What's happening in Niamey? Thoughts and prayers to our brothers and sisters in Niger. I sincerely hope it is not another episode of Western countries interfering with Africa's well-being through proxies. Remains to be seen.
On that sombre note, let's shift our focus to discovering interesting facts about African countries that you probably don't know. In case you missed the previous issues, make sure to check out the first and second series of interesting facts about Africa. There's so much to learn and explore about this diverse and fascinating continent.
Mozambique
- It is one of only two countries in the world to feature firearms on the national flag.
- The only country with a single word name that includes all five vowels.
- Mozambique is one of only two Commonwealth members without historic ties to the United Kingdom.
Namibia
- Home to the world's oldest desert, the Namib Desert.
- The Skeleton Coast is the world's biggest gravesite for sailors and ships.
- Dragon's Breath Cave is the world's largest underground lake, with an area of about 2 hectares.
Niger
- Home to the largest protected area in Africa, the Air and Tenere National Reserve, spanning 7.7 million hectares.
- Considered one of the hottest nations. Known as the \"Frying Pan of the World\".
- Grand Mosque in Agadez has the highest minaret (27m) made entirely of mud brick.
- Home to the largest known animal carving in the world, Dabous Giraffe Petroglyph.
Nigeria
- Africa most populous country (201 M in 2019) and the sixth most populous country in the world.
- The town of Igbo Ora is known as the \"twins capital of the world\". Fifty sets of twins are born per 1000 births.
- Has over 500 indigenous languages.
- Home to the oldest dye pots in Africa, Kofar Mata.
Rwanda
- Every last Saturday of the month is a community work day, Umugada Day.
- Home to the endangered mountain gorillas.
- The country has a car-free day every month in the capital Kigali. Everyone works from and to work.
Sao Tome and Principe
- The two main islands, Sao Tome and Principe form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes.
- The first country in Africa to adopt multiparty democracy in 1990.
- She does not have dangerous animals like lions, or deadly snakes. The most threatening animal is the mosquito.
Senegal
- The capital Dakar is the most western point of Africa.
- Home to a tiny car-free island made from sea shells, Joal- Fadiouth.
- Home to Africa's tallest statue, the Senegal Renaissance Monument.
Seychelles
- Home to the heaviest land tortoise living in the wild, Esmeralda.
- Victoria, the capital city is the smallest in the world and can be explored on foot in less than a day.
- Home to the biggest nut in the world, the Coco do Mer weighing up to 20kg.
- No indigenous people. Everybody came :)
- Over 90% of the country is water.
Sierra Leone
- Infamous for blood diamonds ( mined and sold for weapons during the country's civil war).
- Freetown is home to the world's famous cotton tree.
- Freetown has the largest natural harbour in Africa.
South Africa
- World's largest producer of Macadamia nuts.
- Route 62 in Western Cape is the longest wine route in the world.
- Home to the Blockrans Bridge, the world's highest commercial natural bungee jump.
- The national animal is Springbook, the only Southern African gazelle.
South Sudan
- Youngest African nation (July 2011 from Sudan)
- The name of the capital Juba is derived from Djouba, another name of the Bari people.
- Home to Sudd, Africa's largest wetlands.
Sudan
- Has more pyramids than Egypt.
- Sudan means land of the Black people in Rabic (bilad as- Sudan)
- The government censors all media.
Tanzania
- Home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa.
- Home to the second deepest lake in the world, Lake Tanganyika.
- The name Tanzania was coined from Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
- Has a unique species of tree-climbing lions, together with Uganda.
Togo
- Voodoo is widely practised.
- Its capital Lome is considered the most beautiful pearl of West Africa due to its boulevards and cosmopolitan atmosphere.
- Home to Fazao- Malfakassa, West Africa's most diverse parks in terms of topography (forests, savannah, rocky cliffs, waterfall).
Uganda
- There's an annual Rolex (omelette rolled Chapati) festival.
- Baganda women, girls and young boys kneel when greeting.
- They add peanuts to almost every food.
Zambia
- Home to Lake Kariba, the largest man-made lake in the world.
- Hosts the famous Victoria Falls, locally known as Mosi-a Tunya.
- Termite hills can grow as big as a house.
Zimbabwe
- Has the most official languages in the world (16).
- Multi-currency country ( US-Dollars, South African Rand, Euro and Botswana Pula)
- It is illegal for the police to impound your vehicle on the road.
- Hosts the famous Victoria Falls, locally known as Mosi-a Tunya.
Curious! Many of you have expressed interest in learning various African languages. As I have communicated individually, we are diligently working on a comprehensive course for selected African languages, and we aim to roll it out as soon as possible. However, we understand that learning shouldn't wait, and you may be seeking alternative options in the meantime.
That leads me to the question: how many of you would be interested in participating in a paid language tutorship with qualified native speakers?
Please let me know your thoughts on this. We have already started a pilot for the paid language tutorship with qualified native speakers, and we would love to know if more of you are interested in joining. Your feedback and interest are important to us as we work to enhance and expand our language learning opportunities.
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