For some people, Africa is still in abundanceThe world’s largest black continent, home to more than 1 billion people, is still a mystery and much is unknown. While the continent is taking its time deciding on the path of development, it’s worth noting that there are a few strange facts about Africa that might sound unbelievable to the elite. Some can be explained while others cannot be explained but are still taken as fact. Aside from having the most beautiful and clearest map in the modern geographic atlas, there are some weird and wacky facts about Africa that you might never have known. Most bizarre things are products of nature and can only be explained in that way. It is therefore not surprising that Africa has an array of unusual, strange, bizarre, and wacky objects, formations, and customs. Answers Africa presents the list of strange facts about Africa:
10. During the months of October to January you can swim with whale sharks in the Gulf of Tadjourah in Djibouti in the Indian Ocean at the western end of the Gulf of Aden. This is possible because the ocean currents are changing and the plankton concentration in this area is high during this season.
9. The world’s most luxurious train to date is found in South Africa. It’s called “The Rovo’s Rail”. Rovos Rail is a privately owned railway company that operates out of Capital Park Station in Pretoria, South Africa and is arguably the most luxurious train in the world. The route covers all of southern Africa, from South Africa to Namibia and Tanzania.
8. The world’s largest frog comes from Cameroon. It can grow up to 33 cm in length (over a foot) excluding the legs, which can also be up to 1 foot long when extended. They are known as the largest frog species on earth and are called the Goliath frog.
7. The Second Congo War killed an estimated 5.4 million people. It started in 1998 and included eight African countries. It is said to be the biggest war in African history. This made the Second Congo War the deadliest global conflict since World War II. The war was officially ended after 8 long years (2006), however there is still hostile activity to this day.
6. South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world (5.6 million). This corresponds to approximately 9% of the general population and an adult prevalence rate of 17.8% (15-49 years). This figure is the highest in the world and quite significant when compared to Canada at 56,000 and Croatia and Qatar at just 200.
5. Benin, a country in West Africa, has the highest national average of twins with a whopping 27.9 twins per 1,000 births. This evidence is based on databases for 76 developing countries, which represent the most comprehensive study on twins for developing countries to date. It includes data on approximately 2.5 million births from nearly 1.4 million women collected between 1987 and 2010. It has been proven that in the developing countries surveyed, an average of 13.6 twins were born for every 1,000 births.
4. In Tunisia, images of fish are widely used because it is believed to provide protection against evil. During the construction phase, new buildings with herringbones or fishtails are often found. Cars are not left out as they carry colorful fish that can be made of plastic or fabric. This is to protect passengers.
3. The skeleton of “Lucy”, a hominid that lived approximately 3.2 million years ago, was determined in 1974 to be a common ancestor of the human family. This stunning discovery took place in Hadar, Ethiopia and it didn’t end there. In 1979, a 150 meter long track containing the earliest traces of hominids was discovered in the Kibish region of Tanzania. With these facts, Northeast Africa has been called the birthplace of mankind.
2. The “evil eye” is originally from North Africa and the Mediterranean region of Africa. The “evil eye” is commonly believed to cause harm or bad luck, especially when the person is already vulnerable or ill. In Morocco, it is customary for men and boys to decorate the backs of their cloaks with bright red eyes to ward off the evil eye.
1. Fairy Circles (Circles of Life and Death): Mysterious bare patches known as “fairy circles” appear in the sandy desert meadows of Namibia in southern Africa. The circles would form and then years later would disappear for no reason. Sometimes the largest of the circles can linger for a lifetime.
The small fairy circles, once formed, can stay up an average of 24 years, while larger ones can last up to 75 years. In 2005, tens of thousands of fairy circles formed, exposing the red sandy soil in the area. Shortly after the circles formed, a tall ring of grass grew around the border, highlighting the bald spot.
Looking at the circles, one can assume that they mark underground nests of combine termites. However, excavations have found no evidence of termite nests in fairy circles, and no other explanations have been able to provide an acceptable answer.
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