You may have traveled to Africa in the past or even lived there but do you truly know the land? Can you name an African wonder? Here are 30 interesting facts about Africa that you don’t know but should find out.

Fact 1

There are twenty-seven African Nobel laureates. These outstanding individuals have been awarded the Nobel Prize for different categories including peace, literature, chemistry, and physics.

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Fact 2

Nigeria is the most densely populated country in Africa. Estimates show that more than 200 million people are living in Nigeria as of 2020. Ethiopia is second on this list with 115 million residents.

Fact 3

Africa is made up of 54 different countries and one disputed territory, Western Sahara. This is more countries than any other continent. Before the time of colonial rule, these countries were more than 10,000 autonomous states with varied customs and languages.

Fact 4

The Serengeti plain in Tanzania has the biggest wildlife migration in the world. Millions of wildebeest and zebras cross the plain every year.

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Fact 6

Libreville, the capital of Gabon, is the world’s fifth most expensive city to live in. The price for a single room apartment near the city center costs about $2,000.

Fact 7

Egypt’s Pharaonic Civilization is among the oldest civilizations in the world. It was also the longest-lasting civilization.

Fact 8

Sadly, the world’s top 10 poorest countries are all in Africa. They are Niger, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Chad, Burundi, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Mali, Liberia, and Mozambique. Some of these countries are using CFA Franc currency and it is unclear if this plays a direct role in their economies.

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Fact 10

The second hottest place in the world Aziziyah town in Libya. Average summer temperatures of 47°C are recorded and 58°C has been recorded as the top temperature.

Fact 11

Nearly 600 million inhabitants of Sub-Saharan Africa live without electricity. That means about 80% of the population has to use firewood, charcoal, and other alternative sources of energy to cook.

Fact 12

Around half of the diamonds of the world come from Central and South Africa. The rare 3106 carats Cullinan Diamond originated from Pretoria in 1905.

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Fact 13

Four out of five of the world’s fastest animals live in Africa. Cheetahs, lions, wildebeest, and Thomson’s gazelles can all run more than 50 miles per hour. The cheetah is the fastest with a top speed of 70 miles per hour.

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Fact 14

South Africa is ground zero to the world’s biggest HIV and AIDS epidemic. Well over 7.5 million people are living with HIV in the country.

Fact 15

About 60% of all Africans are 25 years or younger. Because more than half of the population is made up of youths, Africa is the youngest continent in the world.

Fact 16

There are about 2,000 different languages spoken in Africa. Linguists have categorized these languages into six parts: Afroasiatic, Austronesian, Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan, Khoe, and Indo European.

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Fact 18

Egypt attracts over 10 million visitors annually. This makes it the most popular African vacation and tourism spot for foreigners.

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Fact 19

Africa is the second-largest continent after Asia. The continent spans 30 million square kilometers. It is also the second most populated continent with 1.3 billion inhabitants.

Fact 20

The hippopotamus is the most deadly animal in Africa. About 500 people are killed by a hippo every year in Africa. The land mammal may look clumsy but they have sharp teeth and an aggressive nature. A hippopotamus can weigh more than 2,500kg which is enough to crush someone.

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Fact 22

Over 5 million people died in the second Congo war of 1998-2003. It is recorded as the second deadliest worldwide conflict after World War II.

Fact 23

The biggest frog on earth is the West African Goliath Bull-Frog. This African wonder can weigh more than 3kg and grow as long as 32 cm.

Fact 24

The country of Benin in West Africa holds the record for the most number of twin births. Out of every 1000 births, 27 are twins. This is significantly higher than the world average of 13.6 twins out of 1000 births.

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Fact 26

More than 85% of all elephants in the world are located in Africa. Over 99% of the world’s surviving lions are in Africa.

Fact 27

The Nile crocodile is the longest reptile in the world. An adult Nile crocodile can weigh over 500kg. females can grow to 3.8m long while males can reach 4.2m. This African wonder is present in 26 different countries on the continent.

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Fact 29

Africa is home to more than 25% of bird species in the world. There are around 2,300 different species of birds on the contentment alone.

Fact 30

Of all the malaria cases in the world, 90% of them are from Africa. About 3,000 children die from malaria every day. Malaria is the cause of over 20% of child mortality in the Sub-Saharan region of Africa.

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Fact 32

Your turn – what is fact 32 and more for you about Africa? Others need to know. Share here under the comment section