10 Interesting Facts About Africa. A Surprising Continent That Is Quite Different From Our Expectation!

Contrary to popular belief, Africa is not a continent full of poor countries. In fact, the situation in individual countries can be very different. For example, Equatorial Guinea is the richest country in Africa, thanks to oil deposits discovered in the 90s of the last century. In contrast, the poorest country not only in Africa but in the world is the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Africa boasts many precious metals such as gold and platinum group metals. However, the most valuable are diamonds. Almost 46 percent of the world's diamonds come from the African continent. The main suppliers of these precious minerals are such countries as Botswana, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.

Africa is the second largest continent on our planet. Not surprisingly, you will find numerous countries, cultures and languages there. The smallest country is the Republic of Seychelles, while the largest is Algeria.

The idea of traveling to Africa seems scary to many people. All because of tropical diseases and wild animals. However, in practice, before departure you can be vaccinated against most diseases occurring on this continent (whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis A and B, etc.) and even malaria does not have to be dangerous - antimalarial drugs are widely available.

Some people still think that Africa is a country where people are afraid to leave their homes for fear of wild animals. However, despite appearances, attacks (even by lions) are relatively rare. Animals stick to their territories and rarely appear in the area inhabited by people, especially when it comes to urban areas. Even participation in a safari is completely safe, because the car is a sufficient barrier even for a 661-pounds lion. In turn, the drivers are seasoned guides who know the route perfectly and know where and when to go.

More than 2,000 languages are spoken on the African continent, and "African" is not among them. This is the equivalent of assuming that people living in Europe speak "European". English is admittedly the official language in 24 African countries and is taught to a high standard in schools across the continent. However, in many areas we will hear dialects and languages as unique as the continent itself.

Vacations in Egypt we always associate with the ubiquitous pyramids, but it is not this country has their largest number of Sudan. In Sudan we find more than 233 pyramids. Most of them can be found near cities such as Al Kurru, Nur, Gebel Barkal and Meroe.

We usually associate birds dressed in black and white suits with cold areas near Antarctica and the Arctic Circle. However, the African continent is inhabited by Cape Penguins. These are very curious animals and you can get to know them better on Boulders beach. For local residents, these birds can be a nuisance - they rummage through trash, push under the wheels of cars, and provoked can peck. And it hurts!

Despite appearances, the most dangerous animal of Africa is not lions, elephants or leopards. This "honorable" role is won by the hippopotamus. Although we are talking about a herbivorous animal and living mainly in the water, they are extremely dangerous creatures. The strength of their jaws is striking, for they are able to bite a crocodile in half! Because of their curious nature, they often swim up to boats. Unfortunately they are not gentle giants and can be extremely aggressive. Every year an average of 500 people are killed by hippos.

There are ski resorts in Morocco and several other African countries. The high elevations of Africa experience snowfall, even in places close to the equator. There are places in South Africa that experience sub-zero temperatures all winter long.

Do you know any other interesting facts about Africa? Let us know in the comments!