Even visitors entering the country are searched – no joke – it’s incredible!

19. Africa is located on the Equator

With countries in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, it is the only continent with temperate zones in both the north and south, as well as a variety of other climate zones and biospheres in between.

20. Pre-Colonial Africa, there were thousands of states and kingdoms

Prior to colonial rule, Africa was divided into 10,000 different states and autonomous groups, each with its own distinct language and customs. This pre-colonial, disjointed Africa could explain why so many languages are spoken and why many of the languages spoken in Africa are not spoken elsewhere.

21. There was a colonial race for Africa

It was actually dubbed the “Scramble for Africa.” European powers went insane trying to gain control of the African continent. From 1881 to 1914, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Germany all wanted a piece of the action. Decades of oppression, colonialism, and cruelty followed.

22. Decolonization had a significant impact on the African continent

From the early 1960s to the 1980s, many African countries were “made” independent. Many of these countries did not exist before, and their borders were drawn by European powers. As a result, there was a lot of craziness.

During this time, there were over 70 coups and 13 presidential assassinations on the continent. Border, territorial, ethnic, and political conflicts were and continue to be common.

23. The African Union (AU) is a 55-member federation comprised of all African countries

It is a well-known fact that Africa has its own African Union, with its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, just as Europe has its own European Union. In contrast to the EU, all countries are included.

Interestingly, Africa has “officially” 54 countries; where does the remaining one come from? Western Sahara (claimed by Morocco) is the unrecognized country. It was a Spanish colony until 1975.

24. Africa houses the world’s largest frog species

It may come as no surprise that Africa is home to the world’s largest frog species. It is known as the Goliath Frog, and it can grow to be a foot long and weigh up to 8lb (more than the average human new born baby!).

This cute little (or not so little) creature is found in Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon and is harmless.

25. Africa has been the largest single source of gold in the mining history

Africa is home to some valuable resources that the Western world seeks. Almost half of all gold mined on Earth has come from Africa, specifically the Witwatersrand region of South Africa.

Despite the decline in production, gold exports in 2005 were valued at $3.8 billion USD. South Africa is also well-known for its diamonds, though Botswana is the leading producer.

26. The biggest land mammals are African elephants

African elephants are the largest living land animals, weighing up to six tonnes and measuring up to seven meters in length. They are frequently compared to their Asian relatives, but they have many distinct differences, including being larger in size! They also have larger ears, wrinkles, and rings on their trunks than their Asian relatives. This is a fantastic species to look out for the next time you go on safari.

27. South Africa has 280,000 windmills

Although the Netherlands is best known for its windmills, South Africa has 280,000 of them. These can be found on farms throughout the country, and the numbers here are significantly higher than the figures from the Netherlands, which have only ever recorded a total of 10,000 windmills.

28. Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest point

Mount Kilimanjaro is a popular destination and a challenge for many people from all over the world who visit Africa. You might be surprised to learn that Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is Africa’s highest point.

It rises up to 19,340 feet above sea level and is one of the most difficult climbs for professional climbers today. However, it is one of the most dangerous climbing expeditions, with over 1,000 people rescued each year and an annual death rate of around 10 people on average, implying that this climb is not for the faint of heart!

29. Libya‘s El Aziziain was recorded as the hottest place in the world

El Azizia in Libya, North Africa, was once thought to be the hottest place on the planet. The authenticity and accuracy of the recorded 58°C high were called into question, and it was later overturned by investigative scientists.

It was recently stripped of its title, however, after records revealed a temperature of 56.7°C (134°F) in Death Valley, California in 1913. El Azizia, title or no title, is still a very hot place.

30. Deforestation is a great concern in Africa

We may hear about it on the news and in the papers, but it is not something we seriously consider. However, Africa’s deforestation rate is double that of the rest of the world.

Every year, four million hectares of forest are destroyed, and some African countries have less than 1% of their primary forest remaining. For example, since humans first arrived in Madagascar 2,000 years ago, 90% of the original forest has vanished.