Interesting facts about Africa for children. Message about Africa

Interesting facts about Africa: the population and culture of the continent

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Africa is by far one of the most interesting continents due to its diverse landscapes and stunning nature. This continent is also called the "cradle of humanity." If you are planning to visit the black continent or are simply interested in it, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most interesting facts about Africa.

Where did the name "Africa" come from?

There are several theories regarding the origin of the name. The most likely is that the word comes from the Afri people who lived in the north of the mainland in 300 BC. As for the suffix "ka", it is believed that it was added by the Romans and it means "land" or "country".

Another theory says that in Latin this word means "sunny", and in Greek- “without cold.”

Size of the African continent

This is the second largest continent on our planet. It occupies approximately 22% of the area of our Earth. It is washed by two oceans (Indian and Atlantic) and two seas (Red and Mediterranean).

Diversity of cultures and peoples

This is where humanity came from, the birthplace of the first great civilization on Earth (Egyptian). The cultures and peoples that inhabit Africa are numerous and unique, from the Islamic in North Africa to the fascinating tribal cultures in the South. They all form a dynamic amalgam that catches the eye of millions of tourists every year.

Another interesting fact about Africa is that it is currently home to about one billion people, which is 16% of the world's population. More than a quarter of total number The languages spoken on our planet are African.

This is another proof of the huge cultural diversity of this continent. The most populous country is Nigeria. The second most populous country is Egypt, a country with big amount tourists and tourist attractions, mainly thanks to the pyramids and the Sphinx.

World records

The Nile River in Egypt is the longest river in the world, with a length of 4,132 kilometers. In addition, the African continent is famous for the largest desert in the world, the Sahara, which covers an area larger than the area of the United States.

Africa is home to the fastest animals on the planet - the cheetah and the wildebeest. Additionally, Lake Malawi has the largest number of fish species in the entire world, and the African elephant is the largest land animal on Earth.

Religions and Beliefs

The most common local religion is Islam, followed by Christianity. These religions were completely adapted to the characteristics of local cultures and earlier beliefs.

Also, a few archaic forms of beliefs have been preserved, mainly in small authentic tribes African continent.

The highest mountain

The most high mountain– Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic peaks – Shira, Kibo and Mawenzi. This is a potentially dangerous dormant volcano located in Tanzania.

Country with the most pyramids

You might think that the answer is obvious and this is Egypt, but this is far from the truth. Although Egypt really has the most famous pyramids, Sudan has twice as many pyramids. But because these pyramids small sizes and not as tall, they are not as popular as their Egyptian counterparts.

Of course, this is only a small part interesting facts about Africa, you can learn the most interesting things by visiting this continent yourself. We'd love for you to share your thoughts with us in the comments.

1. Africa is the hottest of all continents on earth

2. Africa is second only to Eurasia in area

3. Most scientists believe that Africa is the birthplace of humanity

4. A special science deals with the study of Africa - African studies. A scientist who deals with this science is called an Africanist.

5. The term “Africa” appeared thanks to the inhabitants ancient city Carthage. Afri they called the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. In the translation of the Phoenician language, the word “afri” means dust. When Carthage was captured by the Romans, they did not hesitate to call the territory Afri.

6. There are other versions of the origin of the word Africa. According to these versions, Africa is: “without cold”, “sunny”, “homeland”, “foamy country”.

7. Africa is home to 54 states and 10 dependent territories (colonies of other states)

8. Now Africa has more than 1.1 billion people. this is a sixth of the population of our planet.

9. The African continent is conventionally divided into northern, southern, eastern, western and central Africa.

10. The most popular language in Africa - Arabic.

11. In total, there are more than 2000 languages and dialects in Africa.

12. More than 3,000 nationalities and ethnic groups live in Africa.

13. The largest state in Africa by area is Sudan.

14. The most populous country in Africa is Nigeria. This country is home to 195 million people.

15. The most Big city Africa - Cairo. It is home to 17 million people.

16. Africa has the longest V world - the Nile River. The length of the river is 6500 kilometers.

17. If you look at political map African continent, you can see that the borders between many states run in a straight line. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, there are few landmarks in the desert to draw the border. Secondly, the territories of African states were divided mainly by Europeans, and they did not particularly bother drawing borders between African countries.

18. Africa has the highest recorded heat on the planet - +58 degrees.

20. The highest mountain in Africa is Mount Kilimonjaro. Its height is 5835 meters. This peak contains the only glacier on the African continent.

21. Most big lake Africa - Lake Victoria. It ranks second in the ranking of the largest lakes on the planet.

22. More than 1,000 species of mammals live in Africa.

23. Africa is home to the tallest animal in the world - the giraffe.

24. Africa is home to the largest animal in the world - the African elephant.

25. Africa is home to the tallest animal in the world - the cheetah.

26. In Africa, trees grow with unusual names: bottle, soap, milk, sausage and bread.

27. Penguins live in Africa. In the south of the continent live the so-called spectacled penguins.

28. There are pyramids not only in Egypt. There are more than 200 pyramids located on the territory of the state of Sudan. True, they are much smaller than the Egyptian ones.

29. People of the Tutsi tribe living in Africa are considered the most tall people on the planet.

30. The Mbuti tribe, living in Africa, are considered the shortest people on the planet.

31. Less precipitation than in Africa falls only on another continent - Antarctica.

32. The most dangerous Living being of the world lives in Africa. This is a tsetse fly.

33. The poorest countries in the world are in Africa.

Africa is the most interesting continent. For a long time it was inaccessible to Europeans because it was inhabited by warlike tribes, and the terrain was very difficult for movement. Travelers were in wait for wild animals, exotic diseases, and visiting people risked being robbed, killed, and sold into slavery. And now this continent is very diverse and not fully explored. We present interesting facts about Africa.

Geography

Second largest continent.
State borders often run in a straight line, since there are no other landmarks; the division of territories was carried out by Europeans who did not understand the boundaries of tribal territories.
The largest desert is located here. This desert is growing rapidly, absorbing new lands. The Sahara region was not always as dry as it is today. About 10 thousand years ago, the climate was more humid, there were pastures for animals that people hunted, as evidenced by numerous rock paintings. It is believed that when the rains stopped falling, the population of the Sahara moved to the Nile River, where they created.
In the Tanzanian volcano Ol Doinio Lengai, the lava contains alkali
Victoria Falls is over 100 meters high and over a kilometer wide.
Lake Chad is very old, more than one million years old. But it quickly dries out, as people actively take water from it for cooking and household needs.
Some interesting facts about the rivers of Africa. The longest river is the Nile, its length is 6853 kilometers. Here live animals that can pose a danger to humans - Nile crocodiles and hippopotamuses. After the construction of the Aswan Dam, these animals do not penetrate downstream from Aswan, but there are still many of these animals in the upper reaches of the river.
The most deep river in the world - Congo, the depth can reach 250 meters. The length of the shipping routes of the Congo River basin is 20 thousand kilometers. The basin itself (the area occupied by the river and its tributaries) is 4 million square kilometers.

Society

Interesting facts about society. Africa is one of the largest suppliers of diamonds, accounting for a third of the world's reserves. There are also large reserves of gold, oil and other valuable minerals. Despite this most of Africans live in poverty, often go hungry, and there is a shortage of medicines.

The most common on the continent is Arabic, but at the same time in African countries many peoples use more than 2 thousand different languages and adverbs.

The most populous city is the capital of Egypt - Cairo, it is one of the most big cities world with a population of almost 20 million inhabitants. There are many tourists here who visit the Cairo Museum, which houses a large collection of ancient Egyptian exhibits; on the left bank of the Nile, a large statue of the Sphinx has also been preserved.

The African Maasai tribe is different tall, they often reach a height of two meters, which is why the Maasai are considered the tallest people on earth.

Pygmies are considered the most low people on earth, the height of adult men is from 124 to 150 centimeters.

Animal and plant life

In Senegal there is Retba or Pink Lake - a reservoir with very salty water. Pink color imparted by bacteria that live in a salty environment. You cannot stay in water for more than ten minutes, as you can get a chemical burn. Locals Those who extract salt are in the water for more than ten minutes, and to prevent the skin from being damaged, they rub it with special oil.

- mostly thermophilic, but there are also representatives of the Antarctic continent - penguins. They nest on the southwestern coast of the mainland, and are especially numerous in South Africa. A large colony of these birds is located near Cape Town, the second most populous city in the Republic of South Africa.

Baobab is interesting not only for its unusual shape both size and lifespan. These trees can live for several thousand years, during which time the pillar grows up to 25 meters in diameter.

In Africa there lives a tsetse fly, the bite of which can cause “sleeping sickness.” Thousands of people and animals die every year from the bites of this insect.

The island of Madagascar is famous for being home to the most species, the smallest being about 1.5 centimeters long and considered the smallest vertebrate in the world.

The Congo River is home to a large goliath fish, the weight of which can reach 80 kilograms. The goliath has a very menacing appearance, with many sharp teeth in its mouth. The fish feeds on small animals, but can attack a crocodile and even a person; it is considered the most dangerous freshwater fish in the world.

And even glaciers. The continent is located in all four hemispheres of the Earth. Find out more information about the continent from the following ten amazing and important geographical facts about Africa.

Africa may be the cradle of humanity

East African rift valley, separating Somali and Nubian tectonic plates, is the site of several important discoveries remains of human ancestors by anthropologists. The active, expanding valley is considered the cradle of humanity, where our journey likely began, millions of years ago. The discovery of fragments of the skeleton of "Lucy" in 1974 in Ethiopia was the impetus for serious research in this region.

Africa is the second largest continent on the planet

Less than half of Africa's population lives in cities

Africa is a poorly urbanized region of the world. Only 39% of the continent's population lives in cities. The continent is home to only two megacities with populations over ten million: Cairo (Egypt) and Lagos (Nigeria). Cairo has a population of 11 to 15 million and Lagos a population of 10 to 12 million. The third largest city in Africa is probably Kinshasa, the capital Democratic Republic Congo, home to 8 to 10 million people.

Kilimanjaro is the continent's highest point

The top of Mount Kilimanjaro is above level. Located in Tanzania near the Kenyan border, this dormant volcano rises to a height of 5,895 meters. Kilimanjaro is home to Africa's only glacier, although scientists predict that all the ice on the mountain's summit will disappear by the 2030s due to global warming.

Africa has the world's largest arid desert

Although the Sahara is not the hottest desert on Earth, it is the most prominent. The desert covers more than 9 million km² or about 31% of total area mainland sushi.

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Interesting facts about Africa - a huge continent with a rich own and inherited colonial culture - is official statistics and unusual information from the life of indigenous peoples.

East Africa– the cradle of humanity and the most likely place of human origin. Here, in Kenya and Tanzania, archaeologists find the most ancient ancestors of people. Remains of predecessors discovered in Olduvai Gorge modern man, tools and remains of prehistoric animals.
Lake Chad is rapidly drying up t. It has existed for millions of years. The main reason for the shallowing of the lake is the wasteful selection of water for irrigation by residents of nearby villages.
Africa is home to the largest living land animal. The African elephant used to have a wider distribution area. But on the territory North Africa he is no longer known.
Africa is the largest supplier of diamonds, the continent accounts for approximately a third of all reserves mineral resources planets. Diamonds were found by chance in the Karoo desert plateau in Republic of South Africa, farmer.
The most unusual inhabitants of Africa are penguins. The only penguin species in Africa is the spectacled penguin. Their nesting place is the southwestern coast of the continent. Their existence on the driest and hottest continent is possible only thanks to the cold Bengal Current.
Record holder for growth rate - Sahara Desert. The largest desert receives only 7 centimeters of precipitation per year. Even in the wettest parts of the desert, precipitation may not fall for years. The Sahara is growing south at a rate of 48 kilometers per year.
Benin has a wall of ramparts and ditches that is longer than the wall in China. The protective structure is protected by UNESCO. It is the largest terrestrial structure in the world. Construction of the wall began in the period 800 BC.
Amazing miracle flora Africa - baobab. It is not only famous for its unusual size and shape, but also for its lifespan. Last fact is still controversial, since it is difficult to establish tree rings. But radiocarbon dating shows that the tree has a lifespan of 5,500 years. The giant's trunk can reach 25 meters in diameter.
The oldest university is located in Africa, in the city of Fez. It was founded back in 859. Educational institution is still in effect today. In addition to Muslims, Christians also studied here.
Ethiopia is home to the most violent ethnic group, the Mursi.. Men do not go out without a Kalashnikov, and fights and murders are common among this tribe. WITH early childhood Mursi deformed lower lip, stretching it to incredible sizes. A necklace made from human fingers is considered a particularly prized piece of jewelry among Mursi women.
Long-living record holder lives in Africa. The naked mole rat lives in deserts. The rodent lives up to 70 years.
Ol Doinio Lengai is the only volcano on the planet with an alkaline lava composition.. The stratovolcano is located in Tanzania. Millions of pink flamingos graze on the shores of the soda lake. Against the background of black lava, flamingos look especially exotic and bright.
A poisonous lake without fish or even simple organisms is located in Algeria. The fact is that here instead of water there is ink. The lake water is overflowing with various organic compounds from peat bogs. The decomposition results in ink. The lake's fumes are hazardous to health.
The highest and the lowest ethnic groups live on the continent. The Tutsi tribe are the tallest people, and the Mbuti tribe are considered the shortest people on the planet.
At least 250 million Africans suffer from chronic malnutrition, every fifth woman dies during childbirth, more than 50% of the population is under 25 years of age, more than 25 million are infected with HIV.