Africa is the second-biggest continent in the world, and it is regarded as the cradle of life. This is primarily because many skeletons of the earlier life of both man and animals have been located in Africa. This continent is now comprised of independent nations.

Fact 1: In 1992, a survey found that Africa had an astounding population of 653 million. This number has grown exponentially since then.

Fact 2: The biggest lake in Africa is called Lake Victoria. Other notable rivers include; the Nile, Zambezi, and Congo.

Fact 3: Enslaved Africans generally came from a location stretching from the Senegal River to Angola. Nearly half of the slaves who were sold to the Americas were supplied from Angola.

Fact 4: African law acknowledged slavery along with the privilege of slave owners to isolate slaves.

Fact 5: Compared to other continents, Africa is centrally located. Both the equator and Prime Meridian pass through Africa. However, Africa has not yet taken advantage of this beneficial centralized location.

Fact 6: The Sahara Desert in Africa is the world’s biggest desert. It spans over 10 million square km.

Fact 7: Europe is the nearest landmass to Africa. The two continents are separated by the  Mediterranean Sea over a distance of 9 miles.

Fact 8: Africa is the actually the most compacted continent with regards to shape. This means its length and width are almost equal. It measures roughly 7,500 km from north to south and also in its west to east extent.

Fact 9: Africa’s surface consists of some very old rocks that pertain to the historical Precambrian Era.

Fact 10: Much evidence shows a common ancestry of humans originating from Africa. Human-like species have been unearthed in Africa, and they are thought to be over 4 million years old.

Simply put, Africa is a diverse and beautiful continent with varying cultures and people.