Ten Important Facts about Africa

1. Africa is the second largest continent (after Asia) with 700 million people

2. The earliest pre-human fossils were found in Kenya and Tanzania

3. During the 19^th century, European countries colonized Africa but became independent of colonial rule in the 20^th century

4. The geography includes deserts (the Sahara desert is the largest in the world), rain forest jungles, mountains, grasslands, rivers and lakes

5. Major rivers include the Congo, the Nile (the longest river in the world), the Zambezi (including the Victorian Falls), the Niger, the Ubangi and the Orange.

6. The climate of Africa is tropical although there are temperate climates in the northern and southern extremes as well as in the mountains

7. Animal life in Africa is extremely diverse and includes elephants, giraffes, hippopotamuses, gorillas, chimpanzees, zebras, rhinoceroses, crocodiles, leopards, cheetahs and birds like flamingos, herons, pelicans and storks

8. Over 800 languages are spoken in Africa

9. Africa has many mineral resources including aluminum ore, bauxite, chromium, cobalt, copper, diamonds, gold, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, platinum, and zinc

10. Africa is a land of many different people, cultures, and languages and most people identify with their tribe or nation