English is widely spoken in Africa as many countries were formerly British colonies. In many countries, people speak English, French or Portuguese as an additional language, as these languages are often used in official communication and business. Languages in Africa: It is estimated that about 2,000 different languages are spoken on the African continent! Many Africans speak several African languages and also often another 'European' language. Among the most developed and richest countries are the Seychelles, Libya, Mauritius, Algeria, Egypt, Botswana, South Africa and Nigeria.ġ3. The poorest countries in Africa are Malawi, the Central African Republic and Burundi. Most African countries only gained independence after World War II in the 1950s and 1960s. As Africa was colonised and suppressed until the last century, the majority of Africans is still poor. They all have their own language and culture. People of Africa: There are more than 3,000 different groups of indigenous people living in Africa. In the late 19th century Europeans started conquering Africa which was then colonised in the 19th and 20th century mainly from Portugal, Britain and France, but also from the Dutch, Italian, Germans and Belgians.ġ2. Between the 5th and 15th century, African slaves were traded mainly by Arab traders and later sent overseas.
Many powerful kingdoms existed on the African continent in the early history and the Middle Ages. 'Mrs Ples and the Taung Child are among the most important fossils. One of the earliest evidences of human life were found in South Africa.
Fossils found in Africa, show that the modern human evolved there about 5 to 10 million years ago and spread from this continent. History: Africa is the 'cradle of humankind', the place where the first hominids, human beings and their closest relatives the gorilla and chimpanzees, evolved. Two of these landlocked countries, the tiny countries of Eswatini and Lesotho, are located within South Africa. These countries are all located in the interior of the continent and have neither access to the Atlantic Ocean nor to the Indian Ocean. 10. There are sixteen landlocked countries in Africa.