Ten fun facts about Africa and your neighbourhood

Africa Day marks the day, on 25 May 1963, when countries in Africa that had achieved freedom, came together to sign a declaration to form the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

The OAU was transformed into the African Union (AU) in 2002, which was launched in Durban in July that year. The AU has brought together African states to collectively address the problems challenging us.

Did you know?

• All of Africa was colonized by foreign powers during the “scramble for Africa”, except Ethiopia and Liberia.
• Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in Africa – it is 355 feet high and one mile wide.
• There are 54 countries and one “non-self governing territory” – the Western Sahara in Africa.
• Before colonial rule, Africa comprised up to 10, 000 different states and autonomous groups with distinct languages and customs
• Cairo is the continents largest city.
• Arabic is spoken by 170 million people on the continent, followed in popularity by English (130 million), Swahili (100), French (115), Berber (50), Hausa (50), Portuguese (20) and Spanish (10).
• The Second Congo War claimed over 5.4 million lives and is the deadliest worldwide conflict since World War II.
• Africa is the world’s second driest continent (after Australia).
• There are over 1 million Chinese citizens on the African continent. Angola alone has a population of over 350,000 Chinese.
• Over 25% of all languages are spoken only in Africa with over 2,000 recognised languages spoken on the continent.

Around the Randburg Sun and Roodepoort Northsider distribution area:

• Delta Park is one of the biggest parks in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is adjacent to the suburbs of Blairgowrie and Victory Park. It comprises 108 hectares of grassland and woodland, and three tree-lined dams.
• Walter Sisulu Garden in Roodepoort is a haven for birds, reptiles and small mammals, and those wanting to escape the bustle of city life. There are 220 varieties of birds.
• The Cradle of Humankind Site comprises a strip of a dozen dolomitic limestone caves containing the fossillised remains of ancient forms of animals, plants and most importantly, hominids. The dolomite in which the caves formed, started out as coral reefs growing in a warm shallow sea about 2.3 billion years ago.