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50 Facts about Africa for Kids
Here are 50 interesting facts about Africa.
Africa is a big and beautiful place with many different people and animals. It has a lot of interesting things to learn and see. Here are some additional facts about Africa that you might not know:
Africa is the second biggest continent in the world, after Asia. It is bigger than the USA, Canada, and India together.
Africa has 54 countries and 9 territories. More than 1.3 billion people live there. That's about 15% of all the people in the world.
The largest shopping mall in Africa is the Mall of Arabia in Cairo, Egypt, which covers an area of 267,000 square meters and has 12 entrances. It was opened in 2010 and is owned by a Saudi organization. The mall features luxurious hotels, movie theaters, gyms, and other fun places.
Africa has the world's longest river, the Nile. It flows through 11 countries and is over 6,800 km long. That's longer than the distance from New York to Los Angeles.
Africa has the biggest desert, the Sahara. It is almost as big as the whole of China. It is very hot and dry there.
Africa has many wild animals that you can't find anywhere else, like lions, elephants, giraffes, and zebras. They live in different habitats like grasslands, forests, and savannas.
The second largest shopping mall in Africa is the Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Durban, South Africa, which covers an area of 220,000 square meters and has 12,000 parking slots. It was opened in 2001 and is designed after American malls. The mall attracts about two million monthly visitors and offers over 390 stores, 90 restaurants, skate parks, a science theme park, and the highest fountain in Africa.
Africa has over 2,000 different languages. Some of the most spoken ones are Arabic, Swahili, Hausa, and Amharic.
Did you know that Africa boasts the highest mountain on the continent, Mount Kilimanjaro? This awe-inspiring volcano has three peaks and is crowned with a beautiful layer of snow. With a towering height of nearly 20,000 feet, or 3.7 miles, or 6,000 meters, it surpasses all mountains in Europe and North America.
Africa has a rich culture with different kinds of music and dance. Some of the famous ones are Afrobeat, Reggae, Salsa, and Hip Hop.
Africa is an amazing continent that you can explore more by reading books, watching videos, or visiting someday. You will discover many more facts and stories about this wonderful place.
Kids, get ready to learn 50 more amazing facts about beautiful Africa. Here are 50 fascinating tidbits that will blow your mind. Get ready to be surprised and impressed by all the incredible things that this continent has to offer. Read on to discover more about Africa's rich culture, diverse wildlife, stunning landscapes, and much more. You won't want to miss out on these incredible facts.
There are three main schools of thought regarding the origin of Africa's name. One theory suggests that the name comes from "Afri," a reference to a group of people who lived in North Africa near Carthage during the Roman era in present-day Tunisia in the 3rd century BC. Another theory attributes the name to the Greek word "Aphrike," meaning "without cold." Finally, some believe that the name originates from the Latin word "Aprica," which means "sunny" or "always hot," and is derived from the Egyptian sun god Ra.
Discover 50 fascinating facts about Africa's history, landmass, people, languages, and wildlife. It's a great way to educate kids about the amazing continent of Africa.
Africa is home to the biggest desert on Earth, the Sahara. This vast expanse of sand and rock covers more land than the whole U.S. continent. The Sahara stretches across 11 countries and has diverse landscapes and climates.
The ancient Egyptian city of Kahun was the world’s first planned city. It was built around 1870 BC by the pharaoh Senusret II to house the workers and officials involved in constructing his nearby pyramid complex. Unlike other ancient cities that grew organically over time, Kahun was designed with a grid layout and a hierarchical division of residential areas, administrative buildings, temples, workshops, and storage facilities. The city also had a sophisticated water system, a medical center, and a school. Kahun was abandoned after the death of Senusret II and remained largely untouched until its rediscovery in the late 19th century by the archaeologist Flinders Petrie.
If you want to learn more about Africa, you're in luck. This article shares 50 fascinating facts about Africa's history, landmass, people, languages, and wildlife. You'll discover how diverse and rich this continent is and how it has influenced the world in many ways. Whether you're a kid or an adult, you'll find something interesting and surprising in this article. So let's get started and explore the amazing continent of Africa.
50 Facts about Africa for Kids
2. Africa contains the world’s largest desert, the Sahara, which makes up an area greater in size than the entire continental U.S.
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| 50 Facts about Africa for Kids |
3. Africa has 54 countries; South Sudan is the newest, and Liberia is the oldest republic.
4. Africa has over 25% of the world’s bird species.
5. Africa has over 85% of the world’s elephants, and over 99% of the remaining lions are on the African continent.
6. Africa is the second largest continent covering 20.5% of the earth’s total land area.
7. Africa is the second most populous continent, with about 1.1 billion people or 16% of the world’s population.
8. The African continent has the world’s oldest populated area.
9. Africa's Kalahari Desert is enormous; it stretches across seven African countries of Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
10. Almost half of the gold ever mined on Earth has come from a single place, Witwatersrand, South Africa.
11. Approximately 90% of malaria cases worldwide occur in Africa.
12. Here are three dominant theories on how Africa received her name. “Afri” is the name of people in North Africa located near Carthage under Roman rule in modern Tunisia in the third century B.C. second is from the Greek word “Aphrike,” meaning without cold, and lastly, in Latin, “Aprica” means sunny or always hot derived from the Egyptian sun God Ra.
4. Africa has over 25% of the world’s bird species.
5. Africa has over 85% of the world’s elephants, and over 99% of the remaining lions are on the African continent.
6. Africa is the second largest continent covering 20.5% of the earth’s total land area.
7. Africa is the second most populous continent, with about 1.1 billion people or 16% of the world’s population.
8. The African continent has the world’s oldest populated area.
9. Africa's Kalahari Desert is enormous; it stretches across seven African countries of Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
10. Almost half of the gold ever mined on Earth has come from a single place, Witwatersrand, South Africa.
11. Approximately 90% of malaria cases worldwide occur in Africa.
12. Here are three dominant theories on how Africa received her name. “Afri” is the name of people in North Africa located near Carthage under Roman rule in modern Tunisia in the third century B.C. second is from the Greek word “Aphrike,” meaning without cold, and lastly, in Latin, “Aprica” means sunny or always hot derived from the Egyptian sun God Ra.
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13. One of the most remarkable demographic trends of the 21st century is the rapid growth of the young population in Africa. According to the United Nations, by 2025, 30 million people younger than 24 years old live in Africa. This represents a significant increase from the current figure of 19 million. This youthful population has the potential to bring positive social and economic changes to the continent.
14. China is Africa’s top trade partner, with Sino-African trade volumes now nearing $200 billion annually. Angola alone has a population of over 350,000 Chinese residents.
15. Dragon’s Breath Cave is the largest underground lake in the world, located in the Southern African country of Namibia.
16. Ethiopia is the only African country with its own alphabet. It also has the world’s oldest living alphabet, the Ethiopic.
17. Four of the five fastest land animals reside in Africa: the cheetah, the wildebeest, the lion, and the Thomson’s gazelle. All of these animals can run at speeds above 50 miles per hour, with the cheetah reaching a top speed of about 70 miles per hour.
18. Goliath frog is the world’s biggest frog and is found in Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon; it can grow up to be a foot long and weigh up to 8 pounds.
19. Graca Machel is a remarkable woman who has achieved a unique feat in history. She is the only woman who has served as the first lady of two different countries, Mozambique and South Africa. She married Samora Machel, the first president of Mozambique, in 1975 and supported him in his efforts to rebuild the country after independence. After he died in a plane crash in 1986, she continued to work for human rights and education in Mozambique and across Africa. In 1998, she married Nelson Mandela, the first president of South Africa, and became his partner in promoting peace and reconciliation in the post-apartheid era. She is widely respected for her leadership and advocacy for women and children.
14. China is Africa’s top trade partner, with Sino-African trade volumes now nearing $200 billion annually. Angola alone has a population of over 350,000 Chinese residents.
15. Dragon’s Breath Cave is the largest underground lake in the world, located in the Southern African country of Namibia.
16. Ethiopia is the only African country with its own alphabet. It also has the world’s oldest living alphabet, the Ethiopic.
17. Four of the five fastest land animals reside in Africa: the cheetah, the wildebeest, the lion, and the Thomson’s gazelle. All of these animals can run at speeds above 50 miles per hour, with the cheetah reaching a top speed of about 70 miles per hour.
18. Goliath frog is the world’s biggest frog and is found in Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon; it can grow up to be a foot long and weigh up to 8 pounds.
19. Graca Machel is a remarkable woman who has achieved a unique feat in history. She is the only woman who has served as the first lady of two different countries, Mozambique and South Africa. She married Samora Machel, the first president of Mozambique, in 1975 and supported him in his efforts to rebuild the country after independence. After he died in a plane crash in 1986, she continued to work for human rights and education in Mozambique and across Africa. In 1998, she married Nelson Mandela, the first president of South Africa, and became his partner in promoting peace and reconciliation in the post-apartheid era. She is widely respected for her leadership and advocacy for women and children.
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20. Intonga, or stick fighting, is one of South Africa’s oldest games, developed hundreds of years ago in the rural parts of South Africa, where it served as an important rite of passage in Xhosa culture.
21. Kenya has one of the most culturally diverse populations in Africa.
22. Lake Victoria is the world's second-largest freshwater lake in north Tanzania while Lake Tanganyika is the world's second deepest in the west.
23. Lemurs are found only on the African island of Madagascar and nearby islands.
24. Liberia is a settlement of freed slaves and free blacks from the US established in 1822.
25. Liberia is Africa's oldest republic. It was founded in 1847 by freed slaves from the United States of America who wanted to create a sovereign state for themselves and other African Americans. Liberia's history is marked by struggles for democracy, civil wars, and economic challenges. Today, Liberia is a multiparty democracy with a population of about 5 million people.
26. Madagascar is the world's 4th largest island.
27. Mancala or Mankala Oware is a traditional African game teaching math skills which are also played in Europe and around the world. Oware is one of the most played games in the Mancala Family of pit and pebbles games.
28. Mexico, China, Eastern and Western Europe, India, the USA, and Japan can all comfortably fit into Africa's total land area.
29. Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain on the continent. It towers over 19,300 feet, which is so tall that glaciers can be found at its summit even though the mountain is near the equator.
30. Namibia in Southern Africa is one of the least densely populated African countries, with 2.9 people per sq km or 2.9 people per 247 acres.
31. Namibia’s Twyfelfontein has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2007. Twyfelfontein has one of the largest concentrations of rock engravings in Africa. Twyfelfontein carvings range from animals to people to ritual practices to scenes of daily life over at least 2,000 years.
32. Oral traditions are important in African history and culture. One such oral tradition is hand-clapping games played by children throughout the African continent.
33. Over 25% of all languages are spoken only in Africa, with over 2,000 languages spoken on the continent.
34. Rwanda and Nigeria are the top two most densely populated African countries.
35. Sudan has more than 200 pyramids, double the number found in Egypt.
36. The “The” officially belongs in front of The Gambia since 1964. The Permanent Committee on Geographical Names says, "A letter dated May 1964 from the Gambian prime minister's office instructed that The Gambia should be used with a capital T. One of the reasons they gave was that the Gambia could be confused with Zambia, which was a new name to the international community at the time."
37. The ancient Egyptian city of Kahun was the world’s first planned city.
21. Kenya has one of the most culturally diverse populations in Africa.
22. Lake Victoria is the world's second-largest freshwater lake in north Tanzania while Lake Tanganyika is the world's second deepest in the west.
23. Lemurs are found only on the African island of Madagascar and nearby islands.
24. Liberia is a settlement of freed slaves and free blacks from the US established in 1822.
25. Liberia is Africa's oldest republic. It was founded in 1847 by freed slaves from the United States of America who wanted to create a sovereign state for themselves and other African Americans. Liberia's history is marked by struggles for democracy, civil wars, and economic challenges. Today, Liberia is a multiparty democracy with a population of about 5 million people.
26. Madagascar is the world's 4th largest island.
27. Mancala or Mankala Oware is a traditional African game teaching math skills which are also played in Europe and around the world. Oware is one of the most played games in the Mancala Family of pit and pebbles games.
28. Mexico, China, Eastern and Western Europe, India, the USA, and Japan can all comfortably fit into Africa's total land area.
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| 50 Facts about Africa for Kids |
29. Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain on the continent. It towers over 19,300 feet, which is so tall that glaciers can be found at its summit even though the mountain is near the equator.
30. Namibia in Southern Africa is one of the least densely populated African countries, with 2.9 people per sq km or 2.9 people per 247 acres.
32. Oral traditions are important in African history and culture. One such oral tradition is hand-clapping games played by children throughout the African continent.
33. Over 25% of all languages are spoken only in Africa, with over 2,000 languages spoken on the continent.
34. Rwanda and Nigeria are the top two most densely populated African countries.
35. Sudan has more than 200 pyramids, double the number found in Egypt.
36. The “The” officially belongs in front of The Gambia since 1964. The Permanent Committee on Geographical Names says, "A letter dated May 1964 from the Gambian prime minister's office instructed that The Gambia should be used with a capital T. One of the reasons they gave was that the Gambia could be confused with Zambia, which was a new name to the international community at the time."
37. The ancient Egyptian city of Kahun was the world’s first planned city.
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| 50 Facts about Africa for Kids |
38. One of the most iconic locations in the Star Wars saga is Tatooine, the desert planet where Luke Skywalker grew up. But did you know that the scenes on Tatooine were actually filmed in the real deserts of Tunisia? The filmmakers chose this North African country for its vast and varied landscapes, which matched the vision of a harsh and remote world. Some of the sets, such as Luke's home and the Mos Eisley cantina, still stand today and can be visited by fans.
39. The Gambia banned gambling on March 1, 2015, denouncing the industry as "exploitative" and saying the government acted to prevent its youth from becoming a generation of addicts.
40. The Gambia is geographically surrounded by Senegal.
41. The Kalahari Desert of eastern Namibia is well vegetated, despite its deep sands and absence of surface water.
42. The largest country in Africa is Algeria, and the smallest is the Seychelles.
43. The longest river in the world, the Nile at 4,132 miles, is located in eleven countries in Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt.
44. The Lugazi Uganda Little League team is bringing baseball in Africa to the World stage by competing in the 2015 Little League Baseball World Series.
45. The most popular sports in Africa are football (soccer), rugby, cricket, and capoeira, long-distance running, and wrestling.
46. The ostrich is native to Africa and is the largest bird in the world. Ostriches live in portions of 25 African countries.
47. The ruins of Great Zimbabwe are a compound of stone buildings.
48. There are 54 countries and one disputed territory, Western Sahara, in Africa.
49. There are gigantic Mosque adobes in Djenné and Mopti in the African country of Mali.
50. Africa's Timbuktu in the country of Mali is home to one of the oldest universities in the world, established in 982 CE.
39. The Gambia banned gambling on March 1, 2015, denouncing the industry as "exploitative" and saying the government acted to prevent its youth from becoming a generation of addicts.
40. The Gambia is geographically surrounded by Senegal.
41. The Kalahari Desert of eastern Namibia is well vegetated, despite its deep sands and absence of surface water.
42. The largest country in Africa is Algeria, and the smallest is the Seychelles.
43. The longest river in the world, the Nile at 4,132 miles, is located in eleven countries in Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt.
44. The Lugazi Uganda Little League team is bringing baseball in Africa to the World stage by competing in the 2015 Little League Baseball World Series.
45. The most popular sports in Africa are football (soccer), rugby, cricket, and capoeira, long-distance running, and wrestling.
47. The ruins of Great Zimbabwe are a compound of stone buildings.
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| 50 Facts about Africa for Kids |
48. There are 54 countries and one disputed territory, Western Sahara, in Africa.
49. There are gigantic Mosque adobes in Djenné and Mopti in the African country of Mali.
50. Africa's Timbuktu in the country of Mali is home to one of the oldest universities in the world, established in 982 CE.
