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Table of Contents
The continent of Africa is considered to be the second largest continent in the world. It has the land area of 30.3 million km2. 6% of our planet’s overall surface area and 20% of the land area is covered by this continent.
See the fact file below for more information on the Africa Continent or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Africa Continent worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
Etymology and Background
- The name of the continent originated from the Latin name “Afri”, which is used to denote the people who lived in Northern Africa in ancient times.
- The Native Libyan tribe is said to be the first reference of the Latin name “Afri”. The name was used to describe this tribe.
- There are several theories on the origin of the word “Africa”. One theory came from Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian from the 1st-century. He said that the name of the continent came from the grandson of Abraham, who was named “Epher”.
- There are 54 countries that can be found in Africa. This continent consists of 5 regions, namely Southern Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, West Africa, and North Africa.
- There are 1,500 various languages that are used by people living on this continent.
- There is a major tectonic plate that can be found on this continent.
- The first recorded literate civilization in the world came from Africa, specifically Egypt, which dates back to 3300 BC.
- The most widespread religion in Africa is Islam, second to that is Christianity.
- The most widely-spoken language is Arabic.
- The country in Africa that has the highest population is Nigeria, which has over 154.7 million inhabitants.
- The largest country that can be found in Africa is Sudan.
- In terms of GDP, South Africa has the highest, with 182 billion USD while the country in Africa with the lowest GDP is Guinea-Bissau.
- The world’s longest river can also be found in Africa, which is the Nile River.
- Malaria is the biggest health problem in Africa and kills approximately 3,000 children per year.
- In Ethiopia, the oldest human remains were excavated. They are said to be around 200,000 years old.
- In South Africa, there is a plateau that is called Witwatersrand, which has produced half of all the gold that has been mined on Earth.
- The highest mountain in Africa is Mt. Kilimanjaro and the largest waterfall that can be found on this continent is the Victoria Falls.
- The largest city in Africa is Cairo, which is located in Egypt.
- The deadliest animal that can be found in Africa is the hippopotamus, which is said to be much more dangerous than lions and crocodiles.
- Africa also holds the record for being the hottest continent in the world.
- Africa is also known for having the largest land animal, which is the African elephant.
- The tallest animal in the world can also be found here – the giraffe.
- The world’s largest frog can be found on this continent, which is known as the goliath bullfrog.
- The lowest point in Africa can be found in central-eastern Djibouti and is called Lake Assal.
- The most visited country in Africa is Egypt because of its different tourist spots such as the pyramids, the famous Sphinx, and other heritage sites.
- There are over 3000 various indigenous people that reside in Africa.
- Almost 25% of the global species of birds are found in Africa.
- The Nile crocodile, which is the largest reptile in the world, can also be found in Africa.
- The rate of deforestation is significantly increasing on this continent and is double the average global percentage of deforestation.
- Poverty is one of the main problems in Africa. That is why it holds the record for being the poorest continent.
- Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt, with a total of 223 pyramids.
- This is twice the number of pyramids in Egypt.
- The country with the most births of twins is also found in Benin.
- The country of Ethiopia has its own alphabet which is called Ethiopic and is composed of 345 letters.
- There are half a billion people in sub-Saharan Africa that reside in places where there is no electricity.
- This continent also holds the record for the youngest population in the world as it has an average age of 25 years old.
- Aside from the cheetah, there are other fast land animals that can be found in this continent, such as the lion, gazelle, and wildebeest.
- One of the hottest, most arid places on Earth is found in Africa. It is called the Namib Desert.
- The city with the highest population in Africa is Lagos. which is composed of 21 million people.
- The largest producer of oil in the world is located in Africa.
Africa Continent Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Africa Continent across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Africa Continent worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the continent of Africa which is considered to be the second largest continent in the world. It has the land area of 30.3 million km2. 6% of our planet’s overall surface area and 20% of the land area is covered by this continent.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Africa Facts
- Countries in Southern Africa
- What is the Capital?
- What is the Capital? (Part 2)
- This Country is Known for?
- It’s All About the Money
- More East African Countries
- Leaders of the North
- Asia’s Wonders
- Self-Reflection
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Link will appear as Africa (Continent) Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 17, 2020
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.