Africa: Fact at a glance
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most-populous continent. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
Instant Fact
| Largest Agglomeration |
Egypt - Cairo |
| Major Island |
Madagascar |
| Major River |
Nile, (Other important rivers: Congo, Niger, Zambezi) |
| Longest Man-Made |
River Libya Great Man Made River Project |
| Major Lake |
Victoria, 69,500 km2 (Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania) |
| Longest Freshwater Lake |
Tanganyika (32,900 km2) 676 km long, max 72 km wide, (Congo DR Tanzania). Lake Tanganyika is also the world's second deepest lake with a maximum of 1435 m. |
| Largest Desert |
Sahara, North Africa, Kalahari, south-western Africa |
| Main Language Families |
Over 1000 languages. The 240 Afro-Asiatic languages throughout East Africa,North Africa, the Sahel. The 100 Nilo-Saharan languages (30 million) in Chad, Ethiopia,Kenya, Sudan, Uganda and northern Tanzania. The Niger-Congo (and Banthu) Saharan Africa. Probably; the largest language family in the world in terms of different languages. The 50 Khoisan languages in Southern Africa. The Khoi and San peoples are considered the original inhabitants of this part of Africa. |
| Main Religions
|
Approximately 46% of all Africans are Christians and another 40% are Muslims. Roughly 12% percent of Africans primarily follow indigenous African religions. |
| Largest Cities |
Lagos (Nigeria); Cairo (Egypt); Kinshasa, (Conqo-Kinshasa); Alexandria (Egypt); Casablanca (Morocco); Abidjan (Cot d'ivoire); Addis Ababa (Ethiopa); Giza (Egypt); Algiers (Algeria); Nairobi (Kenya); Dakar (Senegal). |
| Highest Point |
Tanzania - Mt Kilimanjaro 5895 m |
| Lowest Point |
Djibouti; Lake Assai |
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