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Some curiosities that (maybe) you don't know about Africa

We unveil some (perhaps) unknown curiosities about Africa, the continent we often hear about for its negative sides such as hunger or war.

This is unfortunately part of the continent's history and chronicle, but Africa is much more than that. 

There are 54 nations grouped into five geographical regions with a rich diversity in terms of both culture and landscape. 

What is the most widely spoken language? Where does most of the population live and why is Africa considered the cradle of humanity? Let's discover together some curiosities that (maybe) you didn't know about Africa. (Source: focus.it)

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Some interesting facts you (may) not know about Africa
Africa is the continent we often hear about because of its negatives such as hunger or war. This is unfortunately part of history and the news, but Africa is much more than that. Africa is made up of more than fifty different countries, and is rich in diversity in terms of both landscape and culture. Which is the most widely spoken language? Where does the majority of the population live and why is Africa considered the cradle of humanity? Let's discover together some curiosities that (maybe) you didn't know about Africa. (Source: focus.co.uk)
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How many languages are spoken in Africa?
The most widely spoken language in Africa is Arabic, represented by various dialects: 170 million people speak it and live mainly in North Africa. But over 2000 languages are spoken throughout the continent.
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How many inhabitants?
The first most populous continent on Earth is Asia, the second is Africa, with about 1.25 billion people. Africa's population is growing faster than Asia's, and it is thought that by 2050 Africa will have 2.3 billion inhabitants.
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The average age of the population
The average age of the continent's population is relatively low. In many African states, half the population has not yet reached the age of 25. According to the World Population Data, the average life expectancy for the inhabitants of Africa is 58 years.
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The most visited tourist country
Egypt is the most visited tourist country in Africa, mainly because of the pyramids. Few people know that Sudan has 223 pyramids compared to Egypt's 138. But the Egyptian pyramids are bigger and better known.
Di Rweinkove di Wikipedia in inglese, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=329
The cradle of humanity
The central part of East Africa, the Rift Valley, is considered by many scholars to be the place of origin of human beings. In this picture we can admire a typical Rift Valley landscape.
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The oldest remains of Homo sapiens
The oldest remains of Homo sapiens have been found in Ethiopia. In 1974, the skeleton of Lucy, an Australopithecus Afarensis who lived around 3.2 million years ago, was found near Khadr and is believed by many scientists to be the oldest direct ancestor of man.
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What is the largest and smallest African country?
The largest country in Africa is Sudan (2.5 million km²). The smallest is the Seychelles (453 km²).
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Majority of inhabitants live in the countryside
Only 39% of Africa's population lives in urban areas. Africa is home to two megacities: Cairo in Egypt with 18 million inhabitants and Lagos in Nigeria with more than 16 million residents.
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