I read top ten lists all the time mostly about technology; or sometime designs or photography. I have read many random facts of African countries although it seems like most of the ones white people write are generic.
Like (in my California blond voice) ‘Africa has 54 countries. I thought it was a country in itself. ‘ Yes and Africans are 1/6 of the world population and we have over two thousand languages and dialects which comprise 25% of the world languages.
So yes, this list I compiled over 3 ½ weeks. My list is the most interesting and most unknown. Some wow factors, I will now stop tooting my horn and let you be the judge in no particular order:
- Arabic in different dialect is the most spoken language in African with over 175 million speakers (estimated). Not only is it the most used language but it influenced many other language in Africa.
- Sudan has twice as many Pyramids than Egypt. source
- There are more physical variations than on any other continent among the native populations of Africa. source
- At one time, prior to colonization (scramble of Africa) Africa had more than 10,000 different states. There are only 54 countries now. source
- 93 % of Equatorial Guinea’s labor force is comprised of Men. I could not find the average proportion of male to female work force in Africa but the number is estimated to be around 75%.
- Shells were once used as currency in Africa as recently as in the 19th Century. source
- Cricket is the second most popular sport in Africa. The west influenced Africa too.
- Africa is the only continent to have a large percentage of its population transported for slave labor. Estimate that approximately 8–12 million slaves were transferred from between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. The number might seem minute but Africa population before the 19th century was never over 120 million. 8% to 10% of African was slaves at one time. source
- The Nile is the longest river in the world. Most people thing it’s the Amazon.
- The largest Desert in the world, the Sahara is growing by about ½ a mile a month. Looking for confirmation for this one.
You will not find a confirmation on #10, this simply can not be true.
Are you saying that the desert should be growing by 50% every month.
The Saharan desert covers ~9,000,000 square kilometres,
Compared to the African continent covering a total of ~30,000,000 square kilometres, do the math, it would cover the entire continent within less than a year
Interesting list though, but stick with reliable sources
Thanks Nolawi,
very interesting information!
@ Chrom:
i meant to say 2 1/2 a month
Interesting…
Unfortunately, he is criticized by many these days …
1. Doesn’t really surprise me because almost every time people keep telling me my accent is kind of Arabic.
2. First reaction is Wow, really … but then the comment says the Sudanese pyramids are smaller, steeper, and more recent than those to the north in Egypt..
3. ok ,they are heading to the evolution talk …
4. I give credit to Atse Tewodros..
5. I think the fact in Afar region would be different; may be opposite
6. I can think of Shells similar to current US Dollar and AMOLE CHEW as ETH Birr
7. that is very weird. Is that the same sport popular in India too?
8. My first question… what kind of transportation ?? Just ships?? Amistad is great movie to depict that…
9. That is elementary geography .. but seems logically confusing since we tend to measure the distance from TANA
10. other story i heard recently … gradual desertification of the Sahara started around 3400BC, around the time the time of Noah flood… creationists use that as evidence ..
Number 9, except those of us from Ethiopia Egypt and Sudan.. everyone else thinks Amazon is the longest…
Dude its 4000miles
Hmmmmm….. Interesting!
The Nile is in disputes. Add one more to the many: some now say the Amazon is longer if its agreed the mouth of the Amazon is frozen at the Andes Mountain. Poor Nile, ancient and mighty may be the only not in dispute….
wow…. to #2 fact… thanks for sharing…
Amazon is the greatest/biggest i.e total volume of water, Nile is the longest. This might be the source of confusion
Wow…Only 54 states? Though there were more states…does it include Eritrea which is the newest state in Africa (19 years old on MaY 24th).
Warsai:
See the link. 53 states make up the African Union. Of course there are more states… into how many is Somalia now, and South Sudan may be the next official state.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_State_of_the_African_Union
@ Chrom: I think you’re missing something here. One-half mile per month is six miles per year. If anything, that’s a low estimate. Maybe you read it as one-half mile per day?
no mee naapuris ja ilontalos oikeestaa, aika paska paikka, itt en ainakaa tykänny.