Found on Nigerian Best Forum.com on 21 March 2009
History of Africa
History is evidence that Africa is home to the oldest inhabited territory on earth. It is often believed that the human race originated from this continent of Africa. Egypt is one of the earliest nation states ever formed. Other civilizations of Africa, include Ethiopia, the Nubian kingdom, and the kingdoms of the Sahel. After colonial rule in Africa and most African countries gained independence in the 20th century. Unfortunately, Africa is today considered as the world’s poorest inhabited continent. A recent survey declared that on an average, it is poorer than it was 25 years ago. Africa is gradually going through the process of economic and social development.
Population of Africa
Approximately, 80 per cent of the Africans live to the south of the Sahara Desert. “African” and “black” are often considered as synonymous. But the reality is that a large minority of Africans, especially those living in the northern and southern portions of the African continent are not dark-skinned. It is interesting to note that the Africans from the eastern part of the continent have a different appearance from those on the West coast. The people of North Africa are primarily the descendants from the speakers of Afro-Asiatic languages.
Languages of Africa
There is a great list of African language families and some major African languages. The Afro-Asiatic languages are the language family of about 240 languages and 285 million people spread throughout the Sahel, North Africa, East Africa, and Southwest Asia. Africa has over a thousand languages. There are four major language families that are native to Africa.
Culture of Africa
There is no single culture that is intimate to Africa. Africa has a number of other cultures that mix and match. The most conventional distinction is that between sub-Saharan Africa and the northern countries from Egypt to Morocco. African art reflects the diversity of African cultures. You can see here the old existing arts in Niger that date back to 6000-year old, and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, which is the world’s tallest architectural accomplishment for 4000-years. The music of Africa is also among one of its most dynamic art forms.
About Africa
The principal countries of Africa are South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Libya, Morocco, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Angola Sudan, and many others.
Africa’s landscape ranges from desert in the north, to equatorial forest in the center and lofty plateaus in the northwest. Africa is rich in minerals, like gold, diamonds or copper. Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain of Africa is an interesting tourist attraction. Wildlife Reserves in Africa like Serengeti, Masai Mara and Ngorongoro Crater are popular tourist attractions. Lake Victoria in East Africa is the largest lake of the continent.
Africa’s important cities where tourists can enjoy a holiday are Cairo, Cape Town, Lusaka, Nairobi, Harare Pretoria and Sun City.
