This incredible continent is home to some of the oldest civilisations in the world and is incredibly rich in culture, diversity, and history. It is a truly remarkable place, and here we will explore some of its most fascinating facts. From its incredible wildlife to its incredible geography, Africa is a truly amazing continent. Let’s explore some of the amazing facts about Africa!

1. It is the second largest continent of the world.

It is one of the 7 continents of the world and is only smaller than Asia.

2. There are 54 countries in Africa.

These include Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Read more about Kenya with our Top 10 Facts about Kenya!

3. Africa has the world’s largest desert – sort of!

The Sahara desert is the largest desert in the world – well technically the largest hot desert. It is the third largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Arctic.

4. It is home to the world’s longest river, The Nile.

The Nile is the longest river in the world – although some researchers are arguing that The Amazon is longer. It flows through many different African countries and is the main water source of Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan.

5. Most of the world’s diamonds come from Africa.

 As much as 95 percent of the world’s diamonds and 50 percent of the world’s gold comes from Africa

6. Africa makes 70% of the world’s cocoa beans.

Cocoa beans are used to make chocolate. Most of the world’s beans come from 4 West African countries: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. 

7. Our earliest ancestors originated from Africa.

Africa is sometimes called The Cradle of Humankind because there have been many fossils, tools which indicate that early human life originated here. These people are the earliest known homo-sapiens, which is the species we belong to.

8. 1.2 billion people live in Africa.

That’s 16% of the world’s population.

9. There are over 2000 different languages spoken in Africa.

Arabic is the most spoken language in Africa.

10. Beware of Hippos in Africa.

More people are attacked by hippos than any other animal in Africa! They are very protective so if you see a hippo leave it alone.

Enjoyed these facts? You might also enjoy our Top 10 Facts about Kenya – a country in Africa!

Or find out more about continents with our Top 10 Facts about Continents.

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