The African Continent in 15 Essential Numbers

Unless you live in Africa, you probably don’t know a ton about it. And the little you do know is probably skewed towards the negative. Things like war, famine, dentists hunting lions, etc. Yes, those events are an unfortunate reality. But Africa is a vast, complex place, and it’s beginning to show some potential. So it’s time to start bringing your knowledge up to speed. Here is the African continent in 15 essential numbers.

 

11.7 million

Africa’s land area in square miles, amounting to about 20 percent of the land on Earth. That’s basically the same as the United States, China, India, Europe, Argentina, and New Zealand combined. The Sahara Desert alone is approximately the same size as the United States.

 

2.4 billion

The expected population of Africa by the year 2050. That will be about 25 percent of the world’s population at the time. Of the 2.4 billion, more than half will be under 25 years old.

 

54

The number of sovereign countries in Africa. Of these, 48 are on the mainland and 6 are island nations. These numbers do not include dependencies and disputed territories.

 

2,000

The estimated number of languages spoken in Africa. The most widely spoken is probably Arabic, with English, French, and Swahili holding their own. (Over half of the world’s French speakers live in Africa.)

 

7,400

The volume in cubic miles of the African Great Lakes. That’s more than the North American Great Lakes and good for around 25 percent of Earth’s (unfrozen) surface fresh water.

 

4,258

The length in miles of the Nile River, making it one of the longest in the world (with the major competition being the Amazon River).

 

63,000

The estimated reserves in metric tons of platinum metals in Africa (mostly in South Africa). That’s a huge chunk of the worldwide reserves, estimated to be 69,000 metric tons.

 

60

The percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land that is located in Africa.

 

299 billion

The value in US dollars of Chinese investments and contracts in sub-Saharan Africa from 2005 to 2018. While many welcome the infusion of capital, claims of neocolonialism have gained prominence in recent years.

 

65

The literacy rate in sub-Saharan Africa among those aged 15 and older. In other words, 35 percent of that group is illiterate. These numbers are actually a significant improvement relative to the 20th century.

 

40

The percent of Africans that have some sort of access to the internet. In some countries, the number approaches 90 percent, while it hasn’t even reached 10 percent in others. Improvements in mobile technology are expected to drive this number up.

 

3

The percent of global GDP (nominal) that is accounted for by Africa. That’s despite having close to 17 percent of the world’s population.

 

4

The percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions attributable to Africa. That’s one-fourth of what would be expected based on population.

 

1967

The year of the first human to human heart transplant. Performed by Christiaan Barnard, the surgery took place in Cape Town, South Africa. The recipient unfortunately died 18 days later.

 

528

The distance in miles of the longest wine route in the world. Located in South Africa, Route 62 stretches from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. Is this really important? It is if you like wine.

 

The African continent has undoubtedly seen its share of ups and downs. As some of these numbers show, it’s not difficult to have an optimistic outlook. Of course, it’s not that difficult to have a pessimistic outlook either. Let’s hope for the former.